Colonel Mustard refresh and update (1 Viewer)

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Crush 4

SILVER Star
Joined
Feb 14, 2019
Threads
90
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1,119
Location
Motor city
Hey fellow mudsters!

I have been spending the last several years enjoying all the great content that is shared so graciously on this site and felt it was time to contribute and share a little what I’ve learned.

First up is my FJ40. This has been a vehicle I have wanted for a several decades. Having been more of a muscle car guy the transition to the Land Cruisers has taken longer than expected. Nonetheless , I finally acquired Colonel Mustard, CM, a few years ago and have been slowly refreshing and updating. BTW the CM name is the best I could come up with.... reminds of my days playing Clue, pretty goofy!

Anyway, I picked up CM in Cali about 2 1/2 years ago. It would of been very hard to find a nice specimen in Mi.! My understanding is it was a 2 family owned truck primarily used for recreation and hunting. The cleanliness of the truck would suggest it’s overall low use over the years and most likely the 83k mileage is accurate.

The 2nd owner did a lot to update the mechanicals of the truck including :

Disc brakes
EFI
De-smog
RV Cam
Header
Fuel system
Lift

He also had front seats reupholstered and some other items fixed up.

My goal:

Change/update a few items
CLEAN!!
Fix suspension and steering
Change appearance .
Improve performance and driveability
Enjoy it!!

Alright,so enough talking. Need some pics!

How I got it

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That 1st photo doesn't look like Michigan. It looks more like the Bay Area, where I'm from.

Does it have a late model wiper motor? The motor cover looks modified.

By the way, nice 40.
 
That 1st photo doesn't look like Michigan. It looks more like the Bay Area, where I'm from.

Does it have a late model wiper motor? The motor cover looks modified.

By the way, nice 40.
Yep as mentioned in my ad I got it in California up by San Francisco. It is a 1975 and I’m not sure about the wiper motor.
 
Ok cleaning time
Paint first
The truck has mostly original paint. So I soaked it with Mcguires #7. The key I found is to let it sit overnight and remove with a Terry cloth. I did this process several times on the exterior as well as areas of the interior. I was please with the results.

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Damn, I thought that street looked familiar. I was friends with the guy in that olive colored house and my best friend (RIP) lived two doors to the right. Our house was over a few streets. I bought my 78 new when I lived there. That's Starlight Drive in San Mateo, correct? Small world.

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Yeah, the wiper motor has been changed and the cover modified. They probably changed it to the later model Arctic motor.
 
Damn, I thought that street looked familiar. I was friends with the guy in that olive colored house and my best friend (RIP) lived two doors to the right. Our house was over a few streets. I bought my 78 new when I lived there. That's Starlight Drive in San Mateo, correct? Small world.

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Wow it is a small world! That’s the place as I recall. Do you ever remember seeing this 40 or had you moved?
 
I don't ever remember seeing it there, but I've lived in the Seattle area for 40+ years now. Before covid I'd go down to fix things at my mother's house a few times a year, though. The truck still shows up on google maps. :)

The earlier motors were a little weaker and eventually no longer available. The later wiper motors, maybe '77 but surely '78, were designed to be a little more powerful and are physically larger. To use a later motor, you need to dent/modify the original cover or install a later larger cover.
 
Ok moved on to engine bay:
This included all new power cables as I’ll be adding some “stuff” to front end.
Clean under hood and engine bay
Reroute fuel lines
Cover wiring harness as needed
Replace green straps
Put original air cleaner back on with custom adapter for Howell efi
And more

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Nice work👍, always like stock upgrades!
 
Ok moving right along.

Time to put on a proper winch
Here is what came on it.
I also decided to upgrade power cables and bumper.
I was fortunate to pick up a rebuilt 8274. I really like the period corrective ness ... is that a word?
 

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