Builds The Mongrel: FJ62 body + FZJ80 chassis + turbo diesel + ??? (3 Viewers)

[GLTHFJ60]

 

[SNLC]

I am shure the guys from ISLAND have fender flares that cover your wheels properly.Try to remember where i can get a pic.

Matt

I almost (actually did) forget about the Iceland trucks. That may be the solution or some home brewed solution.

 

[SNLC]

More blahing on...

Getting ahead of myself here but reading lot's of threads here on Mud has me thinking!

First up, I think I decided today I am going to make a rotisserie for both the body and frame. Looks like $200-300 and I can make one and it will save me tons of work plus a hurting back. Either going to make it from scratch or use some things like engine stands from Harbor Freight. Going to use some big wheels so it can be moved around outside easy, gravel driveway and all.

Looked at buying a shelter, to much money so stick with plan A of building one myself. All I need it for is this project, painting during it and shelter from rain + wind. Still planning PVC pipe frame since I have tons of the stuff and just wrap that in tarps. I also got a bunch of 4x8 sheets of 1/2" plywood so think use that as a floor on top of gravel or just make a pad of crush.

Sent these guys an email...

Gaugeplates.com, your home for custom gauge and switch plates

to see about getting them to do something with this....

This is where I am really getting ahead of myself but I am wanting custom gauges, switch panel, power port and so forth. I also want a new speedo with the new engine. I can't get a new FJ62 one, considering using an FJ80 one since it is still available or use these...

Dakota Digital - Digital Instrumentation and Accessories

I just don't like no km's on the speedo and I don't need a tach that goes that high with the diesel. Most of the speedos I am seeing for sale (Autometer, ect) don't have kms on them, kind of want that fro trips south. Not sure how they 80-series would fit into the dash. Any ways, just sent them dudes at gaugeplates.com an email to see what they say and maybe have some kind of idea on cost. And the switch panel will for sure have at least one zombie light switch!

OTRATTW

Thinking I will have the switch panel built to suit the stock radio location on the right of the dash panel. I do have this tach which is the stock one for the Nissan diesel engine, it kind of would go ok with the 80-series speedo.

Or maybe not! Anyone have a picture of the 60-series or 80-series stock diesel tachs? Are they run off the alternator?

Also got this, it is from a Patrol but would work ok in the Cruiser. It is a Mongrel after all so why not!?

This week I think I am going to pull the portal axles from the Patrol. Do the plasma'ing of the engine mounts and so forth off the 80-series frame, buy some steel for the frame chop and prep for that. Will have the 80-series coil springs this week and kind of wanting those to level up the truck for the frame chop. Probably should get the portals under it before the chop but who knows, might just chop it first! May go as far as to start cutting stuff off the axle housings this week too. Need to buy some consumables and after cutting get to grinding.

 

[The Jade Bean]

OTRATTW

Those are cool and every rig needs a zombie light switch.





I'd love to have something like this in my rig!

~Daniel

Sent from deep in the mountains of Honduras using only sticks and rocks.

 

[SNLC]

Is the expense of coil overs the primary reason they aren't utilized more on the 60/80 platform?
I've wanted to ask for awhile.

I can't answer this for anybody but myself. I am also not a long time Cruiser owner and have never owned anything but the 60-series.

For me it is #1 expense of the coilovers. For Kings or Fox it is in the $600-800 range per coilover, that is with coils though. #2, coilovers need to be rebuilt, not that often but say around every 50,000 miles. #3, they take a lot of playing with to get set up right, especially on a truck vs a buggy. Coil rates, how they are mounted, ie vertical or not and so forth. #4 is space available to fit them. Anything much over a 12" coilover and the things get pretty damn long. At that point mounting them becomes more complicated and you really should have a cross bar in the engine bay to help strengthen and support the extra tall shock towers. For 10" or below it is not as big of a deal because you can build a tower to mount them that won't be 2ft or more long and need a cross bar!

For this truck and build when it comes down to it I would rather have coils with nice shocks. However, the portal axles throw a few extra issues into the equation. I don't like a front end that is cluttered, overly complex and has issues with clearance or rub under flex. All those things appear like they will be a problem if I try to use coils on the front end plus on top of that I may end up with to much lift and a truck that is taller then I want. So for me and this truck it is really looking like coilovers is going to be the way to go on the front end. I am thinking in the 8-10" range.

I got the 37" ProComps, not mounted up yet though. They are larger then I thought, compared them to my 40s and they don't look a lot smaller. They are also 13.5 wide which I don't like. For now though they will do for just working on the project. They will also help me decide if I want to buy new 37s or go with 35s. I am going to set the truck up though for 37s, so even if I run 35s I can go up to 37s with no worries.

Some short term plans have changed. I need to get some more things going for working on the project before I go and buy any gear for the build. So rebuilding my engine hoist, building the rotisserie, buying the fresh air system and building a shelter is taking priority at this point. I got a storage unit I am moving out of in a few months too so a shelter and one big enough for more junk besides this project needs to happen soon.

As far as actual wrenching goes, still on plan with finishing tearing down the FJ62 and getting the body off the frame. Plus getting the portal axles pulled.

I am working on a bit of a restoration on a 1964 Nissan Patrol for a client. On top of this I got a 1977 Nissan Patrol Ute I am SOA'ing and fitting the old diesel motor + trans & t-case into out of my 83 Patrol. I am doing this to the 77 in order to sell it for a reasonable amount of cash. So I have got a full plate and the Mongrel is not priority over these other two trucks. The 64 will be gone though by late June. The 77 is important because what I am doing to it plus selling it will generate a fair amount of money for the Mongrel.

 

[SNLC]

Nothing happening as of late on this project. What little money I had available dried up!!

May have my 40" Creepeis sold though which = more money for The Mongrel! And if somebody will buy my 84 FJ60 I will toss a lot more coin at this project.

I also start work finally on Monday after not really working much since last November, so that should help too!

Got to keep my priorities straight though, meaning shelter, rotisserie, rebuild hydraulics on my engine hoist and the fresh air system need to be my next purchases. I am itching though to buy some steel and some brackets then get to cutting and welding! All in good time I suppose.

This weekend my fab buddy will be helping me to make final decisions on suspension, wheelbase, what to cut, what to keep and all that jazz.

Rust Bullet just showed up today, a gallon of metal blast, automotive and blackshell. I got 5 other trucks to put it on besides Mongrel though so not sure if this project will get any from this order.

 

[SNLC]

Sale pending on my 84 FJ60! I am 99% sure it is sold.

First order of business once I get paid is get the motor on a boat and headed my way!

Next order of business, buy stuff for Mongrel including steel to build the things I need.

STOKED!

 

[The Jade Bean]

Sale pending on my 84 FJ60! I am 99% sure it is sold.

First order of business once I get paid is get the motor on a boat and headed my way!

Next order of business, buy stuff for Mongrel including steel to build the things I need.

STOKED!

Congrats!

~Daniel

Sent from deep in the mountains of Honduras using only sticks and rocks.

 

[SNLC]

Decisions made.....

I am going tri-4 link in the rear. Keeping the coil spring configuration but changing the links. Ditching the rear panhard bar. Will likely mount shocks behind the rear axle.

Front is going 3-link with a panhard. Will use 12" coilovers, Fox or King. Changing the links in the front too. Reconfiguring the panhard.

Stock sway bars are being ditched, will be using Currie or similar.

I am going to use the Johnny Joints I have and using as much of the links as I can. I have not only the links I posted a picture of earlier in the thread but I also have all the 2" 7075 links from my Patrol. So all in all I have 14 links to play with.

Steering is going to be standard cross over. I will be using a Saginaw box though and not using the FJ62 steering box. Going to have to get at least one new high steer arm on the axle made.

For e-brake I am going to use the cutting brakes calipers on my rear axle. Just use a single handle CNC with a lock out. Lock out will not be line lock though, rather mechanical.

It looks like it is going to work out pretty damn good with the portals, not to tall, ect ect. The 80-series frame has enough arch where the axles are located to make this work and not be monster tall.

I need to order...

7 2 5/8" link brackets
A 12" shock tower from RuffStuff
Pandhard mount for front axle, both the axle side and the frame side. Probably go to a 2" JJ.
Sway bars
Saginaw steering box
12" Fox or King coilovers, going 2.5" with 7/8 shaft, remote reservoir not piggy back
2 5 1/2" coil buckets for the rear axle.

That is about all I need to order for now, there will be some other stuff when I am far into it such as rear shocks and mounts.

I got a ton of stuff to cut off the 80-series chassis, much less to cut off the portal axles. So I have lot's of time to spend cutting and grinding.

That is it, I am not only using the portals I am mounting them without the stock 80-series suspension stuff, besides the rear coil springs that is. Not much going to happen with buying stuff though until I get the other stuff I need going on that I mentioned a bunch. In the meantime I am going to start cutting and grinding!

 

[SNLC]

BTW, saw this in another thread...

Toyota Landcruiser HZJ 78 Bolt on Portale

This is about what I am aiming for size wise on the truck. I will probably be a little taller and a little wider but this is about the just of what I am after.

 

[ElHefe]

BTW, saw this in another thread...

Toyota Landcruiser HZJ 78 Bolt on Portale

This is about what I am aiming for size wise on the truck. I will probably be a little taller and a little wider but this is about the just of what I am after.

Holy crap, that is awesome! Great inspiration.

 

[MANUCHAO]

WoW..

Man, this rig is going to be kickass !!

 

[SNLC]

Thanks guys, I was a little concerned with going the route I have planned now because I didn't want to sacrifice road handling for off-roadability. However, my buddy who has lot's more experience than me building custom trucks assures me we will be good to go with the suspension we are cooking up. I have learned some more things recently about the sway bars I plan to use too. They are adjustable and will be key in getting the on road handling where I want it.

I was going to leave the rear end alone suspension wise but after we decided what we are doing with the front end, it only makes sense to make the rear end match it. In the front we will be outboarding the link mounts, in other words they will be mounted on the outside of the frame rail. This gives me pretty good clearance under the links in the front. I don't want to clear obstacle in front and then have to drag the rear over everything. So we are going to change the links and link mounts in the rear too.

I decided to go with the Saginaw steering box for a few reasons. One of which is that the 60/62 series all seem to leak! Especially when you pair it up with a Saginaw pump. On top of this parts are everywhere in many places worldwide for the Saginaw plus I can get a brand new box for under $300.

I am probably going to buy 35" tires when I get around to buying new ones. But we are building this to suit 37s. This way if I ever want to run 37s it will be no problem.

Last bit I have to blah on about! I am going to buy all the suspension stuff I need to fit some axles and SOA the suspension on a 1977 Patrol pickup I have. I would kind of rather spend the cash on some of the things I have listed above I need for Mongrel. However, fixing up the Ute and selling it is all part of the plan! And that plan is, the funds from selling the Ute will buy me my new transmission and t-case!

 

[SNLC]

Had/have a few things to fix on my FJ60 before I deliver the truck to the new owner. One is fix the fuel gauge that has been not working since last November. So I dropped the fuel tank. Turns out the float on the sending unit has broken off, somebody had tried to attach the float to the arm using some kind of expoxy and it has failed. Going to buy a generic float tomorrow and weld it on the sending unit/float arm. Sending unit is fine which is great for me! While I have the tank out I decided to go ahead and coat it with Rust Bullet. I am also going to coat the whole frame with Rust Bullet Automotive and than Blackshell.

Here is the LRA tank after the first coat of Rust Bullet automotive.

Here is the back of the frame after I pressure washed it, then washed it with Rust Bullet Metal Blast and then it got a wipe down with hot water/damp rag. I will hit it with Metal Blast again before I coat it with Rust Bullet and then topcoat with Blackshell.

This is my first time using Rust Bullet, so far I am really happy with it!

 

[The Jade Bean]

Man remind me to buy my next rig from you...talk about customer service!

~Daniel

Sent from deep in the mountains of Honduras using only sticks and rocks.

 

[SNLC]

Man remind me to buy my next rig from you...talk about customer service!

~Daniel

Sent from deep in the mountains of Honduras using only sticks and rocks.

I aim to please!! The fan/shroud and the fuel tank gauge/float are things I have needed to deal with for some time. I felt I should do these repairs before putting the truck in the new owners hands. I decided to coat the frame and tank with Rust Bullet because I had the stuff, bought it for another truck and have never used it before. I figured it would be a good test on the 84 FJ60 before I use it on five other trucks! Not to mention with the big fuel tank out it gives plenty of room to do up the frame, no time like the present!

2nd coat of Rust Bullet on the LRA tank....

Crappy cell phone picture but you get the idea! I applied it 1st coat with a brush, 2nd with a roller. I like it better with a roller. I am happy with the results. The tank looks like new again. Will be trying it with a spray gun next time.

Ordered up last night the fuel tank float and a new 16" flex fan. I had a shroud made (my attempt at one failed) and the guy did a great job on the shroud. However, the fan touched it ever so slightly on bumps. Rather then re-work the shroud I am downsizing the fan from 17" to 16". It should work well since I have about 1/8-1/4" of clearance around the ring in the shroud with a 17" fan! This weekend I will finish off the frame with the Rust Bullet. It has been hit now 3x with Metal Blast and is ready to paint.

That is it for my FJ60 besides cleaning it and rounding up the spare parts. The last weekend of the month I will deliver it to the new owner in SLC, Utah and it is bye bye to this truck!

Here is a picture of the fan shroud I had made. It works great other than the touching issue. I put a new 16" fan on the Ramjet, it had a 17" on it. After this absolutely no more touching issues, a solid 1/2"+ all around the fan blades. I didn't get to run it much before I passed the truck on to the next guy but after a few hard runs the truck didn't crack 190. So I solved any hot/warm issues on the v8 with the right fan/shroud combo instead of going with an electric.

 

[SNLC]

Just sold my 40" Creepies today, slapped them on a pallet and sent them off.

Got the 37" ProComp rollers mounted up on my 17" wheels.

Not much progress but a little!

 

[SNLC]

Putting my new engine on a boat this week....ETA from Australia 2 months.

Errr, maybe I should say putting my old rusty truck with new engine on a boat! I am importing the whole 1984 Patrol donor vehicle, it is my shipping crate!

Bit more info about the motor....

Saginaw pump on it is from a Heep inline-six 4L

Vac pump (for brakes) is new and from a GM diesel

Serpentine belt is from a 1990's Heep Cherokee

Large front mount intercooler has electric fans

 

[SNLC]

Shipping on new motor paid for, ETA to Long Beach is 30 days!

I am super stoked!

 

[ElHefe]

Shipping on new motor paid for, ETA to Long Beach is 30 days!

I am super stoked!

Sweet.

Pics of the Patrol?