Not your typical 80 ?, manual tranny involved...

[ChuckB]

I just started my first grad school class today and I need to get my mind off binomial distributions and standard deviations...

So, I have been thinking lately that if I had to have one vehicle and one vehicle only to do everything that I want to do, it would be an 80 with a manual tranny :smiley_drive:. Of course this doesn't factor in the price of gas or anything like that. It's just basically my dream vehicle, which of course would have a diesel attached to it. But, for all intensive purposes I'm leaving diesel engine swaps out of this conversation.

Keeping a relatively modest budget, I could buy a '91-92 FJ80 and swap in an H55F and a 60 series split-case (can someone confirm that?) and basically be on my merry way. I realize I'm brushing over some of the finer details, but in a nutshell that should be possible.

Now, say for some reason the 3FE gave up the ghost and I decided that a Vortec V8 would be a nice upgrade. I don't think that its a stretch to say that would be a fairly easy swap into an FJ80 with an H55F already installed.

This is where the question comes into play. If ultimately the goal would be to have a manual 80 with a V8, would it smarter to go with the 91-92 FJ80 and work in stages or find a blown head gasket FZJ80 and go straight to the V8, H55F, split-case and also get the potential advantage of factory lockers, FF rear and 4-wheel discs brakes? Or I guess you could get really crazy and try to import a R151(?) from SOR or one of the other vendors and convert your 1FZ to a manual?

I know that I'm probably living in a dream world and I honestly haven't even tried to estimate the cost. It's just fun to think about the possibilities. What would you do?

(edit) poll added!!

 

[blupaddler]

If you are going to go the V8 route, I think the NV4500(?) would be the better match. Also from (what little I know) the Toyota H55f didn't come with the 80's, it was a different 5spd. Edit: H150f

Regarding the 91-92 vs. later models, I will wait for others to chime in. But lockers are valuable. That being said, I dig the simplicity of the 91-92.

 

[MoGas]

AFAIK the H55 will work behind a 3FE in an 80 as well as in a 62. The problem would be the clutch pedals and hydraulics for an 80. All that would have to be sourced from elsewhere (probably Oz)

If the end goal is a V8 manual, I'd find a 93+ 80 for the Full Floater rear end, rear disks, bigger front disks, and the potential for lockers.

Then I'd go with a Hemi Dodge engine and NV4500 mated to the Toyota case.

Good luck, I'll be following this post.


Dave

 

[Pskhaat]

I think personally that if you want a V8 do yourself some justice and just go the 100 series route.

If the 3FE did give up the ghost, you would IMO be better served just simply rebuilding it or swapping in a 2F block for a little more stroke (or go backwards and put in a carb and manually-adjustable dizzy). I know it can be done right, but I've yet to be on a trail with anyone who's done a V8 conversion that doesn't have one issue or the other.

Indeed you can do an H55F (or H42 | H41, 4 speed is almost consistently 35% behind the 4-spd auto helping on diff regear) in the FJ80. Remember you'll need (to name just a few).

• 2F bellhousing & flywheel
• Driveshaft lengthening/shortening
• Clutch ***'y & stuff
• Tranny hump modification and carpeting
• tanny/tcase support member (steal one from a 60 and modify)

Don't let me scare you away as you can (in context) do it fairly on the cheap AND PLUS I'd love to see it!!!

 

[AndrewP]

If you are serious about this, I would go with a 91-92, swap in an H55 and split case and use the pedal box from a late FJ60.

You might consider a 1/2 cut from Japan with a diesel and the appropriate tranny.

Either way, it's going to be work and a fair amount of money. Probably cheaper to start with an FJ62, and swap in a manual tranny.

 

[upcruiser]

I'd go FJ80 with the H55. If I felt I needed lockers I'd pick up a set of used axles with lockers from somewhere like Cruiserparts.net. I priced it out last year and for around $1,300 an axle, freshly serviced, you are ready to go.... Well, beside running the wiring/harnesses. For an overlanding rig though, do you need lockers? I'm amazed what a OME'd 80 can do completely unlocked. I've never been in another vehicle that is unlocked that can put traction down like that. Seriously I can think of maybe 2 times when I really needed lockers and simply running the winch line solved that. I'm no rock crawler but I do get on them occasionally but for overland travel lockers are waaay down on my list of importance.

 

[24HOURSOFNEVADA]

After just finishing the motor build in my 80, I can say that I was torn apart on what I should replace it with. I had considered a small block chevy and a diesel.

I can say that I rebuilt it with custom pistons (1.25mm oversized) ARP Head Studs, ported and polished head and the like. The project cost quite a bit more than I had projected and that was keeping the same motor as Toyota put there.

Take a look at the Ih8mud classifieds. There is an 80 series for sale with a sbc out of central ca. for like 4995.00 The majority of work is done for you. I think you'll be ahead buying someone else's project.

There is also an 80 with a Cummins for 12000.00 obo

Granted, I replaced/rebuilt just about everything in the engine bay and I came out in the middle of those two numbers.

Now that my 80 is done, I'm thinking about a 55 with a toyota v8, so don't listen to me. I'm mad (As in goofy). Good luck with whatever you decide and keep us posted.

 

[Pskhaat]

Don't mean to double-post, but I honestly say that if my FZJ80 was totalled tomorrow, I would buy a 91-92 FJ80 and put in an H55F with a rebuilt 2F block and PTO winch and high-roof the thing.

 

[24HOURSOFNEVADA]

Ok, took me a minute. Oh, and I was wrong on the price. It's 4850, not 4995.


91 Toyota Land Cruiser
4x4 auto ps pw pl,cruise,
ect.,ect,. 350 chevy v-8
conversion must see/drive
831-840-3919 $4,850
centralcoastautoads.com


And here's a diesel rig.

http://forum.ih8mud.com/vehicles-trailers-sale-wanted/229989-4bt-80-well-built-$12k.html


Shop or build well. Scott brings up a point Locrwln has talked to me about at length. High-roofing an 80 body. Very cool and do-able. They do it enough overseas.

 

[ChuckB]

I guess that I should clarify that I'm not hell-bent on swapping to a SBC. My line of thinking on that was more due to the fact that my family will be growing in the near future (God willing). Right now it is just the wife, myself and our two dogs. But, we are planning on having our first child in the next two years.

Having the most experience with F and 2F engines, I automatically assumed that if I were to acquire a Horizon trailer (or something similar) that the old 3FE might not be quite up to the task of hauling the whole family + trailer around. However, I have no personal experience on that matter.

The neat thing is that there are a ton of options that you could play around with. I totally forgot about the 2FE, that would be pretty cool too. Lockers aren't a deal breaker for me either. At this point I have never had them, therefore have never had the need to use them... So even if I picked up a cheap FZJ80 it wouldn't have to have lockers.

I think the final icing on the on the cake would be to swap a 60 body onto all of this once the mechanicals were all sorted out. The would be just plain cool :drool:

 

[Ramdough]

high-roofing? Any Pics?

Not specifically what I'd do, but something of the nature:

 

[rusty_tlc]

I'd go NV4500
6.55:1 1st gear and 0.75:1 5th, you may as well get some crawl on while your at it. Compare that to the 4.84:1 and 0.85:1 on an H55. I've also heard people say the shift points on the NV4500 are set up better than the H55.

Points to consider:

• If you stay with Toyota engine and opt for a US trans. you will need the manual bell housing plus bell and t-case adapters.
  
• If you go SBC or other to start with you will need the bell housing plus a tranny to split case adapter.

What ever you decide after you have totaled everything up and finalize you budget double the cost and triple the time you think it will take.

 

[Pskhaat]

triple the time you think it will take.

Agreed. I would even argue 4x - 5x the time expected... My 2 month 3FJ40 project took 3+ years :O

 

[24HOURSOFNEVADA]

Here are some clean high roofs.

And here is an 80 chassis with a 60 series on top. Looks like it was meant to be there.

 

[ChuckB]

Those are some very sweet cruisers!!

Is that the 60/80 that Al built over on 'mud?