My 75 FJ40 build up thread

[kcustom73]

A little history behind my cruiser. I had been searching for the last year for a mid 50's Willys wagon to restore but with out much luck when my wife told me she saw a cool looking truck for sale 5 minutes away from the house. So that weekend I went to take a look at this so called cool looking truck to find out it was a 75 FJ40. I loved the look of it right away and the wife was liking it too. The place was closed so I couldn't talk to anybody about it so I decided to go back home and do a web search on it. That’s when I found IH8MUD and read up on all the great history of the vehicle and I was hooked. After checking the finances (had spent quite a bit doing landscaping so far this year) I went back to the garage where the cruiser was and talked to the owner to get some history about this cruiser. It had been a plow truck for the last 9 years and he had just retired it. I could see that the body and a section of the frame where really rusty, but I knew I could get the parts to fix it. So I made a deal with the PO and brought my 75 FJ40 home in late July of this year.

Here's a picture of it when I first brought it home



I finally got to work on the cruiser this weekend. Started by gutting the interior and removing some of mess the PO had done to this poor cruiser (welded in driver seat, fuel tank from God knows where). No real surprise with the shape of the body but the frame is a little rougher then I originally taught but nothing that can’t be fixed

Here she is in her new home



As you can see from the pics, I'm going to have to replace the rear crossmember and both rear frame gussets and probably the rear spring mounts







a pic of the driver side seat mount near wheel well



The plans are to make this into a reliable daily driver so I’m going to take my time and go thru every part of the cruiser and fix/replace/clean up or upgrade everything that needs it. Here are some of the plans for it:

-body: everything from the rocker panels back has to be replaced (too much cancer) so thinking of getting an Aqualu tub. Any opinions on this?

-drivetrain: keeping stock 4 speed and t-case (rebuild them) and adding a Ranger overdrive (I've read that they can be noisy, but I'll be doing some sound insulation to make it a nicer daily driver, no water crossing for this girl any time soon) and replace the 2F with a 6.2L GM diesel (I know it hard to recoup the money you spend on converting over to diesel but I'm doing it to go to bio).

-disk brake upgrade: front from a FJ60 or mini truck, rear maybe from Poser

-Suspension: 2.5” OME Dakar spring and OME shocks

-Wheel & tires: stock 15” rims and Firestone Destination A/T 31x10.5

I know I've got a lot work ahead of me but it should be fun and a great learning experience.

Wish me luck
Kevin

[SouthBostonFJ]

Welcome
Good looking truck! If you are doing all that work, why not just replace that frame? It looks like a whole lot of trouble to repair it.
Sweet garage, it looks like an airplane hanger.

[kcustom73]

Well I have started ripping my cruiser a part. I'm a little dissapointed with the thru condition of my 40. At the point I'm at now, I'm sort of thinking I should of started with something in a little better condition. Oh well, guess it's going to be one heck of a learning experience. Here are some of the latest pics of the progess:

Here's what left of the floors and the rear fenders after couple of hours of cutting.


The frame is in ok condition, but the rear crossmember and the two frame gussets have to be reaplaced for sure.




The windshield frame will need some repairing!


Both rear sides will need some minor sheet metal repair and I'll also get rid of the non-stock light holes the PO cut in them.


So that's it for now. Progress is slow but steady but I'm hoping to have it completly strip by the end of the xmas holidays (if plans don't change...)

[AATLAS1X]

http://coolfj40.stores.yahoo.net/tubbodyfj40.html

[kcustom73]

AATLAS1X, I've seen those Pilgrim tubs before. Nice stuff but the price.... I pulling more towards the Aqualu tub. Seeing that I'm in an enviroment that uses a lot of salt during the winters, I need something that will last. I'm building something for "me" and I don't really care about resale value.

[fj40_73]

might want to hang around the parts for sell area, and just start with a different frame. Then aqua tub. And use the cruiser you purchased for driveline / switches / gauges & title.

That thing looks fawked. I ended up with a rust bucket close to that one, as much as I did not want to,.... I had to lay it to rest. Good luck.

[zcruz]

don't be too scared of that rear section of the frame. I replaced mine with c-channel, about a foot of it. then replaced the rear cross member with a real bumper. thats usually the worst part of the rust there in the back. just check that the rest is worthwhile, any more than what your showing might not be worth the trouble. but I'll take a small frame repair over body repair anyday! less b.s. I replaced my whole rotted tub with an aqualu. front and rear cowl and windshield frame. so worth it.

[meat]

http://catalogue.ebicruiserparts.com...cPath=22_89_29

[CristianRamirez]

uuuffff and i thinking that my fj40 are rusted .. good lock in your proyect

[65fj40_steve]

Thats a lot of work... but anything is possible, just depends how much work you want to put into it.

Good luck

[kcustom73]

zcruz, only about the last foot of the frame is rough so like you, I think I can repair it (haven't seen the frame under the cowl yet but if the rear is the worst then its not to bad).

Hard work doesn't scare me and it should be a great learning experience (I also save another cruiser from being put to rest ). My wife is all for me working on the truck, as long as the important things are done first.

Now all I need is to get enough gift certifacte at xmas to buy myself 230V MIG and I'm good to go.

[The Red Camel]

Good luck, im doing the same thing, don't walk away from your truck.

[natvet]

[Now all I need is to get enough gift certifacte at xmas to buy myself 230V MIG and I'm good to go.[/quote]

My thoughs exactly i dont have the rust just want a welder. Good luck Keep the wife happy so the kitchen passes keep comin and the cruiser keeps gettin better.