V8 Fj60 Vs. Fzj80

[Gumby]

oh dude, your gettin old

It's true. I've been drivin the 60 the last couple days. It's fun for a while, then it wears kinda thin in traffic. I did a long side axle seal with new rotors and 100 series pads this afternoon after school. between that and the shop full of kids until 7, I was whupped and kinda wishin' for the 80 for the ride home in traffic.

Not to be complainin'. workin on Cruisers hardly qualifies as workin.

 

[Cruisergreg]

wiht a chevy conversion the "cruiser reliability" is out the window.

This is a complete myth. Any modern computer-controlled V8 will be at least as reliable as a twenty-something year old 2F full of vacuum lines and malfunctioning smog parts. Trust me, I've driven both. Twenty two thousand plus without a breakage of any cheby part.

And with a common motor like a GM you can get parts off the shelf anywhere in North America - not the case with a 2F (or 1FZ).

 

[blupaddler]

I have driven both, but only own an 80...For now.

I love my 80, but the classic lines and old school style of the 60 keeps drawing me in. Especially with the V8 and a 5spd. That seems like it would be a great combination. But, unfortunately, I'm not overflowing with $$$$. So until that day, just the 80 for now.


My biggest problem though would be the CARB. We don't need to get into that subject.

 

[wsdavies]

My stock 1993 FJZ-80 has 212 hp
The stock chevy suburban 1993 350 has 210 hp, so I don't thinkl there is a massive power diff....

 

[Beowulf]

Twenty two thousand plus without a breakage of any cheby part.

Greg,

Dollars ............. or ............. miles ?

-B-

 

[Cruisergreg]

Greg,

Dollars ............. or ............. miles ?

-B-

miles, Mikey, miles...

 

[Cruisergreg]

My stock 1993 FJZ-80 has 212 hp
The stock chevy suburban 1993 350 has 210 hp, so I don't thinkl there is a massive power diff....

From a post (by me) on the 60/62 forum regarding just this:

These numbers don't mean anything in the real world, trust me I looked at them long and hard before deciding to V8 the 60. The 1FZ is a multivalve engine that really doesn't put out the real HP until it's pretty well wound out - a place most of us don't spend a lot of time. The V8s produce a big chunk of peak HP and torque not far off idle.

With the exception of C-Dan whose 1FZ is blown everyone else I know with an 80 complains about the lack of power. My humble LO5 TBI easily out pulls and out runs all the other 80 guys I know.

 

[cc93cruiser]

I have to speak out, hopefully there are others that feel the same way i do, I HATE when people gut out there fj40 and fj60 and swap in a v8, to me it is not a cruiser anymore, they are taking out the heart of the toyota engineering(reliability,suffient power, need I say more) Don't get me wrong, i love v8's I've owned 4 mustangs all with v8 power, put those inline 6's are engineered to do the job (wheelin) Well, let me hear it know, not going out without a fight.

 

[cc93cruiser]

torque is what gets you off the line, these inline 6's make really good torque in low rpm's/slow wheelin speed. fzj80 is about 280 stock, that's good power.

 

[mooker82]

The 60 will be cheaper if you pay to have work done...chevy parts are much cheaper and more widely available...you also need to consider though how the conversion was done (professional or a hack job)....its no fun to try to untangle mystery wiring done by a previous owner or trying to figure out what year the motor is or any other factors that were changed during the swap...The 80 is reliable although parts can be expensive and labor on one is too unless you do it yourself which may be a problem at school....the 80 will also have better road manners and still be awesome offroad

 

[cjeep]

torque is what gets you off the line, these inline 6's make really good torque in low rpm's/slow wheelin speed. fzj80 is about 280 stock, that's good power.

i agree

 

[Gumby]

This is a complete myth. Any modern computer-controlled V8 will be at least as reliable as a twenty-something year old 2F full of vacuum lines and malfunctioning smog parts. Trust me, I've driven both. Twenty two thousand plus without a breakage of any cheby part.

And with a common motor like a GM you can get parts off the shelf anywhere in North America - not the case with a 2F (or 1FZ).

For a 2F I agree, wholeheartedly. I think the 2F is a very over-rated engine. (blasphamy!) The 1FZE will outlast any GM product given similar maintenance.
FZJ-80 vs. 60 with Chebbie, the 80 wins hands down for reliability.

 

[97 FZJ80]

From a post (by me) on the 60/62 forum regarding just this:

These numbers don't mean anything in the real world, trust me I looked at them long and hard before deciding to V8 the 60. The 1FZ is a multivalve engine that really doesn't put out the real HP until it's pretty well wound out - a place most of us don't spend a lot of time. The V8s produce a big chunk of peak HP and torque not far off idle.

With the exception of C-Dan whose 1FZ is blown everyone else I know with an 80 complains about the lack of power. My humble LO5 TBI easily out pulls and out runs all the other 80 guys I know.

When comparing engine performance, it is more fair to compare the 1FZ to a mid 90's Chevy V8 of a similar displacement (5.0) instead of something bigger (5.7/350) or designed later (2000+). We'll leave the comparison of the 1UZ to the Chevy V8 for another discussion.

I know lots of 80 owners that don't have blown (FI) engines and are happy with the power. I, for one, really like the 1FZ powertrain on the 80. Unlike the Chevy V8, the 1FZ has both low end torque and opens up on the high RPM to give it more acceleration and passing HP. To top that, the electronic controlled transmission is very responsive, and does not wonder or lag like most GM auto trans from the 90's.

The GM V8 has lots of torque on the low RPM and is inexpensive to install and modify. It is a great choice if one wants to increase the HP/torque on an older LC. It is also a great engine for wheeling since it has lots of torque on the low end. But to me, what makes a LC great is the totality of the packaging. The reliability, longivity, and packaging of the LC is what mades it the legendary vehicle around the world.

 

[Montana Cruiser]

For something that is going to be daily driven, I personally think that the #1 consideration would be reliability. As others have stated, a V8-FJ60 can be done right ($$) and work very well, that being said, I think it would be a tough arguement to make thats its AS reliable as a stock FZJ80.

I think a nice V8-FJ60 would be SWEET! I wish I could have kept my FJ60 and the new FZJ80, then I would have been able to mod the 60 and DD the 80, best of both worlds. I agree the FJ60 has great looks, less common then the FZJ80, and just an overall "cool" factor but its a tough comparison to the 80.

Best of luck and let us know what you decide!

 

[ginericLC]

This is a complete myth. Any modern computer-controlled V8 will be at least as reliable as a twenty-something year old 2F full of vacuum lines and malfunctioning smog parts. Trust me, I've driven both. Twenty two thousand plus without a breakage of any cheby part.

And with a common motor like a GM you can get parts off the shelf anywhere in North America - not the case with a 2F (or 1FZ).

Yes but you will be needing more of those Chevy parts Modern is sometimes not good. Not that an 80 would not be considered modern. But if I had to drive to Central America I'd be looking for a 2f rather than a modern anything.

 

[ginericLC]

I think a nice V8-FJ60 would be SWEET! I wish I could have kept my FJ60 and the new FZJ80, then I would have been able to mod the 60 and DD the 80, best of both worlds. I agree the FJ60 has great looks, less common then the FZJ80, and just an overall "cool" factor but its a tough comparison to the 80.

Best of luck and let us know what you decide!

The problem with building a 60 to wheel is that it is very expensive. The lifts are at least double that of an 80. Even in a SOA configuration I don't believe it performs as well. Lockers can be free with the 80. EFI is free with the 80 too. 80s initial cost is more but put a pencil to it after all the mods.