New frame on the BJ60 this week!

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cruiser_guy

cruiser_guy

Out of Africa / North Africa
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I'm getting a completely RUST FREE frame under the truck this week! I found one at the wreckers in Honduras last year and this is the time to swap it over! The frame that I found still has large areas of unscathed FACTORY paint on it where my current frame has been patched!
The body on my truck is good but the undercoating that was applied to the frame when I bought the truck to discourage rust has had the opposite effect and the frame is not as good as the body would indicate.
I'll be taking pictures as the work progresses.
 
Well the new frame is now under the truck! It went together like a giant puzzle, everything fits so far! It looks as good as the Japanese trucks do AND it's left hand drive! I'll post pics when I get back.
 
cruiser_guy said:
Well the new frame is now under the truck! It went together like a giant puzzle, everything fits so far! It looks as good as the Japanese trucks do AND it's left hand drive! I'll post pics when I get back.
Click to expand...


sounds great!
Did you take out the drivetrain, and then lift the whole chassis over to the new frame, or did you go piece by piece?
thanks
Jan
 
How long did it take you? Was it really hard to complete?
 
Pic's will probably be up on Pirate in early January, sorry but a fellow on Pirate has given me the option to post unlimited pictures so that's where that sort of thing needs to be (unless someone wants to make it a sticky that DOESN'T count against my picture limit here). When you're on a limited budget that's the way it is.

I arrived in Tegucigalpa, Honduras this past Sunday evening and the truck went "under the knife" first thing Monday morning. I had the frame picked out last spring (the ONLY BJ60 frame at the wreckers) and supplied the mechanic with some RustBullit to paint it with earlier this fall (even though it isn't expensive to do this I only want to do it once!). As of this afternoon (Thursday) when I left the garage they were changing the oil and refilling the coolant and bleeding brakes. I've been there every day wrenching with the mechanics so I know it's done RIGHT. Tomorrow the A/C guy will recharge the system and we should be on the road back to Guatemala on Saturday after checking out some local wreckers tomorrow afternoon (trial run to work out any bugs)!

Watch for the post on Pirate and if you're interested I can likely set you up with a rust FREE frame here as well as the guy that did my truck. The only issue is the frame will likely be an HJ60 frame as that is far and away the most common '60 series here in Honduras. A drive down is a great vacation and the money saved by doing the work here will likely pay for the vacation too!! I had quotes back in Canada for this work of $5000 and up WITHOUT the frame, and lets just say that I'd be crazy NOT to do it here!
 
The truck was operational on Friday at about lunch time for a total time out of service of 4 1/2 days! I drove back today from Honduras to Guatemala.

Here's a teaser picture of the frame before it went under my truck! This is a relatively good indication of the rust found on the frames here, NONE! '60 series owners will know that this is the area that takes the abuse on the '60's. The rear shock crossmember inner rail area. As you can see this one is PERFECT. I had it painted with RustBullit and then topcoated with black so it won't attract unneeded attention at the borders.

There is currently at the wrecker where I got my frame, a barn door body and frame of an HJ60 with rear slider windows too. With your truck to fit it out with and a swap of VIN plates you could drive a barn door '60 series!

If you are interested, let me know. Obviously a full body swap would be akin to a restoration, just without most of the body work, and take a bit longer than the frame swap.
rustfree.webp
 
THAT is a good looking frame. It looks much better than mine especially considering that I don't have that shock tower anymore....

Does that HJ60 frame come with the 2H and H55? Just kidding. Johnny is poorer than Tiny Tim. *sob*
 
GLTHFJ60 said:
THAT is a good looking frame. It looks much better than mine especially considering that I don't have that shock tower anymore....

Does that HJ60 frame come with the 2H and H55? Just kidding. Johnny is poorer than Tiny Tim. *sob*
Click to expand...

My old frame did not have the shock tower either but the body is really good. The problems with my frame were due primarily to peeling undercoating thus my avowed aversion to the thick undercoating.

No 2H or H55 but you'd be pleasantly surprised at the cost anyway.

Here's a picture to tempt you!
barndoor.webp
 
cruiser_guy said:
It looks as good as the Japanese trucks do AND it's left hand drive! I'll post pics when I get back.
Click to expand...

I don't think RHD and LHD make much difference Charles...for the frame anyway.

Nice score, and good for you to give your truck a new foundation.

gb
 
Gorgeous. If I had some money I'd buy the frame and the body and just build a new truck. Rust has pretty much taken my rig over, and unfortunately it's almost not worth it to add anything unless I can take it off again for a new rig. Sorry for the tangent...

Are there any pictures of these barn door Cruisers running an aftermarket rear bumper possily with a tire carrier?

Once again, sorry for the hijack.
 
Greg_B said:
I don't think RHD and LHD make much difference Charles...for the frame anyway.

Nice score, and good for you to give your truck a new foundation.

gb
Click to expand...

The sleeving for the steering box did not exist on the right hand side just on the left even though the holes were there (I looked 'cause I was curious).

GLTHFJ60 said:
Gorgeous. If I had some money I'd buy the frame and the body and just build a new truck. Rust has pretty much taken my rig over, and unfortunately it's almost not worth it to add anything unless I can take it off again for a new rig. Sorry for the tangent...

Are there any pictures of these barn door Cruisers running an aftermarket rear bumper possily with a tire carrier?

Once again, sorry for the hijack.
Click to expand...

I would suggest to anyone wanting to do a barn door and frame deal to just transfer everything from the existing truck to the new body/frame including the VIN plates and drive it back home. Not too many barn doors down here either, maybe 25% or less.
 
cruiser_guy said:
The sleeving for the steering box did not exist on the right hand side just on the left even though the holes were there (I looked 'cause I was curious).
Click to expand...

And how hard is that to change? There are much greater hurdles to overcome in swaps then 4 sleeves in the frame.

If I did not know better I would be left with the impression that a RHD frame can not be used under a LDH 60, and that is not correct.

Good that you found one that worked for you Charles.

Thanks

gb
 
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