FJ62 Reimagined - Restoration - Modern Drivetrain - Stoffregen Motorsports

cj-10 · Jan 31, 2020

Looking forward to watching this build. I have followed all of your others. Your work is top notch

Stoffregen Motorsports · Jan 31, 2020

lugueto said:
I agree 100%. The Toyota engine would just satisfy my purist mindset, but the LS makes complete sense in the American market. There have been a few R2.8s installed on 60/62s, but its obvious it will be a slouch when compared to the V8. It would just be for the cool factor.

My standards really aren't that high, not even close to your level of craftmanship and attention to detail, so it's basically a certainty that you'll exceed them. I'm genuinely jealous of the owners that commisioned their builds to you. Kudos.

Cool factor. There's an expensive subject. While we're on that topic, one of my dream FJ60 builds is to use the 5.7L 3UR Tundra engine, backed by a six speed auto and a Sequoia AWD transfer case. Not done yet... I also want to build it on a custom IFS/IRS chassis so I could actually lower it and make it handle like a modern car. Imagine seeing one of these run around a race track!!!

Don't sell yourself short. One can have no abilities whatsoever and still maintain a very high set of standards. I know a beautiful hot rod when I see one, but I cannot build a custom fender or hood. Not yet, at least.

Thanks.

Stoffregen Motorsports · Jan 31, 2020

cj-10 said:
Looking forward to watching this build. I have followed all of your others. Your work is top notch

Thank you.

This FJ62 is actually almost done, but I have learned over the past few years to compile tons of pics beforehand, as opposed to playing catch up every morning.

We never did get into the how or why on this build. The owner has a mild James Bond fetish (don't we all?) and his vision was to apply a DB5 look and feel to the boxy shape of the FJ62. Wait until you see the color he chose! I am working hard to get the truck ready for the upholstery shop, which should be in the next week or so. If you want to see one of the nicest FJ62s on the planet, keep watching. I won't let you down.

onemanarmy · Feb 1, 2020

What are the pitfalls of using the FJ80 frame, after you cut and graft the entire front suspension, use the 80 axles, and modify body panels? Cutting and plating the frame to get the wheelbase correct has been done plenty, and I don't remember hearing about pitfalls?

I want to see the 80 frame and suspension used with 60/62 axles, to keep the tires tucked, as intended.

Stoffregen Motorsports · Feb 1, 2020

onemanarmy said:
What are the pitfalls of using the FJ80 frame, after you cut and graft the entire front suspension, use the 80 axles, and modify body panels? Cutting and plating the frame to get the wheelbase correct has been done plenty, and I don't remember hearing about pitfalls?

I want to see the 80 frame and suspension used with 60/62 axles, to keep the tires tucked, as intended.

Any vehicle build should end up looking, feeling, acting as though an engineer in an automobile factory put his pencil to paper and came up with the same design. That said, I adhere to very high standards, higher in some regards than the aforementioned engineer.

The specific problems with using an FJ80 frame under an FJ60/62 body are not easy ones to change. First, the frame side profile is different. The FJ80 had a sunk down center section, presumably so the vehicle occupants could sit lower in the chassis. This means that the rear of the 60 series floor hits the 80 series frame at the rear inner fenders. Sure, body mods could be made, but I'll get to that in a second. Second, the inner frame width (between the frame rails) at the front section of the frame is narrower on an 80 series. This was done to get a tighter turning radius, but what it means for me is even less space for the important catalytic converter fitment than the 60 series offers, which is already tight. Then finally, there's the issue of body mounts; they don't come close to lining up with the 60 series body.

I could have modified all of these design features to get the 80 frame under the 60 body, but then there's the issue of the VIN. It may not matter to most guys, but I figure, if you're going to make all of these mods to get these parts to fit, why not use the original frame and have the matching VIN? In the end, in terms of hours, it was a wash, and we have our original VIN.

As far as tucking the tires is concerned, that's where a proper wheel offset comes into play. An FJC 17 inch steel wheel looks great under these rigs with 80 axles, and I have used them in the past. This 62 is not getting those FJC steel wheels, so we just need to do our homework to be sure to get the right wheels.

Edit - I forgot to mention, as you had, the wheelbase. Just one more thing to change in the process. I think our compromise is better than a frame swap.

Stoffregen Motorsports · Feb 2, 2020

In case you're wondering, here's a pic of the two front suspensions side by side.

This pic shows a panhard bar bracket that was cut off the FJ80 frame, and then slightly modified to fit the 60 frame.

Which steering box to use? The 80 box is quicker, and some people like that, but it also has a longer nose. To get valuable clearance at the spring bucket, we had to use the 60 box.

And with the tight clearances at the spring bucket, I opted to use a steering shaft from Borgeson. Of course, Borgeson does not offer a male spline section like we need for use with the original column, so I cut one off a donor shaft and machined it to fit inside the collapsible Borgeson shaft. I then TIG welded it in place.

nickw · Feb 3, 2020

Stoffregen Motorsports said:

Sorry to hijack - is that your Series with Toyota running gear in the background that was the the 4 wheel mag back in 2006ish? God I loved that rig.....

Stoffregen Motorsports · Feb 4, 2020

nickw said:
Sorry to hijack - is that your Series with Toyota running gear in the background that was the the 4 wheel mag back in 2006ish? God I loved that rig.....

Yep, that's my '57 Land Rover. Still going strong after 16 years. I have made some changes over the years, some updates, mostly to make it stronger, quieter, drive better. The tires have been destroyed from years of rock rash, with a good quantity of the outer lugs completely torn off, and I am trying to figure out what to put on it. I could just get another set of TSLs, but I'm looking for something else in the "tall-and-skinny" category. Any suggestions?

Here's a couple pics on the Barrett Lake Trail a couple years ago.

nickw · Feb 4, 2020

Stoffregen Motorsports said:
Yep, that's my '57 Land Rover. Still going strong after 16 years. I have made some changes over the years, some updates, mostly to make it stronger, quieter, drive better. The tires have been destroyed from years of rock rash, with a good quantity of the outer lugs completely torn off, and I am trying to figure out what to put on it. I could just get another set of TSLs, but I'm looking for something else in the "tall-and-skinny" category. Any suggestions?

Here's a couple pics on the Barrett Lake Trail a couple years ago.

What size you got now? Are those 15's.

Yup - still love that truck.

Stoffregen Motorsports · Feb 4, 2020

Stoffregen Motorsports · Feb 5, 2020

I think Buckshot Mudders haven't been available for at least a decade. On the topic of tire lettering, I can think of only one mod to the TSL letters, but I wouldn't dare...

Been working hard on the FJ62 these past few days. Wiring coming this weekend and should be able to fire it off once I get the fuel tank and a few other parts back from powder coating.

I'll try to post more pics of the build sequence in the next few days.

Stoffregen Motorsports · Feb 18, 2020

I had a free minute this morning, so let's pick up where we left off.

Paint or powder coat? Is one better than the other? I think the answer is - powder coating wins the battle against corrosion, if it's applied correctly. I'm getting a bit ahead of myself here. Before anything can be painted or powder coated, all the fabrication needs to be done.

Using FJ80 axles in these 60 series trucks is pretty common, and they have a lot going for them. The rear axle has full float shafts, stout wheel bearings, disc brakes and still retains the venerable 9.5" differential. The added width can be a problem or an advantage, depending on how you look at it. For our purposes, the added width wasn't exactly a benefit, but we'll work around that with a properly offset wheel, when the time comes.

As far as the rear suspension goes, I like leaf springs. They are stupid simple and work well. No need for a link suspension in the rear. Working with the original FJ62 design means cutting all the link brackets off and welding on a set of spring perches. Nobody makes wide spring perches, so I make my own.

New brake lines need to be bent up too.

And let's not forget the brake cable bracket.

A check of the diff gears showed that these were in perfect shape, but we still tore it apart and inspected the bearings and installed a new pinion seal. Thanks to Cruiser Oufitters for all our axle rebuilding parts.

Stoffregen Motorsports · Feb 19, 2020

Our front axle required little more than a rebuild. A new brake line was bent (to emulate the positioning of the original FJ62 hard line) and the original breather hose hole was welded up and moved.

Stoffregen Motorsports · Feb 19, 2020

So... the parts were dropped off at American Stripping in Sacramento for blasting and coating with a low gloss black. The powder they use is super corrosion resistant and it goes on after a prime coat.

Stoffregen Motorsports · Feb 19, 2020

With everything clean and ready to go, assembly began with standard high quality axle parts from Cruiser Outfitters. The front axle was converted to locking hubs, so we needed new outer shafts and locking hubs, both of which they had on the shelf.

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FJ62 Reimagined - Restoration - Modern Drivetrain - Stoffregen Motorsports

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