Future Plans
Here are a few of my latest restoration pictures. I also have stainless steel door hinges that I've not had opportunity to install yet. Coming soon, satellite stereo will go in the Tuffy console I installed last summer, possibly a combination GPS and pop up DVD player in the dash where the original radio used to be (if they make such a thing, Fry's, here I come). A whole bunch of new cables and controls sensors, and suspension parts have been acquired and are ready to install.

I also have a set of original seats that I will be reupholstering and installing this summer along with the original jump seats for the back that I also will be reupholstering and installing. The seat belts that I'm now using in the front are, in reality, for the jump seats, so the front seats will get a new set of 3 point auto retracting harness style belts which is also somewhere in my pile of new parts left to install. I also have to figure out some way to get my wheels cleaned up. The aluminum is somewhat corroded, but I have one new wheel from when Olson Brothers replaced it when they messed up one of them putting it back on wrong.

That should just about eat up my summer,but maybe not... Next year (or maybe even this year) I'll start work on restoring the original hard top and hatch. I have to do this because I bought a brand new hatch handle from Cool Cruisers two years ago. It's gotta go somwhere... Once all that is finished, the next phase will be installing a new Painless wiring harness to accomodate a fuel injected V8. I'm going to try to talk LandcruisersNW into doing it for me as a trade out for a website for them (their website absolutely sucks, they need help). The current top contender for engine is a GM Ramjet 350 crate engine, but I have ridden in an FJ40 with a Corvette (LT1) engine, it's pretty studly. What I'd REALLY like to do is to do what the people at TLC Icon are going to be doing later on when they get finished with their R&D. They're going to be making an all electric LC with a small 3 cylinder bio - diesel generator to run the motors. John from TLC says you would be able to go cross country completely off the grid. Perhaps they will make that whole system available for sale when they get it finished. I love gas engines, but realistically, I don't know if I'll be able to afford fuel for one 10 or 20 years from now...

At some point I will probably replace the stock transmission with a 5 speed NV4500 1 ton truck transmission provided it will not cause me to lose my high and low range. The first generation of the NV4500 were the best, lower first gear ratios (6.34:1) but they're hard to find. If it won't work though, I'll have to go for an H55F five speed from Cool Cruisers. It will require a driveshaft modification to make it work, but it's the only brand new 5 speed I can find besides the NV4500 that will work.

Later on as finances allow, but lower on my list of priorities are a Warn M8274-50 winch, power steering, air conditioning, and disk brakes. I've gotta get me a set of those BF Goodrich All Terrain TAs too. Money money money...

Crazy as it sounds, I've decided that this first go around was a practice run. My paint is far from perfect, not enough coats and I'm damaging a lot of my work as I do other work, and the steel body just wants to keep on rusting, not to mention that I've discovered that I should have added a little flex agent to my paint to accomodate the cruiser's body flex when it's pushed hard, so the final phase will be a re- do of my first restoration, but this time it will be a frame up.

The whole vehicle will be disassembled and the entire body will be completely replaced with an all aluminum body tub, front cowl, rear tailgate, hood and fenders. I've not found a source for an aluminum hard top front doors, or hatch yet, so the original steel ones will have to be used.

The truck will be stripped to the frame and all frame and axles will be restored. At that time any needed mechanical restorations or replacements to the driveline and axles will be done. I've also discovered there is a gentleman who runs Matkins Extreme Frames who builds welded steel reproduction frames, the difference being that the frame cross section is much thicker and the frame is welded rather than mandrel bent. So...there is a consideration of replacing the original frame with one of these depending on the condition of the original. What I'm hoping for is to have something almost as nice as the new TLC Icon, but I can't afford the $80,000.00 price tag. I did do something right, though, the color I picked is the best color in the world for a LandCruiser, I love it. In the future, I won't be bogging down your email with pictures anymore, all updates will be found at this website. I will, however, email you when there are new ones.

It's gonna be a little bit of work....

--Jerry