The Sancha Rebuild Project (1 Viewer)

[Scott68FJ40]

I managed to beat the monsoon and got the first full coat of Zero Rust on the frame. I still need to do at least one more coat as there are still a few light spots, and I am not doing a great job getting the inside of the frame coated. With the heat getting to what it is, I plan on doing a little each morning.

I am trying to decide how how to proceed with the few remaining frame issues I have, I only have a little 110 flux core welder, and my welding skills are more than a few years out of practice.

As for the inside of the frame, I am giving some thought to using the inside frame rail coating from Eastwood. Anyone have any experience with how it stands up over time? I have read a few posts here on Mud about applying it, but not how it has done over a few years.

 

[PixelWrangler]

Looking good, Scott! I'm digging your use of the furniture dollies.

 

[Scott68FJ40]

Thanks. It is amazing how useful those little things can be.

 

[Cdaniel]

Been a while, too busy catching lightning to make time with your mistress?

 

[Scott68FJ40]

Been a while, too busy catching lightning to make time with your mistress?

Storm chasing has been part of it, but not the biggest part.

My biggest issue right now is that I need to find someone to help/do some welding for me. I have to install some new spring hangers and want to strengthen the frame in areas that the PO had damaged. I have to be honest though that I haven't really been looking too hard for someone to get the welding done as money has been very tight to pay for that, or to buy any of the stuff I need once the welding is done.

I hope to start moving forward on it, but not really sure when that is going to happen for all of the reasons that have been keeping me from doing anything.

 

[Scott68FJ40]

Can't believe how long it has been since I have made an update, but to be honest, I have hardly done anything to her.

We are in the process of moving to Washington State and that has been consuming all of our time. We have made a few trips up house hunting, but we have found a place and are in the process of buying it.

Of course this means that I have to bolt things back together enough to tow her 1500 miles to her new home. Even though she looks like an FJ40 right now, she will be getting torn apart again once we get moved.

 

[Scott68FJ40]

It is so hard to believe that I haven't posted anything to this thread since March 2012.

As I reported in my last post, we were in the process of moving to Washington State. We made that move in April of 2012 and I am sad to report that I have done almost zero work on the 40 since then. There have been a multitude of reasons.

First has been general life getting in the way, generally financially, which has prevented me from having any disposable cash to actually spend on her. Secondly, and every bit as important is the complete lack of space. Our new place has a smallish 2 car garage, slightly smaller than the one we had in Arizona, and there simply isn't space to be able to do much, and with the typically rainy weather here in Western Washington I don't want to store things outside while working on other items.

Fortunately it looks like things are finally shifting in the right direction, and I should start having some extra cash soon to earmark for the project, and while I won't be building a new shop yet, I am looking into some options for storage that will allow me to do things like taking the tub off and finishing the work that I need to do on the frame.

I will go out a little later this morning and grab a snapshot of the sorry state of affairs in my garage, it will bring a grown man to tears.

 

[Scott68FJ40]

As promised, a shot of the current sorry state of affairs for my 40.

 

[Scott68FJ40]

Well, what has happened since I last posted not only to this thread, but pretty much to the board in general back in 2016? That's complicated. Absolutely nothing has changed with the FJ40, more things that I can count have changed in every day and work life.

Both the wife and I have changed jobs, and in both cases for the better. We've lost a couple pets, but have added a couple more to the family. We have done a lot of work to our 2 acres of property and in a lot of cases it is very park like here. We are also putting together a plan to build a new house/shop on the property within the next 5 years.

As I said though, almost zero has changed with the 40. I have started to get the itch again and even though I still don't have shop space to work in, nor do I really have a lot of time work on her as much as I would like, I do have some saving set aside on the "cruiser account" and will working on spending some of that soon. More to come, as I have more to share, but first steps will be to get the garage organized better than it is now, and do an inventory of what parts I have, and what I will need. I will also be reaching out to a couple shops here in the PNW and seeing how that goes.

 

[allworknoplay]

I'm in Phoenix and just read your full thread. It was fun to hear about experiences that I can completely relate to (i.e. +110° garage days, Tim down in Marana). I'm impressed with your persistence. It's inspiring because I haven't touched my 40 in a year... good luck getting your cruiser buttoned up! I'll keep an eye on this thread to see the progress!

 

[Scott68FJ40]

I'm in Phoenix and just read your full thread. It was fun to hear about experiences that I can completely relate to (i.e. +110° garage days, Tim down in Marana). I'm impressed with your persistence. It's inspiring because I haven't touched my 40 in a year... good luck getting your cruiser buttoned up! I'll keep an eye on this thread to see the progress!

Are you involved with the Copper State Cruiser guys? It was a fun group when it was getting put together back in the day.

 

[allworknoplay]

Are you involved with the Copper State Cruiser guys? It was a fun group when it was getting put together back in the day.

Nope, I've been telling myself for years that I'll join but can't seem to commit. I live near a few members and have swapped parts with a few more though!

 

[Scott68FJ40]

Not exactly the greatest pictures to post to start back in on my build, but these are part of what has happened over the last few years.

When we moved here back in 2012 a few of the plastic bins that had parts in them had gotten damaged and one of them get a decent amount of water in it, causing some of the front axle parts to rust, this spindle is an example. I have recently gotten my garage a little more organized, still a long way to go, but have also started to go though all the parts to start putting a new plan together to get her back out on the road. I am hopeful that I can clean the parts that were exposed to water up with a little emery cloth and elbow grease.

 

[rainingagain]

We live in a temperate rain forest. Water intrusion is a bitch and a constant battle.

But I'll take that over months of snow and salty roads!

 

[SipLife]

View attachment 3028221View attachment 3028222

Not exactly the greatest pictures to post to start back in on my build, but these are part of what has happened over the last few years.

When we moved here back in 2012 a few of the plastic bins that had parts in them had gotten damaged and one of them get a decent amount of water in it, causing some of the front axle parts to rust, this spindle is an example. I have recently gotten my garage a little more organized, still a long way to go, but have also started to go though all the parts to start putting a new plan together to get her back out on the road. I am hopeful that I can clean the parts that were exposed to water up with a little emery cloth and elbow grease.

Woods,

Try soaking them in a 1:1 vinegar and salt solution for a few days. The salt will increase the acidity of the solution. Did this for my mini truck PS box internals a few years back. Lots of YouTube vids on this, works wonders.

 

[Scott68FJ40]

Woods,

Try soaking them in a 1:1 vinegar and salt solution for a few days. The salt will increase the acidity of the solution. Did this for my mini truck PS box internals a few years back. Lots of YouTube vids on this, works wonders.

Thanks for the tip. I really wish YouTube would have been around back in the mid 90's when I first got her.

 

[Scott68FJ40]

A little more digging through boxes of parts from when we moved and I found the spring hangers that @69LC fabricated for me, last post on page 6 of this thread. Fortunately they were not in a box that had gotten wet and we as shiny and pristine as they were the day I packed them up back in 2012. I also came across a few boxes that have @cruiseroutfit return addresses on them. I think I know what is in them, but haven't opened them yet. After these many years it's sort of like opening Christmas presents.

 

[Scott68FJ40]

Going through a few more boxes this morning over coffee and came across these.

Sort of an interesting story, at least to me, behind this drop down tailgate hardware. When I bought Sancha I didn't know that it was a factory softtop, it had a hard top installed on it but there was no tailgate, just an open area where a tailgate would have been. A land cruiser guy in Tucson offered to mount up some swing out gates for me but it would require more cutting up of my tub than I wanted to do so I declined the offer. His response was that i would never find a drop down tailgate that was in any sort of decent shape. After some searching I sort of suspected he was right but in the meantime I had cut a piece of aluminum diamond plate that I bolted to the back. Drove her that way for quite a few years. Once day while cruising around here on Mud someone posted the Toyota part numbers for the dropdown tailgate hardware, these as well as the two hook parts that bolt to the tub.

A good friend of mine at the time owned an independent auto parts store but had a great relationship with the Toyota dealership in Tucson and he ran the numbers and they were all indeed available, I ordered a full set in the hopes that I would eventually find a tailgate. For some of the oldtimers around here this was around the same time that softtops and some tailgates were coming in from Pakistan, but timing never worked out for me to get either of those.

A few years later I was browsing through the classified section here on Mud and a guy posted that he had a drop down tailgate for an FJ40 that he bought for a project but never ended up needing, he didn't post his location but said that the gate had no rust and the price he was asking for it was VERY attractive. I messaged him immediately and figured worst case would be trying to get it to Tucson via Mudship. Turned out that the seller was also in Tucson, the opposite side of town, but still in Tucson. I was at his house an hour later and then on my way home with the tailgate that I had been searching for for so long. The reason I mention all of that was that the tailgate that I bought was indeed in amazing condition, but it also had all of the hardware minus the hooks that these latches connect to. The tailgate is now mounted with the original hardware and these are pretty much spares at this point, but spares with something of a story.

 

[Scott68FJ40]

Only a minor update at this point. Picked up a couple gallons of vinegar this afternoon on the way home from work and some of the front axle parts that were in the bin that got wet and rusted have been put into their bath. Should know in a few days how they come out. If worse comes to worse I'll just order some new parts, I was already looking around on Cruiser Outfitters and doesn't looks like I'll have any issues finding what I need.

I also ordered 5 OEM steel wheels. A really good friend of mine is the service manager at a Ford place about an hour away and the dealership family also has a Toyota dealership and service center. He had the parts guy at the Toyota dealership check and there were 6 of them available in the Portland warehouse, should have them in hand before the week is out. Sort of a "whole circle" thing when it comes to wheels. If I remember I'll post about what I mean when the wheels arrive.