Building a...well, "something"...from an FJ40 (1 Viewer)

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FouadHafeez

FouadHafeez

Joined
Feb 22, 2012
Threads
5
Messages
491
Location
Islamabad, Pakistan
For a very long time, I'd wanted to build not one, but two FJ40s. My crazy mind had it all chalked out in my head: down to the names I'd use for 'em. One would be enormous...massive...lengthened...widened. It would wear obscenely-large, semi-impractical wheels. It would have four doors, and would be a hard-top AND a soft-top, and would take pretty much any off-road challenge thrown its way. This is the car that ended up being my "Phantom".

The other build in my head was slightly different. No wait...it was WAY different. This car would be the polar opposite of the Phantom. It'd be a two door roadster. Really low-slung and wide. Frighteningly fast. Stupidly grippy. Something that'd hark back to the beautiful roadsters of the 30s...but be built entirely from body parts taken from scrapyards. Also, I wanted it to be entirely Japanese. A bit of a difficult proposition, since Japan never really built anything that even remotely resembles the long, low, sweeping lines of those roadsters of yesteryear. This is the car that eventually turned out to be my "Sleipnir". In the coming pages, I'll be outlining how we built this "something" around the frame of an FJ40...and just what makes it so special to my heart.

I realise this build may be out of place in this segment. I mean...it isn't REALLY an FJ40...despite having a healthy dose of 40 Series DNA. Still...perhaps this is the best place for it...given that when I go about registering this vehicle here in Pakistan in a couple of weeks, it WILL be registered as a "1984 FJ40". Still...if this thread doesn't belong here, I understand if it's moved to the appropriate forum.

Cheers.
 
Right...first things first. Why "Sleipnir"?

I'm a big fan of cars with character. To me, a car is more than an inanimate hunk of metal that sets off into motion periodically. Cars interact with you. They provide feedback to you, and respond to you. Think Eleanor from "Gone in Sixty Seconds". So yeah...they must have a name. :)

Secondly, when I was considering the build, I wanted it to be focused around an engine which I have a huge amount of respect for. The 1UZ from Toyota. Not to cast any aspersions on fans of Chevy, or MOPAR, or Cummins...but (in my personal opinion) the 1UZ represents the most "bang for the buck" out there. Bar none. Inclusive all. Moreover, in Pakistan, it's an engine that is loved so much, that you see it in sedans, and trucks, and coupes, and vintages alike. Not only is it widely available...the talent pool to work and tune these engines is widespread. Eight cylinders got me to thinking..."hmmm...eight legs".

Lastly, the fact that I'm a mythology buff. I love the stuff...and the stories surrounding the birth (and the eventual life) of the legendary Sleipnir - Odin's eight-legged horse - was one of my particular favourites. Sleipnir; "the most noble of steeds", who Odin would ride to Hel (from where we get our "Hell") and back...

Soooo...yeah. For what I envisaged to be a bit of a hell-raiser..."Sleipnir" sounded JUST right. :)
 
Next...why base it on an FJ40?

Well, first off...they're ridiculously cheap here. We have tons and tons of FJ40s that are auctioned off after honourable service in the Army, which eventually see their way to the local scrapyards over here. A lot of these are destined for the melting pot...but a few lucky frames/chassis and body parts see their way to being rebirthed as functional, hardcore off-roaders...that continue to see service as daily-drivers, weekend warriors and a handful of restoration projects, alike.

Next factor in favour of building it as an FJ40, was the self-same FJ45 hot rod project mentioned above. My original plans were quite simple...

1) Buy an FJ40 frame from the local scrap market. Use a set of axles from either a 40 series or 60 series as the running gear. We'd done this (fairly successfully), in the case of the Phantom build.
2) Mount a 45 body shell and tub atop it. Alternatively, use a 40 cabin, and modify it to look the part.
3) Use a modified 1UZ as the powerplant...possibly with 4WD or AWD.
4) Chop, channel, drop and lower the thing. Make it speed-oriented rather than obstacle-negotiating-oriented.
5) Utilisation of 40 series body parts basically gathered from junk, to complete the vehicle.

Simple plans often get waylaid. :)
 
Tomorrow...the build, and how it evolved.

Cheers.
 
Keep it up. I like seeing different ideas.
 
I have had the same idea although using an old cj5 postal jeep (you can get them for cheap here). I like it.
 
Way to use your magination man. Love to see something other than the standard 40 on here. Lets see some front end pics, dont leave it hanging with just the profile pic.

D
 
Back to more stuff about this madness. :)

In Pakistan, when you go about registering a vehicle two things are taken into view: the Chassis Number, and the Engine Number. Now, everyone knows how the FJ40 will have its unique chassis number carved onto the front of the right hand chassis "plank". For it to be registered as a 40, then, retaining this all-important engraved set of digits was all important. This was the thing that was foremost in mind, when I went out to The Holy Graveyard of Recently Deceased FJ40s here in Pakistan. Also known as City Saddar Road, Rawalpindi. The frame we decided on was that from an '84 vintage 40. (Pardon the poor picture quality)


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After the frame, came the decision for the suspension. The post 2005 Hilux (with Independent Front Suspension (IFS), all round disk brakes, a nice wide-ish track, 6 lug hubs, the option of LSD, a wide array of diff-gear ratio choices, and general ease of availability) was an easy choice. Which is why we went about grafting all the suspension mounts from the frame of a 2007 Hilux onto the 40 series frame.


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That all important chassis number!

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It's apparent in some of the pictures that we moved the front suspension mounts forwards by quite a bit. Somewhere in the 6 inch region. This was to mount the shocks much fore of the eventual engine bay. In tandem with our plans to move the cabin backwards as much as we could, these measures were meant to achieve the following:-

1) A stance which would keep the bulk of the engine weight off the front wheels, and on the frame, enhancing "nimbleness" in steering.
2) A long LONG engine bay which could accommodate a V-8 and possibly, a V-12 engine, easily.
3) By Shifting the cabin position backwards, we would be able to mount the engine as far back as we could, too. This would - theoretically, at least - make the car as 'mid-engined' as possible, under the circumstances. Ensuring great front-rear weight balance, good steering response, and a quick turn of foot.
 
Thanks! Looks mean man mean.

D
 
So...let's continue, shall we? :)

It was around this time that serious thought started to go into the actual body we wanted to mount on the completed FJ40/Hilux "chimaera" frame. The obvious choice of course was an FJ45. This would mount easy, fit perfectly, and require a minimum of effort. However (as someone pointed out above)...it had already been done. A couple of times earlier, to be honest. Added to this was the fact that the SOLE 45 cabin-tub I'd been able to track down was absolutely miserable looking. It was riddled with rust, dented, dinged and damaged...and wasn't going cheap either. This was depressing...but at the same time, a bit of a relief. I mean, like I said earlier...it'd already been done.

On a visit to one of the local scrapyards - where a rather decent looking FJ45 was rumoured to be stabled - we discovered this...


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My first impression was "Dodge Power Wagon"...between 1951 and 1961 vintage. You can well imagine my surprise then, when I was told that it was a Toyota...

Apparently - and more knowledgeable people please DO correct me if I'm wrong - the Toyota FQ15 was a Dodge replica built by Japan in the post-war period. There's a fair bit of secrecy and general lack of knowledge about this truck, and despite my best efforts, I was unable to correctly ascertain whether this was indeed a Dodge, or a Toyota. One thing tipped the balance of opinion in favour of the Toyota. An obscure little snippet which I managed to find out - that between 1954 and 1960, the Pakistan Army (from whom this particular specimen had been auctioned, and was due for the melting pot) inducted kaboodles of Toyota FQ15s. :)
 
Added to this, we picked up a few odds and ends...

1) The gull-wing bonnet from a 70s era Isuzu TSD40 (I'd always WANTED a gull-winged car :))
2) An additional metal seat.
3) Fenders / mudguards for the FQ15 front.
4) The front cowl from a 60s Hino truck.
5) An assortment of headlamps, tail lights and indicator lights: vintage and make unknown. :)

It was also around this time that we started finalising our choices for the wheels and tires the car would wear. My initial idea (way back when) was for this to be a 4WD / AWD vehicle; and to this end, the tyres I bought were geared to that end. Cooper Discovery tyres in 285/70/16 size. These photos should show what the car was starting to look like with the cabin mounted onto the chassis, the hood loose-bolted onto the cowl, and the cowl mounted (but not bolted) to the chassis...


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At this point, the truck was looking tall, squat, and just plain ugly...leading me to believe (as so many enthusiasts HAVE at various times of their automotive lifespan)..."Gawd...I've gone fooked it up real bad, this time". :)
 
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Next installment of the rebuild saga..."how to go about de-fooking up what you've fooked up". Also known as "Help! What am I supposed to do now?!"
 
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