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fstmatt

fstmatt

10 Year 15 Year
Joined
Apr 12, 2006
Threads
14
Messages
69
Location
Albuquerque, NM
Hello everyone...
I'm Matt, a newbie to the whole forum thing, so go easy on me. I'm also new to Landcruisers - I've had a 55 for about a year now and just started the process of rebuilding it. Thought this would be a grand time to ask you all your opinion. I bought a FJ60 for pretty cheap with the idea of swapping the brakes onto my pig. What else might I want to steal from the 60? I'd like to keep the original F and 3-speed in the pig, but what else might be desirable to swap into the 55? I'm just curious what you all might have tried.
Thanks!
 
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Welcome, you have some work ahead of you. Just a few questions, what do you want to do with your pig? Do you want to "restore", wheel or somewhere in between? Why do you want to keep the F and three speed?

As far as the 60 goes, I would take the motor, trans,transfer and slap that in the pig. Take the power steering, that goes in too. Outboard your springs and put the 60 axles under the pig too. Well, thats what I'm doing. I am a ways off from the axle swap but the power steering should be done in a few weeks.

Good luck, oh and :flipoff2:
 
Howdy! Welcome to the wonderful world of the Iron Pigs. I started with a stock one nearly 20 years ago, and I won't run out of things to do to it for about another 20 or so. 890man pointed out the most important part. Figure out where you want to go with your Piggie. Stock/original is beatiful, but it is getting harder and harder to go some items. For mods and upgrades, there is no limit to what can be done. The whole driveline from the donor 60 would be a good idea if it is all good. Stronger, newer, and maybe a lot less miles. Biggest challenge is that the axles are 3" wider, and the front spring pads are a little different position, but ask around and there are several solutions to that.

Have fun. John
 
thanks for the good info. I'm not looking to do much heavy off-roading with it, mostly DD and the occasional trip up the mountain. The f-engine is just so dang easy, and given that I'm more or less a beginner that weighs in heavily. Also, although I can't afford a complete frame-off restoration, I do think that there is something to be said to keeping things somewhat original.

Of course, I'll be sending the engine off to the machinist here soon. If he tells me the F is done for, then all bets are off.

Thanks again for the ideas.
 
Some more pics. Can't really adjust size or quality much - came from my camera phone and my computers photo software sucks.

First photo is the block. PO painted it orange, presumably during a previous rebuild. i dunno, orange is a pretty tacky color for an engine - but at least not mopar blue.

Second photo is the front, with the radiator, etc removed to facilitate removal of the engine. There's a few dings and bumps, but remarkably rust free (gotta love the dry Southwest).

Third is the rear, where the most of the body work will be. Lots of bondo covering a pretty significant dents in both rear corners. But underneath the bondo was rust free. (Just prior to purchasing the truck, I was walking around it with the PO when a chunk of bondo fell out of the corner. $200 off!) The power window still works but the window seals have all dry rotted away. Damn Southwest!
 
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since you already have the motor out and are going to take to a shop, why dont you just throw a 2f in there. You will get a little more power out of it. I have an F in mine and use it as a DD and wish for more go in my pig. There is always the V8 route but that may be more fab than you want. Throwing in a 2F is a good swap for a "stock" truck.

I just went back in the posts, use the motor out of the 60. I know I already said that but seeing the condition of your current motor makes me want to say it again.


Good luck
 
dieselcruiserhead said:
you mind me asking where you got it from? From some guys who own a yarn factory up in Las Vegas NM? I owned a 55 from that era in your neck of the woods once in that shape, I wonder if yours is it!
Click to expand...

Guy I got it from was actually from Socorro, NM but was selling it just south of Albuquerque in Los Lunas. He had it for two years with the intention of fixing it up, but couldn't ever get the brakes to work and decided to sell it. (You'd think he'd have tried the "Put new fluid in and bleed the system" method first) Supposedly he had another parts 55 down in Socorro, but he never contacted me back about it.

I dunno who owned it before him, but it orginated in AZ. I think it was sold in Flagstaff and first registered in Tuscon. After that is a mystery - maybe it is the same one! (if that's the case, tell me you didn't install "The Condesator")
 
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