I'm about a year overdue for starting this build/documentary thread. Here goes. I'm going to try and include a bunch of photos with this to help other 60 owners who may run into the same issues I have. The first little bit won't have a ton of photos, but the pace will pick up towards the more recent work.
Mine
I bought it in not-quite-working state. The previous owner had neglected the power steering pump, which bled onto the smog pump, which froze it up, which prevented the water pump from spinning, which kept the truck from moving. It also meant that it was past due for CA smogging. This was a project vehicle, but importantly, the body is rust-free, the engine runs, and almost everything works most of the time.
First steps, rejigger the belts so only the alternator and water pump were being driven. Drive the truck away from it's old home to it's new home. Next, drop the paperwork off at the DMV making it officially mine. Finally, drive it to my mechanic who managed to source a Toyota PS pump for a very reasonable price. After replacing the smog pump, PS pump, and a couple of old vacuum lines, it passed smog. Now work could really begin.
Radio Upgrade
The truck has an aftermarket AM/FM radio with tape (and only tape) deck which picks up quite a lot of static. I bought a bluetooth action speaker and clipped it to the low-range gearstick. I now have about 8 hours of music and hands-free calling capability, so long as I remember to charge the radio up every now and again. Cost was maybe $20 for two from FUL 3-piece Hardside Luggage Set. Bonus in this shot: you can see the ugly aftermarket carpeting.
The Carb "Dryer"
The previous owner had disconnected the carb cooler because, on the advice of his friend, it was only necessary for when you were driving through deep water and it would somehow magically blow air into the carburetor to keep it dry from water splashing into it, thereby preventing the engine from stalling. I just smiled and nodded. I was having some issues with hot starts, re-plugged the carb cooler in, and hot starts were no longer an issue. It works perfectly... I don't really know why he unplugged it.
New Battery
Costco batteries work great. Easy fix, no longer needed a jump start if the engine didn't start within five seconds. I duct-taped some cardboard into a rectangle to shim the battery so it won't slide around in the tray— the new battery is either smaller physically than the original, or the hold down doesn't grip it as well.
2WD LO Mod
There are some really good threads out there on how to do this. You remove the rubber boot from the shifter and remove/notch a small piece of steel until the shifting mechanism can move forward from 4LO "up" into 2LO. Here's a couple photos of the steel tab and a video that shows more clearly what bit of metal has to be removed.
I had a hard time visualizing what needed to be removed, hence all the photos here. I used an M12 rotary tool (Basically a bigger/fatter Dremel) to make the cuts until I could bend the steel back and forth enough times to cause it to break off.
Dynamat (Ongoing)
The interior was powerfully ugly and not a great place to spend a lot of time. I ripped out the old, ugly, carpet to find the factory carpet still underneath. It wasn't even close to salvageable— it looked like the Kool-Aid man died in the truck, and his sticky blood was everywhere. I bought Noico 50mil sheets. This stuff does two things; firstly it cuts vibrations down. Secondly, it reflects heat. This should keep transmission heat out, AC in, and make the cruiser more comfortable to ride in on trips out to the desert.
Removal:
The carpet is held down by the plastic sills in the doors, by a few interior components that bolt through the body (seat belts, seats, gear stick anchors, etc.) and some kind of glue that had long since deteriorated into hopes. I cut the carpet out and used a shop-vac to get as much of the old jute out as possible. I used a big wire brush to remove the rest of the jute, and shop-vac'd again. Eventually, this:
turned into this:
I've actually managed to get it even cleaner since. The less of the old jute, the better the new insulation can stick. My factory vibration dampening material was still in good condition, and the Noico instructions said to go right on top of it. Who am I to argue with laziness?
(I still need to write up how to install it, tips/tricks with the roller, and sealing cracks with foil tape)
I need to find a good source of automotive jute padding to go on top of the Noico insulation. This will reduce noise even further, make the carpet a bit nicer, and also hold water away from the metal. The foil-backed insulation should help tremendously with rust inside the body from wet shoes, etc. but if you're going to do this much work, you may as well do it right.
Mine
I bought it in not-quite-working state. The previous owner had neglected the power steering pump, which bled onto the smog pump, which froze it up, which prevented the water pump from spinning, which kept the truck from moving. It also meant that it was past due for CA smogging. This was a project vehicle, but importantly, the body is rust-free, the engine runs, and almost everything works most of the time.
First steps, rejigger the belts so only the alternator and water pump were being driven. Drive the truck away from it's old home to it's new home. Next, drop the paperwork off at the DMV making it officially mine. Finally, drive it to my mechanic who managed to source a Toyota PS pump for a very reasonable price. After replacing the smog pump, PS pump, and a couple of old vacuum lines, it passed smog. Now work could really begin.
Radio Upgrade
The truck has an aftermarket AM/FM radio with tape (and only tape) deck which picks up quite a lot of static. I bought a bluetooth action speaker and clipped it to the low-range gearstick. I now have about 8 hours of music and hands-free calling capability, so long as I remember to charge the radio up every now and again. Cost was maybe $20 for two from FUL 3-piece Hardside Luggage Set. Bonus in this shot: you can see the ugly aftermarket carpeting.
The Carb "Dryer"
The previous owner had disconnected the carb cooler because, on the advice of his friend, it was only necessary for when you were driving through deep water and it would somehow magically blow air into the carburetor to keep it dry from water splashing into it, thereby preventing the engine from stalling. I just smiled and nodded. I was having some issues with hot starts, re-plugged the carb cooler in, and hot starts were no longer an issue. It works perfectly... I don't really know why he unplugged it.
New Battery
Costco batteries work great. Easy fix, no longer needed a jump start if the engine didn't start within five seconds. I duct-taped some cardboard into a rectangle to shim the battery so it won't slide around in the tray— the new battery is either smaller physically than the original, or the hold down doesn't grip it as well.
2WD LO Mod
There are some really good threads out there on how to do this. You remove the rubber boot from the shifter and remove/notch a small piece of steel until the shifting mechanism can move forward from 4LO "up" into 2LO. Here's a couple photos of the steel tab and a video that shows more clearly what bit of metal has to be removed.
I had a hard time visualizing what needed to be removed, hence all the photos here. I used an M12 rotary tool (Basically a bigger/fatter Dremel) to make the cuts until I could bend the steel back and forth enough times to cause it to break off.
Dynamat (Ongoing)
The interior was powerfully ugly and not a great place to spend a lot of time. I ripped out the old, ugly, carpet to find the factory carpet still underneath. It wasn't even close to salvageable— it looked like the Kool-Aid man died in the truck, and his sticky blood was everywhere. I bought Noico 50mil sheets. This stuff does two things; firstly it cuts vibrations down. Secondly, it reflects heat. This should keep transmission heat out, AC in, and make the cruiser more comfortable to ride in on trips out to the desert.
Removal:
The carpet is held down by the plastic sills in the doors, by a few interior components that bolt through the body (seat belts, seats, gear stick anchors, etc.) and some kind of glue that had long since deteriorated into hopes. I cut the carpet out and used a shop-vac to get as much of the old jute out as possible. I used a big wire brush to remove the rest of the jute, and shop-vac'd again. Eventually, this:
I've actually managed to get it even cleaner since. The less of the old jute, the better the new insulation can stick. My factory vibration dampening material was still in good condition, and the Noico instructions said to go right on top of it. Who am I to argue with laziness?
(I still need to write up how to install it, tips/tricks with the roller, and sealing cracks with foil tape)
I need to find a good source of automotive jute padding to go on top of the Noico insulation. This will reduce noise even further, make the carpet a bit nicer, and also hold water away from the metal. The foil-backed insulation should help tremendously with rust inside the body from wet shoes, etc. but if you're going to do this much work, you may as well do it right.
Last edited:
