Beautiful
just another average '70 40 build (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter misterpepper
- Start date
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- Thread starter
- #82
Got the transmission installed the other evening. Learned a couple things. First, when you put everything together, remember the throwout bearing and carrier, or you'll have to take it all apart again. Second, always lube up both the input shaft on the transmission as well as the splies on the clutch driven plate. If you lube only the clutch splines you might not be able to get the input shaft to seat all the way into the pilot bearing. After 45 minutes of heaving, wiggling, trying to get it to seat and then finally succeeding to pry the transmission loose again you might just unseat the pilot bearing unknowingly. Third, always check to see that the pilot bearing is seated as it should be. If not you may spend another hour heaving, cranking, wiggling, jarring and swearing trying to get the transmission to seat. Fourth, when replacing the clutch driven plate after re-seating the pilot bearing, leave the fasteners loose if you don't have a centering tool. Otherwise you may spend another hour heaving, cussing, shoving, wiggling, swearing, twisting and nearly crying trying to get the transmission to seat properly. Once you've learned the above 4 lessons, getting the transmission seated goes pretty smoothly. Why is it that I am always having to learn things the hard way?
Oh, and my Highway 15 wiring kit showed up today. Woohoo? Sounds like a lot of work to me. Not sure if this is something worth celebrating.
Oh, and my Highway 15 wiring kit showed up today. Woohoo? Sounds like a lot of work to me. Not sure if this is something worth celebrating.
Volcanic Iceberg
Addict
By my math you've had it for 2 years now and never driven it. Lets get it wrapped up. Im tired of going on cruiser runs without you.
Volcanic Iceberg
Addict
Misterpepper has has several changes occur in his life that have prevented any meaningfull progress on the cruiser lately. He got re-married, and with that, gained 3 daughters. Since his home at the time was a 3 bed 2 bath, there wasn't enough room for the expanding family. So, he has been buzy building a new home. Much of the labor done himeself. Luckily he has kept the cruiser project in mind while building the home since it comes with a much larger garage complete with an additional bay to house the cruiser and a work bench/tool storage area. for Christmas his wife got him a "Landcruiser parking only" sign to hang in the new garage. (Tells you he got a good one.) He has indicated to me that once moved in, we will be diving into the cruiser like "mad men on a mission of destiny". Ok, those are actually my words, BUT! he is on board to once again to pick up the torch. Move in is scheduled for mid-January. Thats like........2 weeks away. 
Good, 'cause I have a '68 that has been through the same routine and is at the same stage of rebuild in the same color and can't wait to see how this wraps up! Exciting and looks great.
Volcanic Iceberg
Addict
New house is finished and MrPepper is getting ready to close and move in. Im getting ready to help move the cruiser. In May, several guys from the local club are doing a multi-day Grand canyon/Arizona strip 40's only run, should be epic. So we are hoping to have it driving by then. Lots of tech nights at MrPeppers house.
Volcanic Iceberg
Addict
When are you going to post pictures of the cruiser in its new home?
The reason for "doing things the hard way" is age and experience, which you are gaining on both of
Having done many motorcycle and hot rod projects in the USA I am now doing a 1970 Cruiser here in Ecuador. Lots of parts coming down from the USA, you wouldn't believe how expensive they are here so even with $1,000 in shipping I will save a couple of grand. My youngest daughter gets married in October and I am "stashing" parts at another daughters house to bring down as "excess luggage" at that time. A new Man-A-Fre header and a 2 barrel intake have been ceramic coated. Your efforts are well noted by myself, not so much that I can do them, but to keep an eye on my mechanic here. Thanks, and best wishes on your new family. I sense you are a good man, Lenny.
Having done many motorcycle and hot rod projects in the USA I am now doing a 1970 Cruiser here in Ecuador. Lots of parts coming down from the USA, you wouldn't believe how expensive they are here so even with $1,000 in shipping I will save a couple of grand. My youngest daughter gets married in October and I am "stashing" parts at another daughters house to bring down as "excess luggage" at that time. A new Man-A-Fre header and a 2 barrel intake have been ceramic coated. Your efforts are well noted by myself, not so much that I can do them, but to keep an eye on my mechanic here. Thanks, and best wishes on your new family. I sense you are a good man, Lenny.
- Thread starter
- #89
I know I haven't updated this thread in a while, but I intend to start to do so more often. I have finally (!) begun to find time to work on the cruiser again. Reassembly this time. Not much cleaning or painting left, although there will be some. I'm planning to have the cruiser running by the first of May, so that I can get the major bugs worked out before the big Grand Canyon (40's only) run that Volcanic Iceberg has planned. Should mean a lot of late nights and maybe a few thrown wrenches, but I think I can get it done.
Oh yeah, the new garage is fantastic! Way more space and much better set up than the last one, which actually wasn't a bad garage at all. It's pretty full of boxes from the move still, and I need to spend some time going through everything to find out where all my stuff ended up through the move. I'll post pics. The very first item in the new garage, fittingly, was the cruiser. It looked pretty epic. Definitely got the cruiser juices flowing.
Oh yeah, the new garage is fantastic! Way more space and much better set up than the last one, which actually wasn't a bad garage at all. It's pretty full of boxes from the move still, and I need to spend some time going through everything to find out where all my stuff ended up through the move. I'll post pics. The very first item in the new garage, fittingly, was the cruiser. It looked pretty epic. Definitely got the cruiser juices flowing.
- Thread starter
- #90
It seems a little selfish even to be sharing these pics, but I wanted you all to know that I had my priorities straight with the new move. (1) Cruiser first. (2) Big garage for working on the cruiser. (3) Cruiser gets the best parking spot, regardless of whether or not it can move under its own power.
Unfortunately now the garage is nearly full of boxes of stuff hastily packed for the move. Lots of work ahead of me to go through everything to find out where all my tools and parts are. I know enough to have been able to get a lot of my steering and some interior parts put together last night. This week I will make a big push to get the garage organized and the rest of my honey-do list taken care of, so that I can start putting some serious hours into finishing this thing. Woohoo!!! It's great to have a cruiser-centric lifestyle again.
Unfortunately now the garage is nearly full of boxes of stuff hastily packed for the move. Lots of work ahead of me to go through everything to find out where all my tools and parts are. I know enough to have been able to get a lot of my steering and some interior parts put together last night. This week I will make a big push to get the garage organized and the rest of my honey-do list taken care of, so that I can start putting some serious hours into finishing this thing. Woohoo!!! It's great to have a cruiser-centric lifestyle again.
ElHefe
SILVER Star
Uh, why do I live in NYC?! Your garage is at least five times bigger than my "nice" Manhattan apartment. Drool.
40 looks nice too
40 looks nice too
- Thread starter
- #92
And your rent is probably at least five times bigger than my mortgage!
ElHefe
SILVER Star
And your rent is probably at least five times bigger than my mortgage!
One day I sat down and thought about how many "Land Cruiser units" I spend on rent a month and almost yacked. I need to move to where you are!
How about an update here....love the look of this rig in the spring green. Before I fully caught the 40 bug I would have been all about changing to a dune beige, gray or the like....the more you get into the LC addiction the more these classic colors grow on me...I LOVE this spring green.
Can't wait to see the progress on this...hopefully you met your target date and have been out driving it around the last few days.
Can't wait to see the progress on this...hopefully you met your target date and have been out driving it around the last few days.
Volcanic Iceberg
Addict
Fat chance!
I mean that in the most encouraging way possible.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #96
Thanks VI. Very encouraging indeed. 
Update: I haven't done nearly enough work on it. Funny how life keeps getting in the way. Mostly what I have done is just buying parts. With VI's help I did get the steering is in and the transmission mostly hooked up. We also did a lot of the mods to the fan shroud needed to get the shroud I have working with the radiator and belts. Next on the agenda are driveline and brakes, but I still need parts for those projects. I need to pull all the brake cylinders and either rebuild or replace them, depending on the condition they are in. I'll probably switch to a dual reservoir master while I'm at it. Rear axle seal is bad so I need to fix that as well. After brakes comes electrical, then interior, fuel system and all the little things I'm sure to run into along the way. It sounds easy, but finding the time has proven difficult. Plus I'm pretty lazy.
Update: I haven't done nearly enough work on it. Funny how life keeps getting in the way. Mostly what I have done is just buying parts. With VI's help I did get the steering is in and the transmission mostly hooked up. We also did a lot of the mods to the fan shroud needed to get the shroud I have working with the radiator and belts. Next on the agenda are driveline and brakes, but I still need parts for those projects. I need to pull all the brake cylinders and either rebuild or replace them, depending on the condition they are in. I'll probably switch to a dual reservoir master while I'm at it. Rear axle seal is bad so I need to fix that as well. After brakes comes electrical, then interior, fuel system and all the little things I'm sure to run into along the way. It sounds easy, but finding the time has proven difficult. Plus I'm pretty lazy.
Max.Powerzz
Cruisers and Art!
Great build, love the spring green. Any updates? Is she all back together?
What’s the update? If your son was 4 in those pictures he’s gotten his drivers license by now.
