Most of you already know about the frame-off that Jim and I are doing. I'm finally ready to come out of the closet with it now that the destruction/parts search is mostly over and the resurrection can begin.
First, I want to say that I never would have even thought of taking on this task without the info and knowlege of the people on Ih8mud (you know who you are), this forum, and especially, Jim aka Cruiser_Nerd. The hardest part of an FJ25 restoration is obtaining the unobtanium. Many of you have been gracious enough to dig deep into your hoarded parts collections and allow this restoration to take place. Thanks to everyone!
The history: As most of us 25 owners do, we're always looking for that diamond in the rough in some farmer's pasture, or in this case, an old plow truck on A-1 Toyota's car lot. I'd always seen an old Cruiser tucked way in the back of the lot but never paid it any attention. Heck I was a mini truck guy competing in NEUROC, not a restoration guy. 3 years ago, I didnt even know what an FJ25 was, much less how to tell it apart from an FJ40. Fast forward a year later and Cruser_Nerd gets me into the 25 scene with my ride. Now I'm hooked, and hell bent on restoring it to as original as I can. A little birdy told me to go and re-visit A-1's lot to investigate what that old Cruiser really was. Here's what I found:
Of course, the first thing I did was go into the dealership and ask who owned it. The parts guys told me that it was the owner's truck and that it had been sitting there for over 15 years. It had a broken rear axle and the engine was seized. I asked them if I could take a closer look at it and they said, go ahead. I went out again and popped the hood to find a virtually unmolested engine bay and the VIN confirming that it was a 1959 FJ25. I took the above pics and went back to work to try and set up a meeting with the dealership's owner to try and buy the FJ25. I was hoping that he really didn't know what he had and that I would get it for cheap since it was in such disrepair.
It took over a month to finally connect up with him. His name is Domenic, a nice older italian man. We first talked on the phone for a minute, at which time he told me to come down and talk in person. A week later, I was sitting in his office. The first words out of his mouth were," Its not for sale". But he then told me the story of his FJ25. A-1 Toyota was the first Toyota dealership in New England. This FJ25 was originally bought by A-1 in late 1959. It was then shown and featured by Toyota in the 1960 New York Auto Show. Domenic personally drove it from New Haven to New York for the show. At the show, the 25 was sold to a local man and he promptly took delivery of his new FJ25 and drove it away. Fast forward 10 years and the owner decided that he wanted to trade it in on a new FJ40. This is how A-1 took posession of the FJ25 again. Since then, it was used for a recreational weekend truck and then as the lots plow truck until parts became too scarce for A-1 to fix it. As we all know, in 1969 when the parts lookup changed, all of the old part numbers became obsolete. Being a dealership, and not an avid group of resourceful enthusiests like us, they gave up trying to find parts for the 25 and that is where it sat.
I asked what he wanted to do with it if I couldn't buy it. He told me that he wanted to restore it. Now, I have to admit that I've only restored cars that parts are readily available for and thought twice about what I was going to say. But that thought only lasted a few seconds. I said that I would be interested in the opportunity to give him a price on a restoration. He asked if I thought I could get parts for the restoration. I told him that I have a few friends with 25's who have collected parts over the years. The thought even crossed my mind that if worse came to worse, I'd use my 25 as a parts rig for the restoration, but only as a last resort. Heck the frame numbers were less than 20 digits off from one another. They were like sisters! Dominic told me that he was talking to some of the resto companies in California, but that he'd keep me in mind. I wasn't holding my breath. I left him a FoxFab business card and off I went.
A month or so went by with no contact. Then suddenly, my cell phone rang and it was Steve from A-1. Steve is the son-in-law of Dominic and he wanted a price on how much to restore it. I told him that I'd need to really go over the truck to give him an honest number and that if I did it, I'd want it to be done back to its original color and as stock as possible. He agreed. He said, would you like it on a lift? We set up a date that he would have it inside on a lift. I couldn't believe that they actually called back. I immediately called Jim to make sure he could make it. I also called my buddy Matt to get a third set of eyes on it.
We all met on a Saturday morning at A-1 and as promised, the 25 was inside on the lift waiting our inspection. The three of use went over the truck inside and out. This was when we found out that the original color was green. The frame was marginal, the tub had more rust than it looked like, but the good thing was that almost all of the parts were there. We spent a good 2 hours poking and prodding it. Jim took lots of pictures. We then went to the local diner for breakfast and talked it over. Jim and I put some numbers together over the next few days.
A week later, I put together a proposal and met with Steve to go over it:
All we could do now was wait and see. August 1 came and went and again, I never thought I'd hear from them again. I didnt think my number was out of line, and I didnt see how anyone could do it for less and produce the quality of restoration that this FJ25 deserved. So I went on with life.
I immediately booked a solid axle swap/ rear suspension swap/dual t case installation on a 2nd gen 4Runner, one project that ran on much longer than it should have. Now I call my work area a shop, but its really only a 2 1/2 car garage. This limits me to one project at a time inside. The 4Runner took up every inch of free space in the shop while it was there. A month or so into the 4Runner, I got a call from Steve. We were on! The next day, I picked up the deposit and scheduled to pick up the 25 with Jim's help 2 weeks later. But I still had a LOT of work to do on the 4Runner. I figured I could pick up the 25 and keep it outside for a little while as we disassembled it. Fortunately, this would prove to work out ok. We got to A-1, took as much crap out of the back as we could ( it was filled with 15 years of leaves and garbage), swapped on a set of rims and tires so that it could move, and pushed it onto Jim's trailer. Off to my house we went!
The goal:
To restore a piece of Toyota history to as close to historically correct as possible given the parts availability, time frame and budget.
Day1: Deconstruction begins...
First thing to go, the plow and frame.
She moves inside for the final resting place:
My best friend when it comes to this project:
Construction Begins!
We're starting off with a rust free (yes John, not that brownish color) frame which is essential for any frame-off restoration. The frame was pressure washed, and has gone through 8 hours of wire wheeling. It needs a few more hours work and removal of the springs (todays project). I decided not to go the media blast route just to say that "I did it". All tapped holes have been chased and inspected and snapped off bolts drilled and tapped. My goal is to have paint on it by Sunday and hopefully have the restored axles and springs under it shortly after.
First, I want to say that I never would have even thought of taking on this task without the info and knowlege of the people on Ih8mud (you know who you are), this forum, and especially, Jim aka Cruiser_Nerd. The hardest part of an FJ25 restoration is obtaining the unobtanium. Many of you have been gracious enough to dig deep into your hoarded parts collections and allow this restoration to take place. Thanks to everyone!
The history: As most of us 25 owners do, we're always looking for that diamond in the rough in some farmer's pasture, or in this case, an old plow truck on A-1 Toyota's car lot. I'd always seen an old Cruiser tucked way in the back of the lot but never paid it any attention. Heck I was a mini truck guy competing in NEUROC, not a restoration guy. 3 years ago, I didnt even know what an FJ25 was, much less how to tell it apart from an FJ40. Fast forward a year later and Cruser_Nerd gets me into the 25 scene with my ride. Now I'm hooked, and hell bent on restoring it to as original as I can. A little birdy told me to go and re-visit A-1's lot to investigate what that old Cruiser really was. Here's what I found:
Of course, the first thing I did was go into the dealership and ask who owned it. The parts guys told me that it was the owner's truck and that it had been sitting there for over 15 years. It had a broken rear axle and the engine was seized. I asked them if I could take a closer look at it and they said, go ahead. I went out again and popped the hood to find a virtually unmolested engine bay and the VIN confirming that it was a 1959 FJ25. I took the above pics and went back to work to try and set up a meeting with the dealership's owner to try and buy the FJ25. I was hoping that he really didn't know what he had and that I would get it for cheap since it was in such disrepair.
It took over a month to finally connect up with him. His name is Domenic, a nice older italian man. We first talked on the phone for a minute, at which time he told me to come down and talk in person. A week later, I was sitting in his office. The first words out of his mouth were," Its not for sale". But he then told me the story of his FJ25. A-1 Toyota was the first Toyota dealership in New England. This FJ25 was originally bought by A-1 in late 1959. It was then shown and featured by Toyota in the 1960 New York Auto Show. Domenic personally drove it from New Haven to New York for the show. At the show, the 25 was sold to a local man and he promptly took delivery of his new FJ25 and drove it away. Fast forward 10 years and the owner decided that he wanted to trade it in on a new FJ40. This is how A-1 took posession of the FJ25 again. Since then, it was used for a recreational weekend truck and then as the lots plow truck until parts became too scarce for A-1 to fix it. As we all know, in 1969 when the parts lookup changed, all of the old part numbers became obsolete. Being a dealership, and not an avid group of resourceful enthusiests like us, they gave up trying to find parts for the 25 and that is where it sat.
I asked what he wanted to do with it if I couldn't buy it. He told me that he wanted to restore it. Now, I have to admit that I've only restored cars that parts are readily available for and thought twice about what I was going to say. But that thought only lasted a few seconds. I said that I would be interested in the opportunity to give him a price on a restoration. He asked if I thought I could get parts for the restoration. I told him that I have a few friends with 25's who have collected parts over the years. The thought even crossed my mind that if worse came to worse, I'd use my 25 as a parts rig for the restoration, but only as a last resort. Heck the frame numbers were less than 20 digits off from one another. They were like sisters! Dominic told me that he was talking to some of the resto companies in California, but that he'd keep me in mind. I wasn't holding my breath. I left him a FoxFab business card and off I went.
A month or so went by with no contact. Then suddenly, my cell phone rang and it was Steve from A-1. Steve is the son-in-law of Dominic and he wanted a price on how much to restore it. I told him that I'd need to really go over the truck to give him an honest number and that if I did it, I'd want it to be done back to its original color and as stock as possible. He agreed. He said, would you like it on a lift? We set up a date that he would have it inside on a lift. I couldn't believe that they actually called back. I immediately called Jim to make sure he could make it. I also called my buddy Matt to get a third set of eyes on it.
We all met on a Saturday morning at A-1 and as promised, the 25 was inside on the lift waiting our inspection. The three of use went over the truck inside and out. This was when we found out that the original color was green. The frame was marginal, the tub had more rust than it looked like, but the good thing was that almost all of the parts were there. We spent a good 2 hours poking and prodding it. Jim took lots of pictures. We then went to the local diner for breakfast and talked it over. Jim and I put some numbers together over the next few days.
A week later, I put together a proposal and met with Steve to go over it:
We are pleased to estimate the following job:
Frame - off restoration of a 1959 Toyota FJ-25 Land Cruiser Soft-Top
Vin #: 9-FJ25-12553L
Work to include:
Complete disassembly, inspection and restoration in a historically correct manner, and reassembly of all vehicle parts including but not limited to:
Disassemble and Remove body from frame
Strip bodywork and frame to bare metal and repair as necessary
Prime all bodywork with PPG Epoxy primer
Paint bodywork and frame with historically correct color green PPG single stage enamel paint
Paint suspension and axle components in black PPG single stage enamel paint
Remanufacture/replace/restore engine assembly
Remanufacture/replace/restore transmission assembly
Remanufacture/replace/restore transfer case assembly
Remanufacture/replace/restore drivelines
Remanufacture/replace/restore front axle assembly
Remanufacture/replace/restore rear axle assembly
Remanufacture/replace/restore suspension components
Remanufacture/replace/restore steering linkage and components
Remanufacture/replace/restore electrical system and lighting
Remanufacture/replace/restore trim pieces and emblems
Remanufacture/replace/restore seats and interior components
Installation of a new historically correct soft top
Projected Start Date: August 1, 2005
Projected Completion Date: October 1, 2006
Payment Terms:
50% due at acceptance of proposal
35% due at re-assembly stage
15% due at drop-off of completed vehicle
All transportation costs on an open car trailer are included
We also request that any parts that may still be sourced from Toyota through A-1’s Parts Department be sold to us at dealer cost.
Total hours incurred estimated at: XXX
Labor rate shall be $XX.00 per hour
Total Estimate: $XX,XXX.XX
State of CT sales tax of 6% additional
Estimate does not include restoration or installation of the attached snow plow. The snow plow will be removed from the vehicle and returned to the customer as it is not historically significant.
All items that are replaced with new or remanufactured parts shall be returned with the vehicle unless other arrangements are made.
Thank you for the opportunity to estimate this project. If you have any further questions, feel free to contact me at XXX-XXX-XXXX.
Michael Fox, Owner FoxFab4x4 LLC.
Frame - off restoration of a 1959 Toyota FJ-25 Land Cruiser Soft-Top
Vin #: 9-FJ25-12553L
Work to include:
Complete disassembly, inspection and restoration in a historically correct manner, and reassembly of all vehicle parts including but not limited to:
Disassemble and Remove body from frame
Strip bodywork and frame to bare metal and repair as necessary
Prime all bodywork with PPG Epoxy primer
Paint bodywork and frame with historically correct color green PPG single stage enamel paint
Paint suspension and axle components in black PPG single stage enamel paint
Remanufacture/replace/restore engine assembly
Remanufacture/replace/restore transmission assembly
Remanufacture/replace/restore transfer case assembly
Remanufacture/replace/restore drivelines
Remanufacture/replace/restore front axle assembly
Remanufacture/replace/restore rear axle assembly
Remanufacture/replace/restore suspension components
Remanufacture/replace/restore steering linkage and components
Remanufacture/replace/restore electrical system and lighting
Remanufacture/replace/restore trim pieces and emblems
Remanufacture/replace/restore seats and interior components
Installation of a new historically correct soft top
Projected Start Date: August 1, 2005
Projected Completion Date: October 1, 2006
Payment Terms:
50% due at acceptance of proposal
35% due at re-assembly stage
15% due at drop-off of completed vehicle
All transportation costs on an open car trailer are included
We also request that any parts that may still be sourced from Toyota through A-1’s Parts Department be sold to us at dealer cost.
Total hours incurred estimated at: XXX
Labor rate shall be $XX.00 per hour
Total Estimate: $XX,XXX.XX
State of CT sales tax of 6% additional
Estimate does not include restoration or installation of the attached snow plow. The snow plow will be removed from the vehicle and returned to the customer as it is not historically significant.
All items that are replaced with new or remanufactured parts shall be returned with the vehicle unless other arrangements are made.
Thank you for the opportunity to estimate this project. If you have any further questions, feel free to contact me at XXX-XXX-XXXX.
Michael Fox, Owner FoxFab4x4 LLC.
All we could do now was wait and see. August 1 came and went and again, I never thought I'd hear from them again. I didnt think my number was out of line, and I didnt see how anyone could do it for less and produce the quality of restoration that this FJ25 deserved. So I went on with life.
I immediately booked a solid axle swap/ rear suspension swap/dual t case installation on a 2nd gen 4Runner, one project that ran on much longer than it should have. Now I call my work area a shop, but its really only a 2 1/2 car garage. This limits me to one project at a time inside. The 4Runner took up every inch of free space in the shop while it was there. A month or so into the 4Runner, I got a call from Steve. We were on! The next day, I picked up the deposit and scheduled to pick up the 25 with Jim's help 2 weeks later. But I still had a LOT of work to do on the 4Runner. I figured I could pick up the 25 and keep it outside for a little while as we disassembled it. Fortunately, this would prove to work out ok. We got to A-1, took as much crap out of the back as we could ( it was filled with 15 years of leaves and garbage), swapped on a set of rims and tires so that it could move, and pushed it onto Jim's trailer. Off to my house we went!
The goal:
To restore a piece of Toyota history to as close to historically correct as possible given the parts availability, time frame and budget.
Day1: Deconstruction begins...
First thing to go, the plow and frame.
She moves inside for the final resting place:
My best friend when it comes to this project:
Construction Begins!
We're starting off with a rust free (yes John, not that brownish color) frame which is essential for any frame-off restoration. The frame was pressure washed, and has gone through 8 hours of wire wheeling. It needs a few more hours work and removal of the springs (todays project). I decided not to go the media blast route just to say that "I did it". All tapped holes have been chased and inspected and snapped off bolts drilled and tapped. My goal is to have paint on it by Sunday and hopefully have the restored axles and springs under it shortly after.
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You have a pressure sand blaster? I need to do the inside of a frame 
