No old Toyota six-cylinder engine was going to turn
those big tyres, so a small-block Chevy engine was the
logical install, and a relatively stock Ram Jet EFI 350 was
fitted. The V8 is backed by an NV4500 five-speed manual
transmission and an Advanced Adapters Orion ‘twin-
stick’ transfer case fitted with a 4:1 low range gear set.
Tom Wood’s driveshafts feed the drive to the axles.
Inside this Land Cruiser is a mix of new tools with
old-school charm. The rear section of the body was made
with a flat floor, allowing Tim to fit a Mastercraft bench
seat to match the buckets up the front. All the seats
feature five-point harnesses, also from Mastercraft,
while further protection comes from a roll-cage by
Metal Tech of Oregon.
Up front, the dash continues the mix of old and
new. The metal dash panel is retained, but the gauges
have been replaced with AutoMeter units. Myriad
switches are mounted below the dash and a massive
Lowrance GPS unit. An aftermarket air-conditioning
and heating unit keeps the cabin cool regardless of
whether the Cruiser is in the Colorado Alps or the
New Mexico desert.
Modern touches are few on the outside, butall that
power
Chevy Ram Jet 350 V8, GM
Serpentine belt system,
Griffin crossflow aluminium
radiator, dual Spal
fans (independently
controlled), and a
200amp alternator.Transmission
The mighty Chevy V8
is mated to an NV4500
five-speed manual cog-
shifter.Transfer
case
An Advanced Adapters
Orion 'twin-stick'
transfer case with 4:1
low range gear set.86 http://www.4X4australia.com.auCUSTOM 1966 FJ45