Throwing parts at a 60 build thread. Now Featuring V8 swap (2 Viewers)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Joined
May 24, 2016
Threads
79
Messages
2,740
Location
Oregon
Figured it would be cool to make a build thread of the 60. After reading through @under_psi s milkjug thread, it kind of inspired me to do one myself. This one wont be anywhere near as awesome as his has been so far hah. Now that im on break from grad school i have some time to make a thread and build it up.

Last year I had to restructure a bunch of stuff due to covid uncertainty and other hoopla last year and had to sell Lee Majors and my Power Wagon to downsize. Thankfully the wife's 100 series is fully paid off and still at less than 200K miles. This 60 is now my only vehicle and will be my daily driver. The last build thread I had was of the white firstgen 4runner that I never should have sold, so this 60 is going to be redemption for that truck. My wife bet me $5k that if I sell this truck in 5 years I owe her 5 grand.


I bought this 60 off of a guy who lived about 2 miles from my house in the Ritz Carlton neighborhood of Hedgemoor in Memphis. He didnt really know how to work on cars, but the history is that he bought the truck from Classic Cruisers in CO. They got it prettied up, threw a rebuild H55F in it, rebuilt the Tcase and got it all running good. When I got the Truck it came with an invoice from a local shop for like $22K of parts they threw at it and it was pretty brutal to read. They Threw a DUI dist, brand new aisin carb, desmogged it, headers and new exhaust all the way out the back, etc.

Here is the truck right after i got it.

zXtWbaRl.jpg


After tightening all of the driveshaft bolts (they were all hand tight) fixing the insanely advanced timing, setting idle fuel mix, adjusting the valves, throwing new ujoints at it, and putting the driveshaft back into phase it ran great. It had 33x12.5 R15 Toyo MTs on it on the original stock chrome wheels, and it was quite squirmey on the road, so i threw some D window crawler wheels on it and it helped a ton. Thanks @dnp for buying the old wheels!

We had a ton of fun in the snow, made it into the newspaper (twice) and helped out the fire Dept.

JwQWRFxl.jpg

7n9XmdX.jpg

oyc6gcIl.jpg

71GspVVl.jpg

i86OdWKl.jpg

ifpxsael.jpg

o5L34qcl.jpg


Built a pretty basic sleeping platform in the back that would let me fold the seats up for regular driving and would fit plastic under bed storage bins underneath. Turned out pretty well. Its super cramped for the camping with the dog thing, so it will be all storage after the Roof-Top Tent arrives this month from Go Fast Campers. So far its worked for multiple bike trips and mountain bike races to going on fun rides out of town. Camping in it is a little tight. It was surprisingly cozy in the snow camping in arkansas

PpuJEful.jpg

TxseBnil.jpg

ZWEw11rl.jpg

w83gZPdl.jpg

k52cXM2l.jpg


KejJpvhl.jpg


Speaking of roof top tents, I ended up looking for a roof rack with two requirements. Very low profile so it would fit into my old ass tiny garage door, and made of steel. Ended up going with a Gamiviti rack and couldnt be happier. Stout, all steel, made by a dude in colorado. Cant go wrong. It will hold our Go Fast Campers Superlite tent. The tent only weighs 80 lbs, because theres no way in hell my wife is going to help me put it on and get it off. Its super thin too. Interested to see how it turns out when it shows up. With the rack in its lowest setting, it fits into my garage with 3/8 of an inch to spare.

UXpMlmkl.jpg



I also really wanted dual batteries in this thing. I know a big deep cycle battery and a noco jump pack works well, but i just wanted the project and I like the idea of the two batteries. Went with the national Luna kit to make it easy, and also so i could run two different batteries. I really like the X2 power batteries, but this one already had an optima so i just went with a yellow top as the second battery. The kit really makes wiring it up pretty easy and fool proof.

qYqNfu3l.jpg

Xnsezb0l.jpg



Scored a crazy good deal on this 8K winch. Its probably not enough for single line pulls on the 60, but for emergencies I can just double line everything i guess. Its only been used 3 times and i got it for less than half price off new. The weird Thimble thing is already gone and ill be using a regular warn hook.

nR0mAmtl.jpg







Thats kind of it so far. I have been building up a mountain bike to race enduro, but since its pretty much done I can throw some effort into throwing more parts at the truck. In the next week I'll have a weld together slider kit to throw on it, and hopefully a front bumper.

lGCuQhal.jpg


Ive been talking with Dave at 4plus about getting a weld together front bumper kit, and he said he should have updated pricing for me this week. Depending on pricing i might go with the assembled unit or the weld together kit. I just got a new welder and table and would love to get some hours behind the gun.

2ZHgp5Pl.jpg
 
Last edited:
Bumpers and sliders are probably the last mods before this thread turns into a motor swap thread. Thinking either Cop motor or a 5.3/6.0 and 4L80E. Still leaning heavily towards the V8. Should really test the limits of my wrenching ability. A buddy of mine who is an engineer at Cummins here in town is going to help me along when the time comes.


That will start in july. This 2f, all of the motor accessories, the carb fan, intake stuff, carb, dizzy, etc will all probably go up for sale In the summer sometime, along with the rebuilt H55f with the shifter attached to it. The 2f uses oil but runs great. I've made multiple 5 hour trips to Northwest arkansas doing 80 on the highway the whole way there. Id say it uses about 2 quarts for ever 5-6 hours of pedal to the floor driving in 5th gear.
 
Pretty easy mod, but Im not sure why FJ60s dont have intermittent wiper switches. Picked up a combo switch from a 85 mini truck this guy was parting out. You can just remove the wiper arm portion from the center section where the hazard light goes.

nXS9US9l.jpg



Then you just unpin the wiper stalk from the 60 combo switch

OHbOWqDl.jpg


You might have to bend the metal stalk part a few degrees so its spaced out from the steering wheel when its reinstalled. One careful cut to make it fit on the fj60 combo switch and repinning the connector and you are in business. All of the wires are the same colors. I used some zip ties to hold it together because the holes dont really perfectly line up. 5 months and no issues. When its all back together its all kind of sandwiched anyways.


Alternatively, you can just use the entire combo switch setup from the mini truck. It fits in there, but the hazard switch is vertical on the mini truck and horizontal on the 60 for some reason. You also need to drill holes for the steering wheel to catch the pins in the center. Unpinning was way easier

1QkkN37l.jpg



Its also a good time to fix the horn connection brass thing that looks like a 22lr shell. I just used the one from the combo switch from the mini truck i got. It was easily 4 times the size of the one out of the cruiser.


This, the repainted junkyard 4runner wiper arms, and the fj80 rear wiper arm done and probably will never have to think about any of it ever again
 
Last edited:
Every 60 I’ve ever had had intermittent wipers

When I swapped mine over I’m pretty sure mine was just slow and fast. With the mini truck wiper it’s got low, intermittent (Has 3 settings) and high.

I will admit, I was looking for a cheap easy first project with that one, but I like the extra settings that it gave me.
 
Yep, still trying to figure out how to add intermittent wipers for the rear so it’s not just an on/off switch

FJ62s have rear intermittent wiper function. You'd need the dash switch plus the control box and I think this would do it but I am not that electrically knowledgeable. I've parted out a couple of 62s so I have this rudimentary knowledge about the rear wiper difference between the 60 and 62.

I think I have a rear wiper 62 switch and control box if you are interested.
 
FJ62s have rear intermittent wiper function. You'd need the dash switch plus the control box and I think this would do it but I am not that electrically knowledgeable. I've parted out a couple of 62s so I have this rudimentary knowledge about the rear wiper difference between the 60 and 62.

I think I have a rear wiper 62 switch and control box if you are interested.


Id be interested, let me do a little more digging on it. Do you know if the fj62 rear wiper switch is the same knock out size or if its the taller rectangle size like the mini truck switches? The fj60s have oddball sized dash switches
 
Id be interested, let me do a little more digging on it. Do you know if the fj62 rear wiper switch is the same knock out size or if its the taller rectangle size like the mini truck switches? The fj60s have oddball sized dash switches

The 62 switch body is slightly taller and slightly narrower than a 60 switch. A 62 switch will fit in the60 hole but you have to enlarge it slightly vertically.
 
The 62 switch body is slightly taller and slightly narrower than a 60 switch. A 62 switch will fit in the60 hole but you have to enlarge it slightly vertically.

ah okay so like a mini truck switch. Let me see if I can find the wiring to make it work
 
58A3A7B1-E746-482A-9C35-2F7D3C733F54.jpeg


these guys want to be steps when they grow up. Center section leaves some to be desired. Seems like the 3/16 plate is the bracing for the tubing. Might add some pieces of tube to the center to distribute load better though.
 
Gusset where the posts hit the frame.

the kit came with some frame gussets hidden in a giant ball of Saran Wrap haha. It’s got some scab plates too. Got one of em down so far. Gotta figure out the leg angles and stuff tomorrow. I flipped the inner rail 90* because I thought it looked cooler. I think the angles on the end are supposed to face down and not out. Oh well

B485901C-D1E3-47B1-A253-8736292AE2FF.jpeg
 
These are taking way longer than I planned. When I did my 4Runner sliders the frame was flat and the legs were a straight shot to the frame. The 60 frame is tucked up under the body and it bows in towards the front. Lots of cussing involved. And weird ass cuts like this for the legs

5A8C6E70-D812-4DFE-9877-CABBD2E6DA0D.jpeg

Some great welds and some really bad welds. Oh well. One side is done.

4F2FD48B-E478-4278-9FE9-35963E06FB2D.jpeg
 
And some happy little Bob Ross trees...

Hahaha the wife likes the trees. its like 90% of the reason we got these sliders. 10% they have a step plate. If it wasnt for that these would totally be the trail gear ones haha
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom