The Big Blue Box Returns

[theferg]

The Big Blue Box returns home...

Well I'm a Cruiser owner again. Any old time 'Mud (or Wasatch Cruisers) folks recognize the blue one...?

Backstory here is the blue one was my first Cruiser -- a 1984 FJ60 that I bought in 2000. I built it up over a few years and then parted it down to body and drivetrain (no axles) and sold it in 2005 when I was in a bit of a tough spot. It bounced around and changed hands a few times over the years, but has pretty much never been driven since and its never had the axles and steering completely set back up. It still has the same miles on it as when i sold it--177k. I'm told it still runs decent, but could use some help. I havens gotten the chance to try it out yet...

Red one is a 1982 BJ60 and will be used for parts to get the blue one going. Drivetrain is already pulled and gone before I got it. (And some bastard stole a bunch of the interior--including some really nice front seats--before we could move it from where it was parked at a university.)

Plan is to rip that suspension crap off the blue one and take the axles off the red one and get them under the blue one and it'll be close to driveable. I'm not entirely sure what exactly the full plan is going to be though... Its in pretty rough shape. It could be restored, but I don't have that kind of money or time right now. I used to dream of cutting the top off and doing open top with full roll cage...thinking about maybe doing it, but the red one is actually a better candidate for chopping up...its in a lot worse shape than the blue one (much shinier paint though! Haha)

I have a pretty distinct memory of keeping this shifter cap thing and that plastic bracket in the ash tray with some change... Look!--still there!

 

[theferg]

Big Blue Box right after we did the spring over conversion years ago... Still trying to find a pic of what it was like right before I parted it out.

 

[theferg]

More sh!t to chop off... What was this person thinking?

Also, where's the best place these days to get some new spring hangers and shackle hangers to go back to "stock" on the front?

 

[theferg]

The interior is decent still, however, the carpet, back seat, back side panels, and center console are all missing.

I have those all in the red one, but its all tan/brown instead of the gray. I'm thinking I'll go vinyl floor or more likely just bedliner and then put the brown rear seat in and just run some seat covers. The rear side panels in the red one are already some custom black panels so I'll just transfer them on over as well. Headliner looks just about perfect still.

 

[Devils Paw 80]

More sh!t to chop off... What was this person thinking?

Also, where's the best place these days to get some new spring hangers and shackle hangers to go back to "stock" on the front?

I also have that question regarding shackle hangers, and this is all I've found so far. FJ60 / Jeep XJ Spring Hangers 3 3/16" Inner Width

 

[theferg]

Already had spare copies of the key...

Dropped one of the spare headlights. Bummer.

 

[theferg]

I also have that question regarding shackle hangers, and this is all I've found so far. FJ60 / Jeep XJ Spring Hangers 3 3/16" Inner Width

Cool. I've found that one as well and was thinking about it... Ruffstuff is good stuff. Great vendor. Just want to be sure of all options. And I dont really want to do a shackle reversal.

 

[theferg]

The red one has the cool non-USA hand-throttle.

 

[Aloha Jen]

Looks like a fun project! Any chance you have a spare cigarette lighter knob from your two 60’s?

 

[theferg]

Looks like a fun project! Any chance you have a spare cigarette lighter knob from your two 60’s?

Lemme check. All yours if I do.

 

[emac]

Like hooking back up with an girlfriend! My 88 62 has the hand throttle, was it stock in the US later?

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

^^^^ hahaha!

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

And yeah wow wtf to that leaf lift nonsense.

 

[FJACS]

Yikes. That axle setup.

 

[Willard]

Yikes. That axle setup.

I agree those blocks looks scary as hell!!!

 

[emac]

Sometimes the memory of that old girlfriend is better than the reality! Hopefully, that will not be the case here.

 

[theferg]

Haha. Yeah... Well I'm older and wiser now and have different expectations of her. Like, most importantly, she doesnt have to be my daily driver. Oh, and I don't have a bank loan out on her.

 

[FJ40Jim]

My 88 62 has the hand throttle, was it stock in the US later?

Yes, FJ62 has it, but US spec FJ60 doesn't.

 

[theferg]

Looks like a fun project! Any chance you have a spare cigarette lighter knob from your two 60’s?

Checked in the red one for the cig lighter knob... Its not in the dash bezel... Checked in the bucket of small parts I've picked up and didn't see it in there either... Might be gonzo. I'll let you know if I find it as I continue to go through stuff.

 

[theferg]

Getting there... Haven't tried running her just yet, but at least she's somewhat presentable now again (compared to what she was when I got her back). Stock 60 axles are back under (that was a PITA cause the stock mounts had been chopped off up front and other crap welded on in its place). She has steering and a park brake now too so I can move her around and stop her.

Gotta work out the actual brakes still (need some lines here and there) and then also start working towards starting her up (lots of maintenance/baseline stuff to do there still).

The red one went to the scrapper after I pulled the axles, doors, and random interior bits.

It was SO rusty that I was able to just push my hand through the upper part of the rear quarter panel right near the emblem (so I could pull the emblem off ). I could not believe it. Poor thing. At least her heart lives on elsewhere (so I'm told).