No one does this kind of thing entirely alone, so here are some of the folks I’ve relied on for various things…
ENGINE WORK
The 1FZ-FE engine rebuild is being done by Kyle Williamson at Martin Davidson’s Automotive Machine Shop in Reseda, California (818.705.2441), which has been building Cruiser engines for decades. When you stand there, all day, every day while the work is done, you gain a real appreciation for just how much work this is, and the value of a great machinist with the right equipment.
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AFFORDABLE(!) OEM TOYOTA PARTS
Toyota parts come from amayama.com, which offers incredible discounts on oem parts for Japanese-built vehicles.
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BUTT-SAVING
When the block I brought to Kyle turned out to be cracked, Ramiro at K&H Imports Auto Repair of Canoga Park found us a replacement in about two minutes. (Okay, it was already in his shop, which specializes in Cruiser work, but still.)
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PROJECT CONSULTANTS
(who make me look like I know what I’m doing, even when I don’t)
Mr. S has been a master mechanic and instructor for decades, and is intimately familiar with most if not all aspects of the industry, from design engineering to dealer parts departments, aftermarket parts and services, and everything people do wrong that screws up their builds (and also how they break even good builds in the wild). He’s been Cruising the outdoors for decades as well. His advice on many topics has been invaluable, and I would have gone wrong many times without him.
Mr R. mostly builds for high speed and power, neither of which are primary goals for me with this build. But his advice is sage, and he has helped steer me away from shiny things that sound good–and are good if you’re racing–but are absolutely terrible for long-term reliability, when you want to rebuild your engine every quarter-million miles, instead of every five.
Mr. J has been a top-end builder for decades, and a singular lunatic when it comes to quality fabrication and sourcing. Price is no object. If you want a vehicle from him, get in line, and be prepared to wait a few years, no matter who you are. I get to ask him the occasional question. Who makes the best this? How did you do that? Where’s the best place to get this other thing done? Most of what he recommends, I cannot afford, or couldn’t get anyway because it’s done by someone who works only for him, but the advice is fascinating–and every once in a while, I can actually implement it.
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PROJECT EDITOR
Mr. D approved, edits, and shepherds the Overland Cruiser series for Summit Racing, puts up with some unconventional backstage approaches, and ensures that this 17 (or so)-article series does not balloon into a 170-article series (though I hope to revisit that conversation at some point). Without his initial nod and continued support, much of this–most of it, in fact–would not have happened.
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HEADER IMAGE RIGS
(left to right)
Łukasz’s 2009 Land Rover Defender 110
defender__one_ten/
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Marco’s 2015 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
OVRLNDX
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Joe Rogan’s 1995 Toyota Land Cruiser, built by ICON/TLC
ICON4x4/TLC4x4. Video by Jonathan Ward here.
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Phoenix Black’s 1998 Toyota 4Runner.
blackflag_t4r
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Photos used with permission.