mcguirejohnson
SILVER Star
For some reason I've always created a new "build thread" everytime that I do a significant change to my rig, and now I've decided that it's time to make it into one so that I can stay organized and also to keep tabs on new mods, trips, pictures, etc.
I reckon while I'm at it i'll give a little backstory on how I got it, and then show how learning to weld took my cruiser from a cherry to what it is now..
Rewind to about 10 years ago, my dad and I made the maiden voyage from my grandfathers house (Previous owner) in Monroe, NC all the way back to Texas. It was an interesting trip considering it was A) on flat springs B) It did not have a steering damper C) and we had a huge slab of wood strapped to the yakima bars. One word, sketchy...
Over the next few years my Dad @CenTXFJ60 daily drove the 60 and added a few tasteful upgrades including a new lift, h55f and we also refreshed the 2F power plant (It's still kicking in my brothers '85!).
Now my input into the LandCruiser lifestyle.. 16 years old, only prior wrenching experience was with dirt bikes and other small stuff. Like most teens with 4x4s I wanted bigger tires right off the bat. I found a donor 60 series at a local cruiser yard that was equipped with the Man-a-Fre shackle reversal kit, 35s and a pretty banged up ARB/warn combo. The rig suffered a front end collision that bent the frame deeming it pretty useless other than parts. Cool thing about it is my dad ended up using this body for his extensive frame off build up of "Frankenstein". Anyways... got the shackle reversal installed in short order and drove it like this for about a year and a half.
As I started getting into 4x4s and spending my nights reading buildups on Mud, I knew it was time to "go to the dark side" and perform the good ol fashioned Spring Over Axle conversion. I really learned a lot throughout this and the end result yielded a pretty capable 60.
The summer after my freshman year of college I drove the 60 from outside of Austin, TX all the way to Southern California where my girlfriend at the time was from. This was achieved with blown shocks, and fuel starved 2f, 35" KM2's that were waffled and basically bald. Still had the time of my life and the only issue that I encountered the whole trip was a set of fouled spark plugs when we were staying at mammoth lakes. Ah good times...
So now with the travel bug implanted I finally knew what direction I wanted to take my cruiser build.
To combat the low MPGs & lack of power I swapped in a 12HT turbo diesel that came out of an HJ61 that Steve @ LCD had imported from Japan. Hands down the best diesel motor that Toyota dropped on the production line. While it doesn't seem very interesting on paper (134hp/232ft.lbs of torque) the damn thing just keeps pulling. I have around 30k on the swap and I still grin ear to ear overtime I fire it up
About a year ago my dad and I found a killer deal on Craigslist for a locked '95 80 series that was beat to s*** and to the previous owner it was a boat anchor taking up space in his garage. This is where the gears started to really turn... Did the frame swap and then proceeded to take it on a test drive to Ouray, Colorado this summer for the Inaugural Solid Axle Summit. I say test drive because I got it drivable/ inspected on Monday August 7th, and departed on the 8th. Other than chasing a few loose bolts & squeaks it performed flawlessly. Best decision I have ever made for my cruiser was going coils, it handles on rails even with the 37s..
That just about summarizes everything up till now. I don't see myself doing anymore major changes, rather from here on out I am going to slowly make improvements to get it ready for a few big trips that I have planned.
My goal is to take it on the Pan American Highway which goes from Prudhoe Bay, AK to Ushuaia, Argentina while keeping it capable of running the Rubicon, Moab, and other 4x4 destinations.
Current list of Mods as of August 2017...
-'95 FZJ80 frame shortened 4.7"
-37" Grabbers on Sequoia alloys
-Factory E-Lockers (converting to cable)
-60 series ARB front w/ WARN M10000
-Slinky 75mm coil springs w/ Fox 2.0 smooth body shocks
-TrailTailor adjustable Control Arms & Toughdog adjustable panhard bars
-Redneck Ram Hydro-Assist steering
-44 gallon Tank
-BMW seats w/ sick seat covers
-Ammo can center console
-12HT Turbo Diesel/ H55f / NWF blackbox (installing this winter)/ 38mm case w/ 4:1 gears
-A bunch of little things not worth noting
Here are some of the big things that I want to accomplish before doing the North to South trip..
Body/ Armor:
-Rear Bumper build out with Spare tire carrier and ladder.
-Build Aluminum flat roof rack (no basket)
-Skid plates for trans/ t-case and Fuel tank
-Water tank underneath for shower system
-New side mirrors
Interior/ Electrical:
-Re-do interior from the dash back ( gauges, vinyl floor, new seat foam, etc.)
-New Storage drawer configuration
-Build Aluminum tailgate storage, cargo panels and door panels
-Build Aluminum flip up windows for the rear
-Sound proof and insulate floor/ firewall/ and headliner
-Re-work all electrical and tidy up my harness & dual battery system
-Solar setup for Aux battery
-Battery bank for all Aux accessories
Accessories:
-Synthetic winch line/ re-build winch
-Autohome Maggiolina hardshell roof top tent
-Shower System plumbed through webasto heater
-Fridge
Drivetrain:
-Complete 12HT rebuild
-G-Turbo & intercooler
-Dorkel system for improved air flow
-Install a Webasto diesel heater
-37" K02s on Hutchison Beadlocks x 5
-Extend Bumpstops
Here are a few links to older build threads.
Spring Over Axle Conversion:
McGuire's '87 FJ60 Build: SOA/ 12H-T swap
12HT Rebuild:
12h-t freshen up and swap
80 Frame Swap:
FZJ80 + HJ61= ??
Alright enough with words, here are a few pics:
The day the sickness began...
Pic from the SOA days/ Cali trip. Sedona Arizona
12H-T swap
37s!!! FJSummit X on Imogene
Current setup:
I reckon while I'm at it i'll give a little backstory on how I got it, and then show how learning to weld took my cruiser from a cherry to what it is now..
Rewind to about 10 years ago, my dad and I made the maiden voyage from my grandfathers house (Previous owner) in Monroe, NC all the way back to Texas. It was an interesting trip considering it was A) on flat springs B) It did not have a steering damper C) and we had a huge slab of wood strapped to the yakima bars. One word, sketchy...
Over the next few years my Dad @CenTXFJ60 daily drove the 60 and added a few tasteful upgrades including a new lift, h55f and we also refreshed the 2F power plant (It's still kicking in my brothers '85!).
Now my input into the LandCruiser lifestyle.. 16 years old, only prior wrenching experience was with dirt bikes and other small stuff. Like most teens with 4x4s I wanted bigger tires right off the bat. I found a donor 60 series at a local cruiser yard that was equipped with the Man-a-Fre shackle reversal kit, 35s and a pretty banged up ARB/warn combo. The rig suffered a front end collision that bent the frame deeming it pretty useless other than parts. Cool thing about it is my dad ended up using this body for his extensive frame off build up of "Frankenstein". Anyways... got the shackle reversal installed in short order and drove it like this for about a year and a half.
As I started getting into 4x4s and spending my nights reading buildups on Mud, I knew it was time to "go to the dark side" and perform the good ol fashioned Spring Over Axle conversion. I really learned a lot throughout this and the end result yielded a pretty capable 60.
The summer after my freshman year of college I drove the 60 from outside of Austin, TX all the way to Southern California where my girlfriend at the time was from. This was achieved with blown shocks, and fuel starved 2f, 35" KM2's that were waffled and basically bald. Still had the time of my life and the only issue that I encountered the whole trip was a set of fouled spark plugs when we were staying at mammoth lakes. Ah good times...
So now with the travel bug implanted I finally knew what direction I wanted to take my cruiser build.
To combat the low MPGs & lack of power I swapped in a 12HT turbo diesel that came out of an HJ61 that Steve @ LCD had imported from Japan. Hands down the best diesel motor that Toyota dropped on the production line. While it doesn't seem very interesting on paper (134hp/232ft.lbs of torque) the damn thing just keeps pulling. I have around 30k on the swap and I still grin ear to ear overtime I fire it up
About a year ago my dad and I found a killer deal on Craigslist for a locked '95 80 series that was beat to s*** and to the previous owner it was a boat anchor taking up space in his garage. This is where the gears started to really turn... Did the frame swap and then proceeded to take it on a test drive to Ouray, Colorado this summer for the Inaugural Solid Axle Summit. I say test drive because I got it drivable/ inspected on Monday August 7th, and departed on the 8th. Other than chasing a few loose bolts & squeaks it performed flawlessly. Best decision I have ever made for my cruiser was going coils, it handles on rails even with the 37s..
That just about summarizes everything up till now. I don't see myself doing anymore major changes, rather from here on out I am going to slowly make improvements to get it ready for a few big trips that I have planned.
My goal is to take it on the Pan American Highway which goes from Prudhoe Bay, AK to Ushuaia, Argentina while keeping it capable of running the Rubicon, Moab, and other 4x4 destinations.
Current list of Mods as of August 2017...
-'95 FZJ80 frame shortened 4.7"
-37" Grabbers on Sequoia alloys
-Factory E-Lockers (converting to cable)
-60 series ARB front w/ WARN M10000
-Slinky 75mm coil springs w/ Fox 2.0 smooth body shocks
-TrailTailor adjustable Control Arms & Toughdog adjustable panhard bars
-Redneck Ram Hydro-Assist steering
-44 gallon Tank
-BMW seats w/ sick seat covers
-Ammo can center console
-12HT Turbo Diesel/ H55f / NWF blackbox (installing this winter)/ 38mm case w/ 4:1 gears
-A bunch of little things not worth noting
Here are some of the big things that I want to accomplish before doing the North to South trip..
Body/ Armor:
-Rear Bumper build out with Spare tire carrier and ladder.
-Build Aluminum flat roof rack (no basket)
-Skid plates for trans/ t-case and Fuel tank
-Water tank underneath for shower system
-New side mirrors
Interior/ Electrical:
-Re-do interior from the dash back ( gauges, vinyl floor, new seat foam, etc.)
-New Storage drawer configuration
-Build Aluminum tailgate storage, cargo panels and door panels
-Build Aluminum flip up windows for the rear
-Sound proof and insulate floor/ firewall/ and headliner
-Re-work all electrical and tidy up my harness & dual battery system
-Solar setup for Aux battery
-Battery bank for all Aux accessories
Accessories:
-Synthetic winch line/ re-build winch
-Autohome Maggiolina hardshell roof top tent
-Shower System plumbed through webasto heater
-Fridge
Drivetrain:
-Complete 12HT rebuild
-G-Turbo & intercooler
-Dorkel system for improved air flow
-Install a Webasto diesel heater
-37" K02s on Hutchison Beadlocks x 5
-Extend Bumpstops
Here are a few links to older build threads.
Spring Over Axle Conversion:
McGuire's '87 FJ60 Build: SOA/ 12H-T swap
12HT Rebuild:
12h-t freshen up and swap
80 Frame Swap:
FZJ80 + HJ61= ??
Alright enough with words, here are a few pics:
The day the sickness began...
Pic from the SOA days/ Cali trip. Sedona Arizona
12H-T swap
37s!!! FJSummit X on Imogene
Current setup:
