January POTM: The WARTHOG

[Landmawe]

woohoo! I made the list!! i think...

Tucker said i could post a teaser...

a rusted out FJ55 from 1977 with a sweet 2F engine Holley carb...nice interior though...should morph into a monster riding on portal axles and 44" 365/80 R20 tires....an ambitious build.

alot of and plenty of ...might just make it in time for an interesting story come january!

wish me luck!

 

[tucker74]

This was just too cool to hide down in the POTM sign up thread - he's doing a write-up for the Jan POTM

Tucker

 

[romegadave]

Another all white pig........but WTH is up with the turn signals? Are they some emerg. flashers that I usually see on the dash of unmarked police cars???

Very cool rig and look forward to seeing your POTM &

 

[JackA]

Are you going to need an oxygen tank with it being so high?

 

[Landmawe]

HAHA!!! oxygen and brass balls! the roof is 7 feet off the ground.

all white is the original colour - Africa spec i am guessing as the first owner bought it from the showroom and drove it daily for 30 years!

but that can change!!

the flashers are from the newer HZJ pick ups...keeping it street legal i guess....and in this neck of the woods, parts are difficult to find!

anyway enjoying it immensely!

 

[cruiser_guy]

...but WTH is up with the turn signals?

Very common 3rd world mod. Those are '70 series lights. You see them on probably 50% of Central American 'Cruisers as well, both '40's and '55's.

 

[Lucy_FJ55]

Are you really in Kenya?! There are pigs left in Kenya? This is going to be a great build thread. Dig the portals! Cheers, Carlos.

 

[PabloCruise]

Very cool!

Good Luck!

 

[Landmawe]

yes there are a few left here in Kenya! and yes I really am here!

seen a daily driver on the roads and one or two others parked up and left for dead...though not scrapped, so i guess the owners still hoping!

anyway will keep you posted!! and suddenly january is really close!

there is so much rust its incredible.....first getting her to run and then will worry about the cosmetics.

thanks for the good wishes!!!

 

[OinkOinker]

hakunamatata!

 

[Lucy_FJ55]

Cool. Good luck. Post up more when you get a chance... Cheers.

 

[Landmawe]

the warthog January's POTM

well lets start at the very beginning....I have always loved off road wheeling...here in Kenya we have awesome landscape and sometimes even the paved roads need something strong to get through them...

For off roading events, there are 4 or 5 minor ones a year and 1 major event called the RHINO CHARGE...its an event unique in many ways. Having entered as a spotter 7 years now in team Ole Choda's Green 80 series LAND CRUISER ...and had enough of spectating the off road events i had been looking for a rig of my own.

So I heard of this UNIMOG 404 Chassis with the portals, stock suspension and gearbox intact (Thank you JOHN!!!)

and to be honest I was just looking for a donor car to rip out the engine from to build up a buggy type rig with pipes and seats and get it going.

SO then i heard about this FJ55 Land Cruiser with a good 2F engine in it, and since I had no real budget, and the price was right - i went for it without even seeing the rig...(again thank you JOHN!!!)

Having no idea what this car was about - I searched the net for 'IRON PIG' and then had an idea what I was about to buy!!!!!

 

[Landmawe]

The Pig was off course rusted out badly....the roof, the panels....pretty much everywhere....as was the UNIMOG 404....(ok ok...i know this forum is about PIGS and preservation....so I will limit talking about the MOG!!!)


having read up more and more and come to realize what a cult status this iconic Land Cruiser enjoyed....and then having seen the thing finally myself...i was smitten...and dropped the buggy plan altogether!!!

Besides the interior was really well done up, and the engine obviously kept in immaculate condition....having been rebuilt lovingly (no oil leaks!!) and a HOLLEY CARB installed with K&N Filters..... There was only one owner from new 1976!!!! an American Missionary who set up a mission in the wilds up north...this was his rig!!!! SO it felt WRONG to be untrue to the form and function of the original FJ55...and to the history of this particular PIG!!

 

[SAMI188]

Keep the build pics comin!!!

 

[PabloCruise]

Welcome friend, I am glad you too are smitten by the Pig!

How neat to get a 1 owner '76!

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

I think we'll all need more info on those portal axles, and keep on posting!

 

[nuclearlemon]

and more pics! i think the teaser with the 44s is freakin' awesome!!!

 

[Landmawe]

wow thanks guys! its been a lot of fun! I have a lot of images, just working out how to best post them...fabrication comes easier than computer skills, and bandwidth in this neck of the woods is a constraint so uploading to a picturebucket etc is a challenge.

working on it.

meantime if you want specifics...PM meand I will be happy to send you what I have.

took her out for a drive last weekend......HAPPY DAYS!!!!

 

[Landmawe]

Hi

these are the latest....I am not sure if I will get to do much more before january with the festive season being here and all that...so please find the POTM January.

its an honour.

LANDMAWE.

 

[Landmawe]

The warthog

1976 toyota land cruiser fj 55
2f engine
holley carburettor
k&n filters
unimog 404 portal axles gear box stock springs
road train (australia) 806/403 oil shocks
monroe steering damper
toyota hzj 80 power steering box
mazda power steering pump
chrome bumpers (dodge ram charger donor)
land mawe skid plate pipe doors and roll cage
pirelli 44" 365/80 r20 'pista 22' tyres