Long time lurker (kzj78 / uzj100 / uzj40[?])

[shakermaker92]

Hi folks,


Your name: Alex
Your Cruiser: 1994 KZJ78 - 298,000KM / 2002 UZJ100 - 170,000M
Mods on your Cruiser: Custom respray (Porsche racing yellow), mod cons.
Plans for your Cruiser: Probably doesn't involve getting it muddy
4x4 Experience: Not much. I don't know what diff ratios are.


Long time lurker, first time poster. I bought a KZJ78 about 18 months ago now, and am just about finished with a body-on restoration. I went with Porsche racing yellow, with classic Toyota 012 white secondary.
I have a black grill and light set for the summer, and a chrome grill and light set for the winter. I'm hoping to make a bumper in similar style to my middle-east spec bumper, but powdercoated in black to match the winter set. I also have 2 sets of fog lights, a winter and summer set. I really loved the aesthetic part of the build as you can tell. Met a lot of smart people along the way, have a trusted garage in the much recommended Oliver Laws Vehicle Services, and heard many a time the legend of a bloke in a village a few miles away with a barn full of Land Cruisers (guess the regular poster here).

I was inspired by the retro inspired rides coming out of Japan (Flexdream among others) and wanted to create something similar. I've scratched that itch, and am already planning my next project. After reading Riley's UZJ40 build thread on ih8mud, I've been inspired to try something similar. I've just bought a 2002 170k mile UZJ100, and my plan is to drive it for a year (drive to Greece this summer) and then have it become my donor car, and use as much of it as I can in a 40 series build (engine/gearbox/steering column/power steering?/ecu/wiring loom. I'd quite like to use the 40 axles, but know I need to solve the offset rear diff problem, among others. I know this forum has more of a UK flavour than ih8mud, so if there's anyone here that can offer any advice or paid consultancy, I'd be all ears. It'd be nice to solve as many problems as I can before we set off.

I'm not a mechanic, but a toolmaker with decent amount of CNC mills and lathes at my disposal. Across from me on the industrial estate is my shit hot bodyshop guy, and couple of autobreakers, and a lad with experience in building race cars. Oliver Laws is 20 minutes on the trailer away. I also have 3000 fabricator customers on my database at work, so I'd like to think I could pull in a few favours fabrication-wise too.

If any of you need anything 70 series wise, give me a shout. I have learned way too much and collected far too many parts for it all to go to waste!

If anyone's anything to add, or any links to share to point me in the right direction, please feel free.

Cheers, Alex.

 

[Tonytoyota2]

Hi and welcome good looking cruiser we have to have lots of photos all the best Tony

 

[Shayne]

Great intro , saddens me to know I have a million ideas (aesthetic) that will never be because I don't have the skills, contacts , or money to explore them .

I love what Ridley's done to his 40 which is a full on updated version whilst remaining a true 40 series .

This is the best Cruiser concept I ever seen just to wet your whistle The Toyota Retro Cruiser concept restored, 25 years later - [Leaving Land Cruiser Club]

Though I can't help thinking your well placed to save a 60 series and they are far more likely to become extinct before the restoration favourite 40 series.

 

[shakermaker92]

Great intro , saddens me to know I have a million ideas (aesthetic) that will never be because I don't have the skills, contacts , or money to explore them .

I love what Ridley's done to his 40 which is a full on updated version whilst remaining a true 40 series .

This is the best Cruiser concept I ever seen just to wet your whistle The Toyota Retro Cruiser concept restored, 25 years later - [Leaving Land Cruiser Club]

Though I can't help thinking your well placed to save a 60 series and they are far more likely to become extinct before the restoration favourite 40 series.

Hello mate, thanks very much. I have to say, the contacts are more useful than having a little extra cash lying around.

I've contemplated a 60, or even a 55 if I could get my hands on one. There's a 6 wheeled 60 series chassis on facebook marketplace somewhere, that'd be an interesting way to go.

 

[Rodger]

Hi Alex and welcome...

What is the thread title on i8mud for the UZJ40? I haven't seen that one and would like to...

That's a major project you are planning, interesting though.

Regards,

Rodger

 

[shakermaker92]

Hi Alex and welcome...

What is the thread title on i8mud for the UZJ40? I haven't seen that one and would like to...

That's a major project you are planning, interesting though.

Regards,

Rodger

My UZJ40 Build - 2UZ iForce V8 and a750f 5spd auto

This thread is a bit unconventional, as is my build. The reason being is that the vehicle is almost complete after over 2 years of hard work on it, and I've kept the build relatively quiet. The 2UZ swap is still somewhat rare, and there's only one that I know of using the 5 speed auto...

forum.ih8mud.com

Hi Rodger!

Read a lot of your writing over the years, thanks for your contributions.

Certainly is. Any advice, I'd be happy to hear it. What's the history of your 40 series? I know you've previously said it was a mongrel when you bought it. What do 60 series axles offer you 40s dont?

 

[Rodger]

I just found the time to read the UZJ40 thread. That's a fantastic build! Thank you for giving me the title, well worth reading.

My mongrel 40: When I was looking for a 40, having wanted one for many years, there wasn't too many around and the ones I saw were mostly held together by their paint and then my good lady found an advert for the 40, modified for winch racing, no doors or roof, non-standard wings and running boards and so on. The guy selling it was/is (I still know him) very knowledgeable re Toyotas and had built most of the truck for the man who raced it, but the latter had had his fun. It has a 2H engine, 5 speed gearbox, axles (more about them below) and the factory chrome 60 series rims plus a FIM 6-point roll cage and a 2.5 inch lift. It was a bit sad really but having been into hotrods for years I could see getting the body sorted and looking more original but still retaining the bigger engine and running gear would suit me. There is a thread on here - Evolution of my 40 - which you might finding interesting although it is primarily about the bodywork.

The axles are basically the same except the 60 series ones are 70mm wider and the front one has disc brakes. My master cylinder was also from a 60 series and has a bigger bore. As I recently discovered 60 series axles are getting hard to find but series 3 Hilux discs and callipers fit providing the 40 axles shafts are fine spline.

Regards,

Rodger