Newbie here looking for engine swap recommendations in a 73 FJ55, order of things. (5 Viewers)

[Devils Paw 80]

What makes them so loud? If you put a mild tire on them and a mild exhaust with a modern engine, some dynamat on the firewall and floors it shouldn’t be any worse than any other truck of this vintage right? How loud is loud as hell?

You will have an idea from driving it in stock condition at 55 mph. Certainly loud enough to cause hearing damage with prolonged exposure.
Yeah, I suppose all those upgrades will make a significant improvement in this regard. I haven't had the pleasure of driving a resto mod 55. There are a few videos available online and it's difficult to tell from them. Still loud by modern standards seems to me.

 

[greenbeast]

Think its fair to offer what I have in mine 1969 55 so far. 60 series 2F with recent rebuild, rebuilt H55 per Valley Hybrids (waiting on install once body shop is done), if my memory is correct and I don't want it to be but engine tranny around $5000 (probably little low), Alcan springs for 2.5" lift $1300 before price increase a couple years ago. Sniper fuel injection will be installed once its ready and that's currently at $2350.

Looking to put in electric power steering, have in my BJ45 and it’s very nice, think currently $2000

I paid $17,000 for the rig and will have close to $12,000 in the new interior and body work. Spending $800 on new window seals from Australia (group buy in 55 section)

Got two axles from 77 40 I will rebuild for $200, rebuild kit is cheap compared to everything else and will purchase from cruiser outfitters.

Planning on Vintage air $1,995.

Throw in some other costs like the bucket seats I purchased upholstered with houndstooth pattern with backseat to match., tires when ready and I'm in for $40,000 easily with me and the wife doing the work.

I definitely don't need wife to see these numbers. Yes, it will still ride rough but we have had several cruisers including the 40 series so the wife is accustomed to the ride and noise.

It's a labor of love for sure! I think the secret is hide everything you can from the wife.

 

[sogncab]

I’m spoiled

You can add power, and add air conditioning. They're still crap to drive.

I daily a 40 with a diesel swapped in, with AC. If crap isn't part of the charm to you, it's not the vehicle for you, or you need to spend a lot of money to compete with modern anything in almost any level.

 

[greenbeast]

Guess it really boils down to what the OP is willing to give up to feel like he is looking cool. Had my first FJ40 for forty nine years. Didn't buy it to look cool. Really bought it because in the small town I lived in there were not many options for used 4X4s I could afford. Luckily for me there were no jeeps for sale at the time. I still have it and a number of others. Have them because how tough and reliable there. Certainly isn't because of the comfortable ride and great handling. My FJ45 does have a nicer ride with the long wheel and probably not as comfortable as the FJ55. But doubt it is near as nice as nice as a 4th gen 4Runner with a factory V8, climate control, full time 4WD and sound system that would be hard to match in a FJ55. Not sure the value of 4th gen like that is. Modernizing a FJ55 would probably cost more and still not be as nice.We bought ours new in January 04. Replaced it with a 5th TRD off road a few years ago. Kept the 4th gen and while the new one was suppose to be my wife's DD she prefers her old 04.

Daughter has 1996 4 runner in Hawaii where she goes to school. Works great with her hauling surf boards and the rear window works like a charm, something the PIG isn't as reliable at going down. I have 2006 4 runner also with the V8, dogs love the rear window and the power it has.

 

[Wasatch Jay]

It's a labor of love for sure! I think the secret is hide everything you can from the wife.

I think this is great advice. But I don't even want to know the real number myself - because it's discouraging. If you keep track of everything, and I mean everything (all that "little sh*t" adds up, too) you'll be surprised at just how much money you've sunk into your project. I think it's best not to know....

Buying an already restored / modified vehicle can be a way to save serious money... if it's what you want. But you're also assuming that the work was done right.

My first FJ40 was bought on ebay, and the previous owners dumped money into this thing by the bucketful. The laundry list of modifications was long, and a lot of the parts were expensive, top-of-the-line items. They spent north of $40K at one shop alone north of the Seattle area. I think they had spent over $70K in total, and I bought it for $12K... thinking I got a deal.

Well, the saying "The total is more than the sum of its parts" is completely inapplicable. The high-dollar engine... didn't run well, it didn't drive well, either. That 4WD shop north of Seatlle charged big dollars... and did low quality work. It was a very disappointing rig.

A friend said "Sell it; start from scratch, and build what YOU want". So that's what I did.

Note: I don't remember the name of that 4WD shop off the top of my head but they were more Jeep oriented. Definitely not one of the companies that advertise on 'Mud and I've never seen it mentioned on here, either (I would recognize the name, if I saw it).

 

[greenbeast]

I typically don’t don’t add up what I have in a vehicle. It doesn’t serve purpose except to reinforce how broke I’m getting with another cruiser.

Agree 100% with buy something someone has already done the work for, they will never get the investment back.

@coldicer I don’t want to discourage your dreams with the purchase at all. If your heart is set on the path your choosing go for it.

Many of the previous posts are from long time cruiser owners who are trying to prevent you from going down the rabbit hole of owning and maintaining or modifying a 50 year old Landcruiser.

Parts availability for the 55 is sparse at best. As I mentioned earlier there is group buy for window seals from Australia in the 55 section. This is indication of the difficulty getting simple things. Vendors don’t carry much in the way of parts for these due to the rarity.

Most body work will need fabrication unless lucky enough to find body panels made by another owner (a few exist). What would be simple to deal with like the rear electric glass can be a nightmare. If motor is bad then it could take awhile to find another. The gear that breaks to roll glass down is easily replaced but no fun to work on. Rear hatch won’t come down if glass not coming down.

Rust, there will be rust hidden somewhere if it’s even hidden at all and pigs rust in all the wrong places where simple sheet metal skills won’t fix it.

Several folks including myself have a parts pig to get things off of to aid in finding needed items.

Having owned 40s, 60, 80s and 100 series landcruiser the 55 is most difficult I’ve found to find things for, not impossible but not easy. At least on our BJ45 I can use newer 40 series parts for many things.

Just want to make sure you’re going into this with eyes wide open. That being said if you’re up for it, go for it. Start a build thread and share with everyone!

Cheers

 

[cruisermatt]

Selling the 55 as is and buying a clean FJ60 or FJ62 would make 1000 times more sense for your budget and wants and needs

 

[Broski]

You can add power, and add air conditioning. They're still crap to drive.

I daily a 40 with a diesel swapped in, with AC. If crap isn't part of the charm to you, it's not the vehicle for you, or you need to spend a lot of money to compete with modern anything in almost any level.

It like anything else, if you ride a motorcycle you get bugs in your face, but lots of people still love it ( not me ).
Look at the price of new vehicles 100k is not uncommon so to spend 40k or more on something special that you can't just go buy off the lot is owning a classic Land Cruiser.
If you really need or want a modern car feel put it on a 80 series chassis with a LS swap it won't ride like crap and will stop like it should with power to spare !!
JMHO cheers

 

[jembourbe]

I get nervous when people want to drive these old trucks at modern highway speeds. They just weren't made for it. You can add all the power you want, swap to great disc brakes (thanks Poser!), but they are still primitive machines designed for 55 mph highways (and 55 mph crashes and evasive action).

 

[Living in the Past]

I get nervous when people want to drive these old trucks at modern highway speeds. They just weren't made for it. You can add all the power you want, swap to great disc brakes (thanks Poser!), but they are still primitive machines designed for 55 mph highways (and 55 mph crashes and evasive action).

It's not just the speeds. When I moved to the Phoenix in 1979 the whole metro area was around a million people. Now just Phoenix the population is over a million people. The whole area is over four million people. Guessing it's at least fifteen miles further on I-17 to get out of town. At the end of town there is a over twenty years mile project to add another lane on I-17 which way past do. In town traffic was always bad and has just gotten worse. In the last twenty years I have only driven an FJ40 in the Phoenix area. That was some years ago driving across town for a relic run. I determined I would never do that again. This was in a stock 1970 FJ40. A long wheel base with upgrades wouldn't be as bad but I still wouldn't do it. The OP is the only one who knows what of roads and traffic he plans to deal with.

 

[kerplunk]

My dad had an FJ55 when I was in 3rd and 4th grade. That was around 1978 or 1979, I'm not sure what model year the truck was.

He ended up selling it because it couldn't tow our trailer up mountains (i.e. RV in Alaska). I remember road trips around Alaska in the back seat of that thing, couldn't sleep, couldn't read, couldn't do much of anything but get bounced around and rattled. And that was when it was only a couple years old.

It was, even by current standards back then, lacking refinements... These were designed and built for worldwide sales in the 1960's, differences between US versions and those going to Africa maybe included leaving the heater out in the one going to Africa (they still do this, rented a Vios in Thailand, it had AC but no heater).

There is hardly no insulation in those things. The suspension is leaf springs with solid axles, front and rear. NOTHING uses leaf spring in front suspension anymore, mostly only pickups in the back to manage variable loads. And few vehicles still use solid axles in front anymore, jeeps and 1 ton trucks, mostly, not things known for comfort or "driving experiences" (and even reasonably new dodge trucks can have issues with death wobbles).

(Not to mention drum brakes and manual steering which reasonably straightforward upgrades.)

So while I get that in a lot of places, you need more power than the 2F delivers, and I often don't see this as a highway thing, but having visited a lot of cities where traffic "zips" around and it almost feels like everyone's racing light to light.... 2F can't really keep up with that.

But before resolving that, consider how antiquated the overall design of that thing is. It never really had any insulation installed in it from the start, really, maybe a little in the headliner? Seats were, well, I don't have fond memories (and the only ones I've seen recently were so torn up and dirty I didn't want to sit on them). Windows and doors, latches, regulators, weatherstripping, all that just isn't modern design standards, it was even lagging back then a bit (though that power rear window seemed pretty damned fancy to a 3rd grader in the '70's, for sure).

(AC was just never an issue at the time, cause, Alaska.)

And as much as all this can be kinda bandaided with dyno mat, thousands in new, rare to find parts, engine swap, vintage air, seat swap, brake upgrades, PS steering retrofit... It's still got solid axles and leaf springs. No air bags. dash is barely padded. None of those explosive cartridges in the seat belts to pull them tight on impact (ya, my "new" leather BMW seats had those that I need to remove, it's a thing). No ABS. (do those things even have sway bars? maybe only in front?)

But, if you're still hooked.... it's gonna be noisy anyways, just get a cummins R2.8 and an H55 transmission.

The axles are offset, typical for the front in most 4x4, Toyota offset the back too. If you swap the xfer case you have to swap the rear axle also. The axles, while solid axles are kinda archaic old rudimentary things, are tougher than @#$* and one of the best things about these trucks, so, maybe don't swap those... (mostly the same in kinda newish FJ100s I think?). People swap these axles IN to other projects... There are disk brake kit, some with fancy adapters (mostly for the rear) and some just swapping the correct parts off newer trucks.

Assuming the steering is similar to an FJ40, there are methods to convert to power. Keeping the Toyota steering boxes also keeps the about 4-5 additional wobble points used to move the steering box way the hell back halfway past the engine, as opposed to the Saginaw conversions that you'll have to butcher the frame for (and make sure you get a collapsing column...).

 

[coldicer]

My dad had an FJ55 when I was in 3rd and 4th grade. That was around 1978 or 1979, I'm not sure what model year the truck was.

He ended up selling it because it couldn't tow our trailer up mountains (i.e. RV in Alaska). I remember road trips around Alaska in the back seat of that thing, couldn't sleep, couldn't read, couldn't do much of anything but get bounced around and rattled. And that was when it was only a couple years old.

It was, even by current standards back then, lacking refinements... These were designed and built for worldwide sales in the 1960's, differences between US versions and those going to Africa maybe included leaving the heater out in the one going to Africa (they still do this, rented a Vios in Thailand, it had AC but no heater).

There is hardly no insulation in those things. The suspension is leaf springs with solid axles, front and rear. NOTHING uses leaf spring in front suspension anymore, mostly only pickups in the back to manage variable loads. And few vehicles still use solid axles in front anymore, jeeps and 1 ton trucks, mostly, not things known for comfort or "driving experiences" (and even reasonably new dodge trucks can have issues with death wobbles).

(Not to mention drum brakes and manual steering which reasonably straightforward upgrades.)

So while I get that in a lot of places, you need more power than the 2F delivers, and I often don't see this as a highway thing, but having visited a lot of cities where traffic "zips" around and it almost feels like everyone's racing light to light.... 2F can't really keep up with that.

But before resolving that, consider how antiquated the overall design of that thing is. It never really had any insulation installed in it from the start, really, maybe a little in the headliner? Seats were, well, I don't have fond memories (and the only ones I've seen recently were so torn up and dirty I didn't want to sit on them). Windows and doors, latches, regulators, weatherstripping, all that just isn't modern design standards, it was even lagging back then a bit (though that power rear window seemed pretty damned fancy to a 3rd grader in the '70's, for sure).

(AC was just never an issue at the time, cause, Alaska.)

And as much as all this can be kinda bandaided with dyno mat, thousands in new, rare to find parts, engine swap, vintage air, seat swap, brake upgrades, PS steering retrofit... It's still got solid axles and leaf springs. No air bags. dash is barely padded. None of those explosive cartridges in the seat belts to pull them tight on impact (ya, my "new" leather BMW seats had those that I need to remove, it's a thing). No ABS. (do those things even have sway bars? maybe only in front?)

But, if you're still hooked.... it's gonna be noisy anyways, just get a cummins R2.8 and an H55 transmission.

The axles are offset, typical for the front in most 4x4, Toyota offset the back too. If you swap the xfer case you have to swap the rear axle also. The axles, while solid axles are kinda archaic old rudimentary things, are tougher than @#$* and one of the best things about these trucks, so, maybe don't swap those... (mostly the same in kinda newish FJ100s I think?). People swap these axles IN to other projects... There are disk brake kit, some with fancy adapters (mostly for the rear) and some just swapping the correct parts off newer trucks.

Assuming the steering is similar to an FJ40, there are methods to convert to power. Keeping the Toyota steering boxes also keeps the about 4-5 additional wobble points used to move the steering box way the hell back halfway past the engine, as opposed to the Saginaw conversions that you'll have to butcher the frame for (and make sure you get a collapsing column...).

All good points. I’m fully aware that it won’t be like a new car. I thought it would be fun to take to the beach, go around town, and the occasional camping trip. Financially it makes no sense having done some research to invest 30-40k trying to modernize it. Just accept it for what it is I guess.

 

[Wasatch Jay]

My dad had an FJ55 when I was in 3rd and 4th grade. That was around 1978 or 1979, I'm not sure what model year the truck was.

He ended up selling it because it couldn't tow our trailer up mountains (i.e. RV in Alaska). I remember road trips around Alaska in the back seat of that thing, couldn't sleep, couldn't read, couldn't do much of anything but get bounced around and rattled. And that was when it was only a couple years old.

It was, even by current standards back then, lacking refinements... These were designed and built for worldwide sales in the 1960's, differences between US versions and those going to Africa maybe included leaving the heater out in the one going to Africa (they still do this, rented a Vios in Thailand, it had AC but no heater).

There is hardly no insulation in those things. The suspension is leaf springs with solid axles, front and rear. NOTHING uses leaf spring in front suspension anymore, mostly only pickups in the back to manage variable loads. And few vehicles still use solid axles in front anymore, jeeps and 1 ton trucks, mostly, not things known for comfort or "driving experiences" (and even reasonably new dodge trucks can have issues with death wobbles).

(Not to mention drum brakes and manual steering which reasonably straightforward upgrades.)

So while I get that in a lot of places, you need more power than the 2F delivers, and I often don't see this as a highway thing, but having visited a lot of cities where traffic "zips" around and it almost feels like everyone's racing light to light.... 2F can't really keep up with that.

But before resolving that, consider how antiquated the overall design of that thing is. It never really had any insulation installed in it from the start, really, maybe a little in the headliner? Seats were, well, I don't have fond memories (and the only ones I've seen recently were so torn up and dirty I didn't want to sit on them). Windows and doors, latches, regulators, weatherstripping, all that just isn't modern design standards, it was even lagging back then a bit (though that power rear window seemed pretty damned fancy to a 3rd grader in the '70's, for sure).

(AC was just never an issue at the time, cause, Alaska.)

And as much as all this can be kinda bandaided with dyno mat, thousands in new, rare to find parts, engine swap, vintage air, seat swap, brake upgrades, PS steering retrofit... It's still got solid axles and leaf springs. No air bags. dash is barely padded. None of those explosive cartridges in the seat belts to pull them tight on impact (ya, my "new" leather BMW seats had those that I need to remove, it's a thing). No ABS. (do those things even have sway bars? maybe only in front?)

But, if you're still hooked.... it's gonna be noisy anyways, just get a cummins R2.8 and an H55 transmission.

The axles are offset, typical for the front in most 4x4, Toyota offset the back too. If you swap the xfer case you have to swap the rear axle also. The axles, while solid axles are kinda archaic old rudimentary things, are tougher than @#$* and one of the best things about these trucks, so, maybe don't swap those... (mostly the same in kinda newish FJ100s I think?). People swap these axles IN to other projects... There are disk brake kit, some with fancy adapters (mostly for the rear) and some just swapping the correct parts off newer trucks.

Assuming the steering is similar to an FJ40, there are methods to convert to power. Keeping the Toyota steering boxes also keeps the about 4-5 additional wobble points used to move the steering box way the hell back halfway past the engine, as opposed to the Saginaw conversions that you'll have to butcher the frame for (and make sure you get a collapsing column...).

Kerplunk,

Respectfully, you're comparing the attributes of current production vehicles, in some cases luxury vehicles, to an FJ55; perhaps built in the seventies and designed in the sixties. IMHO, it's totally an apples-to-oranges comparison. To add a time perspective, 1973 is 50 years ago. Fifty years before 1973 is 1923. Ford hadn't even introduced the Model A, they were selling the Model T.

One with reasonably deep pockets can go out and buy a new Jeep Rubicon that has off road capability exceeding most FJ40s. It will have more power, better fuel economy, better creature comforts, better parts availability, etc, etc. So what? Many of us prefer the nostalgia of our FJ40s, -55s, etc, and we like the individually built - NOT bought aspect as well.

Some folks have the desire, the mechanical aptitude, the space and tools, and the motivation to do the work themselves, and that's awesome. Some have the desire and the funds, but lack the other requirements and seek out professionals to do the work for them...and that's great, too.

Tomorrow, August 1, Toyota will roll out the new Land Cruiser and it will once again be available in the US. I'm sure it will be a really nice rig and have considerable off road prowess, and you can be in climate controlled comfort, with great insulation (sound and thermal) listening to an awesome stereo, sitting on heated and cooled seats covered in gorgeous leather. It's all things the FJ55 can never be.

But as nice and as sumptuous as I'm sure it will be, it lacks the FJ55's rugged looks and mechanical simplicity. Yup, the FJ55 will rattle, It will shake your teeth on a bumpy road, and it may be a bit drafty. But if you build it (doing the work yourself, or paying someone to do it for you) there's a pride in ownership that you just can't get by writing a check for a brand new Land Cruiser (my opinion only).

 

[kerplunk]

Kerplunk,

Respectfully, you're comparing the attributes of current production vehicles, in some cases luxury vehicles, to an FJ55; perhaps built in the seventies and designed in the sixties. IMHO, it's totally an apples-to-oranges comparison. To add a time perspective, 1973 is 50 years ago. Fifty years before 1973 is 1923. Ford hadn't even introduced the Model A, they were selling the Model T.

One with reasonably deep pockets can go out and buy a new Jeep Rubicon that has off road capability exceeding most FJ40s. It will have more power, better fuel economy, better creature comforts, better parts availability, etc, etc. So what? Many of us prefer the nostalgia of our FJ40s, -55s, etc, and we like the individually built - NOT bought aspect as well.

Some folks have the desire, the mechanical aptitude, the space and tools, and the motivation to do the work themselves, and that's awesome. Some have the desire and the funds, but lack the other requirements and seek out professionals to do the work for them...and that's great, too.

Tomorrow, August 1, Toyota will roll out the new Land Cruiser and it will once again be available in the US. I'm sure it will be a really nice rig and have considerable off road prowess, and you can be in climate controlled comfort, with great insulation (sound and thermal) listening to an awesome stereo, sitting on heated and cooled seats covered in gorgeous leather. It's all things the FJ55 can never be.

But as nice and as sumptuous as I'm sure it will be, it lacks the FJ55's rugged looks and mechanical simplicity. Yup, the FJ55 will rattle, It will shake your teeth on a bumpy road, and it may be a bit drafty. But if you build it (doing the work yourself, or paying someone to do it for you) there's a pride in ownership that you just can't get by writing a check for a brand new Land Cruiser (my opinion only).

Just pointing out to the original poster and anyone else that comes around the realities of what they can expect out of spending 20K on a 50 year old Toyota.

Making it good as new is still going to be far from comparable with a actual new car. Times changed, I know a lot of people my age who've been in those cars as kids have long forgotten and many younger than me have never experienced.

And I'm not old enough to have ever been in a model T, but have there's a video on youtube I've watched on how to operate one, an original one, it's pretty interesting, a lot different than any modern car, hand controls behind the steering wheel for spark advance?

I personally like to tinker and love the simplicity. The ability to see exactly how things work with few electronics (my ignition has been upgraded). Have dealt with rattles mainly by just removing the body (FJ40 with no top or doors) but, ya, it's kinda drafty and I don't drive it in winter (even though I'm not in Alaska anymore)...

But for something to take a quick fun ride in, let's sit back and be honest about what makes these any more fun than that new jeep none of us want, cause it ain't for everyone...

 

[jestlurnin]

@coldicer ……this thread is USELESS without pictures…..

 

[coldicer]

I've been busy stripping the vehicle down to send it to paint, and dealing with a few rust issues (not sure if any of you have run into similar rust issues ) and have not really taken any pictures. I was able to source an exact replacement ragtop, that's great news so the roof can continue to leak and rust excessively for the next 40 years. The previous installer just cut a hole and dropped it in, so the roof is like a wet noodle. I'm going to mock up a structural frame out of 1/4 plywood strips and then make a final one out of steeI. I think I am going to pull the trigger on the Dobinson full suspension kit. It seems to be the easiest solution that is out there. Naturally I will flip the rear springs so that the back end is on the ground, going for that mexicali look. Joking. I ordered the disc brakes for the front and the master cylinder conversion from Pirate Jack. The 2f engine starts right up and seems to run fine, so for now, its just a tune up, new carb, upgraded distributor, aluminum radiator, plugs, colored wires cause that makes a difference. Before you know it, I'll be doing 90mph down I5 with ACDC full blast.