Rotw: Sputnik40

Sputnik40 · 04-02-07, 02:34 PM

Aka Lost Betty's Lucky 13 - My home computer is down - so it's gonna take some searcing to get most of the build pics posted here.

The story with this 40 started shortly after I sold my mustard yellow 79 FJ40 (got married with this one) due to various frame rust and mechanical problems. The following week, my now exwife, son and I spent a week up touring the Carolina's and I was looking everywhere for a good project vehicle - but nothing popped up - mind you this was around 98, so I wasn't fully up on website sales and what not. Needless to say - 14 days after selling the 79, I picked up this 76 within one mile of my house on Singer Island, Florida. Paid too much for it, towed it home, parked it in the garage and fully dissassembled everthing except the engine, tranny, t-case and diffs. and did a full frame off restoration.

The entire frame, tub and all sheetmetal was sandblasted, and then I sprayed with a PPG marine epoxy primer. Used a nice glossy two part epoxy PPG paint on the frame, and PPG Acrylic Enamel on the body. Did a small amount of rust repair to the tub, and added new fenders. Tons of new Toyota parts, tires, glass and it was looking pretty good. The rebuild included swapping in my friend Jim's 81 2F.

In the following years I ran a set of 33" M/T's on classic slots, or 33" x 9.5 M/Ts on OEM wheels with hubcaps. Added lockers, mini truck power steering, and a Ramsey 8,000 winch. Blew the engine and did a complete rebuild and generally enjoyed some mild wheeling trips and lots of daily driving.

Here's a pic of where it kinda ended up in teh first few years:

johnkappus · 04-02-07, 02:36 PM

sweet cruiser!

looking forward to more pics of the build....great job!

Sputnik40 · 04-02-07, 02:50 PM

As I started wheeling more and more, I finally moved up to 35" x 16" Boggers, won a gift certificate at GSMTR for an ARB, so installed a front ARB and air compressor. Scored a rebuilt SM420 with AA adaptors and most the hardware needed for the swap - added in a high angle driveline long travel front shaft. Flipped the rear springs and added 4+ u-bolt flip kits. Saved up for a brand spanking new 8274 with the big motor, swapped out the bench seat the wife originally wanted and went back to buckets. Bent up a 6 point family cage. Added a new header, had Jim C. rebuilt the carb, and installed a non-USA dizzy. Flipped the rear springs, added a track bar, enlarged the wheel openings and added rock sliders to the tub. Wheeled it like this for a few more years, moved up to 37" MTR's and continued to enjoy as a daily driver but with the pains of the SM420 2nd gear not working well with the fuel injection. Nonetheless, it wheeled well and did 80 mph on the interstate with ease - except for a bit of wandering.

In the last 3 years, I picked up a Downey GM fuel injection conversion, DUI dizzy, completed a springover with low profile shackle reversal, cut/turned and powder coated axle, added 30 spline longs, mini truck rear shaft fabbed up by Jesse, AGR power steering conversion with a flaming river shaft and JTO pump bracket, installed 4x4 labs highsteer with one ton TREs, picked up a set of brand new Aisin hubs, and moved up to Stazworks double beadlocks and a used set of 38.5 TSL/SX's. At this point the tub was starting to rust from the inside out (I had a house on the beach that the ex got - so I guess the salt air didn't help). Started hitting more rocks with it, and generally caring less about how it looked.

Currently: I've just added Polyperformance chromoly rear shafts - I'm in the process of fabbing up a beefy skidplate that I fabbed up with 1.25 x .125 square tubing and 5/16 plate, have fabbed up tract bar brackets to use a FJ80 front trailing arm as the traction bar with a shackle/heim to attach to the skidplate. Just got a set of 17" WE beadlocks and skored a set of 39" Red Label Krawlers. Tons more going on, just can't remember it all but I'll see if I can't find more pics, and wheeling pics to boot. So here's where I'm at this past week - with a serious need to put the cut off fenders back up front:

Sputnik40 · 04-02-07, 02:53 PM

One of the nicer things I like about this is the fiberglass repro grill I got - I had a steel one I brought back in my surfboard bag years ago one a trip to CR or Panama, but I ended up trading that to someone for the glass version and $100 - which was a good deal to me at the time - and someone got a OEM grille that is in better hands than mine

.

Also - has a 360 degree military pintle hook bolted into the rear cross member - kool touch if I only had the trailer to go with it.

90 Weight · 04-02-07, 03:06 PM

man thats an awesome looking rig. I love the stance..My next cruiser is definately going to be one that I can chop the rear for tire clearance...without feeling bad.

Sputnik40 · 04-02-07, 03:11 PM

Right line on Slick Rock back when sprung under. Broke the right front frame horn forcing it into the rock trying to get a tyre up over - made it where a buddy with 40" MTR's and sprung over couldn't get traction

.

VTFJ40 · 04-02-07, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MOUNTAINCRUISER

man thats an awesome looking rig. I love the stance..My next cruiser is definately going to be one that I can chop the rear for tire clearance...without feeling bad.

x2.

Who makes those beadlocks?

Sputnik40 · 04-02-07, 03:20 PM

Various build pics:

Finishing the spring over and trying to get it looooooweerrr...

Sputnik40 · 04-02-07, 03:26 PM

Wheeling in Florida...

Gundy · 04-02-07, 03:35 PM

Great rig Sputnik40. I've really enjoyed watching it morph
over the years. I can't wait till you get up here to Pumpkintown
before Tellico. Those new casings are Da Bomb!

DevilDogCruiser · 04-02-07, 08:05 PM

Cool rig man! More pics please?

redcorn · 04-02-07, 09:29 PM

very nice!

john

AKcruiserfreak · 04-02-07, 10:56 PM

She was so purty! It's definitely way more capable now, but kinda sad to see a pristine 40 turn into a rock crawler. I guess I'm just partial to mustard yellow cruisers.

TK

badass · 04-03-07, 08:18 PM

Great rig bro, mustard is the way to go

Slowerthanu · 04-04-07, 12:28 PM

Nice rig you have there.

camcruiser13 · 04-04-07, 03:36 PM

great pics, looks like fun to me

FJFOOL · 04-04-07, 07:32 PM

Great pics and build, Sputnik !! You've got a nice wheeler there. One question, in your pic of wheelin at Slickrock you mentioned making it up that spot sprung under where your buddy SOA didn't get enough traction. What differences have you noticed in both configurations? Thanks for the input, am enjoying your ROTW.

Quazii · 04-04-07, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AKcruiserfreak

but kinda sad to see a pristine 40 turn into a rock crawler.
TK

Remember they were all pristine once

Nice rig Sputnik, Is that an Eshan top?

tlcruiser66 · 04-05-07, 04:36 AM

Sweet lookin' rig you got yourself.

Kevin

lowtideride · 04-05-07, 08:03 AM

Looking good man, ready to put a beating on it next month? ...see ya next weekend. Ill burn an old surfboard for the wave gods this week so there will be waves when ya make it up here.

BladeRunner80 · 04-05-07, 09:10 AM

Nice!

Sputnik40 · 04-05-07, 09:55 AM

I agree - there was once a time when I planned to own both a daily driver and a wheeling rig - but being divorced, dating, having a boat, taking surf trips and trying to restore a historic house kill my limited funds. Something had to give - and the Cruiser is a great way to let loose frustration

.

Note that when I did the frame off I restored back to original from a mild rock crawler. It was a basket case when I got it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AKcruiserfreak

She was so purty! It's definitely way more capable now, but kinda sad to see a pristine 40 turn into a rock crawler. I guess I'm just partial to mustard yellow cruisers.

TK

Sputnik40 · 04-05-07, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FJFOOL

Great pics and build, Sputnik !! You've got a nice wheeler there. One question, in your pic of wheelin at Slickrock you mentioned making it up that spot sprung under where your buddy SOA didn't get enough traction. What differences have you noticed in both configurations? Thanks for the input, am enjoying your ROTW.

Night and day. I prefer the SOA hands down. Widening the stance helps on the street with the softer ride. There are a lot of variables to the differences between my SUA and the SOA I did. SU was super stable and plenty flexy - I run cut off fenders on the trail, and if I had tubbed the rear I think it would have been near perfect. The best functional investment on the SU was the u-bolt flip kits. That combined with tubbing the rear and a low profile shackle reversal would have been damn nice.

The SOA is nice because of the low profile shackle reversal and flipped springs on both ends - my approach and departure angles are good, I've got a decent track width for stability and love how soft it rides on the faster parts of the trails - I'll be going waggy springs or 4 link next year and prolly call it good for this vehicle.

I busted my frame ramming the SUA part of the shackle into the rocks to get up and over - Mike couldn't make it due to lack of traction with 40" MTR's - he's solving that this year with 39" Krawlers like mine and a rear 4 link - he'll probably kick my rear with that set up.

Sputnik40 · 04-05-07, 10:02 AM

Fawk yeah - even with the ripped shoulder, I'm bringing boards and will be available to surf Sat. and Sun. a.m. I'll catch you either late Sat. after rehearsal dinner party, or Sat. a.m.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lowtideride

Looking good man, ready to put a beating on it next month? ...see ya next weekend. Ill burn an old surfboard for the wave gods this week so there will be waves when ya make it up here.

Sputnik40 · 04-05-07, 10:04 AM

Got my 6 bolt high steer arms from Luke last night - will post up pics of them and the 6 bolts tomorrow a.m.

Might be selling my small pattern knuckles and 4x4 labs high steer for low profile shackle reversal with SOA. PM me if interested.

redcorn · 04-06-07, 03:53 PM

shoot me a pm on the knuckle and arm combo.

killer rig, love color.

Capt. Jim · 04-08-07, 06:20 AM

Nice truck you got there, Sputnik. Here's another pic from Slickrock.

mmcinnis · 04-08-07, 03:18 PM

Bill it's amazing how much time and effort we have all put into our rigs. It's crazy that you can remember all the stuff you've done over the years. Well we all do it for one reason or another. I think you and I our on the same page when it comes to wheelin. This year is gonna be awesome. See yall Florida boys soon!!