Dream to Research to Reality...

OK, are you ready?

I'm going from the dream stage to the resourse & materials stage part of this project.

After a lot of thought & sleepless nights I will have to make a sacrifice of my 2012 Ford  F150 crew cab to fund the project.

It is a Ford f150 crewcab 4x4 with the AWESOME Ecoboost motor in it. Sell price is high KBB 30K. If anybody is interested please connect with me via posting below.

The next phase is to purchase a FZJ80 or a 87 through 90 Chevy or GMC Suburban.

I'm looking for a 93-97 FZJ80 or Lexus 450 (112" wheelbase) they hold good value & are a good base donor drivetrian for the future projectFJ4door.

The other option is to purchase a Suburban. The reason is in my area these are very cheap. Nobody wants a big boat anymore (gas prices are up). I can pick these up anywhere from 1,000 to 2,500 dollars for a very clean & in good condition.

 The sub will be my daily driver & later will possibly be the donor vehicle for my project.

The years of this vehicle that I'm looking for is 1987 to 1990, these models came with the throttle body injection TBI & and in 1990 they came out with an ABS automatic braking system in  the rear. 

This vehicle will have the Chevy 350 TBI, 700 R4 tranny, NP208 transfer case, dana 44 front or Dana 60 depending on if its three quarter ton or 1 ton & a 14 bot rear end.

I would be making repairs to the drive train as we go if something breaks.

After all that, I will be able to start shopping for a Troopy or 45LV. 

I'm liking this light green color.

HJ47 vs. FJ45LV Which is better?

WOW BOTH ARE AWESOME RIDES..

2-door or 4-door?

Diesel or gas?

116" or 104"

Over all body length (Im working on that).

I want both!!!

      Above is the HJ47 & below is a FJ45LV.

For me it's pretty much a toss up. Both are are AWESOME rides. But this is reality. I will get what ever I come across with the best price.

So if you are selling a LHD Troopy or 45LV and you live somewhere in the Central Valley of California, please post a comment below to connect with me.

I'm excited. Let's do this.

Many options to choose from

There are several options to choose from  when it comes to a complete ground up custom, some are more exspensive & some are more labor intensive.

Option#1.

Is to go to ICON and purchase a FJ44 straight up of course for $150,000. I don't even have that much in my Monopoly game, so that's the end of that option.

Option #2.

Redline cruisers in Colorado is currently putting together a UTE. What they are doing is putting on a aluminum body on an FZJ 80 chassis which is a hundred twelve inches 112" It looks pretty good but the back has a large overhang. This rig runs for approx. 50K. This is still out of my price range.

Option #3.

Third option taking a HJ47 troopy which has an 116" wheelbase & this seems to be a more viable option to add two more doors. HJ47's mostly come from Australia with diesel motors in them & the sell for any other FJ depending on it's condition.

Option #4

The forth option is to take a FJ45 long wheelbase truck that is also 116" & put on a 4-door tub. Then make a trailer out of the rear bed. 45's are easier to find in the US.

Option #5

The fifth option is just to go with the FJ45LV. I am starting to dig this rig. For me this will eliminate a the idea of adding two doors to a HJ47. This seems to be a very good option if a man can find one in good condition. The wagon has an 104" wheebase rather than a 116" wheelbase of the HJ47.

Later edit:

In one of my previous post "MANY OPTIONS TO CHOOSE FROM" all 5 have been exhausted. They all are out of budget for me. So here are a couple more options to choose from.

Option #6
Lwb frame 45 donor.

Option #7
Aussie ute with diesel motor. 40 tub in rear.

FJ, BJ, HJ What is the difference?

It turns out after reading blogs, fourms & my own research it's actully simple to tell the difference between HJ, BJ & FJ.

Here we go:

The first letter designates the engine type.

F designates an inline 6 cylinder gasser motor (F or 2F)
B designates a diesel 4 cylinder (2B or 3B)
H designates a diesel 6 cylinder (H or 2H)

The "J4" represents the body style.

The last digit generally designate body size & vintage.
(HJ47 started in 1980 with a 2H motor)

So.
HJ45 will have a 6 cyl. H diesel motor with a long wheelbase 116".

HJ47 will have a 6 cyl. 2H diesel motor with a long wheelbase 116".
FJ40 will have a F, 2F of 3F (depending years) gas engine with a short wheelbase 90".

BJ43 will have a 4 cyl. B series diesel motor with a mid wheelbase of 96".

There is 4 wheelbase options:
2285 mm = 90"
2430 mm = 95.5"
2650 mm = 104"
2950 mm = 115.9"

FJ BJ/ 40, 41, 42  (90") WB

FJ BJ/ 43, 44, 46 (not 45)(95.5") WB

FJ45 SWB 104"

FJ45LV 104" WB

FJ BJ HJ 45/47 Truck LWB 116"

FJ HJ 45/47 Troopy 116"

Brazilian Bandeirante Crew Cab all diesel motors. 133" WB

In Brazil Toyota had a factory for many years.

They called them Bandeirante.

More info to come...

My first FJ40

In 1991 I purchased the front axle frame & body. The previous owner had a engine fire.

And so the journey began.

Yeap, that's me 24 years ago...

Wiren up dash. My friends David Adams & Galen Reed.

1967 SS 396 big block chevy.

It is now starting to look like a FJ40.

Going home.

It sat for awhile. 

Then we moved again, back to the city.

Starting it for the first time 2 years into the project.

Converting from 6 lug to 8 lug. The 3/4 ton spindles are 1" wider than half ton.

My front axle was cut down 6 inches to fit & land on springs. The track was the same width as the body so it would be half tread on a 8" rim.

As you can see it had awesome articulation.

My first rear axle was a Dana 60-2 which came out a 1960's Ford van. We welded in the 5 lug & re-drilled it out to a 6 lug. Also we welded on a set of Cadillac Eldorado rear brake calipers & 1988 Chevy 4x4 front 6 lug disc brake rotors. They fit so well. My first outing the spring pads crushed. Later after welding the top of the axle several times the axle worped & was no longer strait. I had to junk it. I pick up a 70's Ford full float rear Dana 60 & put that in.

I rattle can spray painted the hood. It actually turned out OK...

Testing out flex for shock mounts.

Shaver Lake Bald Mountain run.

I sold it in 1997 for 7K.

What a mistake.

I found an add for it for sale in 2008.

Here it is below. 

If any one has seen this cruiser or know where it might be, I would like to find it & buy it back.

https://sites.google.com/site/meerobus/

For Sale: 1967 Toyota FJ40 LandCruiser

Rock Crawler and Urban Assault Vehicle

    Picture taken high up in the Sierras.

1967 TOYOTA FJ40 LandCruiser.

   

  It saddens me to sell my beloved FJ40 but married life, kids, relocating out of state and buying a new home has taken precedence. Over the years, this FJ40 has evolved from being a stock FJ to what it has become today. My motivation in building this Cruiser is to be able to drive it to where you want to wheel it, rock crawl all day, camp out for a few nights and then drive it home. It’s even great for a date night out and never fails to impress the dwellers at Starbucks.

This is a great vehicle for a family man who cannot afford the time or money to do a frame up restoration. I am selling and including EVERYTHING  that is associated with this LandCruiser from all the spare parts, drive shafts, hardtop, to even the cases of ATF and engine oil. Everything goes!

VEHICLE

1967 (smog free) Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser

     Loon Lake, CA

CHASSIS

 

Frame and body is FJ40. Body has very little rust and is in excellent condition. Coming from a desert like  environment in Fresno CA, only some surface rust is evident. No repair of panels etc. What you see is what you get.  Nothing is hidden. Always either parked in a garage or under a canopy.

I am including:

- WARN 8274 winch (fastest winch with 150ft cable length) and controller

- Kayline bikini top with BestTop half doors,

- Like new BestTop full soft top with full doors(used only 3 times)

- OEM hardtop(needs prep and paint)

- Spare wind shield(cracked) and frame and many, many more parts.

ENGINE

 

    New carb with electronic choke.

     This motor has got plenty of ponies. You have to drive it to believe it.

 Chevy SS396 big block with 4-bolt mains. Headers were custom bent  and all the goodies to make MASSIVE horsepower. 5 core radiator. Sorry I do not have the details as I bought the motor already built from a close friend. He assures me that it has tons of race parts and from the HP, I do not doubt it.

                   Look at the size of those custom bent headers.  Very, very expensive.

TRANSFER CASE

My license plate does not read TRL HPY for nothing. Check out the two happy face golf balls. Twin stick shifter. Gauge is for  monitoring transmission pressure.

NP205 with custom twin stick conversion. The steel casing NP205 is known for their strength. One of the strongest transfer case you could buy. I’ve not heard of anyone breaking one yet. Twin stick means you could shift to rear wheel drive only, front wheel drive only, rear low only, front low only, 4 high and 4 low. Safety lockout is still in place to prevent you from shifting to rear low and front high or rear high and front low.

  TRANSMISSION

Modified transmission valve body showing electronic lockup wiring.

Custom Chevy Heavy Duty 700R4 with overdrive and electronic lockup(drive it like a stick if you wish). I paid a custom tranny builder over $2000 to put in race and heavy duty parts to handle the massive power of the big block motor. I can go on and on about the parts and some include Corvette Servo, Red Eagle HD clutch kit, HD Kevlar band, 10 vane rotor gear, HD sparg, HD sun shell etc, etc.

You can drive it at low rpm(save gas) on the freeway because of the overdrive and lockup converter yet still have a low first gear for rock crawling(this has a 21% lower 1^st gear than a TH350). I cruised at 75++ MPH on the freeway going to the Rubicon.

The tranny valve body was modified so that you can shift through the gears like a stick shift using the B&M shifter or keep it in drive and drive it like an auto. The electronic lockup was custom built so you that could lockup the torque converter in ANY gear (yes, first gear included), or lock it just in overdrive, or not at all. Why go through all this trouble? Best of both worlds! Drive it like an auto but have the control of a stick. Have compression braking on ultra steep descends, keep it in one gear so that it does not shift on you in dicey situations, full power to the wheels without the torque converter robbing power. The electronics is also wired to release the lockup when you hit the brake so you won’t kill the engine. Release the brake and the lockup resumes.

AXLES

Dana 60 full floater rear

Full floating axle , 8 lug.

 Rear – Super strong Dana 60 full floating rear axle with Detroit locker. 8-lug 65” wide. Try breaking this axle!!!

Front – Dana 44 with True Trac limited slip, 8 lug, 65” wide.

SUSPENSION

Check out the massive articulation.

Coyote Lake, CA

Top switch is for the hydraulic  mico-lock E-Brake. Push the red button and the dedicated on-board air pump stiffens the Rancho RS9000 adjustable shocks. Hit the black buttons and they go soft. Independent adjustment for the front and the rear shocks. And yes, you can adjust it while driving.

Super extended slip yoke front drive shaft. This WILL NOT slip out on you.

 

Covered with shock boot to protect the splines. 

Spring over with shackle reversal, Teflon tips, Rancho RS9000 in cab adjustable shocks. MASSIVE travel!! Yes, you can adjust the shocks while you are driving.

STEERING

Saginaw power steering with 2 drive belts. Fully adjustable steering. Steering wheel tilts up and down. Grant signature series steering wheel.

TIRES

    Spare tire is brand new. No chance to get rotated out yet.

Goodyear 37X10.5X15 MTR. Hardly used! Spare is brand new! Check out the pictures!

SPECIAL FEATURES

Custom front bumper with Warn winch mount

Custom rocker panel skid plates

Custom rear bumper and tire carrier

WARN 8274 winch

Simpson racing seat belts

Autometer gauges

Transmission temperature and clutch pressure meters.

22 gallon auxiliary tank with skid plate. 38 gallons total.

Massive power disk brakes in front

Hydraulic microlock emergency brake

Custom bent headers

Rear battery box

And so much more….Come see for yourself.

On the Rubicon trail, CA

If you are looking at this ad, you know how much time and money it takes to undertake a project like that. For those of you who don’t, ask your friends. There are plenty of FJ40’s out there  but none with so much custom work and exotic drive train  parts. At least not for sale at this price. So if you think the asking price is too steep, please ask yourself how much your time and owning such an exclusive machine cost. I put way, way more money and time into it than what I am asking.

   Loon Lake, CA. Camping after running the Rubicon Trail.