Best Mod You Have Done

[GarageRat]

1. Complete rewire, gave me confidence that there was no PO wiring present and I was able to make a few small improvements along the way for brighter headlights and such. For a 47 year old rig it really is needed just to make sure the wiring does not have internal corrosion.

2. Electric fan from an '84 Trans Am with a well designed shroud, helped clear up some space issues I had and cools like a beast.

3. 2 FJs, I can go a little crazy with one and still have a fun DD.

 

[red78fj40]

on my 78 fj40 so far

fj60 style power steering conversion
desmog using weber carb
rancho/shackle suspension lift

 

[tmarx]

 

[nspctr1]

Nicely done.

Man this post is old......

I think the sbc swap is first
mini swap front disc brakes
aftermarket seats
move 3 spd from column to floor
autometer gauge cluster
family cage


I have all parts for FJ60 PS swap and cant wait to get it done....

 

[camcruiser13]

Just got done with the sm420 install and went wheeling. WOW

 

[cuencanolenny]

As noted above, complete rewire using American AutoWire harness, AutoMeter gauges with sending units. Today I removed leaves from my new springs which were built locally with seven leaves on all units. I removed one leaf from the front and two from the rears and so instead of a seven/six arrangement I have a six/five setup and wow, what an improvement in ride quality. I am investigating how to add a power brake unit to assist my drum brakes which are all new complete with new drums, cylinders, etc. et al.

 

[bikersmurf]

Rear Airide air bags - no squat, better ride, 100% adjustable.

Alliance 31 Series battery 950 CCA, 1140 CA, 175 min Res Capacity - Halogen headlights same brightness even when engine is shut off, starts quickly, better winch performance (back when it worked).

 

[unstyled]

power steering, I went OEM.

replacing all the old TRE and such.

OME suspension

33x9.5's

add headlight upgrade, done it to all my Cruisers

 

[unstyled]

On your power steering i have a saginaw steering box and a Toyota steering box available .. A lot of folks go with Saginaw is there any advantage to either..

 

[cuencanolenny]

Better gas pedal. I experienced right hip discomfort caused by the angle of my foot to the pedal up through the knee into the hip. To the point where a twenty mile drive into town and I need to get out and walk around. If I were making a trip, say up to Ingapirca which is a couple of hours away, I cannot make the trip non-stop. So I thought about a floor hinged gas pedal, built a mockup and starting bending some rod. Realized I could have a better, straighter leg, if I didn't use a hinged pedal. So I have had this installed for over a week and can happily say that I no longer have any hip discomfort. Two thumbs up!

 

[Captn Conch]

1. Elimination of those damn multi wheel cylinder drum brakes! Front and back disc brakes is where it's at.

2. Switching to 350 stock Chevy engine was a no brainer back in the day after I stupidly burned up the 1f (busted lower radiator hose) back in '84. I have a sweet, low mile GMC TBI 5.7 ready to go in when I feel industrious, I need the fuel injection....From Florida beach sea level to Colorado mountain high country, fuel injection is a natural.

3. The old '77 Warn 8274, use it or not...It's just the winch you gotta have on a Land Cruiser, bonus it adds back the front end weight I lost when the lighter chev motor went in.

 

[CarDude]

Th h

1. Elimination of those damn multi wheel cylinder drum brakes! Front and back disc brakes is where it's at.

2. Switching to 350 stock Chevy engine was a no brainer back in the day after I stupidly burned up the 1f (busted lower radiator hose) back in '84. I have a sweet, low mile GMC TBI 5.7 ready to go in when I feel industrious, I need the fuel injection....From Florida beach sea level to Colorado mountain country, fuel injection is a natural.

3. The old '77 Warn 8274, use it or not...It's just the winch you gotta have on a Land Cruiser, bonus it adds back the front end weight I lost when the lighter chev motor went in.[/QUOTE





Does it really weigh less? I would have thought the V8 was heaver .

 

[Markh]

1. Power steering
2. Fuel Injection
3. F/R air lockers
4. Orion
5. SM420

 

[Captn Conch]

If I remember right and I think I do, the big F six is a little under 200lbs heavier then the SBC... and then I went and put a chevy aluminum manifold on it , I disremember why I put on that manifold..

 

[CarDude]

If I remember right and I think I do, the big F six is a little under 200lbs heavier then the SBC... and then I went and put a chevy aluminum manifold on it , I disremember why I put on that manifold..

I did a little digging and found that the 1970 f engine with the flywheel and air cleaner assembly weighs in 633 pounds a Chevy 350 runs between 535 and 575 .that's is a fairly big difference.

 

[Captn Conch]

That is not as large a difference as I thought, but I always felt the FJ was meant to have that weight up front and the uphill 4 wheel drive traction may have been compromised with the SBC. So maybe the winch gets it quite close to stock weight distribution.

 

[kmarsh]

OME lift
IPOR rear bumper
JW Speaker LEDS
ARB Bull Bar

 

[Ian Macdonald]

Installing the headlight bezel the RIGHT way.

 

[kmarsh]

Oops... My bad. Thanks

 

[wentnorth]

improvements: ome 3" suspension, 33" tires, rlined floor, 3B diesel, deepe cycle batteries and battery warmers (need those in the Yukon), super winch 'Tigershark' in a portable cradle, 2" receiver in the rear,
Need to install: new water pump (I have, just need the time), 2" receiver for the front, exhaust (have 2.5" parts, the 1 7/8" seems unnecessarily long and convoluted as well as asthmatic), cage, gun rack (hate having my scope get bounced around), electrical (F&%$ing gremlins)
Wish list: too long and expensive to really get into. Anyone know where to find reasonable priced mini truck parts?