My new project (1 Viewer)

[Lschumm]

So I've been wanting an fj40 for years now and I worked butt off over the summer. I was looking around on craigslist and I finally found this beauty and splurged on myself. 1978 land cruiser with original 2f and 106,000! Runs strong but as always need a little tlc. Minor leaks, bit of rust, etc. I want to do some work myself but as I'm only seventeen I don't quite know too much. Hopefully there are some season veterans out there to help me!

 

[Healey]

Congrats. Drive it, enjoy it. Study up on the forum a bit, and make changes slowly. Make sure the brakes are good. Fluids all ok. Steering ok. All lights work.
Start by flipping the bezel

 

[Ken White]

Welcome to MUD and I am sure that you be able to get all the info you need from the members here. Good to see a young fella having a go. Looks like a nice rig. Throw up some more pics of the interior and motor.

 

[JohnnyC]

X2 flip ya bezel (that's the white thing around your headlights) the thick side goes up

You will need to move your plate to the bumper

Welcome to Mud !

 

[alabamatacomaguy]

Mine is a similar color blue. Cool car to have at 17. I always wanted one that early and wish I had gotten one when I would have been young enough to enjoy it even more.
Looks like your previous owner has swapped out your turn signals over the years (the earlier model fj signals are lower priced so it's common, I have them on mine, probably early 70s I'm not sure on exact year)

Here's a tip, don't let your friends drive it, or anyone but you and family. You will have friends wanting to drive something as cool and rare as your 40, but dont let them. Stuff breaks but it stinks even worse when you have a more difficult to replace part and it's not you that broke it.

There are plenty of veterans on here that can help give advice to fix any problem these trucks might have.

Don't make the mistake I did, research purchases on here first before buying them. It stinks buying the same thing twice because you didn't realize a better part was available.

 

[JohnnyC]

Btw they are not oem front turn signals ... Not from an earlier cruiser either.... They do kinda look that way...but ... They Look to be somebody put in trailer double sided lights... Cheap stuff... But for now... Hay they work

If I had that at 17 it would be beyond recognition with all the dents and bashing into stuff... Good thing I had a full size 2door 79' Cherokee for that in my earlier years lol

 

[FJ404345]

Great Buy !

Keep it forever and enjoy.

 

[DSRTRDR]

welcome

 

[ErikinSC]

Super cool truck, lots of fun to have. Drive it as much as u can before u start anything major and have to disassemble and can't drive it.

 

[bj40green]

Welcome to the addiction, madness and money pit.
More pictures please.

Rudi

 

[Lschumm]

Thanks for the welcome! I can already tell I'm going to like it here.

The previous owner replaced all the lights and covers, as well as new side mirrors and a front bumper. I'm slowly figuring out a few other things here and there. As for the interior the right rear jump seat will need to be recovered, there's two old speakers and a stereo that are not hooked up to anything, and obviously the headliner is missing. Bit of rust on the rear sill (kinda bad in one spot) but its really not bad anywhere else, just some surface stuff.

I just flipped the bezel, looks much better now
What would you guys do first? Any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[Usernametaken]

What would you guys do first? Any suggestions?

Drive it. Just drive it.
And please don't ever sell it or you'll forever wish you hadn't. The only suggestion I can make is perhaps do some reading on panel repair, get that rust out.

 

[78fj40mg]

Welcome to MUD and congrats on the new to you 40!
1978 is the best year!

 

[Rainman]

I'll pitch in.

I sure hope you can afford to keep this thing for many years and have the time, patience, and cash to make it exactly what you want. Research the look you want and try and decide how you think you will end up using it. Daily driver? Rock crawler? Both? That's for down the road.

For now, I would look for any and all rust that will ruin your day later on. There are lots of common places on the FJ40s that they all will tend to rust in. Here's the first round for a beginner to look at.
A) Across the bottom of the front bib. See if the bottom side of it is flat all the way across or if it is bowed downward. It's two layers of sheet metal and dirt and water love to collect in there and rust it out.
B) Right where that mess is on the fender. The fender brace is under that portion of the fender and it's also a collector of the enemy.
C) Looks like you have this one too. Easy to see from the underside. It's self explanatory.
D) Another seem that harbors crap. Looks like the waves in the paint are covering up either the beginnings of rust or bondo from an attempted fix.
E) right behind where that cool little reflector is there are layers of metal that once again are harbingers of death.
F) if there was one... All the way across under the ambulance doors.

There are metal guys on here that could give you the best way to handle these without coughing up all your money fixing them right off the bat. Look to them for advice as to keeping it from spreading until you can repair it.

Good luck!

 

[Lschumm]

Thanks guys! I plan on keeping it as long as I live, and I want to keep it as original as possible but obviously I want it to be drivable without an infinite budget. Thanks Rainman for the detail along with the picture, thats really helpful and that's the first thing I'll do!

 

[handcannon]

The most important thing as stated earlier, make sure the brakes and lights work properly, then drive it. Rust in the body panels does need to be addressed, but if you don't have the money to fix that right away it can still be driven if the brakes and lights work like they should.

Enjoy!!

Don

 

[Lschumm]

Here's a little video tour I made of it, I'd love to hear some feedback!

 

[FJFOOL]

Congratulations on your find ! Enloy, and being in Denver you should get some good wheeling in !

 

[FARMAN33]

Don't do anything to "D" in your photo! Factory body rivets. Although the do rust here, what I see is usually an indicator that someone was at least judicious with any Bondo they applied. Most slather queens go ahead and have those smoothed over.

 

[RyanCostaRica]

Nice find congrats!


Proud owner of Beast. 77 BJ40