[FJ-40Original]

1975 FJ40 Fix-up/almost resto

Here's something for my buddy Zephyr from FM....

LMAO

Doing the works on this one

[73fj]

I don't get it......






















Yeah I do!

[FJ-40Original]

This is the BIG Project... Sorry it took so long to reply... Plus I had to give a buddy of mine the bird, and this is the only site I know that has the icon of the 'bird'

First I'm doing a Full Rewire with a Painless Harness...

More later

[FJ-40Original]

Anyone know where I can get a drivers side Top Knuckle arm at? This one's bent....


FE

[Vicm]

Good you have a great start, I would just drive it.

I have all the nuckle stuff from a 74, there are going to the junk yard. Also both axle shats in very good shape (drum) If you want them you can heve them.
Vic

[FJ-40Original]

Excellent Vic! I haven't taken it apart to see if there's more damage but the drivers side knuckle top of yours would be a welcome item!

malem2us(@)comcast.net

E-mail me and let's talk shipping costs?

W/R

Gary

[D'Animal]

You need some springs.

[FJ-40Original]

The left side does sag a bit....

Do you have a good pair that will level it out?

It's a customers FJ, not mine.... I am an ALL American CJ2A man.




FE

[FJ-40Original]

More pics coming soon, I've been waiting on Wiring diagrams that are accurate enough to help. There are NONE in the entire world of Wire Diagramea, that show the proper placement for cluster wiring...

I've got the cluster wiring done though and am proceeding to go further.

I am useing a Painless Harness but it's far from painless.... It's a fully weatherproof harness which will enable my customers to enjoy this FJ for years to come without any major issues.

I am still waiting on Painlesss to deliver some other parts that were missing in the kit, and I have to stop off at Napa and pick up another large electrical kit so I can complete this portion of the job.

If anyone want's to sell me the drivers side upper controll knuckle bearing arm, I'd be happy. I'm not on that part of the job yet but it's good to have parts ready. His knuckle bearings and seals are junk...


FE

[FJ-40Original]

No wiring diagrams that accurately replicate what I have to do so ALL of my work has been done by BRAILE and a dozen phone calls to Painless PErformance Harnesses for assistance with their "special" harnesses...

Here's the partial results. I should be done today, but it's iffy. I had to get a pair of relay's so I can wire teh single bulb tail lights to blink and brake at the same time...

The hardest part will be to wire this 6 wire turn signal harness into the 9 wire emergency flasher switch, while trying to tackle an uncharted 4 wire ignition switch to power everything at the correct time (painless my arse! )

It's looking good so far... Mechanicals are next. Getting it to run perfect with a GM carb is going to be fun... Then the steering knuckle rebuild... Etc....

[FJ-40Original]

Here is a good update for anyone interested

Now these are UGLY... Lets see what the other side looks like then do something about it









Lets take off that nasty stuff adn do a little cleaning and fitting...



A little Outer axle fitment...



Install the new Races...



Fits like a glove! (Not the Orenthall James kind either...)



Put on the spindle, clean it up, get teh proper # of shimms on the knuckle bearings, adn go to the other side and repeat...




Too many pics... Continued in next post...

[FJ-40Original]

Picking right back up





Just a CMA pic, showing a kink/flat spot in the brake line and gently letting my customer know that this is another non-accounted for expense.. {Sorry Mike, but I didn't kink it... a Rock did :( }



VIOLLAH! We have them mounted! Now for the fun part... Rebuilding the sick ass calipers that came with the parts from spincter offreoad...



YUCKY!



Separating them was a necessity to me and since I know how to reassemble them faultlessly, the recommendations are moot...
The China made rebuild kit was FU'd UP! {Friggin Chinese are pissed that the Japanese made the Toyota so they screw with the parts...}The damn "O"Rings were friggin OVAL!!!! . After another 4 day delay I received a set of OEM calipe rebuild kits for it and will finish them today and go on to the runability issues from there.







Ugly is always cureable with a couple coats of high heat resistant gloss black paint



More later

FE

[FJ-40Original]

OK, I've moved on and fabricated a winch mount welded the carp out of it then primed and painted and mounted it




Welded the carp out of it using 1/4" square tube, then some 1" X 1/4" flat bar.

Secured with Four 1/2' Grade 8 bolts and Two 7/16" G8 bolts and Four 3/8" G8 bolts



Now it's interior time I wonder what's under the carpet...? At first glance it was a nice rust free original '75 FJ40 that had been coated with Bedliner for durability and rustproofing....

Pulled out the carpet and yanked the fuel tank and, viollah!


CRAP! RUST and Hidden rust... Here's some more pics....


What's the easiest way to get this rubberized Rhino crap off?
Hmmm, let's try a scraper....


WOW, what a tiring pain in the ass... Hmmmm, what's that on top of my bench? A propane torch? Hmmm..... Now THAT's getting it done! Burn that crap and get it hot and hit it with a wire wheel!



Hmmm, it seems like this undercoating on the passenger side is hiding something.... Let's see what happens when Mr. Bondo and Mrs. Hardener are removed from the floor...



A little flame makes Mr Bondo peel right away...


Hmmmm, yucky little Brazing lines, LOTS of rust... Not a quality job here...





Tomorrow we'll see what can be done with all this missing metal...

I am not daunted, but I do feel sorry for my Client who's getting a bill later tonight.. It's gonna be a whole $150 bucks LMAO.

Here's some rust killer going crazy on the surface rust, so what's there does not penetrate any further...



Nasty stuff Naval Jelly...

The white stuff is the Naval Jelly really getting crazy on the rust... And drying before I could wipe it off



Then, after some banging and fabricating of a piece of 1993 Buick Roadmaster Right Front Hedder Panel...
Viollah! A nice piece of new floor that's not quite as good as the manufacturer made it, but, when I'm finished, you're not going to be able to see it.....



Got some more welding to do along with some profuse grinding, and I should be done by this evening with the floors...

[FJ-40Original]

What's with the 20 pic limit :( That took a little fun out of the post...

Later...

[D'Animal]

Originally Posted by FJ-40Original

What's with the 20 pic limit :( That took a little fun out of the post...

Later...

Buy a silver star and you can post as many pics as you want.

[FJ-40Original]

ooooh, ok. But this is for my customer not for me... I'm a Willy's man myself...

Ta-Ta Folks! More later!

[FJ-40Original]

OK, here we are once again at the Basketball Playoff's, Pardon me sir, did you see what happened?
"Yeah I did!"

I took that floor and cleaned and scrubbed and rust preventative-d it and treated and wire wheeled and cut and welded and then I Por 15'd it


Then after a day of rest and dry, I used some POR 15 tie in primer and installed bedliner over the whole thing after ton's of prep and ton's of dry time and a heavy recoat, this is what we got.


Then I touched up the Fuel tank cover, did a little cutting and welding, and Viollah! Got a nice almost new one...





More later... Getting close to paint!

[FJ-40Original]

After doing the cab floor than repairing the new tranny hump I got for it (pics soon) I then fabricated the passenger seat brackets out of a half fab that someone had already performed... (it's do-able but not brag-able )

Then I found this interesting little bump on the drivers side of the tub under the rear door... ANd after a little scratching look at what I found...



Then I had to see how far it went...



Yuck! Give an idiot some bondo and geeze, just look at the results...



I'll just shoot right through and let you follow in the pictures...





Hmmmm, a little Muratic Acid to treat the old bad metal underneath...



Put some por 15 on the old rusty schitt, then use my magical "Wonder-Twin Powers" to magically turn a flat piece of match gauge sheet metal into the piece that's missing...





DAMN I'm GOOD Pretty Huh?

As alway's, more later...

[bsmith123]

I'm doing my 71--Project "UGLY BETTY" now doesn't appear to have all the probs this one does but I have that same spot on the rear left side----metal is the only way to go!

looking good

[FJ-40Original]

Wow, lot's of nice new flesh for Betty huh? Looking good!

I know how it gets there... Nobody washes under there after a muddy run or a salty winter and it just rot's from then on out...

[FJ-40Original]

Finishing up the re-coating of the bed today I'll post a pic when done.

I only need my customer to pick a color for it now...

I wanna get painting this baby!

[FJ-40Original]

Here's some finished tub pics and some of the other body work being done.

Since I have now proceeded to the reclamation of the rest of the interior, the mounting of the ambulance door upper hinges, I re-made the driver seat bracket from scratch (that was PITA), and the paint and body stage is next.
And the pics will come as work progresses.
The new Interior and exterior color will be Dune Beige, with a White Top.







Low light screws up the digital pic...







Fabbing up the upper hinges here. Getting support for the weight of the door through thin double layered tin is a challenge...



The dash before...



Thr hole where a spotlight was mounted to the WS frame... I got a big ball of bondo, and broken drill bit and a couple old bolts out of the windshield frame when I did this work... The finished pics will come later...





Gary

[alex e]

ugh.....

[Moe R]

I'm liking the color coordinated jack stands
Coming along nice!! Good job

[bsmith123]

looks good appreciate all the pics good reference material!

[FJ-40Original]

Thanks! More coming next week when I get back into it pretty deep.

[FJ-40Original]

Well it's been WAY more than a week... In fact, Friday will make this job 15 months!
It left this afternoon with a very happy Driver.

So I'm going to try to get in a few more pics of the 244 I took of the job which don't include some of the above pics.

















I'll incert comments after I move if necessary, My wife has orders to a Carrier in Bremerton, and were leaving in 2 day's...

[FJ-40Original]

and Continuing....






This top is a story for boy's of all ages... As you will see the story unfold, it must have been ridden down Gravel Mountain by the Hardy Boy's. I worked for MANY hours on this top, and used a FULL Quart of 5 Star Hi-Build 2K primer... :(



By the way... All the black paint you see is POR 15 some absolute RETARD put all over the top... After 4 hours of sanding adn getting nowhere I got out the Acetone and scotch-brite, then when that went dry I got the Methel Ethel Keytone spares out...



This top had the original primer, original paint, then several re-paints on it, the black in both pics being POR 15 :x and the red is factory lacquer primer the two whites are attempts at painting once and what looked like horrible glass work for the other...



Lot's and Lot's and Lot's of sanding later......



Basecoat below... Can you see the horrible lighting conditions my poor arse could afford...




The owner thought this rig was stout and solid...

He hardly noticed a dent anywhere and he's owned it for the last 9 years....






Traveling Twice the Speed of Sound it's Easy to get Hurt... That's why I wore a mask...

[okie]

oooo your rippin it up on the body work and prep, looks great. the doors came out great!

[FJ-40Original]

and the SAGA continues unabated....

A little paint ehre and there will do a body good...

Since I work alone I often forgot to take pics.... :(



Best I could do.... Painted fenders way before this top pic... then assembled later below... Things start getting skewed a bit timewise...



Every Good FJ needs a drivers seat!




Putting in full roll cage was easy... Fitting the sides, bolting them down then measuring and drilling and mounting ambulance doors on non ambulance sides is STUCKING FUPIDITY in carnate! Should have set the top on and gotten in 4 to 6 bolts per side in before even trying something so damn retarded... But I'm a beginner at this...



Well sure the doors lined up nicely... AFTER I hit the tub and roll bar with the 5 ton port a power...

Time to mount and set the front doors...



Gotta put in the new felts and put the wing window wetherstrips and then install the glass first...



Skipps a lot right here but when I put teh top on I had to loosen ALL the sid bolts, the crossbar bolts and the door hinges. THEN I used the Port a power AGAIN and bent the warped roll cage and tub to conform to my standards... I bet I got 8 hours into ONLY bolting on the top :(

Now l skipped to the good part, yesterday in mid afternoon after a good bath and after mounting the rear seat.

Baby has on her New Shoes and Socks and is READY FOR THE RUBICON!









Finally, this last shot is just seconds before my 15 MONTH love/hate affair drove off into the sunset, to be taken to Tahoe shortly to it's old home near the Rubicon in it's New Clothes.

This is my new friend and best ever client, Mike. Enjoy Buddy!




Sincerely,

FJ-40Original, Gary.