Finally got a LC v2.0!

[IanB]

I've been looking for a clean method of mounting some gauges, and the timer I'll be picking up for my Webasto. For the gauges I was scouring the internet for a nice single DIN plate I could mount over/under my headunit in the dash, but wasn't finding exactly what I wanted. I had no idea what to do with the Webasto timer though. I had previously considered making something to go under the dash, above the shifter console, but wasn't sure if I should be looking to bend up some metal, or have one of the 3D printer guys design something for it, or how to go about this. In my searching this morning, I stumbled across an old post of @SHREDwagon where he used a Mudpod for the top of a Land Rover Defender dash, and flipped it and mounted it between the dash and console in an 80.

This should do EXACTLY what I had in mind, and look good doing it! I only use the front cupholder for carwash change, and it looks like it should still be accessible for the most part. I'll have room for my boost/EGT/trans temp gauges, the Webasto timer, and hopefully enough left over for a power point, or additional switches, etc.

I love it when a plan comes together!

 

[Douglas S]

I like that a lot. Ordered.

 

[IanB]

Decided on VDO Vision series gauges for EGT/Boost/Trans Temp in black face/black bezel/white lettering. I liked the OEM appearance, and that they come with a green filter for the backlighting. Also picked up some Autometer angled mounting rings so I can mount the guages tilted up and towards the driver. I'm pretty excited to get this all in place!

 

[BCR4619]

I

love my VDO's... Although I need to change out my boost gauge for 30psi.

Where are you picking yours up from?

 

[IanB]

That's going to give the same effect I'm going for!

I purchased off amazon.com as I've already got some stuff sitting at the border. The dollar sucks, ugh.

 

[IanB]

Well, the mudpod showed up on my doorstep yesterday, how is it that fast to get a package from the UK, but it would take as long to have it shipped within Canada?!?

1st impressions, it's closer to black than grey, which after carefully studying pics I should have noticed before purchase. Camera flash and wild optimism may have tricked me there. Also, it's a bit longer than I expected, but the same as pictured above. The lower dash where it mounts is not square to the shifter console, so it will be naturally angled towards the driver, which again is shown in the pics but was missed on initial review, I guess I got a bit excited and should have spent more time studying the pics, lol. None of these are deal breakers, just surprises.

I looked at the mini mudpod as well, but it only holds 3 gauges, and I have more stuff I wanted to fit in there, so I'll make it work.

Has anyone found a paint that is a close match to the grey interior in our 80's? Is the 60 grey dash the same as the 80's? I found a paint the 60's guys have used with good success that I might try (SEM Color Coat 15303).

 

[Douglas S]

Mine arrived yesterday as well.

I think Absalom found a close match SEM spray if you look in the thread for his truck.

 

[IanB]

Mine arrived yesterday as well.

I think Absalom found a close match SEM spray if you look in the thread for his truck.

Ya, looks like he's using the same stuff I found in the 60 thread. I might have to grab a can of the plastic adhesion promoter as well. His turned out very nice.

 

[IanB]

I was playing around with the mudpod the other night to see how it would fit. I think it's going to work out just fine. It will follow the lines of the bottom of the dash rather than the shifter console.

I ordered some SEM graphite grey paint, and the rest of the bits are showing up at the border, so I should have them in hand shortly.

 

[Geert]

I've wanting to do something like that myself for some time. How many VDO gauges will fit? I also have a HDJ, but LHD. Watching this here, makes me think about it again
Another question: what is the switch next to your cigarette lighter for? I don't have that one. Guess something JDM?

 

[IanB]

I've wanting to do something like that myself for some time. How many VDO gauges will fit? I also have a HDJ, but LHD. Watching this here, makes me think about it again
Another question: what is the switch next to your cigarette lighter for? I don't have that one. Guess something JDM?

I believe it fits up to 5 52mm guages, or there's also a "mini mudpod" that fits 3 if you want something smaller. The switch I think you're referring to is for the rear fan, that's the only one near the lighter socket that I can see.

Where are you located that you get a LHD HDJ80?

 

[Geert]

Oh, I see it now, it's probably not your car, but I mean the switch in this picture:

I live in Belgium (Europe) and we have LHD HDJ's
Very glad we do.
I never understood why Canadians and Americans import cars from Japan instead of Western Europe... Price?
But here we have LHD cars...

 

[offroadfj80]

Ahhh! Wheel on right wheel on right!!


Sent from my iPhone

 

[IanB]

Oh, I see it now, it's probably not your car, but I mean the switch in this picture:

I live in Belgium (Europe) and we have LHD HDJ's
Very glad we do.
I never understood why Canadians and Americans import cars from Japan instead of Western Europe... Price?
But here we have LHD cars...

Ah yes, that's the switch for the e-adj shocks (norm/sport) that came from factory on the VX Ltd. trim HDJ81's, I replaced that switch with a blank when I installed new shocks on my truck.

As for why we import from Japan, my truck had 82,000kms when I got it a year and half ago, plus they are cheaper than a much higher mileage example in LHD from Europe.

 

[absalom]

I agree. I was worried RHD would be like this big deal before I got my truck. After only 2 weeks of driving, I felt as though I were driving a normal vehicle. It felt no different at all. I wouldn't hesitate for a second buying another RHD vehicle.

Sent from my SM-G920V

 

[IanB]

I tracked down the manufacturer of my front bumper (RallyeSpeed in Australia), and was able to procure an un-cut gasket to replace the damaged one, and freshen up the other that sandwich between the main bumper and the wings on the ends. Very easy to do, and looks much better when coupled with the straightening of the one wing where the PO hit something with it and bent it a bit. I've got is straightened out now, and with the new gaskets it's looking great! At some point I'll tape and mask the front end off and re-paint the sides of the uprights to complete the refurb.

Edit: seems I didn't take an after pic, I'll have to come back and add to this later, lol.

 

[IanB]

Finally grabbed a shot of the new bumper gaskets, much better!

Tonight I installed a couple of new rear door switches so my interior lights actually come on when the rear doors open. Small thing that feels good! Also gave it a once over in preparation for towing a double ski-doo trailer out to a buddy's cabin for a poker derby tomorrow after work (off at noon!).

This trailer traditionally tows like a parachute, it's aluminum and only weighs maybe 1500lbs with 2 sleds on it, but with the salt shield it catches serious wind. My wife's GX470 struggles to hold 105km/h on cruise without gear hunting, so it will be interesting to see how it does.

 

[IanB]

Tackled the ACSD delete last night, using a kit from Radd Cruisers. Kit includes the block off plate and o-ring, some new machine head screws for the block off plate, a dowel to take up the space the ACSD did for the long bolt on the kickdown cable bracket, new length of hose to loop the coolant nipples on the block, and hose clamps should you choose to not reuse the OEM constant torque clamps. Clamps gave me some issues to get them into position due to all the stuff in the way down there, but it's all done now, and the ACSD still had all its bits where they belong, and not in my injection pump!

 

[IanB]

This trailer traditionally tows like a parachute, it's aluminum and only weighs maybe 1500lbs with 2 sleds on it, but with the salt shield it catches serious wind. My wife's GX470 struggles to hold 105km/h on cruise without gear hunting, so it will be interesting to see how it does.

Just realized I never updated this after the skidoo trip weekend. The Land Cruiser pulled the double trailer great, zero hunting around for gears, it was strong and stable on the highway! I pulled most of the trip at 107km/h and seemed to be getting great fuel economy. I stepped it up to 113km/h for a while on the way home, but noticed the fuel gauge dropping fast, so backed it off to 107 again, and made it there and back in a single tank! 434 kms on the tank, all with the double trailer on the back, worked out to 13.3 US mpg, pretty decent!

My temp sender for my trans temp gauge showed up the day we left, so the rush is off to get that installed now, lol. As long as the gauges are done before our summer vacation roadtrip west, I'm happy. I believe I have all the required bits for that now, just need to find the time to get it all installed.

 

[IanB]

It's been a long while since I've had an update to share, but I finally got finished with work on my car, and the wife's GX, and was able to shift my focus back over to the truck.

Over the past couple days I've installed the softline/hardline/bracket cluster for the trans cooler install, and plumbed the cooler into the system. I pulled the front driveshaft to access the hotside union on the side of the transmission to replace with the drilled/tapped/sending unit one I bought from Rodney's Wholesale Auto Trans. I've still got to run the wire into the cab for the trans temp sender, so I've been driving around today with the CDL locked in RWD, it's not as different feeling as I expected. No part time conversion for this guy.

I did a trans fluid exchange by pumping the fluid through the new cooler and tubing and out into a pan, this way the new components get flushed of any debris as well. I'd run the engine pumping fluid into the pan till there was 2-3L or it started to slow the flow, shut it off and refill approx the same amount, while it was pumping I'd sit in the truck and slowly row the gear selector back and forth to flush the valve body, and when I was running out of fluid (18.9L pail of Chevron Dextron III) I hooked the line back up, set the cold level, took it for a decent drive with some highway speeds, back home and set the hot level. Done.

Great to get this done, it had been on my list for a long time, and I needed it done before a road trip in Aug. where the family is taking the LC through the northern US to the coast, up into Canada and back! I've got lots of other work planned in the next while to prep for this trip, so updates should be more frequent. And I'll try and snap some pics, once the hands get dirty the phone stays away, lol.