1971 fj40 survivor (1 Viewer)

[west aussie]

not really sure this is the correct part of mud but thought id share these. if anyone wants to move this thread somewhere more appropriate thats fine with me. im down in perth city for a few days and visited the state motor museum (whiteman park) this morning where i found this old gem residing among many other nice cars. its completely as found and sturdily set up for remote pilbara bushwork in the 70s, mineral exploration at a guess. i just love it!

of possible further interest to other aussies, in the background of the first pic is the falcon ute from the recently produced 'red dog' movie.

 

[west aussie]

a few more pics. the mesh waterbag covers behind each front guard. the door air scoops mentioned in the signage. interior. the museum were kind enough to allow me to climb over the ropes, open the bonnet and inspect this old gem at will.

 

[west aussie]

the second fuel tank (and filler cap) under the passengers seat.

 

[west aussie]

there is lots more of note but im having trouble attaching pics

 

[west aussie]

barwork

 

[wesintl]

Nice, I always love the old stuff

 

[west aussie]

there is some interesting stuff under the bonnet. additional spin on type fuel filter. you may notice a tap for the second fuel tank (disconnected). this operates via a rod connected to a handle near the ignition. some auxilliary trailer brakes i didnt study too much. see how the coil has been removed away from the engine heat.

and i just like the last image, where the 40 is parked near the museums veteran collection

 

[Living in the Past]

I did a Google search of spinafex. It appears either their signage is misspelled, spinifex is how it shows up. Guessing the screens are grass not the pigeons? If it was pigeons the scoops for the windows help force them inside. Cool old cruiser, nice it ended in a museum. I live in the Phoenix area in in Arizona. They are always tearing the oldest building downtown to build new ones. They say compared to other parts of the country these are that old. Of course if they tear them all down there will never be any historic buildings.

 

[west aussie]

yea signage is wrong. spinifex is a highly flammable tussock type grass of several variants. particularly troublesome blocking radiators when it goes to seed; but this is when its forage value is best so no-one complains too much. (maybe the miners haha) usually first to go on these vehicles is the undercarriage protection plate for the gearbox. it tends to collect material and becomes a fire hazard. i have some nice old photos of mustering cattle through the pilbara in a fleet of shorty fortys in the mid 90s. need to scan them.

below is a better pic of the radiator screen designed to let the spinifex seed fall away

 

[andybudge]

Great pics Henry. Didn't realize there was an old 40 series at the Museum.
Like the mods that have been done on this to suit the Pilbara.
I have driven that old Falcon! I worked on the Red Dog Movie. Very tired Old Girl with little in the way of Braking and Foam in the Drivers Seat.
The Museum must have received the Falcon from Woodside Petroleum?
I was the last to drive it to their Warehouse out on the Burrup Peninsula for them to take down to Perth to put on Display in the Foyer of their Head Office in Perth City.

 

[Cruiser_Nerd]

Was going to move thread to 40 section............................decided to watch Red Dog instead. I really like survivors with vintage modifications.

 

[west aussie]

haha me too! actually am yet to watch the movie myself but it is in my camp on dvd somewhere. i feel mud needs a site for old and/or original 40 stuff. the 40 tech page has too much modified content for my liking; and just a large turnover of threads. i feel much more at home in the 25 hollow!

wish i had taken some pics of the dash on this 71. has various info written in those old 70s reel type homemade label makers (what were they called??). info on how to operate the secondary fuel tank, and the one i liked, the radio call signal for that vehicle, victor whisky charlie mobile 2 or somesuch. the days before the bush was full of sattelite telephones!