Love this kit.
I am curious if you will paint the bare metal pieces? Are they left bare intentionally to color match to the buyer's vehicle?
Build OL'BETSY ZX: 1991 HZJ77
- Thread starter JDM Journeys
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Love this kit.
I am curious if you will paint the bare metal pieces? Are they left bare intentionally to color match to the buyer's vehicle?
JDM Journeys
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- #882
I haven't checked closely yet but first glance says they are stainless. If so I'll likely leave them as is. They are inside pieces anyways, and my truck is mainly silver so...?
JDM Journeys
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- #883
I had to have the wraparound version. That is the 76/77's party piece!
For now the goal is interior access but we'll see. I'm just happy that if I was going to break a window, it would be the one over my right shoulder...(RHD)
JDM Journeys
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- #884
Investigation with a magnet says they are stainless so I shall leave as is.
JDM Journeys
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- #885
Well, this CC gullwing is awesome! Have had a chance to use it on a few trips now and I'm loving it. No leaks, no dust, no wind noise... And being behind my right shoulder (RHD), it is completely unnoticed in terms of visibility from within while driving.
mattressking
10 digits to freedom
I did that especially for you Charles.I was going to throw in some miles and km's too but forgot. I keep thinking of switching the EGT gauge to °C, (Auberins digital lets you use either one) but I like the broader range of Fahrenheit.
I haven't put my boost gauge back in action yet. I do see a grub screw on the intercooler that looks like it would take a fitting instead? More investigation needed. I also cut out my hood insulator last night and put it back in place. Still need to seal the back edge of the duct.
If you haven't already, just installed one of these clones (unfortunately didn't fit as nicely as yours) but it does have a 1/8 BSPT port for boost gauge.
JDM Journeys
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- #887
Thanks! I did cobble together some adapters to fit my existing line but it looks a little janky so I need to get a proper fitting.
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JDM Journeys
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- #888
Five years ago today I picked up this rig. It was definitely rough, and needed some love. Today it is a completely different machine than five years ago, and I hope in another 5 years I am still updating this thread.
She's not getting much attention right now since we are in the process of selling our house of 19 years and moving across town. But once the new shop is up and running, I have a few things planned, and some big trips coming in 2026!
She's not getting much attention right now since we are in the process of selling our house of 19 years and moving across town. But once the new shop is up and running, I have a few things planned, and some big trips coming in 2026!
mattressking
10 digits to freedom
Send me your address and I can send an oem fitting to you
JDM Journeys
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- #890
Finally in and settled away in the new shop. So I thought it might be time to clean up the intercooler extend the opening a little...
I cut the hole about 20% bigger, and then trimmed the scoop with an edge seal and some better 3M tape to augment the fasteners. It looks a little better and more of the top mount is now exposed to the rush of air... (If you can even put 1HZ and rush in the same paragraph). I also painted underneath the scoop flat black so it would blend in a little better?
Still not my favorite look but function over form is pretty much this truck's mantra at this point?
EGTs dropped around 100°C in previous testing so it should be the same or slightly better?
I cut the hole about 20% bigger, and then trimmed the scoop with an edge seal and some better 3M tape to augment the fasteners. It looks a little better and more of the top mount is now exposed to the rush of air... (If you can even put 1HZ and rush in the same paragraph). I also painted underneath the scoop flat black so it would blend in a little better?
Still not my favorite look but function over form is pretty much this truck's mantra at this point?
EGTs dropped around 100°C in previous testing so it should be the same or slightly better?
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I think it looks pretty cool, certainly better than many scoops and this one is perfectly functional.
Remind me who's intercooler that is?
Remind me who's intercooler that is?
mattressking
10 digits to freedom
@cruiseroutfit I think it's an HPD rep from Ebay...only because I recall it's the same as @The Machinist.
JDM Journeys
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- #893
That is correct. The brackets needed some massaging but otherwise it was okay.
Thanks buddy. I did this in Sept so haven't really given it a good test yet. We are heading down your way again in May so this should help.
It may actually be the most aero piece on the whole truck?
You know, I can only imagine the agonizing over this upgrade by cutting into the perfectly fine hood of this fine Land Cruiser. Because I would have been doing the same. I also think it doesn't really matter what any of us thinks.
What matters is if Ol' Betsy feels like a racy teenager instead of a grandma with a walker, that's good enough for me. Glad you are finally all settled in the new digs!
“grandma with a walker” ….. It’s a shame that won’t fit on a license plate. 
You could still do it Charles! Just put "GWAW" on your plate. We will all know what you mean...“grandma with a walker” ….. It’s a shame that won’t fit on a license plate.
I have a question, Phil!
Now that you have been running Betsy with that scoop, do you get much crap into it that you have to clean regularly off the radiator? My thoughts were the flat front end would deflect most of the bugs, etc by diverting the airflow. But I thought I would ask what your experience with this is. All the best, Betsy is looking great!
Not to hijack this thread, but I know there are companies that make screen covers for the V8 Intercooler.I have a question, Phil!
Now that you have been running Betsy with that scoop, do you get much crap into it that you have to clean regularly off the radiator? My thoughts were the flat front end would deflect most of the bugs, etc by diverting the airflow. But I thought I would ask what your experience with this is. All the best, Betsy is looking great!
Perhaps they also have other applications.
JDM Journeys
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- #899
So I've had top mounts for a long time on a bunch of different rigs - a few Pajero's, a Prado 90... some had hood ducts, some had double-walled hoods. Aside from the occasional bee, I haven't seen a lot of dirt make its way in there. It probably gets impacted by the not so svelte front end and bullbar, so there's not much left to hit the intercooler?I have a question, Phil!
Now that you have been running Betsy with that scoop, do you get much crap into it that you have to clean regularly off the radiator? My thoughts were the flat front end would deflect most of the bugs, etc by diverting the airflow. But I thought I would ask what your experience with this is. All the best, Betsy is looking great!
JDM Journeys
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- #900
So part two of the intercooler project seems to have yielded actual results.
After enlarging the hole by about 25% (maybe a little more?) I realized that I needed to seal it better than I had previously.
(this was my seal before)
So I used a combination of edge molding with built in bulb seal along the edge of the hood, and compressible foam along the sides of the intercooler and on the front and back of the hood. It took a fair amount of faffing about to get the seal that I was going for, but this combo seemed to do it...
Time to test! Again!
Today's ambient was around freezing, so take these results with a grain of salt, but I ascended a long grade at 117km/h (actual) in 5th gear (which in itself is miraculous), and EGT's hovered around 510F (265C) , and engine temps stayed flat on 182F (83C), sitting on 12psi of boost. As soon as I crested, the EGT's went back down to 450F (230C) or so. I've done this exact scenario before in colder temps and seen a bigger rise by the time I reached the top. So it appears that my cobbled together multi-year turbo/IC project is working as good or better than it has any right to.
(Charles, you should be used to my mixed unit shenanigans by now. I do like my temps in Fahrenheit. Better range. LOL)
There is probably room for a low-pro fan underneath, but I haven't seen any heat soak issues to warrant it yet. My temps are generally in the perfect range unless I'm at modern speed limits or pulling big grades. But more testing to come, when I head south this spring... The idea of course is to get as much thermal room as possible so that when my little trailer is behind me, or I'm fighting a headwind, I'm not sitting on the edge of disaster.
After enlarging the hole by about 25% (maybe a little more?) I realized that I needed to seal it better than I had previously.
(this was my seal before)
So I used a combination of edge molding with built in bulb seal along the edge of the hood, and compressible foam along the sides of the intercooler and on the front and back of the hood. It took a fair amount of faffing about to get the seal that I was going for, but this combo seemed to do it...
Time to test! Again!
Today's ambient was around freezing, so take these results with a grain of salt, but I ascended a long grade at 117km/h (actual) in 5th gear (which in itself is miraculous), and EGT's hovered around 510F (265C) , and engine temps stayed flat on 182F (83C), sitting on 12psi of boost. As soon as I crested, the EGT's went back down to 450F (230C) or so. I've done this exact scenario before in colder temps and seen a bigger rise by the time I reached the top. So it appears that my cobbled together multi-year turbo/IC project is working as good or better than it has any right to.
(Charles, you should be used to my mixed unit shenanigans by now. I do like my temps in Fahrenheit. Better range. LOL)
There is probably room for a low-pro fan underneath, but I haven't seen any heat soak issues to warrant it yet. My temps are generally in the perfect range unless I'm at modern speed limits or pulling big grades. But more testing to come, when I head south this spring... The idea of course is to get as much thermal room as possible so that when my little trailer is behind me, or I'm fighting a headwind, I'm not sitting on the edge of disaster.