MASTERPIECE
ANOTHER STOCK STUNNER FROM DONAHOE RACING
IN METAL
STORY BY CRAIG PERRONNE
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Dirt Sports Magazine
PHOTOS BY BOYD JAYNES
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The Voice of Off-Road Motorsports
M
any aspire to build Trophy-Trucks and Class 1 Unlimited buggies, but Donahoe Racing has gone in the opposite direction and become a specialist in building beautiful racecars from near-stock platforms. While the suspension company has roots in racing with the “big dogs” and campaigned a TrophyTruck, all of its recent racers have been built for the stock classes. For Donahoe Racing President Kreg Donahoe, the slew of stock racers make perfect sense as each helps to develop and prove the company’s line of suspension. Its latest creation, a Class 3 Toyota FJ Cruiser, is no exception. Regarding the usefulness of the new FJ racer, Kreg notes, “Essentially, it’s a big poster child for our FJ suspension line. We get the same development out of it that we did with our stock-mini Toyota Tacoma racer. On it is all the same stuff we use and sell.” Constructed for the much less restricted Class 3 (short-wheel base, four-wheel drive), Donahoe still decided to keep the Toyota FJ Cruiser close to stock. Many straight-from-the-factory items, including the engine, transmission and transfer case, can be found throughout the Cruiser. “It’s a Toyota, so why screw with it. Toyotas are so solid when it comes to drivetrain that it seems the things you break are the things you change,” explains Kreg. While many think of a stock racer as a “lesser” vehicle, Donahoe lovingly constructs them with the level of detail and fabrication often seen only in the top tier of racecars. The company’s Toyota FJ Cruiser is no exception and proves that stock can be beautiful.
May 2007
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MASTERPIECE
IN METAL
ABOVE: To fit the widened stance from the Total Chaos arms and Currie rear, Donahoe Racing made custom fiberglass fenders and quarter panels. Anaheim Hills Auto Body then painted the entire body in Nitto Tire’s red and black team colors after the FJ became another member of Nitto’s constantly expanding desert racing family. Naturally, the tires are 35x12.50R17 Nitto Terra Grapplers on 17x8 KMC Enduro beadlocks. LEFT: Suspending the rear of the FJ is a fourlink that was custom built by Donahoe Racing. A 2.5-inch By-Pass-O-Matic shock from Donahoe Racing along with a 2.5-inch coilover, also from Donahoe, control the rear as it cycles through its 18 inches of travel. A Light Racing JounceShock makes running out of suspension a much smoother ordeal. Keen eyes will spot the Currie Enterprises sticker, signifying the presence of one of its 9-inch housings that has been stuffed with 4.88 gears from Precision Gear and 300M axle shafts from Alloy USA. Fourpiston Wilwood calipers and 14-inch rotors are also present.
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Dirt Sports Magazine
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RIGHT: Total Chaos Fabrication upper and lower A-arms are used up front to net 12 inches of travel. Key to achieving that amount of suspension movement are the lengthened 300M Total Chaos half-shafts that allow for full stroke without binding. A similar shock setup to the rear, employing a Donahoe ByPass-O-Matic shock and coilover, is used in the front. FAR RIGHT: Light Racing JounceShocks are also part of the front suspension.The secondary suspension adds additional rebound and compression at the very end of the suspension cycle, allows the FJ to push harder through rough terrain and eliminates harsh bottoming.
LEFT: Scotty G. of Pla Car meticulously constructed an extensive and very beautiful cage. In addition to giving maximum protection to the Toyota’s occupants, it was also built to add as much strength as possible to the stock frame, preparing the FJ for the rigors of desert racing.
May 2007
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MASTERPIECE
IN METAL
ABOVE: A completely stock 4.0liter Toyota V-6 sits under the hood of the FJ with the only tweak coming in the form of Banks Power headers, exhaust and intake. Power then flows through an unmolested Toyota six-speed manual and a straight-from-thefactory transfer case. LEFT: A stout, custom bumper protects the nose of the FJ and also provides room for four KC HiLiTES HID lights. An additional four on the roof provide plenty of illumination for dark desert nights. Donahoe also decided to keep the factory windshield and wiper setup to keep the Cruiser’s occupants extra comfy.
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The Voice of Off-Road Motorsports
ABOVE: In order to convey that this is only a slightly modified stock vehicle, Donahoe Racing wanted the interior to look as close as possible to the way it rolls off the factory floor. Only the rollcage down bars, MasterCraft 3G seats, extra gauges and Lowrance GPS unit give away the racer’s true mission.
SPECIFICATIONS: 2007 DONAHOE RACING TOYOTA FJ CRUISER POWERTRAIN ENGINE: 4.0-liter, V-6 BUILDER: Toyota HORSEPOWER: 239 @ 5,900 rpm TORQUE: 278 lb/ft. @ 3,700 rpm INDUCTION: factory fuel injection TRANSMISSION: stock, six-speed manual
SUSPENSION FRONT: Total Chaos Fabrication Aarms, 2.5-inch Donahoe Racing bypass shock and coilover, Light Racing JounceShock. REAR: Donahoe Racing/Toyota fourlink, 2.5-inch Donahoe Racing bypass shock and coilover, Light Racing JounceShocks. BRAKES Front: Stock Toyota calipers and rotors. Rear: Wilwood four-piston calipers, Wilwood 14-inch rotors.
WHEELS/TIRES
GENERAL
WHEELS: 17x8 KMC Enduro beadlocks
CHASSIS: 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser
TIRES: 35x12.50R17 Nitto Terra Grapplers
DIMENSIONS: Wheelbase: 108 inches
INTERIOR
Overall Length: 144 inches
MasterCraft 3G seats, MasterCraft harnesses, Lowrance GPS, Kenwood PCI Race Radio.
Track Width: 81 inches Overall Height: 72 inches Weight: 4,000 pounds
May 2007
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