well since my cruiser has reached passed the point of no return, i came across thsi old pic of my dads cruiser back when i was a lil guy, man this thing was sweet, its what got me hooked. jiMMy

Yeah Jimmy,

I know what you mean. When your Cruiser becomes a 1 ton Chevy, you get lots of folks that think you "sold out" to Cruisers. I know, I hear it all the time.

That really pisses me off when your so called "purist" gets all bent out of shape about a highly modified Cruiser.

Hey, if Cruisers weren't first and foremost in my world, I would hang out in the General 4x4 area.

I am with you. When I recover (if ever) from my axle purchase, i want to find a nice straight body and start over:smokin:

Jimmy,

my dad stills has his '65 Cruiser purchased new and I have a '75 cruiser I got in '78. I have been around V8 cruisers so long I thought that a small block chevy was a factory option. His is stock, V8 SM420 and LSD rear, while mine is in the process of having the OEM safety factor put back in, RC60 FRT & Rear SM465 and ATLAS II. I want Nolen's tow rig and trailer, as my body is simi straight.
Toyota claimed in '65 that it had 1 ton rated running gear under the FJ40, All we did is verifiy the OEM claim, don't see the sell out point of view in that

Originally posted by krcruiser
I have been around V8 cruisers so long I thought that a small block chevy was a factory option.

Check it:

http://www.birfield.com/~morgan/images/print/1966_V8_Power.jpg

Morgan

Great contribution, Morgan! What the ad doesn't tell you is at that time the price for the V8 engine conversion EXCEEDED the MSRP for the Cruiser. I remember buying in 1970 my first FJ40 brand new off the showroom floor for just a little over $3,000. At today's prices, the Con-Fer conversion would be right up there with BTB.

Medusa,

Back in the 70's wasn't downet toyota selling the chevota with a "factory" warranty.

Morgan
gotta love that ad :)

I honestly don't know for sure about the "warranty" that was supposedly offered in the '70's by any of the California vendors. In fact, I am no longer absolutely sure of many things that happened in the wonderful '60s and '70s:smokin:

I too keep thinking it would be cool to have a mostly stock (ie uncut) FJ40 or FJ45. The v8 thing is just part of owning a Cruiser. Sooner or later the F or 2F goes belly-up and the decision has to be made - rebuild/replace or upgrade. I think I'll keep my eye out for the "perfect truck" - sooner or later I'll find it and start a true restoration (save for the engine :D )

Originally posted by FJ4ZROX
I too keep thinking it would be cool to have a mostly stock (ie uncut) FJ40 or FJ45. The v8 thing is just part of owning a Cruiser. Sooner or later the F or 2F goes belly-up and the decision has to be made - rebuild/replace or upgrade. I think I'll keep my eye out for the "perfect truck" - sooner or later I'll find it and start a true restoration (save for the engine :D )

I think the 2F is a great motor, I don't really get the V8 swap thing. When the 2F in my FJ55 started to blow blue smoke I rebuilt it. It's a great motor. I have seen some nice V6 and V8 conversions, I am not dissing them.

We've got a little 1963 FJ40 that will be renovated with a later cruiser drivetrain, new paint, the right emblems, rollcage, etc. I like

Morgan

Morgan -

When I toasted my 2f, it was a mortal wound. I threw a rod right thru the side of the block - leaving a sizeable hole. The block was not useable - even as a core. Mind you this was in '92, but at the time there were no reasonably priced alternatives (if I recall correctly, Marv @ SOR wanted close to $3200 plus core for a 2F). I looked around and found a nice 350 for free. Ranger OD cost me $1200 and I forget what the cost on the AA install kit was. So for under $2k I had my Cruiser back on the road with more power and a bigger range of gears. I have regretted it several times, but the main issue was my cheap ass not wanting to buy new drive shafts - which has caused the "intimate relation" my fan and radiator(s) have had over the years. Overall, I would do it again, if just for the ease of spare parts.

I hear you. V8 is often the easiest and cheapest route.

I'm really impressed with Jack Rice's V8 vortec installation and Butch Lewis' V6 vortec, both in 40s. Those weren't cheap or easy, but still nice.

Just knee-jerking. :-)

Morgan