Without a doubt some of the coolest vehicles ever built came from the military. Just think of where we would be without our beloved 21.2-ton axles or one of the greatest vehicles of all time-the Willy's MB (the original flatfender). Like most military technology, the old is constantly being discarded just as the new, more advanced tech gets quietly ushered in. This leaves us (the civilian market) with a wealth of discarded military toys that we can get our greasy hands on to create our own superior machines.
It was with this notion that Todd gronsdahl built his beastly blown Toyota Land cruiser for his snow wheeling adventures in kelowna, British columbia. We caught up with Todd after an off-road expo here in southern california and convinced him to show us that his monster can dominate more than just the snow. One of the more unique features of the custom cruiser is the combination of gama goat axles with a custom front and rear independent suspension setup from creative Motor sports that allows Todd to raise and lower each individual tire via the custom joystick controller mounted atop the center console.
The idea behind the aluminum-bodied rig was to combine high ground clearance and big power within a lightweight platform to keep the snow hurler powerful enough to get through the soft stuff, but light enough to not become snowbound. From the 550ci blown big-block to the monster 46-inch Mickey Thompson tires, we can't help but think that this has to be one of the coolest powder huckers that we've ever come across.
Year/Make/Model: custom tube frame with aluminum Toyota Land cruiser FJ-40 body
Drivetrain
Engine: 550ci cadillac with Weiand blower
Transmission: nv4500
Transfer Case: atlas ii 3:1
Front Axle: Magnesium-cased gama goat, 5.57 gears
Rear Axle: Magnesium-cased gama goat, 5.57 gears
Suspension
Springs & Shocks: custom air-ride 16-inchtravel shocks from creative Motor sports with Fox remote-reservoir shocks
Steering: Front and rear hydraulic
Tires & Wheels: 46x19.50 Mickey Thompson Baja claws on Weld racing 15x14 bead locks
Other Stuff: Joystick controller to control the air suspension, 11.2-inch chromoly chassis, custom bumpers, Warn winch
Big power is a near must for...
Big power is a near must for powering through the snow. so how do you make a powerful big-block cadillac 550ci v-8 even better? Try adding a Weiand blower to create an even more impressive power-to-weight ratio.
A 1 1/2-inch aluminum cage...
A 1 1/2-inch aluminum cage keeps the occupants safe and adds rigidity to the aqualy aluminum FJ-40 body. One of the coolest features on the rig is the joystick controller that sits atop the center console. Just like playing a video game, a quick tilt of the stick will make the cruiser go up, down, or side to side with a little in between.
The Gama Goats in their original...
The Gama Goats in their original form were known for their high mobility and mountain goat-like characteristics. This very idea lives on via the gama's axles used in conjunction with the snow cruiser's custom air-controlled front and rear independent suspension that allows Todd to raise or lower the suspension from inside of the cab. and when tight maneuvering is a must, he just uses the cruiser's rear steer to keep the beast turning tight. Making sure that the blown power makes it to the differentials is an nv4500 connected to an atlas ii with a 3:1 ratio. Also notice the driveline brake that helps keep the snow wheeler from becoming too adrift.