At what point?

[Tigerstripe40]

I am curious, with all the modifications, etc being made the TLC's there is a point where your truck is no longer really a Land Cruiser, but more of a custom buggy...

Look at Wngrog's, woody's or spaceghosts truck... There is very little left of the original truck except sheet metal. and there is a huge bill.

One guy in my 4wheeling club is into his truck almost $60,000. You can buy a new Turnkey Avalance Sniper for the same money..

what I want to know is at what point should one simply stop the mod's on the current rig, and have a tube chasis built?

Thanks.

 

[woody]

I've got roughly $15k in my rig.....it would be less if I'd build it once...lol

SG is on his way to a full tube chassis...may even be this winter yet, but for competition status, you almost HAVE to keep up with the others in your class, and this means building to the limit of the rules.

I'm pushing the point right now....the next set of modifications will effectively finish my motor/tranny/t-case modifications, and push the axle mods pretty far too. From a tube/body standpoint, this is the next-to-last step...and will give me the confidence to tackle a complete from scratch project.

One thing to remember, and the limiting factor for 99% of people...spending $25-60k TODAY for a rig is very different than building it over years and small steps. Additionally, driver skill development is important, and I learned a TON while spring under on 33's. (tho, not enuf to stay off my lid...hehehe)

Finally, I love the fab and build process....and buying a turnkey would take that process from me. Experimenting between every event is part of the fun for me. My rig has almost never done two consecutive trail rides with the identical setup underneath. (for instance, for this weekend, I've redone the power steering and dropped 2 leaves from the front packs to lower the spring rate....and the entire drivetrain may be pulled when I get home on Sunday....)

 

[Poser]

I am curious, with all the modifications, etc being made the TLC's there is a point where your truck is no longer really a Land Cruiser, but more of a custom buggy...

Look at Wngrog's, woody's or spaceghosts truck... There is very little left of the original truck except sheet metal. and there is a huge bill.

One guy in my 4wheeling club is into his truck almost $60,000. You can buy a new Turnkey Avalance Sniper for the same money..

what I want to know is at what point should one simply stop the mod's on the current rig, and have a tube chasis built?

Thanks.

 

[Mace]

Once you replace one individual thing it is not stock..

After that if someone says it is a LC then it is.

IT really is not that hard of a concept.

Course, there are those that are VERY pissed that the 100 series is considered a LC...

 

[cruiserrg]

Look at Wngrog's, woody's or spaceghosts truck... There is very little left of the original truck except sheet metal. and there is a huge bill.

LOL, guess I can't call my rig a cruiser anymore!

what I want to know is at what point should one simply stop the mod's on the current rig, and have a tube chasis built?

You will know when its time, so if your asking the answer is NO.

For me I got to the point I couldn't drive my rig where I wanted to go. I sold it before I grabed a sawzall and cut a decent rig into peices. I am building a new rig to go further and break even more stuff. There is no limit or end to it all, even with what I am building now I am thinking of what to build next.

Only tip I would give anyone, don't sell your wheelin' rig until you have the next one finished, you'll miss wheeling too much.

 

[Texican]

Who cares?
As long as the rig is identified as a Cruiser, usually hood and bezel, and the owner wants to be included in Land Cruiser circles and events which is also thumbing his nose at the conventional (jeep) I'm on board.
This question has been popping up as long as I have been into LC's and except for discussion value......I don't get it.
Butch

 

[wngrog]

For one, mine cost less than a turn-key Sniper and it will stomp one's ass too

 

[woody]

IMO, the question wasn't one of appearance and "cruiserness", but one of cost to benefit ratio

does buidling from an existing platform make more or less sense than building from scratch or purchasing a full tube jim-style cruiser buggy?

 

[Texican]

IMO, the question wasn't one of appearance and "cruiserness", but one of cost to benefit ratio

does buidling from an existing platform make more or less sense than building from scratch or purchasing a full tube jim-style cruiser buggy?

To each his own, one of the things that really get me going is others presuming they have the right to toss around comments that are offensive, I have witnessed guys running down the amount of money spent, or the direction someone took, or that the rig was not stock, or the color was not correct etc...................all within earshot of the owner
If someone has put their heart and soul into a rig, or paid someone to do it for them, I will find something good to say and keep my mouth shut unless I am asked.

 

[Tigerstripe40]

Who cares?
As long as the rig is identified as a Cruiser, usually hood and bezel, and the owner wants to be included in Land Cruiser circles and events which is also thumbing his nose at the conventional (jeep) I'm on board.
This question has been popping up as long as I have been into LC's and except for discussion value......I don't get it.
Butch

Really, I am not trying to rag on anybody's rig. ALL of the rigs I have mentioned are awesome trucks I have no problem calling a Land Cruiser.

Where I am goign with this is deciding which direction I want to go.

I ahve a reasonably capable rig, with a decent (although bent) body. Its SUA on 35" tires locked in the rear end, etc. I would HATE to cut this trucks body up, because if reskinned it would make a VERY nice ***ll bodied truck.

I am looking at a roll cage. And the way I want it built is going to run me $1500+ Where I can get a Hendrix Motorsports chasis for about the same money.

I am moving towards a SOA on my current rig though a 4 link is also something worth considering.

Anyhow, I feel that I can build a Hendrix Chasis with the drivetrain of my choice for about the same money I am currently into my FJ40. Maybe a little more. Maybe a little less.

Edit:
I have found a V6 Grand Vitara Drive train with an automatic, and t-case for about $1600 with less than 40,000 miles on it. With Toyota minitruck axles, it'd be light and strong....

I am also looking at a Tundra/UZJ-100 drivetrain, but I haven't found any pricing.

 

[SpaceGhost]

Funny this comes up at this time..... I have a hard time calling my rig a Cruiser, Mostly because I DO know the difference. It's still recognized as one by total strangers many coming up and telling that they have/had/family member, yadda yadda one. But what makes it odd to be a post here today is my ongoing mental battle with what to do now? Not gonna jack this thread, but I do recognize a point that a vehicle does loose some of it's orignal heritage/character.

 

[smcruisin]

Texican,

Those are the words of a true gentleman...

Momma always say, "If you don't have anything nice to say, keep your mouth shut!"

Anyway's, isn't the journey supposed to be more fun than the destination. It's always fun to look back and laugh at what you used to make due with. If you've owned cruisers for years and you go ahead and build a tube chassis, half the fun of grafting a narrowed cruiser hood and bib onto it is the irony!!!

 

[Tigerstripe40]

To each his own, one of the things that really get me going is others presuming they have the right to toss around comments that are offensive, I have witnessed guys running down the amount of money spent, or the direction someone took, or that the rig was not stock, or the color was not correct etc...................all within earshot of the owner
If someone has put their heart and soul into a rig, or paid someone to do it for them, I will find something good to say and keep my mouth shut unless I am asked.

Butch, I am not tyring to run anybody down, and if I came accross that way, I sincerly appologize.

I know what direction my rig is going. But I am also on a budget. I want to make the maximum capability on a small budget, but still have a well thought out, very capable vehicle in the end.

I look at where my truck is at it's curreny level, and smile at all the hard work, the heart and soul that went into it. I am into my truck at this point between 10,000 and 15,000. That said, I look at a friend of mines Samurai, and he's into his about $5000, and it;'s a more capable truck than mine is.

 

[66fj40x2]

I've been a Criuiser owner since April 2000 (a rookie by most standards). My original plan was to do a stock restoration. The only thing stock on mine now are a few '66 body panels and the T-case. It's still a LC and with the exception of the SM420 and a Suzuki back seat it's Toyota Land Cruiser. We all have different levels of 'Cruiserdom' and when YOU can't call it Cruiser anymore then that's you level. Hell I cut out V8 motor mounts and crossmemebers to but a 2F into my daughters '66 and it'll have a FJ60 or 62 drivetrain. My opinion is It's all still a Cruiser. My level 'Cruiserdom' is I won't put a SBC motor, an automatic tranny or Dana axles in mine. It's all YOUR preseption and that's what matters. Just my 2 cents (keep the change)

 

[Texican]

Tigerstripe I never intend to slam anyone or call the guy out, a lot of the times something triggers a thought and I type, usually blunt......

Josh my son and I are gathering parts now to build an all Cruiser buggy, not becasue I want to prove anything in particular, but just to see how far we can take it, plus I bought a wrecked FJ62 for damn near nothing.........

It kinda chafes me to hear Jeep owners some we run with tell Nolen or Ed how few "Cruiser" parts their rigs have left, I would tell them the only reason I did not run Jeep sheetmetal is to seperate me from them.......
The Jeep guys have a bumper sitcker I like
My Jeep is more Chevy than your Jeep

 

[Rock Taxi]

Preach on brother Butch.

Ed

 

[wngrog]

Man, if you think you can build a rig from scratch with a Hendrix chassis on a budget, you need to think it through. Building from a tube chassis is expensive!

Good luck in your decision, I am just waiting to roll mine enough times to go full buggy. Nope, it is not there yet. Hopefully it won't ever go there, but I would tube it out before I replaced the tub and cowl.

Spaceghost, Cruiser skins all the way........

 

[Rock Taxi]

, I am just waiting to roll mine enough times to go full buggy. Nope, it is not there yet. Hopefully it won't ever go there, but I would tube it out before I replaced the tub and cowl.

Hmmm, kinda thinking that would be a fun project. Bring it on over Nolen.

Ed

 

[Mace]

You fawkers that paint your rigs some ungodly flag color or add AL to a cruiser are sick..

A cruiser is only a cruiser if it is unmolested (read stock, and I mean all the way to the batery cables). Everything else is a mongrel.

I can't believe that anyone would willfully modify an already perfect truck...

 

[LT]

I am curious, with all the modifications, etc being made the TLC's there is a point where your truck is no longer really a Land Cruiser, but more of a custom buggy...

Look at Wngrog's, woody's or spaceghosts truck... There is very little left of the original truck except sheet metal. and there is a huge bill.

One guy in my 4wheeling club is into his truck almost $60,000. You can buy a new Turnkey Avalance Sniper for the same money..

what I want to know is at what point should one simply stop the mod's on the current rig, and have a tube chasis built?

Thanks.

At least Woody's still has a full body left...