Builds 02/75 fj40 restoration

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LSUfj

SILVER Star
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Nov 16, 2006
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105
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866
Location
Fort Worth, TX
Well,
The past few weeks have made this project grow into a restoration. I have had this 40 for about 2 years now and have been trying to get it running better ever since. I picked up a carburated 3f for a really good price and planned to drop it in and go. So i got the new-er engine home and began to pull the front end apart. It was all going well until i realized the PO had welded the driver side fender bracket to the frame. At this point, I decided that there were too many half-a$$ repairs to just leave it alone. Along with the welded fender, there is a 5/8 socket being used for a spacer on the alternator bracket, a trailer harness used for the rear lights, heavy gauge wire used to hold various lines/wires to the frame rails, and a thick layer of epoxy resin used to blend a driver floor panel into the tranny hump.

Anyway, here is a shot of when I purchased it. Looks pretty good right? Plenty of work hiding under that shell. It came with a set of factory wheels that i put some 33x10.5 bfgs on right after I got it home.... it looked great. I planned to drive it like this for a few years, then do the restoration. In the meantime, I added some mini truck discs and purchased a bunch of small parts. So here we are two years later and its coming apart....very quickly.
I am not sure what I want to do with the 3f now, but I think the plan is to do very little with it. I will probably get the fj apart and put back together. At that point I think I will use the 3f as a temporary engine while the 2f is being refurbished.

Anyway, Im sure my plans will change again. I will update as I progress.
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floor panels???

Since I will be purchasing some floor panels, I was curious if they are typically made with a folded edge like the originals. Specifically, the portion of the driver side floor panel that extends under the inner rocker panel is rusted. Do the replacement panels extend to the outer rocker or are they intended to be welded to the inner rocker?

I've emailed a few vendors and havent gotten a response. Let me know if this is unclear, i can try to edit a photo....

Pics of replacement panels would be great!
 
Great start...

I purchased this floorpan from Pilgrim. Its an entire one piece unit and is the same as factory. If you can afford it, this is the route I would go.
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Hrmm, I bought mine from TLC for under 300 shipped...

You could go the eBay way and get a generic drivers side for 59 plus shipping.
 
Thanks for the photo. Did you buy direct from Pilgrim?

Also, Do these edges fit under the inner rocker panel and get spot welded to the outer? I believe thats how it comes from the factory. I am hoping to replicate.
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nice rig, like your helper ( your Dog)..........
 
Thanks for the photo. Did you buy direct from Pilgrim?

Also, Do these edges fit under the inner rocker panel and get spot welded to the outer? I believe thats how it comes from the factory. I am hoping to replicate.

On a 75, floor panels, inner, and outer rocker panels are all separate pieces. Inner rocker is spot welded down to the floor, not from the side. That clear as mud?
 
On a 75, floor panels, inner, and outer rocker panels are all separate pieces. Inner rocker is spot welded down to the floor, not from the side. That clear as mud?

I'm pretty sure I understand whats going on there. Is the outer rocker spot welded to the vertical edge of the floor panel? Then the inner rocker spot welded to the top, flat portion of the floor panel?.....is this mud getting thicker?
 
I'm pretty sure I understand whats going on there. Is the outer rocker spot welded to the vertical edge of the floor panel? Then the inner rocker spot welded to the top, flat portion of the floor panel?.....is this mud getting thicker?

Yep, I believe that's exactly correct. I always made my own panels, but I've taken a bunch of em apart, and that's how I remember it.
 
Just a brief update. I got everything out of the interior. Rollbar came out along with the steering column. I just have a few dash switches to pull off, then the tub will be ready to come off. I think I am going to take most of the paint off by hand, and send it to a blaster for hard to reach areas.

Also, I am thinking of making a rotisserie for body work. Actually, more like a large L-shaped frame to roll the tub on its side (about a foot off the ground) in order to work on the underside. Similar to the "poor mans rottiserie" but even poorer....

Anyway, pics will come when I get to that point. any tips on frame restoration. I think I am going to clean it up, apply POR-15, then a coat of chassis black. thoughts?

Here is where it stands now.
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update

I finally got everything off, including the tub. Pulling stuff off is fun, and inexpensive. Now it gets expensive.....:frown: I will probably start with the frame and then move on to some sheet metal replacement. Everything looks to be in great shape except for the drivers floor pan over to the edge of the gas tank depression. This rust seems odd to me. I dont have the typical rot at the sill and on the rockers, floor pans only. Anyway, any bad sheetmetal will be replaced with new. Not sure where I will purchase from yet.

Question: I thought about using por15 on the frame, but recently heard that it was very thick and not a good choice for a factory finish type of restoration. I might just use it on the axles and use something a little thinner on the frame. Maybe a rust protective coating then a coat of eastwood chassis black. Thoughts?
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whatever you do dont buy those cheap economy floorpans from ebay,"$59" models, my 7 year old can make nicer floorpans then those, "ask me how i know"
 

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