LS Swapped 1995 Toyota Land Cruiser 80

Owners: Mark Morgan-Davies

Builder: Mark Morgan-Davies / Rocket88

LS swaps are all the rage these days and they are being put into everything from old school trucks to modern day Jap tuners. So, when Mark Morgan-Davies from Rocket 88 told me that he has been busy with some LS swap 4x4’s, I wanted to know more. Mark tells us the story behind his latest creation – a 1995 Toyota Land Cruiser 80 series. 

Growing up in Kenya and Tanzania, Mark’s parents had no choice but to buy a 4x4 and there were only 2 options – Toyota or Land Rover. He remembers his dad constantly working on and swearing at the Landy which is what made him a Toyota man. He had always wanted a Land Cruiser and they say that the 80 series was Toyotas finest hour. When the opportunity presented itself for him to get his hands on one, he jumped at the change. And the bonus was it was only 2km from his workshop. 

He had originally seen an ad on Gumtree for the 80 damaged engine which was perfect as he had zero intention of using that engine anyway. At the time, he did not have the money has he had just taken over Rocket 88. Fast forward a year and he was once again on the trail for an 80 series. One day whilst chatting to a friend he asked him if he knew anyone who had one for sale. He mentioned that a friend of his might have one and as it happened, it was the one that he had seen on Gumtree a year earlier. The deal was done, he made a new friend and has an 80 with portal hubs (very envious!) His plan was to get the body back into shape and fit a real V8.

The car wasn’t in great shape and needed a complete re-paint which was not a problem as he wanted to change the colour anyway. The body was not in great shape either as one of the previous owners had decided to try and fill all the sills and lower doors with foam. It was so bad that two sills had to be imported from Toyota in Japan. The body did not need to be sandblasted but he opted to strip the car and send the diff cases and suspension parts for repairs. His goal was to get it back to standard on the outside. 

Gus Panel Beaters in Westmead, Pinetown did all the body work and repainted the car in a colour called Cement gray. He wanted something different and the final shade was his wife’s choice. When he worked at Lamborghini in London a LP540 came in for a service and it was almost the same colour and he loved it. The roof was sprayed white to reflect heat and black to break up the cement colour. 

It has old rusty springs and shocks that had seen better days. A 3 inch lift kit was fitted, springs and shocks. All suspension bushes, caster correction bushes and adjustable pan hard bars were installed to get the body back in line after the lift. the diff also got an upgrade to a fully floating version with disc brakes. He also replaced bearings and seals front and rear. 

When it came to the motor he wanted something really modern – a Gen 5 Direct Injection engine with 6 speed auto and we are pretty sure (we may be wrong) that it is the only one in the country in a 80 cruiser. His big concern was the electronics and whether he could get it up and running with the original PCM. He was able to and also managed to use PWM fan control and also PWM fuel control. Now there is no need for a fuel pressure regulator as there is a control module for the fuel pump. 

Then there is the 6-speed auto box. Having had an LS1 with a 4-speed auto in his Hilux, the difference between a 4-speed and a 6-speed auto is unreal. The standard mapping on the 6-speed has a real slushly shift feel to it but a few quick strokes of the keyboard and HP Tuners, all torque reduction and shift times were changed. It now shifts like it should have done when it came from the factory. Connecting the 6-speed to the 80 transfer case to the 4x4 was quite simple compared to the wiring. He was so impressed with this engine and box that he now has them in stock and they are sold as turn-key units. 

For the exhaust, he went for a two into one, 2.5 inch stainless steel to a 3 inch stainless steel with one 750 long stainless box and he did all the mandrel bends himself. 

The interior was done by Danny from Hillcrest Auto Trimmers. The seats are original with covers on them and Mark is just waiting on the covers for the back seats. He once again wanted to keep it as close to stock as possible. There is a 160l Tmax compressor behind the rear inner panel with two air line couplers just by the rear seats for easy tyre inflation and he is also busy with a rear draw system. 

For the wheels he went for Black Rhino Barstow 17 inch that he got form Louis Khan at Jewel’s Auto in Kokstad. For tyres he went with 315/70R/17 Cooper Discoverer S/T Maxx.

The end result was better than expected and the total time on the project was only four months.

Mark would like to thank:

Dale Hughes for selling him the 80 and helping him out with bits and pieces from a donor 80. Gus from GUS panel beaters for the paint work. Danny for the upholstery. Louis Khan from Jewel’s Auto for sourcing the last 4 rims for him. And lastly his two children who helped him out.