Who could build a FJ60 on a FJ80 chassis? is it really worth it at the end?

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worldisenough

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Feb 27, 2019
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Hey Everyone,

I have owned my 1989 FJ62 for almost 10 years and I have been looking to find the right person to build my dreams FJ62. I would like to build a Fj62 on a FJ80 chassis, but the problem is that I don't know the right person to build it for me, or perhaps I do but here in LA I was quote for more than 100k. After some research, speaking with a different shop, I figure out that this quote/shop was ridiculously expensive, but they are really good at what they do.

I need to find “the shop” that it’s located on the West Coast that already have the experience on doing such modifications.

Also, and this is more a question for some of you guys that have much more experience than me in this field. You may think that I'm crazy but the reason that I'm looking to do such thing is to have the coil suspension and the quality of the ride of the FJ80.

The question here, is do you guys think that leaf suspension are better at the end for the FJ62?

And also, if any of you guys know an experience shop that could do such build, please let me know!

Thank you for the help!
 
You could have deaver build you a nice set of leaf springs and specify to them what ride quality you desire. After that it just comes down to shocks. Just have Icon or king build you a set of shocks to match. The 80 series suspension is very simple, and it would not be too hard to just transfer all of the 80 series suspension parts to a 60 series. As far as a shop to do the work, 4plus products comes to mind.
 
@TRAIL TAILOR is working on one of these right now (thread is called Dingo I think?) Hes located in NorCal and I would trust him to do anything on my rig.

Heck I would trust him to do stuff I wouldn't attempt myself.....
 
@MANUCHAO did exactly what you want. He put an 80 frame and suspension on top of his 60. It also has a V8. it rides very well compared to the rickety ride of leaf springs.
 
Isn’t someone else doing this currently?
 
All depends on "What you think" and "What you want"; not to mention "What you want to spend" in the end.

The ride is far better IMO, the components are newer, the flex (even if SOA) is better; if sways are disconnected. More spring rates and lift heights available from 0-6" without having to order custom leafs. Shock options are off the charts from stock to extreme.

At the end of the day if you want to do it; when the dust settles I personally think it's worth it if you plan to keep the rig long term.

Just my .02

J
 
I’d do it for half your first quote :). Seriously, it’s not something you look at from a financial perspective unless you do the work yourself. I’ve witnessed one done in my shop (my sons) and another friend has been using my shop on and off for his conversion @fl4031003 . Jason and others are absolutely right about the ride/performance difference. Depending on your resources and level of restoration to the remaining 60 parts...you can get away with a complete conversion between $5-10 on the low end to well into the teens and twenties (if doing your own work). I too am going to build one of these so will be interested to follow your progress if you go down this path. You’ve got a lot of experienced folks following your thread and many more mud members out there that have done this same conversion. Good luck
 
Coil it !!!!
I did and havent looked back since......
Yes, crazy is a must be (not clinically tho')....requirement....
Look at what some the folks mentioned above are doing....
Crazy beautiful work.....!!!

I'll sell you mine for $100k.......................................................................................................................................................not !!!!

Good luck !!!

🍺🍺🍺
 
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What all were you getting for 100k? Just frame swap?motor swap with the 3fe or use the 80 engine? Ls swap? Lift? Rims? Tires? Rebuid stuff at the same time? Strip paint chassis? All these things add up real quick and all is time consuming... i am in the middle of a frame off ls swap and i have pretty much touched every part on the 60. I would put my name in but i am on the ocean in nc i haven't done an 80 chassis swap but willing .
Good luck man
Tommy
 
Everyone mentioned above does top notch work there is also a guy i follow on intagram mstoffregen motorsports i believe he is in ca somewhere not sure if he is on here tho he also does top notch work.
 
With my Dingo build I'm totaled up at 38,380.00+/- a few bucks currently. This includes a rust free 80 donor, donor 60 body and internals, new crate C&C LS3 Erod with trans, Marks TC adapter, stand alone TC harness, 3X locked, new assy drive and parts, AC, power steering, aluminum radiator and fans, part time labor for 80 breakdown and stripping the frame, 4" custom suspension, gears, CrMo axles, lockers, 37s and wheels, Custom gauges, Corbeau seats, imported vinyl, just to mention a portion so far.

Per my spreadsheet I still have another 21K to go to finish my build, if the paint and body comes in at 9K as quoted by 3 local shops. I personally could do this for arounf 4K, but don't have the time. But, it will be 100% new, rebuilt and 100% custom the way I planned it.

I've been offered 70- 85K (5 offers so far) and I just change the subject. I'll eventually sell it like all my builds, but I won't change my plans midstream on this build.
 
If you're looking for someone to do it, hit a reputable shop - TorFab, Valley Hybrids/Cruiser Bros and stand in-line. I'm guessing you called TLC4x4? If so, he services a very specific clientele.

I have an 80-swapped frame under my FJ62 and the improvement in ride-quality and on-road handling is measurable. The ride is less harsh, there is less body-roll, and the truck generally drives more like a late-90's to early-2000's truck than a 70's / 80's truck. It brakes better, turns better, and just behaves better. Off-road I like it a bit more too. I feel like pushing the spring perches further outboard made the suspension a little more forgiving, and the desert washboards we have so much of here in CA are a little less vision-blurring with coils than with leafs.

As for the engine swap. Looks like you're in Los Angeles. Don't do it unless you go diesel or are prepared to move out of state. Just don't. Go pour yourself a glass of whiskey and check the current bits of my thread. The state of CA has effectively killed wrecker swaps and, from a recent conversation with Valley Hybrids, it sounds like they're doing their damnedest to kill E-Rod swaps too. My truck, while running cleaner than the last time my Vortec engine was on the road with a bowtie on the front, and orders of magnitude cleaner than any 3FE could have hoped, is completely unregisterable in the state of CA and I now own a fabulous vortec-swapped, creature-comfort-modified, FZJ-8062 that I cannot drive legally in the state after three years of work and a receipt I'd rather not look at. An alternate option would be to reach out to a shop that does this and see if they have or know of any currently registered and smogged customer vehicles for sale that fit your needs that they can recommend.
 
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SPANNERSPINNER said:
If you're looking for someone to do it, hit a reputable shop - TorFab, Valley Hybrids/Cruiser Bros and stand in-line. I'm guessing you called TLC4x4? If so, he services a very specific clientele.

I have an 80-swapped frame under my FJ62 and the improvement in ride-quality and on-road handling is measurable. The ride is less harsh, there is less body-roll, and the truck generally drives more like a late-90's to early-2000's truck than a 70's / 80's truck. It brakes better, turns better, and just behaves better. Off-road I like it a bit more too. I feel like pushing the spring perches further outboard made the suspension a little more forgiving, and the desert washboards we have so much of here in CA are a little less vision-blurring with coils than with leafs.

As for the engine swap. Looks like you're in Los Angeles. Don't do it unless you go diesel or are prepared to move out of state. Just don't. Go pour yourself a glass of whiskey and check the current bits of my thread. The state of CA has effectively killed wrecker swaps and, from a recent conversation with Valley Hybrids, it sounds like they're doing their damnedest to kill E-Rod swaps too. My truck, while running cleaner than the last time my Vortec engine was on the road with a bowtie on the front, and orders of magnitude cleaner than any 3FE could have hoped, is completely unregisterable in the state of CA. An alternate option would be to reach out to a shop that does this and see if they have or know of any currently registered and smogged customer vehicles for sale that fit your needs that they can recommend.
Click to expand...
Ah yea California i would really take @spanner advice and look into it
 
Looks like he has a Vortec swap already passed and registered in CA... So not an issue as long as it continues to pass smog.

But when you go to do a V8 or any other engine swap.... talk to the local REF in CA first. My Erod is already signed off on by the local REF and its still in the crate. But it has the CA sticker/part number from GM and that's all my guy needed to see. Said it is the only "waivable" engines used or new crate allowed. I will build mine as a complete Erod cert build, but will never register it in CA. I don;t trust any CA govt official....... :flipoff2: ALL!

He said if it's not an Erod C&C it is almost always a FAIL by CA standards/regs today.

J
 
TRAIL TAILOR said:
Their mood dictates your requirements to move forward.....
Click to expand...

Not as much as it used to be. Now it's bureaucracy and locked-down regulation. The whole point of everything the BAR has done lately has been to remove slack from the system and force the refs down the path of block/refuse/disallow and remove their ability to approve in the event things pass but are not strictly to regulation. My ref couldn't even allow my Spectre air intake kit (with ARB sticker) because I had to shorten the tube a bit to make it fit. He said, if everything else were passable, he would have to take pictures and call it in to some central office for a waiver or whatever. He wanted to pass me, but because of the computer checksums not matching it was completely out of his hands.

So, the upside of that is that it's easier to tell if your engine swap is going to be legal. The downside of that is that the answer is no unless you have a CARB-legal EROD with an EO number and, again, from my conversation with Valley Hybrids, even that might be iffy.
 
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