Build 76 Fj40 Face Lift

[Chungas Revenge]

I picked up a 76 TLC Fj40 about three years ago. Saw my 1st "40" up close when I was a kid. While sharing lunch with a fellow hunter I met, I commented on his "Jeep"...Well you get the picture. I got the lecture! The seed was planted and I picked the "red pill" shoulda' went with "blue". Fast forward thirty years later to North Africa, and I am driving a 10,000 pound, Up-armored Land Cruiser. Other than new tires every month or so, that machine was indestructible and despite it's added weight, went anywhere I pointed it. The hook was set. Got back to the sovereign shores of WV and was determined to return to the source (read find Fj40). Spent the next couple of years kicking over tarps, digging through garages and answering ads in the local auto trader. Finally rolled the dice on an E-bay sale and became the 3rd owner of a Dune Beige (repaint from"Sky Blue" - code 854) 1976 TLC Fj40. The day it arrived my total experience was summed up as follows: "I Knew the front end from the back end", and not much else. I have hunted with the rig for the past three years and have been blown away by its tenacious off road capability and it's relative ease of routine maintenance.

This past December while enjoying an adult libation with one of my ner' do well friends, I/we hatched a plot to give it a "face lift". So the "deconstruction began". Found this forum while scrounging for parts. Lurked for about ten minutes and joined. Soon realized FJ40Jim(s) brother lives in my hometown and has done some "heavy hitting" on a couple of my updates (rebuilt diffs and desmog kit). I don't have pics of the early stages. So I'll add what I have to date and go from there. Initially added Marks header, removed Rochester added original 76 Aisin (more to follow with the carb), De-smog, rebuilt Diffs, New OEM Fuel pump, Alternator, Argentinian dizzy with new wires, cap and plug and play electronics. Gutted the interior, original seats front and rear sent off for upholstery with yet another of my ner' do well friends. New OEM visors, new exhaust, door panels, shackles and bushings, 17" FJC wheels with Cooper S/T 's, Belt and hoses, Toyota filters…. More to follow.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

Added channel bumper, stinger and winch mount. Pics of the face lift are not necessarily in order, just they way I was able to find them buried on cell phone. More to follow.....

 

[Chungas Revenge]

Lower pulley removal...

 

[Chungas Revenge]

Engine rehab...basic good cleaning of the surface, fan blade etc.....

 

[franklin40]

oh man looks like a nice solid cruiser. while its all apart repaint it blue again. its a better colour

 

[Chungas Revenge]

Been givin' that a real hard think!! I believe the original color was "Sky Blue" (code 854). Right now the time money coefficient LC=T+$ is out of kilter . As it stands right now, IE this year, it's mechanical/upgrades. Next winter I may yank it off the frame and shoot it....It has served as my hunting rig and I don't want it looking too pretty!!!!!!

 

[Chungas Revenge]

Fenders and hood off to the paint booth. The only real rust was just on top side of the bracket weld. More of a cosmetic necessity than a restoration....Still looking ahead to next year for a re-shoot. I have some diamond plate (Yeah I said it ) that I'll leave on this year to get me through one more hunting season...Then, if the planets align and I sell off that gallbladder for scientific research, the skies the limit....

 

[Chungas Revenge]

If I am committing some kind of party foul with the "machine gun posts" someone point it out and I'll back slowly away from the keyboard. Some of the "smalls" media blasted and primed.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

Air cleaner, Battery tray and spare tire latch gloss black (base clear). Radiator support and shroud to follow. I know, diamond plate in the background. I'll post up some of the interior photos later this weekend. I realize the photos are not in sequence. I am pulling them from a couple different sources as I find them. The work so far is mostly weekends from DEC 2014.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

Aisin clutch and slave cyl install. Upgraded stainless braided line. Pretty straight forward with the fenders off, made it easy to maneuver. Could use a new return spring. The old one still had plenty of bounce. Maybe a spare is in order. Brake lines are going to need some attention at some point in the future....Any suggestions? Stainless? Vendor(s)?

 

[winnie]

Been givin' that a real hard think!! I believe the original color was "Sky Blue" (code 854). Right now the time money coefficient LC=T+$ is out of kilter . As it stands right now, IE this year, it's mechanical/upgrades. Next winter I may yank it off the frame and shoot it....It has served as my hunting rig and I don't want it looking too pretty!!!!!!

ha, ha ... many of us can relate to the "time money coefficient" but I for one forgo the necessities of life for my 40, or something close to that (lol) ... nice work ... when/if the time comes for paint, love that blue, even though mine's beige ... Rainman on here is a resident brakeline guru ...

 

[Chungas Revenge]

LOL thanks...This whole thing started with a carb swap...Next thing you know I'm two garage stalls deep in parts. The Dune Beige is a classic. Although my paint at best is a 15 footer. I have to give the PO credit, for the most part things were pretty good on the truck (can I say that?).

The Blue is kinda growing on me. Although, I gotta' say I am a big fan of the olive.. I'll shoot some pics of the tub this weekend. Currently sporting some diamond plate (this is where I stand back and wait for the carpet bombing). I'll search the threads and see if I can find some good examples of the "Sky Blue".

 

[winnie]

yeah, they have a way of subtly taking over space, and your life ... I ended up implementing an inventory system to keep track of my spare parts (because I keep EVERYTHING), lol ... as for the diamond plate, you can only do one project at a time ... Olive is sweet, almost bought an Olive BJ40 ...

 

[TheHardWay]

Well... if you're not gonna go back to original color, then, yeah, olive is the way to go. Ask me how I know.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

You know the power of suggestion is a powerful tool...I was digging through some of the old threads and found a couple nice examples of the "sky Blue"...Olive? Blue? Keep the 40 Blue? Maybe find a 45 and paint it olive...Ya see? That's how this starts......There goes that spare kidney I was holding on to.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

Interior gutted, top dash pad, seats, Toyota mat front and rear are showing their age so I ordered a front and rear mat from CCOT. Very happy with the rear mat, front mat not so much . Door panels are not OEM but are made well and fit nicely. The "flux capacitor" (green thermos looking object connected to my heater hoses) worked very well as a radiant heater. One of the Forum members correctly identified it as a block heater. Cant decide what to do with it. Chuck it or keep it for nostalgia. Probably, going to keep the bed liner interior until next season. The stuff actually works pretty good. You can see some of the brown "crick" (WV term for small body of flowing water, usually found down in or near a "hollar" WV term for ravine/gulley) residue left over from hunting season. Looks ok on top. Not sure what is festering underneath.

 

[Weber Sarge]

It looks to be an old 1500w Kat's engine heater - used to run those on my cars years ago and they last forever ....wish the new ones were as good . I recycled one off my old 440 Chrysler onto the '88 Samurai I had - could plug it in @-20*F and in less than an hour the engine was at 180*F , ready to go with full heat , lol ..

My vote is Dune Beige , it's a sharp color and really fits the look of the Cruisers ....it's also my '77's original color despite the PO thinking it should be Olive Drab . I had plenty of that in the USMC , thanks...it will get repainted one of these days .

Sarge

 

[Chungas Revenge]

Semper FI Sarge.....WPNs Company, 1/3 - 1st Marine Brigade, a long, long long time ago...Let me put it this way, I road the Tarawa when she was new and manned the rails as it steamed passed Iwo... The salad years indeed! Just heard the other day she is no longer in service...

The ole' "flux capacitor" still functions. I was surprised at how much radiant heat it put out once my Land Cruiser warmed up. While I do like to think about paint this year. Most likely it will be next season before I "git round to it"....In the mean time I am chasing leaks, wires (real or imagined), parts new/used, and trying to keep er' afloat for another year...

 

[Weber Sarge]

Plug that heater in once and check your electric meter - it will look like the wheel is going to hyperspin and take off somewhere , some of those heaters are over 2000w .
The Tarawa ? Wow , that has been awhile .....Semper Fi .
Sarge

 

[Chungas Revenge]

When I bought the Land Cruiser it was wearing an old Rochester carb that was in its decline. A few months after purchase I happened to find an original 76 Aisin off of a running 2F. I snatched it up and bolted it on. Fast forward to late September 2014, Jumped in the old truck (general term in WV meaning any and all form off 4x4 motorized locomotion) and headed out to my deer camp (WV term meaning any and all private or public hunting land) I noticed a significant decrease in the power, hesitation, coughing, burping and an occasional wheeze. Limped it out and back but knew I was going to need a carb quick. Soooooo, I bit, out of necessity on an Ebay aftermarket. Came a week later. Crossed my fingers and bolted it up. Had to run down to "Advance" to their "help" section for a trunnion for the choke cable. Hit the choke, primed it and low and behold it fired up. Couple of minor adjustments and down the road I went. No hesitation, no lag, no backfires etc etc. The Fj Gods were smiling that day. Made it through hunting season and into December without issues. I am not suggesting running out and buying one of the Ebay "specials". All I am saying is, "I was in a tight spot" and this carb worked. I know for every positive story there is a tale of want and woe. But in this case it worked when I needed a carb and didn't have enough time for a proper rebuild. So, I reckon the ole' aftermarket deserves a pic or two for doing yeoman's work this past fall in the rebuild thread. Called JimC @ TLC this AM and I am going to have the original Aisin rebuilt. His shop is not that far so I am going to drive up and drop it off. Figure I'll keep the aftermarket for a spare. More to follow.....................