Build The "Red Rocket" Troopy

[Meshal]

Nice find!! Love this GMC

 

[svsisu]

Nice find!! Love this GMC

I'm sure he would trade you for a 75 series pick up

 

[theglobb]

Welp, per usual the troopy has been sitting for pretty much the past month, what's new? I got busy with fixing up the suburban to sell (which I have now sold) and also I found out my rear pinion bearing is going out, which would explain the really bad vibration I have been getting for the past 8 months right when I'm in between giving it throttle and letting it engine brake at highway speeds.

Some photos of the Burban I took to sell it

The pinion bearing, in combination with the mouse poop from it sitting for a month, alongside the USA doing what it does best and just bombing some brown people on the other side of the globe, creating an international conflict, which just so happens to be in the middle east this time, thus giving oil companies the guise to raise fuel prices, is really making it unappetizing to drive or want to put money towards even just a tank of fuel.

I did make it out to see @svsisu about an hour away from me and he's been kind enough to give me the opportunity to tackle an endless supply of tree work on his dad's property.

Toyota Sandwich.

Hurricane Helene took an insane amount of trees down out there, and all throughout the region, we don't really have to worry about a fire season out here, but in the coming years with all of the millions of trees that will be dry and ready to light, and the total lack of goverment funding compared to other past major hurricanes in the states, we will definitely have some insane fires out here, and hopefully I can make enough of a difference out here doing tree work to save as much of the property as possible. It's truly amazing how they can afford to spend 11 billion dollars in a week bombing a country but can't even fork up a fraction of that over the course of a year and a half to their own citizens in WNC.

Went and snagged a super mint 2003 Taco with 160,000 miles on it for my sister's 21st bday present! She absolutely loved it, and I think it was the first car made past the year 2000 that I would actually consider owning

An old diesel merc wagon popped up on marketplace for dirt cheap. I would have snagged it, but didnt have the money or space at the time with the sububan on my hands to do so, so I passed it onto a good buddy of mine who has been wanting one forever! He was stoked, I was jealous but also happy for him We went and did a revive and drive of sorts, we were able to limp it 2 hours home!

I did start the troopy up and drive it around town some to run some errands, vacuumed the poop out of it, put some rat traps and peppermint all over the inside. A guy from Honduras stopped me in the Lowes parking lot and was screaming "DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE?!?!? THIS... THIS IS TOYOTA LAND CRUISER!!! NOTHING ELSE COMPARE! and proceeded to tell me many stories about all the insane stuff they would do back in Honduras with these 70 series, always love interactions like that, especially if I got nothing else going on and nowhere to be urgently.

Well, that's about it for now. I'll be doing as much tree work as I can before it gets too hot and too overgrown to be efficient at it. Hopefully after that I can start picking away at all the stuff I wanna do to the troopy.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

On the spacers: lock tire and torque them to spec. Recheck them after perhaps one tank of fuel. High spots on the steel brake drums,hubs, and rims Will wear/indent into the aluminum spacer over time and you will have to retorque. Once they mate solid you should be good. Mine are lug centric which put more stress on the lugs. If you have hub centric that is better .

Thanks for the heads up, I haven't even driven them enough to recheck the torque.

Your rainfly stakes/poles are probably under the mattress in your pop top. That is where mine were hidden.

I'd recommend you remove the mattress from both the bed and the access hatch, they might be hiding on you!

So I had looked there before and hadnt seen them, then when I was visiting @svsisu we had the tops popped and were just talking and found my poles under the OTHER smaller mattress. Thanks for the tip

 

[Felde]

Hi
Nice to hear news from you. It's been a while.
I feel your fuel price trouble. There was a 4x4 fair the other weekend, where our Cruiserhead community also gathered. I did my math and decided to leave my Cruiser in the garage and took my i30 daily. Half the fuel price. It felt embarrassing, but I wasn't the only one.
Later today I'll set off for a 7 week children's welfare program in Malawi / Africa. It's one of the poorest countries in the world. Fuel prices there went up by over 40% recently and have doubled over the past year, now at 9.32$/gal. One can imagine what that means to those people? (Well, I'll find out; sorry for sidetracking)
Cheers Ralf

 

[theglobb]

Welp, I ended up buying a 1994 80 series with a blown head gasket on Saturday. It's got absolutely no rust on it, and it's triple locked. I'm not the biggest fans of 80's personally but I got all new Toyota OEM gasket kits, hardware, waterpump, fuel filter, etc etc to throw at it and put it back on the road. Hopefully, I can get a decent turnaround on it as these triple-locked 80s with no rust sell for absurd amounts.

I mentioned how my pinion bearing was going out in the prior post. Well, I picked up a whole FJ62 axle for $300 at the same time. Gear ratio matches the troopy's. I didn't wanna deal with rebuilding a diff, I don't have the tools or proper space to do so, figured just swapping the 3rd members out would be easier and take the gamble on this axle having a half decent diff.

Drained the fluid on the troopy's old diff prior to pulling the cover off to access the axle C clips and this was on the drain plug magnet. Hmmmmm.

Whatever, not my problem anymore as I got a whole "new" diff. Pretty cool shot of the new 80 through my axle housing.

Replacement diff has been installed. Threw everything back together and the vibration is gone! Can't complain for $300.

That's it for now, I'll be back to doing tree work tomorrow for the whole week as temps are dropping again. Then I'll start plucking away at that headgasket as parts arrive.

Hi
Nice to hear news from you. It's been a while.
I feel your fuel price trouble. There was a 4x4 fair the other weekend, where our Cruiserhead community also gathered. I did my math and decided to leave my Cruiser in the garage and took my i30 daily. Half the fuel price. It felt embarrassing, but I wasn't the only one.
Later today I'll set off for a 7 week children's welfare program in Malawi / Africa. It's one of the poorest countries in the world. Fuel prices there went up by over 40% recently and have doubled over the past year, now at 9.32$/gal. One can imagine what that means to those people? (Well, I'll find out; sorry for sidetracking)
Cheers Ralf

Best of luck to you in Africa! Anyone who's able to own a Land Cruiser as a hobby of sorts has it much better off than the majority of the world out there. It seems silly to complain about the things I do sometimes. Take some pics of any Toyota workhorses you see over there!

 

[Broski]

If you spend any time driving that 80 Series you will have a hole different out look on them
It looks clean

 

[LuckyDragon88]

The only thing better than a land cruiser is two land cruisers!

 

[theglobb]

Finished up that tree work for the time being and headed back to Boone for a day to wrap up some troopy work before a road trip.



Well, maybe my frontal cortex is actually developing because the awesome straight-piped turbo diesel noise this thing made had finally started to annoy me. Got a name-brand industrial muffler and threw it on.

Check out that amazing fitment nothing some 1/8 welding rods with the flux knocked off won't fill. I had to put it at that angle so the muffler wouldn't vibrate against the side of the frame

Looks shiny, almost toooooo shiny. So in order to fix that, I immediately drove it down the next day to Uwharrie National Forest to go to this year's Relic Run!

Last time this thing was operable and able to make it to this event was 4 years ago! Crazy how time flies, but was tons of fun chatting with people I haven't seen in a while.

The troopy did every single trail other than the hardest one, the "Frontside of Daniel". You usually need a built jeep on 40's and some 1 tons to make it up there, but somehow @cruisermatt and his crew got a stock FJ40 on 27in tires up it! Mindblowing.

Putting the poptop to use once again

I can't wait till I sell this 80 and can start the interior buildout of this thing. Still, it's nice just having a dedicated sleep area with a mattress.

Got back with no issues from the Relic Run and started plucking away at the 80. My extreme dislike towards the US Government was sparked years ago when I first started learning about Ruby Ridge, followed by EGRs, how they are required on civilian vehicles, but US GOVT vehicles are exempt cause it makes them severely more unreliable. It's all just another way to implement planned obsolescence into our vehicles in the name of "environmental conservation". Once more, the US 1FZ's always blow head gaskets on that 6th cylinder, if I'm not mistaken, only because of the EGR. Any other countries' 1FZs don't have head gasket issues unless they were quite overheated, yet with our US models, it seems they always blow right there.

Rant is over, 6th cylinder is blown, head is warped right there and is now at the machine shop awaiting a resurfacing and OEM valve seals. Throwing on a new oil pump gasket, front main seal, water pump, thermostat, etc while it's torn apart.

Check out my super neat and organized workbench (the back of the Red Rocket)

If you spend any time driving that 80 Series you will have a hole different out look on them
It looks clean

We'll see! My dad is lucky enough to have a LHD 1HDT 5spd triple locked 80. Without a doubt the best Land Cruiser ever made, can't beat it, it doesn't get better than that. As cool as it is, it just doesn't give me the fizz that other cruisers or old cars do. That lack of fizz is only multiplied when it's a US model with a gasser powered through a slushbox automatic. I don't hate them by any means, just would be my last choice between any of the solid front axle Land Cruisers

 

[gilmorneau]

My dad is lucky enough to have a LHD 1HDT 5spd triple locked 80

Correction: Your dad is lucky enough to have a LHD 1HD-FT 5-speed triple locked 80.

I've got one too, and I gotta say, it's pretty much peak Landcruiser. Love it.

 

[robmobile73]

Finished up that tree work for the time being and headed back to Boone for a day to wrap up some troopy work before a road trip.



Well, maybe my frontal cortex is actually developing because the awesome straight-piped turbo diesel noise this thing made had finally started to annoy me. Got a name-brand industrial muffler and threw it on.
View attachment 4122903

Check out that amazing fitment nothing some 1/8 welding rods with the flux knocked off won't fill. I had to put it at that angle so the muffler wouldn't vibrate against the side of the frame
View attachment 4122902

Looks shiny, almost toooooo shiny. So in order to fix that, I immediately drove it down the next day to Uwharrie National Forest to go to this year's Relic Run!
View attachment 4122901

Last time this thing was operable and able to make it to this event was 4 years ago! Crazy how time flies, but was tons of fun chatting with people I haven't seen in a while.
View attachment 4122897

The troopy did every single trail other than the hardest one, the "Frontside of Daniel". You usually need a built jeep on 40's and some 1 tons to make it up there, but somehow @cruisermatt and his crew got a stock FJ40 on 27in tires up it! Mindblowing.
View attachment 4122900View attachment 4122896


Putting the poptop to use once again
View attachment 4122899

I can't wait till I sell this 80 and can start the interior buildout of this thing. Still, it's nice just having a dedicated sleep area with a mattress.
View attachment 4122929



Got back with no issues from the Relic Run and started plucking away at the 80. My extreme dislike towards the US Government was sparked years ago when I first started learning about Ruby Ridge, followed by EGRs, how they are required on civilian vehicles, but US GOVT vehicles are exempt cause it makes them severely more unreliable. It's all just another way to implement planned obsolescence into our vehicles in the name of "environmental conservation". Once more, the US 1FZ's always blow head gaskets on that 6th cylinder, if I'm not mistaken, only because of the EGR. Any other countries' 1FZs don't have head gasket issues unless they were quite overheated, yet with our US models, it seems they always blow right there.

Rant is over, 6th cylinder is blown, head is warped right there and is now at the machine shop awaiting a resurfacing and OEM valve seals. Throwing on a new oil pump gasket, front main seal, water pump, thermostat, etc while it's torn apart.
View attachment 4122894

Check out my super neat and organized workbench (the back of the Red Rocket)
View attachment 4122895


We'll see! My dad is lucky enough to have a LHD 1HDT 5spd triple locked 80. Without a doubt the best Land Cruiser ever made, can't beat it, it doesn't get better than that. As cool as it is, it just doesn't give me the fizz that other cruisers or old cars do. That lack of fizz is only multiplied when it's a US model with a gasser powered through a slushbox automatic. I don't hate them by any means, just would be my last choice between any of the solid front axle Land Cruisers

Glad you guys made the relic run and had a good time....... On the "front side of Daniel" and your troopy. There is an approximately 3 ft ledge that I don't think you can get over with the long wheelbase troopy. There is a bypass just to the right of that ledge which you can do. I have done the ledge once in my BJ 73 with the help of a few stacked rocks giving me an extra 6 in to get my bumper over the top. Lockers front and rear scraping the underneath of the vehicle over the edge with some gas it was possible........ Just passed the ledge there is a 4-ft rut you have to straddle perfectly, your left front tire and right rear will be on the ground and the other two will be airborne teetering back and forth and you have to go about 15 ft like this balancing perfectly. You need at least one locker if not two. I've done it twice with my little tires and no spotters. First time perfect, second time with a dented front quarter panel........ You don't need to do it, but realize low tire pressure, lockers and skill can accomplish amazing things if you really need
to do it.......

 

[svsisu]

Drop the droopy diaper look. There's a bungee and some tabs so you can roll up the rainfly and tuck it out of the way. Otherwise, carry on

 

[Roastchestnuts]

Finished up that tree work for the time being and headed back to Boone for a day to wrap up some troopy work before a road trip.



Well, maybe my frontal cortex is actually developing because the awesome straight-piped turbo diesel noise this thing made had finally started to annoy me. Got a name-brand industrial muffler and threw it on.
View attachment 4122903

Check out that amazing fitment nothing some 1/8 welding rods with the flux knocked off won't fill. I had to put it at that angle so the muffler wouldn't vibrate against the side of the frame
View attachment 4122902

Looks shiny, almost toooooo shiny. So in order to fix that, I immediately drove it down the next day to Uwharrie National Forest to go to this year's Relic Run!
View attachment 4122901

Last time this thing was operable and able to make it to this event was 4 years ago! Crazy how time flies, but was tons of fun chatting with people I haven't seen in a while.
View attachment 4122897

The troopy did every single trail other than the hardest one, the "Frontside of Daniel". You usually need a built jeep on 40's and some 1 tons to make it up there, but somehow @cruisermatt and his crew got a stock FJ40 on 27in tires up it! Mindblowing.
View attachment 4122900View attachment 4122896


Putting the poptop to use once again
View attachment 4122899

I can't wait till I sell this 80 and can start the interior buildout of this thing. Still, it's nice just having a dedicated sleep area with a mattress.
View attachment 4122929



Got back with no issues from the Relic Run and started plucking away at the 80. My extreme dislike towards the US Government was sparked years ago when I first started learning about Ruby Ridge, followed by EGRs, how they are required on civilian vehicles, but US GOVT vehicles are exempt cause it makes them severely more unreliable. It's all just another way to implement planned obsolescence into our vehicles in the name of "environmental conservation". Once more, the US 1FZ's always blow head gaskets on that 6th cylinder, if I'm not mistaken, only because of the EGR. Any other countries' 1FZs don't have head gasket issues unless they were quite overheated, yet with our US models, it seems they always blow right there.

Rant is over, 6th cylinder is blown, head is warped right there and is now at the machine shop awaiting a resurfacing and OEM valve seals. Throwing on a new oil pump gasket, front main seal, water pump, thermostat, etc while it's torn apart.
View attachment 4122894

Check out my super neat and organized workbench (the back of the Red Rocket)
View attachment 4122895


We'll see! My dad is lucky enough to have a LHD 1HDT 5spd triple locked 80. Without a doubt the best Land Cruiser ever made, can't beat it, it doesn't get better than that. As cool as it is, it just doesn't give me the fizz that other cruisers or old cars do. That lack of fizz is only multiplied when it's a US model with a gasser powered through a slushbox automatic. I don't hate them by any means, just would be my last choice between any of the solid front axle Land Cruisers

james may of top gear talks about the fizz! its a thing. My kzj78 didnt give me the fizz. But also sometimes for me I get board with not having a project and like to change it up! I think If I got an 80 series I would try and find a 91 or 92 and put a h55f in. I like the 3fe and the manual trans would make all the difference. Also I have heard that with the egr on those engines. US government sucks when it comes to vehicles - two vehicles I really want in the states but they wont have them because regulations - 70 series land cruiser and the suzuki jimny. Id buy a jimny new if we had them in the states. I guess I gotta stick with my 40 year old samurai and my 50 somthing year old 55.

 

[sark]

Finished up that tree work for the time being and headed back to Boone for a day to wrap up some troopy work before a road trip.



Well, maybe my frontal cortex is actually developing because the awesome straight-piped turbo diesel noise this thing made had finally started to annoy me. Got a name-brand industrial muffler and threw it on.
View attachment 4122903

Check out that amazing fitment nothing some 1/8 welding rods with the flux knocked off won't fill. I had to put it at that angle so the muffler wouldn't vibrate against the side of the frame
View attachment 4122902

Looks shiny, almost toooooo shiny. So in order to fix that, I immediately drove it down the next day to Uwharrie National Forest to go to this year's Relic Run!
View attachment 4122901

Last time this thing was operable and able to make it to this event was 4 years ago! Crazy how time flies, but was tons of fun chatting with people I haven't seen in a while.
View attachment 4122897

The troopy did every single trail other than the hardest one, the "Frontside of Daniel". You usually need a built jeep on 40's and some 1 tons to make it up there, but somehow @cruisermatt and his crew got a stock FJ40 on 27in tires up it! Mindblowing.
View attachment 4122900View attachment 4122896


Putting the poptop to use once again
View attachment 4122899

I can't wait till I sell this 80 and can start the interior buildout of this thing. Still, it's nice just having a dedicated sleep area with a mattress.
View attachment 4122929



Got back with no issues from the Relic Run and started plucking away at the 80. My extreme dislike towards the US Government was sparked years ago when I first started learning about Ruby Ridge, followed by EGRs, how they are required on civilian vehicles, but US GOVT vehicles are exempt cause it makes them severely more unreliable. It's all just another way to implement planned obsolescence into our vehicles in the name of "environmental conservation". Once more, the US 1FZ's always blow head gaskets on that 6th cylinder, if I'm not mistaken, only because of the EGR. Any other countries' 1FZs don't have head gasket issues unless they were quite overheated, yet with our US models, it seems they always blow right there.

Rant is over, 6th cylinder is blown, head is warped right there and is now at the machine shop awaiting a resurfacing and OEM valve seals. Throwing on a new oil pump gasket, front main seal, water pump, thermostat, etc while it's torn apart.
View attachment 4122894

Check out my super neat and organized workbench (the back of the Red Rocket)
View attachment 4122895


We'll see! My dad is lucky enough to have a LHD 1HDT 5spd triple locked 80. Without a doubt the best Land Cruiser ever made, can't beat it, it doesn't get better than that. As cool as it is, it just doesn't give me the fizz that other cruisers or old cars do. That lack of fizz is only multiplied when it's a US model with a gasser powered through a slushbox automatic. I don't hate them by any means, just would be my last choice between any of the solid front axle Land Cruisers

Details on the boots?

 

[gilmorneau]

I totally understand the whole "fizz" thing. There was a time not too many years ago where this was the view in front of my house:

Then the circumstances of life took a turn and I had to decide which of my children to keep and which to sell. The pickup gave more smiles, got more attention, and was generally more "fizzy" for me, but the 80 is just so much better--it just is. Better motor, better transmission, better axles, better suspension, lower km's, and on and on right on down the list. So I kept the 80. Still have it, still drive it every day. But I miss the "fizz". I may need another hit of it.

 

[coldtaco]

I totally understand the whole "fizz" thing. There was a time not too many years ago where this was the view in front of my house:
View attachment 4123134
Then the circumstances of life took a turn and I had to decide which of my children to keep and which to sell. The pickup gave more smiles, got more attention, and was generally more "fizzy" for me, but the 80 is just so much better--it just is. Better motor, better transmission, better axles, better suspension, lower km's, and on and on right on down the list. So I kept the 80. Still have it, still drive it every day. But I miss the "fizz". I may need another hit of it.

I’m faces with the same issue since I bought the troopy. Keep the Ute or the 2024 Tacoma. Ute/Tacoma will be mainly for in town use, but if I ever get a boat or camper trailer the Taco Hybrid would be the ideal tow rig.

 

[Broski]

OK, I tryed not to say anything about the US smog regulation thing but I can't help myself.

It's a necessary evil but it also works. As a kid growing up in the hills out side of the San Fernando Valley you would look down and all you could see was a blanket of smog. It would burn your eyes & It was hard to breathe.
That was in the 60s & 70s now with 4 or 5 times the cars on the road or more you can see across the Valley and the houses on the Valley floor.
Do I like having to smog all of my vehicles NO ! But it's working
Do I like breathing clean air YES.
Do I think having to smog vehicles that are 25 years or older is bull**** absolutely.

Driving behind a old classic car or truck is just nasty/stinky ! As is the older diesels

There’s just to many cars on the road today not to have smog regulations we have to think of the generations to come after us, they deserve clean air as much as we do !

 

[theglobb]

Details on the boots?

Franks Patriot boots, I spend a pretty penny on what I wear on my feet since I’m in them all day long. Although these are the “budget” option when it comes to these PNW style boot. I was going thru a pair of thoroughgoods/redwings every 9-12 months . Have had these for 2 years and haven’t needed to resole them yet but will be doing so soon.

OK, I tryed not to say anything about the US smog regulation thing but I can't help myself.

It's a necessary evil but it also works. As a kid growing up in the hills out side of the San Fernando Valley you would look down and all you could see was a blanket of smog. It would burn your eyes & It was hard to breathe.
That was in the 60s & 70s now with 4 or 5 times the cars on the road or more you can see across the Valley and the houses on the Valley floor.
Do I like having to smog all of my vehicles NO ! But it's working
Do I like breathing clean air YES.
Do I think having to smog vehicles that are 25 years or older is bull**** absolutely.

Driving behind a old classic car or truck is just nasty/stinky ! As is the older diesels

There’s just to many cars on the road today not to have smog regulations we have to think of the generations to come after us, they deserve clean air as much as we do !

Please call me out whenever I may be wrong/ignorant about something. I’m young and haven’t experienced nearly as much as most of y’all have.

No doubt it helps majorly in regards to smog/pollution, but I do wonder how the long term environmental impact compares to the amount the vehicles that have been decommissioned/scrapped due to blown head gaskets or other issues related to EGR systems. And how much more pollution that the creation of newer vehicles that don’t last nearly as long as the old ones have created aswell. Maybe there are studies about it, I wouldn’t know.

Cash for clunkers is another govt program that I believe was designed, in the long run, to take away reliable, simple, DIY vehicles from the masses to make them buy all of the cheap temporary buy/replace BS that floods all of our markets today. I could very well be wrong about that as well, just my own thoughts.

The biggest thing that bugs me about the EGRs for me is the double standard. We have to have them installed in our vehicles which drastically reduces the long term reliability, and often the repairs costs more than the vehicle is worth. While the ones enforcing the rules have the majority of their vehicles exempt.

Lots of different ways to look at it, everything you said is true and 100% correct.

 

[Broski]

Franks Patriot boots, I spend a pretty penny on what I wear on my feet since I’m in them all day long. Although these are the “budget” option when it comes to these PNW style boot. I was going thru a pair of thoroughgoods/redwings every 9-12 months . Have had these for 2 years and haven’t needed to resole them yet but will be doing so soon.
View attachment 4123557

Please call me out whenever I may be wrong/ignorant about something. I’m young and haven’t experienced nearly as much as most of y’all have.

No doubt it helps majorly in regards to smog/pollution, but I do wonder how the long term environmental impact compares to the amount the vehicles that have been decommissioned/scrapped due to blown head gaskets or other issues related to EGR systems. And how much more pollution that the creation of newer vehicles that don’t last nearly as long as the old ones have created aswell. Maybe there are studies about it, I wouldn’t know.

Cash for clunkers is another govt program that I believe was designed, in the long run, to take away reliable, simple, DIY vehicles from the masses to make them buy all of the cheap temporary buy/replace BS that floods all of our markets today. I could very well be wrong about that as well, just my own thoughts.

The biggest thing that bugs about the EGRs for me is the double standard. We have to have them installed in our vehicles which drastically reduces the long term reliability, and often the repairs costs more than the vehicle is worth. While the ones enforcing the rules have the majority of their vehicles exempt.

Lots of different ways to look at it, everything you said is true and 100% correct.

I have to agree that it's not perfect or fair. And you make very valid points!
I hate the hole throw away system we live in now. The greedy corporations, hardly anything is serviceable anymore.
If it’s broken throw it away and buy a new one.
I hated the cash for clunkers program and IMO the electric cars create more pollution than they save.
It's very complicated and no easy answers.

 

[OGBeno]

Folks: don’t worry. The robots are coming and they will save us. In a generation or two (~50-75 years), new borns will be dumbfounded that humans engage in an activity called “driving.”

The future is “mobility.” There are thousands of humans globally marketing it to us. First up front is Toyota.

[insert sarcasm and denial and fear about/for the future.]

Glad I lived to drive and wrench. That is all.

 

[gilmorneau]

Glad I lived to drive and wrench.

Amen