making a 40 more livable (1 Viewer)

[svo_jon]

What have you all done to make your 40's more livable as a DD?
Thanks

 

[REZARF]

Ahh, the short answer is, get another comfortable car like a civic.

My 40 is my only rig, here are some of the things that help.

Comfort:
Good seats, mine are leather out of a Saab 93
Good mirrors of the non-vibrating variety
Bikini Top or other soft top if you are not running the hard top.

Mechanical:

Power Steering
35" tires act like an overdrive... I am getting about 15-16mpg with 4.11's
Electronic Ignition
Good in tune carb, mine was rebuilt by Jim C. best bucks spent on my cruiser yet.

Other things:

A good CD Player, Alpine's wont skip
Good speakers
Tuffy Console in the middle

Just a few things that make the DD trek a bit more fun.

Rezarf <><

 

[Texican]

See the 4.3 buildup thread here, talked to the owner yesterday and he absolutely loves it now....before he would not do his daily 17 mile one way in DFW traffic commute.

 

[REZARF]

That would be sweet! But I can diagnose my 40 all day long with its little 2f heart.

Rezarf <><

 

[74fj40]

i definetly agree with everything rezarf said, you could also put on a smaller steering wheel(thats only if you get a powersteering conversion) 33'' tires are a good size if yoor cruiser is stock.

 

[cabron]

What REZARF said, I have pretty much done all of those things, tuffy w/ alpine cd, leather seats from e36 BMW, bikini in summer, keep brakes adjusted properly and its more than liveable. Keep it running good and you'll feel like your driving a new cruiser, compared to when a few things go wrong at once.

 

[brian]

know where all the gas stations are.

PS
SR
HEI
4"ish lift
33X9.50's@4:10's
bikini

driven atleast 50miles a day rain or shine.

 

[Romer]

4 inch lift
Bilstein shocks - Big difference
Pioneer MP3/CD deck
Soft Top - STC so you can zip all the windows out on a hot day
STC Soft Doors so you can take the top half off on a hot day

Next up is Power Steering.

But most of all ffor a DD, Buy an 80/LX450 and mod that as well. Then you will have 2 capable trail rigs and a nice and comfy one for the long rides.

 

[my64fj40]

If you havn't already, disk brakes make a huge difference.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

FI V8
Auto w/OD
Seat w/armrest
PS
Tilt wheel
AC
Carpet kit
Dual front heaters
Stereo

 

[nuclearlemon]

ps, disc brakes and a v8

 

[zebrabeefj40]

Along with good seats, make sure you move them back away from the steering wheel so you can drive in comfort.

 

[CruiserMax]

This is where multiple cruiser ownership is KEY. I love my 40 but I would not want to drive it all the time, all over the place. They make lousy daily drivers. Build a nice 55 and alternate cruisers. Or, drive a daily driver and then drive your cruiser when you "need to feel the joy". I think driving a cruiser all the time or commuting with it lowers the "experience"...

Max

 

[nuclearlemon]

Along with good seats, make sure you move them back away from the steering wheel so you can drive in comfort.

or just be short...you won't need to worry about it then

 

[65swb45]

power steering and a good stereo.

I also got real ambitious a few years ago and completely de-rattled the lwb45 which is my dd. That made things much nicer too.

 

[1973Guppie]

cruise control and a seat heater!

Noah

 

[mr_manny]

Can't forget shackle angle...HUGE difference in daily commute.

improves on/off road experience.
manny

 

[Landpimp]

81+........problem cured

 

[e-man]

My rather expensive plan and maybe fool hardy plan.

Rebuilt and balanced 2F bottom end.
complete 3FE head and FI setup.
H55f
Power Steering
Maybe Coilovers?
De-Ratlling and De-Squeeking will be huge.

 

[spike6901]

put a couble of cinder blocks in the back and drop your air pressure a bit in the tires. It make the 40 ride much better. Less