The build up and progress of my Piggie!

[nat]

I was the proud owner of a FJ40 and member of the TLCA when an issue came out that had an article titled "The Running of the Pigs" or something like that. It was all about a gathering of FJ55's and I just fell in love with them. The realities of camping with a growing boy in the FJ40 were soon upon us and I got the green light to look for a Landcruiser Wagon. The wife was partial to FJ45 Troopies where as I was dying for a FJ55. It was when I found this Pig in Arizona that she got excited over them.

It had always been a California vehicle and had been in Arizona for the last few years. I bought it from Gaerie, but before that, it had been owned by the guy who owns Man-a-fre. Many of the mods I wanted to do had already been done.

1972 FJ55 manufactured 11/71
F motor with 6 into 1 headers
3 speed top loader tranny
SUA
shackle reversal
later model front axle with large knuckle pattern and disk brakes
70 series full floater rear axle with disk brakes
FJ60 power steering
Old Man Emu 4" lift springs
aluminum radiator
bull bar
Warn 8274 winch
Full internal roll cage
bucket seats
49 gallon long range fuel tank

The body was in great shape with minor rust issues but the interior was hammered.

In July of 2005, my son (then 5.5 years old) and I flew to Arizona and drove the rig back to California in record heat, up 395 along the Eastern Slope of the Sierra's, over the Tioga Pass and then on home. We fished and explored along the way. My son, Conner, caught his first trout all on his own in one of the creeks.

 

[nat]

The first step................

The Piggie's primary purpose is as a camping/expedition rig, but also needs to be a daily driver. With that in mind, I decided to swap in a Crate SBC 350, NV4500 5 speed tranny and a late 80's Landcruiser transfer case.

I also began cutting out the internal roll cage. It was in the way of working on the trashed interior, but it will get some sort of a cage again.

 

[nat]

I let a buddy of mine do the work at the shop he owns. His welding is much better than mine. He also fabbed up the slick rear crossmember/skid plate for me

 

[nat]

Next was seats

I did not like the seats it came with or how they were mounted, so I tossed them and cut out the remaining roll cage.

 

[nat]

I bought some 2002 Silverado seats on Ebay. I really like them and the built in shoulder harness is awesome.

 

[nat]

I scraped out the tattered headliner too

 

[nat]

Then it went on the family camping adventures

and of course it leaked, was cold or too hot, but we loved it.

 

[nat]

Next on the list..........

was the replacement of the failing/leaking aluminum radiator, for a larger Afco Radiator.

 

[nat]

The I had to have

serpentine belts and TBI to replace the POS Holley carb.

 

[nat]

4x4 Labs Hi-steer came later

 

[nat]

Fast forward to this summer

and my need to take the rig on a nice long road trip. As a big family adventure, we are going to British Columbia. I of course want to take the Cruiser, but it was looking a little too beat. Just the excuse/motivation I needed. Apart comes the Pig and off to the body shop.

 

[nat]

At the body shop...........

they stripped it further, cut out what little bad metal there was and stripped the paint.

 

[nat]

Primed

 

[nat]

On goes the paint

 

[nat]

After several weeks, she came home

and I started to put her back together. I got some new aftermarket front turn signals from cruiserparts.net. I had to wire them different, but I like how it came out.

 

[nat]

Here is one fix.........

I used vacuum hose spit down its length to make a new grommet for the hole the key mechanism goes in the tailgate. A little smear of soap and it went together nice.

 

[nat]

New rubber for the tail lights

Thanks to Slo Cruisers

 

[nat]

Headliner

The upholstery guy came buy and put in the headliner. It is the aftermarket one from SOR.

 

[Southeast Overland]

Oh my.....oooo my.....I love you Pig....

 

[tucker74]

Thanks for making my week Nat! That's one good looking swine!



Tucker