I need another project like a hole in the head, or at least that is what the Mrs is always telling me. In fact if I bring home another project I might end up with a hole in the head. 
Bone stock & fresh off the boat.
I picked up this 1987 HJ61 last year from our partners at Land Cruisers Direct. In what I consider a moment of weakness, I agreed to sell my favorite BJ74, Righty. It wasn't the most pristine specimen and it certainly wasn't built up or ready for adventure but it was just fun to Cruise around in and always turned heads. Steve and discussed listing it and if found a new home, admittedly one that is taking off-road thus it really is seeing a better life.
So why a 60 Series? Well, I've had a few FJ60's and an FJ62 but none that I've really kept long term yet I really love 60 Series and they are one of my favorite all-time looking Land Cruisers. I'd had my eye on a few diesel imports over the years and none really scratched the itch... until the Red Dragon appeared. Steve sent over a few pics and I said "lets do it", it was on it's way to SLC. If I didn't fall in love, I knew it wouldn't take long to find a new home for it, what is the risk? It's a neat truck, a 1987 HJ61 with factory lockers and a PTO winch. Fairly low miles, the 12HT is strong and the H55F shifts tight and smooth. A perfect platform!
Loaded up for SLC. The BJ74 that would eventually become Woody's is on the load too.
The build will be straightforward and simply. Old Man Emu suspension setup to handle the heavy diesel and planned gear. Front and rear bumpers, sliders, maybe a roof rack and some interior mods like CB/HAM and outlets for charging and a fridge.
Out back I opted for Trail Tailor Rear Bumper & Sliders. I've worked with Jason at Trail Tailor on a variety of projects and when it came time for a rear bumper option on this project he was my first contact. There are some neat offerings out there on the market but Jason had recently build one for another customer of mine (Casey Smith) and I really liked the way it turned out and the craftsmanship of the assembly. Jason was kind enough to drop them by while in SLC and brought along a pair of his newly finished 6x Series sliders to show-off as well, yup... "I need those too, go ahead and leave them here." That was easy.
I'm a sucker for the look of an ARB Winchbar on the front and it's still a fairly decent seller for our customers so it makes sense to have one here to show customers. Winch plans are still up in the air as it is currently equipped with a factory PTO. I love the unique nature of the PTO but if I've got to use the winch, I prefer an electric At that I'll most likely use a 24V ComeUp variant, we've been using them for the last 3-4 years in all of our JDM 24V truck builds and I've run a couple on personal rigs with good results. More recently one of my shop employees and our good friend/previous employee raced in the Legend Class at King of the Hammers using a ComeUp equipped rock buggy. They flogged the winch getting through some rock sections and sand yet had nothing but good things to say about their winch... nothing less than expected but precisely why we are comfortable using them and recommending them.
This is the 60 Series section after all, how about some 60's
Bone stock & fresh off the boat.
I picked up this 1987 HJ61 last year from our partners at Land Cruisers Direct. In what I consider a moment of weakness, I agreed to sell my favorite BJ74, Righty. It wasn't the most pristine specimen and it certainly wasn't built up or ready for adventure but it was just fun to Cruise around in and always turned heads. Steve and discussed listing it and if found a new home, admittedly one that is taking off-road thus it really is seeing a better life.
So why a 60 Series? Well, I've had a few FJ60's and an FJ62 but none that I've really kept long term yet I really love 60 Series and they are one of my favorite all-time looking Land Cruisers. I'd had my eye on a few diesel imports over the years and none really scratched the itch... until the Red Dragon appeared. Steve sent over a few pics and I said "lets do it", it was on it's way to SLC. If I didn't fall in love, I knew it wouldn't take long to find a new home for it, what is the risk? It's a neat truck, a 1987 HJ61 with factory lockers and a PTO winch. Fairly low miles, the 12HT is strong and the H55F shifts tight and smooth. A perfect platform!
Loaded up for SLC. The BJ74 that would eventually become Woody's is on the load too.
The build will be straightforward and simply. Old Man Emu suspension setup to handle the heavy diesel and planned gear. Front and rear bumpers, sliders, maybe a roof rack and some interior mods like CB/HAM and outlets for charging and a fridge.
Out back I opted for Trail Tailor Rear Bumper & Sliders. I've worked with Jason at Trail Tailor on a variety of projects and when it came time for a rear bumper option on this project he was my first contact. There are some neat offerings out there on the market but Jason had recently build one for another customer of mine (Casey Smith) and I really liked the way it turned out and the craftsmanship of the assembly. Jason was kind enough to drop them by while in SLC and brought along a pair of his newly finished 6x Series sliders to show-off as well, yup... "I need those too, go ahead and leave them here." That was easy.
I'm a sucker for the look of an ARB Winchbar on the front and it's still a fairly decent seller for our customers so it makes sense to have one here to show customers. Winch plans are still up in the air as it is currently equipped with a factory PTO. I love the unique nature of the PTO but if I've got to use the winch, I prefer an electric
At that I'll most likely use a 24V ComeUp variant, we've been using them for the last 3-4 years in all of our JDM 24V truck builds and I've run a couple on personal rigs with good results. More recently one of my shop employees and our good friend/previous employee raced in the Legend Class at King of the Hammers using a ComeUp equipped rock buggy. They flogged the winch getting through some rock sections and sand yet had nothing but good things to say about their winch... nothing less than expected but precisely why we are comfortable using them and recommending them.This is the 60 Series section after all, how about some 60's
