LJ70 Build Thread!

[Chris]

Oh I wouldn't change a thing if I won it large. No. I'd keep my job and house. I might take a holiday. Perhaps a week away. Perhaps give the kids a bit too of course. But it wouldn't change me. I might buy myself the odd thing. There's a pair of hiking boots I have my eye on in Go Outdoors, but I'm waiting for them to come down in price first. There'll be a sale.

Of course I'd keep playing every week too. You have to be in it to win it after all.

 

[Ben]

Ben if you ever reach the point that you aren't enjoying thise anymore, drop me a line and I'll be on the first Quantas out of Heathrow and come and stand in for you for a bit.

I know it's not always beer and skittles, but doing what we do for a hobby - for a living? In a proper workshop, with proper tools and it's sunny? Don't you ever dare complain!!!!

It is an awesome job!

I get absolutely no stress at all, turn up do my 8 till 4, work on my bosses mad projects, designe and make off road stuff, maybe do some work on a customers car and then drive for 3 minutes to get home!

Oh and I get to wear shorts everyday! Something all my previous UK employers wouldn't allow due to elf n safety!

Its funny the first 4 months living down here were spent working for the worst people I've ever worked for in my life! What they expected of people who worked for them and how they treated them, it was like they were lords of the manor back in the 1800's.

But then the people I've been working for for the past 8 months have been the best employers I've ever had!

The amount of time they've agreed to let me have off is incredible! A week off in September a month after starting with them, 5 weeks off over Christmas, another 3-4 weeks off in September for my Simpson trip.

They really are a great company to work for + being able to get 4wd bits at cost price and being able to use the machines/workshop after hours is amazing!

I am very fortunate to have found what for me is the best job I've ever had.

I appreciate what your saying Doodle, and maybe thats the case in some industries/more stressful managerial roles but I dont find it ruins the hobby for me. If anything it makes me want to get out 4wding even more!

Working on other peoples 4wd's, making cool stuff for them, seeing the latest products and gadgets, reading all the latest 4wd magazines that the company get sent every month..........

Shit its making me want to go 4wding just thinking about it!

Ben, I love the the material that you have used for the arches/flares on FrankenZuke - where can i source some from, and how did you fix them to the inner/arches/body work please?

We sourced it from:

http://www.4x4offroadclinic.com.au/

But he hasnt got any listed on his website, but loads of places sell it over here.

Its teck screwed all the way along about every 4 inches, and I also added some little brackets to the back of the front arches to help keep its shape as with the wire running through them it was trying to spring back into the tyre.

Have a look on ebay uk, if you cant find any I can always send you some, just shout.

 

[Doodle]

I appreciate what your saying Doodle, and maybe thats the case in some industries/more stressful managerial roles but I dont find it ruins the hobby for me. If anything it makes me want to get out 4wding even more!

The critical difference as we both alluded to is the working environment and management - thankfully you have good ones which just increases the enthusiasm!

First thing I'm after if I win big is a larger garage. No more vehicle spannering on the driveway!

 

[Chris]

First thing I'd do is employ a tool bitch to pass me things.

14mm spanner. No a spanner. 14mm. No that's a hammer, I said spanner. Jeez it's there next to your foot. No the other foot. Yes, YOUR foot, Christ. Look. Oh now don't start crying .. Yes, I'll buy you a pony. I mean puppy.

She's a good girl, but not so handy on the tools.











But then I married her I suppose.

 

[Chris Green90]

First thing I'd do is employ a tool bitch to pass me things.

14mm spanner. No a spanner. 14mm. No that's a hammer, I said spanner. Jeez it's there next to your foot. No the other foot. Yes, YOUR foot, Christ. Look. Oh now don't start crying .. Yes, I'll buy you a pony. I mean puppy.

She's a good girl, but not so handy on the tools.











But then I married her I suppose.

How about the young lady in the video that was up in the lounge not so long back.

Ha just found it. lol It was you that posted it.

Just in case anyone missed it
http://www.landcruiserclub.net/foru...-be-a-lesson-to-you-all-Maintenance-for-girls

 

[Ben]

I need to find a girl like that!

Good on the spanners, not bad looking and wearing minimum amount of clothing.

 

[Doodle]

Lol...I'm training mine, slowly. She's fine with the basics of spanners, sockets, ratchet driver etc and if it's by the car while I'm working she can generally identify it, but getting anything out of the toolbox is still an uphill challenge.

 

[Paddler Ed]

Mmmm.... I like the one I've got, even though she sometimes struggles to reach into the engine bay...

Those pics are from fitting a new waterpump to the Land Cruiser, and stripping the engine from the van and rebuilding it from scratch...

 

[Ben]

I've always said that 30 is the age I'd like to think about settling down and having kids, well as that age is now fast approaching I'm now thinking 40 will be a better age, that way I might actually get to do all the things still on the bucket list.

Anyway................

I had a break from working on Frankenzuke today and spent the day building battery trays.

This morning I had to make one for a nice 200 series.





It had a nice Black Widow drawer system and a fridge slide like mine.



I had to build a tray to fit a battery down the side of the drawer system.



Cut, bent, drilled and tack welded some 25mm flat onto a blank tray.





All done and ready for the final bolt in.









I like how Toyota have made use of the space in the tailgate.





I actually really like the 200 series! I think its the first LandCruiser (apart from the 70's we still get down here) that I've liked since the 80!

Michael had sourced a new airbox for his 80 but it was slightly different and was missing a bracket, so we cut the one off his old one and I welded it onto the new one.





After work tonight I got LJ into the workshop.





I wanted to modify the MSA fridge slide before it destroys my transit bag.



I'd picked up some stainless steel countersunk headed bolts and dome nuts.





So I needed to remove the old bolts that were sticking in at the fridge.





Bolts out and blue handle removed.



Countersink bits and cordless drill.



I opted for the biggest one.



Covered the fridge with an old overall to keep swarf out of the fridge.



Countersunk.



New bolts in.





Squirt of threadlock.



And the dome nut.



Nice and flush!



The poor design of the MSA drop down fridge slide with the bolts sticking out at the fridge had already started to damage the new fridge transit bag, and that was from dropping the fridge slide up and down half a dozen times.





New bolts clear beautifully!





I got home and sorted out the camping gear and food for this weekends trip.







Got it all in, just needs strapping down now.





Then LJ went back in the garage to keep the 80 company for the night.



Tomorrow after work were driving to the camp site with the rest of the guys from the 4wd club. Scott and Stephanie should be there in Wanda waiting for us and then we can start our 3 day High Country adventure!

I've had a think and a chat with Tony S and have decided to offer the spare seat in LJ to one of you club members on my Simpson Trip.

Theres already quite a few people flying in from the UK for the trip and its looking like it will be an amazing trip!

So if any of you guys or girls fancy a holiday/adventure in September/October then shout up.

 

[Paddler Ed]

I'd been thinking about the bolt issue as well, but had come up with a set up like the chain ring bolts on a crankset:

So it's allen key on the male side, and then a notch on the female side. Absolute pig to do up tight though in all honesty without the proper tools, but completely flush fitting if it's all reamed out, as opposed to countersunk, to a flat surface. It's only 1mm or so, so not a large amount.

Oh, and on settling down... I'd never recommend having a plan... we've been sort of settled for about 2yrs and are both getting itchy feet again to go travelling!

 

[Ben]

Yeah not sure they'd be as strong Ed.

Regarding not having a plan............................

No disrespect or anything Ed but without a plan I wouldn't be where I am today!

 

[Paddler Ed]

Yeah not sure they'd be as strong Ed.

I'm not sure; they're pretty strong to withstand the rotational force (a bit like a wheel stud) but possibly not as strong as the option you went for. What I liked with them was that they were flush on both sides, and that was why I'd thought of them.

Regarding not having a plan............................

No disrespect or anything Ed but without a plan I wouldn't be where I am today!

No offence taken... it's more that they catch you unaware, and when you're least expecting it, the perfect one comes along... and the perfect one isn't like a bus, they don't all arrive at once!!

I admire your plan; it's been very determined/structured, whereas my plan isn't as structured, but there is one at the moment of some form. There wasn't a plan for a couple of years, and then the plan had to change very suddenly. The current plan for me is to do one more year of study over here, doing something with accounting, and then do an IELTS test and that should give me 75 points for immigration... The problem is that the accounting course is a sort of half step backwards due to the level I'm studying at.

 

[Doodle]

Probably not as strong as the bolt and nut, but they're still more than strong enough to do the job. The frame would bend beyond use before those fasteners gave out.

 

[Chas]

I've always said that 30 is the age I'd like to think about settling down and having kids, well as that age is now fast approaching I'm now thinking 40 will be a better age, that way I might actually get to do all the things still on the bucket list.

I never settled down until I was 39 Ben, but I must say I didn't know what happiness was 'til I got married, but then it was too late.

 

[Gary820]

Quite an inspiring thread Ben and good to have plans imo, mine have been diverted a couple of times due to life events.
I'd love to live/work in Oz but the missus isn't so keen even though I could literally pick up where I leave job wise. Not even keen for 3-4 years.
Within the last 6 months 2 lads from my work have made the move, well one lad went to NZ and The other went to Adelaide 3days ago.

The trip reports are great and enjoy reading them and looking at the pics. Some great work LJ too, keep up the good work.

 

[clivehorridge]

Great write-ups Ben and good intuitive solutions to the design faults in the fridge slide. I've always thought that most things are designed as cheaply as possible to the extent that they're either impractical or worse, dysfunctional.

I've said enough in the past about making plans, no problem making them, just be prepared to be flexible and ready to adjust them when life throws a wobbly at you

Thanks for all the trouble taken to post, much appreciated!

 

[Ben]

Thanks guys.

Friday morning here now, just got to get through the next 13 hours and then our 3 day High Country adventure can begin!

I'm so excited!!!!!!!!

Full trip report to follow of course.

 

[TonyS]

Hi guys,

Had an SOS from Ben. They are on their way, but Michaels 80 series won't go into reverse, though can easily get every other gear! The box has recently been rebuilt, isn't noisy or vibrating and nothing has gone bang!

Any ideas?

Cheers,

 

[Paddler Ed]

I'll ask some of the other guys I know on other car forums...

 

[TonyS]

Thanks Ed, put any thoughts on here, as I can call Ben.

Cheers,