Rotw Osagecruiser...jakes Fj40

osagecruiser · 03-05-07, 06:56 PM

jake and i bought this truck about 9 years ago when he was 5....we needed a fishin truck....at the time i was driving a new chevy z71...with light gray interior...little muddy feet just was'nt working!....long story short came home opened the paper and there in the osage county chronicle was a toyota land cruiser...what?!...in kansas?...could'nt be...i called the number immediately...he still had it...we left and headed for olivet kansas....1 hour later it was ours!...we paid $1700.00 for it...i keep saying we...like jake put money in the deal....we both fell in love with it...but raising kids...running a business got in the way of both fishing and the cruiser...it sat in the driveway for 9 years...every now and then someone would stop and ask to buy it...thank god they never talked to my wife or would have been gone!...when jake got older he decided it was time to start "working "on it...so we pushed it into the garage and got started...we knew nothing...well we knew enough to get in trouble....my wife was skeptical..."your a builder not a mechanic"....i heard that more than once...or the famous "are you sure you know what you are doing?"...thank god for IH8MUD and the great members of this board and my cruiser club...TORNADO ALLEY CRUISERS....i could not have gotten through the project without them!

well here is the spec's on the truck
1968 fj40
chevrolet 283 engine with 2 barrel carb
3 speed transmission toyota
toyota tcase
the entire truck less the engine and front seats was stock
color when we bought it...crap gray

jake and i completed the following work

wired brushed the entire underside of the truck and painted
replaced the rear sill and quarter panels
installed a 2" lift new shocks nad 1.5" shackles with new pins
installed a new ebrake
cut out and patched misc rust spots
stripped sanded prep'd and painted the entire truck
installed durabek on the interior floors
installed new front seats
rewired the truck and replaced misc electrical parts
new guages in a custom mount
new tail lights, turn signals and bib lights
installed a tuffy console and stereo with speaker
installed and overhead tuffy console with a cb
installed a metal tech cage
installed a mile marker winch
new 32" cooper discoverer tires on black spoke rims (thanks zornff)
reworked the interior of the hard top roof, coated with white snow roof
repainted the exterior of the truck competition yellow with black trim

jake and i will be installing some other items they are

new intake manifold with holley truck avenger carb 470 cfm
new front axel with disk brakes (thanks 66fj40x2)
power steering (thanks tornadoalleycruiser)
new thrush mufflers
4" lift

that just about sums up jakes 1968 fj40...i am sure i have forgotten a few things....it has been a great experience and we have met alot of terriffic people..thanks to everyone!

osagecruiser · 03-05-07, 07:00 PM

here are a few more pics

osagecruiser · 03-05-07, 07:02 PM

and some more....

osagecruiser · 03-05-07, 07:04 PM

more

osagecruiser · 03-05-07, 07:05 PM

guess what?....we don't have any pics of the finished truck...we will post some up in the am!

osagecruiser...and of coarse jake!

Josie'sLandCruiser · 03-05-07, 07:38 PM

Hi All:

Nice restore/build "Osagecruiser!"

Jake is one lucky kid!

More pics, please!

Regards,

Alan

trekker · 03-05-07, 07:58 PM

That is awesome. Good for you two guys! I was following your work for a while! It looks great.

Good job Jake!!!!

osagecruiser · 03-05-07, 08:22 PM

thanks josie and trekker...we will get more pics up when the sun comes up....jake is a great kid and we have spent some really good times with this truck....if he had his way we would be at a tlca event every month....check back for more picks!

osagecruiser

dirtywilks · 03-05-07, 08:32 PM

That's one lucky kid.. I'm jealous.. Sweet Rig, and I hope to do the same with my boy

osagecruiser · 03-05-07, 08:42 PM

dirty, get after it....you learn more about your son while laying under a land cruiser staring at a part that neither of you have a clue what it is....or how to get it off....my son is a great kid.....sometimes i wish i were more like him!

osagecruiser

tlcruiser66 · 03-05-07, 09:05 PM

Nice work... keep those pics coming.

Kevin

Hobbs · 03-05-07, 09:41 PM

VERY nice rig!!

The two best things about your truck are:

1) The connection it established/strengthened between your son and you, and

2) All of the cool, helpful, entheusiastic folks you met during the build-up.

P.S.- love the Ih8mud gloss on the hood!

camcruiser13 · 03-05-07, 11:13 PM

nice work
your son will love you when he gets to b your age and he owns it,

i thank my dad all the time for keeping his/now mine cruza

nice

eyezlee · 03-06-07, 08:10 AM

Great write up marc, I love the pic of jake hanging his arm out the window. He's one lucky kid and your a lucky dad for having this opportunity.

Having seen "jake's 40" in person I can say it is indeed a sweet ride.

FJBen · 03-06-07, 08:23 AM

Looks good guys! Marc's a good guy who I've met a couple of times

Now if we could just get to wheeling sometime!

TRESSEH · 03-06-07, 08:26 AM

Thank You, I Needed That, Helps Me See The Light. Great Job Guys. Keep Up The Great Work

Wayneraintree · 03-06-07, 08:51 AM

Great story, cool build, and great concept of building it together. To think it sat nine years !?!?! waiting for the child to say "let's work on it dad"... that is too cool. Oh, and props to your wife for seeing the non-monetary value in the project...

cruiserfreek · 03-06-07, 09:39 AM

not bad!!! not bad at all! looks great

rusty_tlc · 03-06-07, 02:20 PM

Very nice! Very Nice indeed!!!!!

projektdotnet · 03-06-07, 04:50 PM

tis all I can say

AKcruiserfreak · 03-06-07, 04:56 PM

Very nice! It sooo reminds me of my paint/ rebuild job three years ago! Now that I have a little more experience, I'm stripping mine down (again) and am repainting it.

TK

swilson · 03-06-07, 05:26 PM

Is that rear bumper welded right onto the rear portion of the frame? Convenient step... looks strong.

FJFOOL · 03-06-07, 07:38 PM

That is a very nice Cruiser !! And I will say mine has also been a great "bonding agent" over the years, first with my daughters and now my grand-daughters. "Can we take the Cruiser?" is a house-hold phrase now. In a moment of weakness I once mentioned selling it and they all ganged up on me"NO WAY!! Thank goodness for that. Anyway, have fun wheelin' and keep the dirty side down

osagecruiser · 03-07-07, 07:51 AM

wilson...the rear bumper is bolted to the frame...the po welded some additional hell for stout steel to the original bumper and welded on the step...the bumper is definetly strong!...thanks all for your comments...now here are some pic of the truck as it is today...that will change in the next several weeks!

osagecruiser · 03-07-07, 07:54 AM

and a few more

F-junker · 03-07-07, 08:17 AM

What a great Father and Son project. This is what every Dad should do with his son. I really enjoy seeing rigs like these, done by average joes. It's one of my favorite colors too! Enjoy the rides!!

squinty20 · 03-07-07, 01:30 PM

Very nice! That is a great father/son project.

centerlineseal · 03-07-07, 01:36 PM

Beauty!! My son Nate (he's 15) and I are starting the same type of project. Kansas (Topeka) 1972 FJ40 bought in 1976 and now ready for its 4th engine (3rd SBC). You boys have shown us IT CAN BE DONE! 10-Q

osagecruiser · 03-07-07, 02:17 PM

center....are you a member of tornado alley cruisers?...we would love to have you guys in the club....we have several members in topeka....great group of guys....let me know if you are interested....

osagecruiser

badass · 03-07-07, 03:21 PM

Great job, i bet you learned a ton. Shoulda went with good ole mustard yellow though