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Just email me at: blondellscalese@netzero.net .
BEAUTY MEETS THE BEAST
Up for sale is 1975 Land Cruiser FJ40. A custom fold-down aluminum tailgate (with interior storage) was added. All of the
electrical wiring was replaced.
Pete’s restoration included a conversion to a 1967 300 HP 327 from a Corvette. According to Pete the engine
had less than 6K miles on it prior to the conversion. Lots of chrome under the hood and it is clear that the
conversion was well done. As for the suspension Pete installed the SOR top of the line 4” soft ride lift kit
(“spring under”) with greasable shackles. The front and rear ends were both rebuilt and torque bars installed
in the rear. A Saginaw power steering unit was installed. A big upgrade during the conversion was the
installation disc brakes front and back.
For the interior Pete installed custom bucket seats, lockable Tuffy speaker/storage boxes (behind the seats), an
Alpine AM/FM CD player, a cluster of new (“oldies”) gauges by Auto Meter, new door panels and new dash pad.
The truck does not have a hardtop or the rear seats.
When I purchased the truck the odometer read less than 50 miles. The current reading is 2, 760. Since I
purchased the truck I have made several major improvements. I don’t consider myself a good “wrench” so most
of this work was done by professionals.
· ARB lockers front and rear.
· Orion transfer case. If you are unfamiliar with the Orion do a little research. Built like a tank
with a low range ratio of 4:1.
· Muncie SM465 transmission. The 465 was used in heavy duty GM trucks from 1968 to 1991. The
transmission is great for off-roader because of its very low (6.55 : 1) first gear. Direct bolt to the 327, no
adapter.
· Throttle body fuel injection system. This is a big improvement over the Edelbrock carb that Pete
installed since the floats in that carb did not do well when the truck was crawling a steep grade. Also increased
fuel efficiency. Note that the glove box is almost completely taken up by the TBI computer.
· Electric fuel pump and electric fan.
· Tuffy lockable center console and cup holder.
· Kaymar spare tire carrier, jerry can and hi-lift jack.
· Metal-tech roll cage (with SOR covers) and rock sliders. Four-point seat belts.
· A dash controlled “micro” brake lock that locks up the rear brakes. The system is designed
primarily for tow trucks. Very handy when you a winching another vehicle.
· Warn XD90000i 9, 000# winch with snatch block, shackles, tree protector, recovery strap, gloves and bag.
· Painless dual battery system (I just replaced the batteries with new Optima yellow-tops).
· Five “Outlaw” aluminum wheels.
· Within the last two weeks I replaced all five tires with 35 x 12.50R15/C BF Goodrich All Terrain
KO2’s.
I have intentionally not replaced the factory 4:11 gearing in the differentials. The “crawl ratio” (6.55
[transmission] x 4.1 [transfer case] x 4.11 [differentials]) is 110 which means that the truck will go just about
anywhere that you want to take it.
The truck comes with a full canvas top (keeps out 99% of the rain) and a bikini top both of which are in good
condition. I also have an SOR cover for the truck and a Viair model 44043-449 portable compressor that generates
enough PSI (150) to inflate the 35’s after an air-down. In addition to the Tuffy lockable speaker boxes behind
the seats I have added a wood box that I use to carry some spare parts, lubricants and other things that I may need
off-road. The box is ugly but functional so ff the buyer does not want the box and the contents I will remove it.
The truck obviously has great mechanical features but it also a real head-turner. It attracts a crowd wherever I
park it. I had it completely re-painted within the last two months. The Sky-Blue finish is near-perfect.
As great as the truck is I need to point out a couple of things. The driver’s seat has two small tears along
seams and the bumpers do show the results of “encounters” with rocks along the Rubicon Trail (and other
places). There are some small rust spots along the interior painted edge where the soft top attaches to the
truck. And the wheels/rims are
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