Tigerstripe40
SILVER Star
So, I've had my 76 FJ40 'SeldomSeen' for 22 years as of June 4th.
I bought it stock, with a BestTop soft top.
Here it is, the day I brought it home in June 2000. This was in the days before digital cameras. This is a 35mm photo I scanned in some time ago.
Not soon after I bought it, did I find out that the motor needed to be rebuilt. I don't have any of the pics of the engine rebuild, so it sat in my dads garage for several months while I did that work. And yes, the bezel was corrected.
Long story short, the tub is shot and really has been since before I got it, but I figured it was time to do something with the tub.
I did replace the rocker panels like 15 years ago and clearance the tub and removed the running boards.
A few weeks ago, I decided it was time to do something about the tub. I know I need to replace most of the steel from the Cowl back.
I have a gas well from CCOT along with the drivers side inner and outer rockers.
I also have a bed and quarter panels that were bent up by Cruiser Outfitters about 20 years ago.
This truck will never be a Land Cruiser Heritage Museum quality restoration. I want to keep using it as an off roader that I can beat on.
I also did a spring over, but messed up a few measurements. The rear shackle hangers aren't straight so the truck leans considerably to the drivers side (no, worse than the normal Cruiser lean).
For the body, I have not ruled out the possibility of just cutting the tub off at the A-Pilar and replacing with an aluminum 3/4 tub from Aqualu. But I have also spent some time learning how to MIG and TIG weld for rebuilding the body on Seldom Seen
I have always been disappointed with the FJ Cruiser. I remember seeing the prototypes that Jonathan Ward @tlc4x4 build in the early 2000s and that is the truck I really wanted.
The dream is for me to build SeldomSeen into the FJ Cruiser that I think Toyota should have offered (within a certain level, if I could get a crate 2UZ and H55, I'd have already ordered it).
1. Disassemble the truck down to the frame.
2. Compression check and re-seal the motor (it was rebuilt 20 years ago, but has always leaked a bit, I want to correct this.
3. Sniper EFI conversion (I have a 'Hi Performance' intake manifold I am doing a port and polish on).
4. H55F conversion with 3.3:1 t-case gears. This will give me drivability and retain the offroad abilities present with the SM420.
5. R&R the wiring harness. The trucks emissions controls are LONG gone. I would like to remove the Emissions control circuits and re-loom the harness. Fixe some of my 'modifications' to bring the harness back to spec. (I have seen a few of Proffitts STOP IT's and yeah, I've done some of those things...).
6. Rebuild/replace the body.
7. Swap rear end out for a full floater. Currently have an HDJ81 full floater, but parts are scarce, so I am debating getting a 60 series FF to match the FJ60 front axle
8. I am debating on linking the truck front and rear. Not going for a full on trail buggy suspension, but I'd like to be able to at least keep up on the trail with late model Jeep Rubicon with a 5.5" lift and 37" tires.
I bought it stock, with a BestTop soft top.
Here it is, the day I brought it home in June 2000. This was in the days before digital cameras. This is a 35mm photo I scanned in some time ago.
Not soon after I bought it, did I find out that the motor needed to be rebuilt. I don't have any of the pics of the engine rebuild, so it sat in my dads garage for several months while I did that work. And yes, the bezel was corrected.
Long story short, the tub is shot and really has been since before I got it, but I figured it was time to do something with the tub.
I did replace the rocker panels like 15 years ago and clearance the tub and removed the running boards.
A few weeks ago, I decided it was time to do something about the tub. I know I need to replace most of the steel from the Cowl back.
I have a gas well from CCOT along with the drivers side inner and outer rockers.
I also have a bed and quarter panels that were bent up by Cruiser Outfitters about 20 years ago.
This truck will never be a Land Cruiser Heritage Museum quality restoration. I want to keep using it as an off roader that I can beat on.
I also did a spring over, but messed up a few measurements. The rear shackle hangers aren't straight so the truck leans considerably to the drivers side (no, worse than the normal Cruiser lean).
For the body, I have not ruled out the possibility of just cutting the tub off at the A-Pilar and replacing with an aluminum 3/4 tub from Aqualu. But I have also spent some time learning how to MIG and TIG weld for rebuilding the body on Seldom Seen
I have always been disappointed with the FJ Cruiser. I remember seeing the prototypes that Jonathan Ward @tlc4x4 build in the early 2000s and that is the truck I really wanted.
The dream is for me to build SeldomSeen into the FJ Cruiser that I think Toyota should have offered (within a certain level, if I could get a crate 2UZ and H55, I'd have already ordered it).
1. Disassemble the truck down to the frame.
2. Compression check and re-seal the motor (it was rebuilt 20 years ago, but has always leaked a bit, I want to correct this.
3. Sniper EFI conversion (I have a 'Hi Performance' intake manifold I am doing a port and polish on).
4. H55F conversion with 3.3:1 t-case gears. This will give me drivability and retain the offroad abilities present with the SM420.
5. R&R the wiring harness. The trucks emissions controls are LONG gone. I would like to remove the Emissions control circuits and re-loom the harness. Fixe some of my 'modifications' to bring the harness back to spec. (I have seen a few of Proffitts STOP IT's and yeah, I've done some of those things...).
6. Rebuild/replace the body.
7. Swap rear end out for a full floater. Currently have an HDJ81 full floater, but parts are scarce, so I am debating getting a 60 series FF to match the FJ60 front axle
8. I am debating on linking the truck front and rear. Not going for a full on trail buggy suspension, but I'd like to be able to at least keep up on the trail with late model Jeep Rubicon with a 5.5" lift and 37" tires.