Builds Salt wagon My first fj40 (build) (4 Viewers)

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Roastchestnuts

TLCA #28675 Salt wagon Fj40
Joined
Oct 15, 2019
Threads
70
Messages
1,534
Location
Ocracoke island North Carolina
Coming in hot from the 70 series side of the forum... I just purchased my first fj40 from my good friend @Shyrock and his family. They affectionally called it the salt wagon. Luckily the salt has not eaten it all up haha. This is an early fj40 registered as a 1964 model. Has a sbc 350 and the Toyota 3 speed transmission. It needs lots but I am ready to tackle it. I have parts coming in the coming weeks. too much to list but some key parts: new carb. It has a rodchester 2gc that needs a rebuild. but I am not a fan of those carbs so I purchased a new Holley carb and an adapter. New break cylinders and pads.( will eventually do a disc conversion) Quarter patches and rear sill. New rebuilt early 36 spline steering wheel. Horn relay. Wiper blades (I have the arms and the motors work). I have all new weather stripping for the doors. Incliding felts and the swing out window rubber.

Will be fixing the speedo cluster to make function more properly. I think the only thing that works on that is the amp meter. I believe it needs a new speedo cable and some wiring for things like the fuel. Hopefully its not too complicated.

Headlights also have a short somewhere. They worked for a few minutes messing with the wiring but I need to do more to figure that out. Turnsignals and running lights all work.

things to do more in the future: Replace suspension with ome parts. The kit that is on it I believe is a rough country, Key word being rough. but for now its nice. Will be tackling the rear sill and quarters this winter sometime. Heater hoses need to be hooked back up. but the fan works. want to find factory 6040 bench seats. I have always loved the look of those and it would be cool to put these back in.

I am trying to decide if I am going to put a soft top on it in the summer. I like the idea of the best top soft top because It can be folded back. but the Spector off road oem stye tops seem really awesome. Input on that would be fantastic. Best top seems to be more practical and easy for what I need. I am not the biggest fan of the early style rear upper door. hince maybe a soft top. I will eventually restore the top too! I love these older style tops with the corrugated sides just not the rear hatch so much.

Anyways this is a start and I am sure I will post more of the build and repairs!
Thanks!!

Photos first one with @Shyrock and I. Second one the fj40 on the ferry ride coming home. Third one proof of head lights working. 4th one My dad and I. He helped me pick up the fj40. He is a cool guy! and lastly a photo of the rodchester carb.
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Sweet rig! I see you have the approved standard land cruiser restoration footwear! As far as headlights, the high/low beam floor switch has been a culprit of non-functioning or intermittent headlight issues on my ‘65. Usually just takes a cleaning of the connections, the switch sits in a place on the floorboard that‘s subject to moisture, road grime, etc. And I’ve had good luck with a Carter AFB carb on my SBC, easy to pull and clean and with the spring ”upgrade” on the float valves I’ve had good response on moderate terrain. Mike’s Carbs is a good source for carb kits. The corrugated top rear lift door has the advantage of being able to be run while opened, can get great flow through the cab with the front windshield vent opened without the road noise from opened side windows in your ear. But, depending on exhaust location, it can also suck in exhaust, not good 😂.
 
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Congrats, great color and patina!
 
Thanks! @middlecalf always gotta being wearing the approved flops! I have had it 2 days and I am loving it for sure. Good to know on the High low switch Ill take a look a that this evening and see about cleaning. This would make since because I messed with it and they stopped working again. I am admittedly unfamiliar with the wiring on a fj40 of this vintage. Yeah right now my rear door is not attached to the top. I am unsure what I need to do to put it back on at the moment. I am sure I can put it back in though. I will probably do this soon. I do get some Fumes in from exhaust if the breeze is blowing just right haha.
 
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Score! Looks very original, as stated great patina.
Hard to beat your location to cruise in a 40 with a bikini top!

FWIW my truck has Rough Country springs with some white number/letter combo stamped in white on the springs.
Google research says they are 2.5 and disco, if you are so inclined
Rough yes, going to pay current replacement spring prices? Nope, I can put up with them for now.
 
Score! Looks very original, as stated great patina.
Hard to beat your location to cruise in a 40 with a bikini top!

FWIW my truck has Rough Country springs with some white number/letter combo stamped in white on the springs.
Google research says they are 2.5 and disco, if you are so inclined
Rough yes, going to pay current replacement spring prices? Nope, I can put up with them for now.
Thank you!! Yeah the fj40 is a perfect vehicle for my location. It would be really cool to have the top completely down in the summer. Plus the windshield on these early ones look really easy to fold down if the hard top is not on it. It has the latch style windshield frame release (don't know what its called but thats what I am calling it)

And yeah I am probably going to keep the springs that are on the fj40 for now and then get ome ones maybe a few years down the road.
 
Thanks! @middlecalf always gotta being wearing the approved flops! I have had it 2 days and I am loving it for sure. Good to know on the High low switch Ill take a look a that this evening and see about cleaning. This would make since because I messed with it and they stopped working again. I am admittedly unfamiliar with the wiring on a fj40 of this vintage. Yeah right now my rear door is not attached to the top. I am unsure what I need to do to put it back on at the moment. I am sure I can put it back in though. I will probably do this soon. I do get some Fumes in from exhaust if the breeze is blowing just right haha.
it was 100% the high low beam switch. I messed with the wiring behind the switch and cleaned it up. Now the headlights are working.
 
Yeah, around here we call it 'the latch style windshield frame release "mechanism"', but you call it what you want;) Nice find, decent shape, good color. Let's see some interior shots. Congrats!
 
Yeah, around here we call it 'the latch style windshield frame release "mechanism"', but you call it what you want;) Nice find, decent shape, good color. Let's see some interior shots. Congrats!
Interior has those best top seats in it. Ill post some photos here shortly. Hoping to find some original bench seats. Seems shipping those is $$$. Maybe I will go with the Procar ones I see on Mud every so often. Amazon product ASIN B002L1IM2E any body have any input with these?
 
So I am thinking about a couple of mods on the fj40. My fj40 has a mechanical style linkage for the gas peddle. I am changing out the stock carburetor (a very worn out rodchester 2 jet) for the sbc 350 to a Holley 2 barrel 2300 500cfm carb. While I am sure I can get the mechanical linkage to work I am contemplating getting this and a few other things to switch to a cable actuated throttle. I feel like this would feel smoother too. Ccot has a kit for a webber carb that seems interesting. I dont know if it would work for a holley carb on a sbc. https://www.coolcruisers.com/pecaaswe.html Just wanting some opinions on this. Not sure what other 350 fj40 owners have done.

separate from the carb project, I need to hook the heater hoses back up. I know right now the where the hose fittings on the engine have been blocked off. I just need to put some hose fittings back in and connect the hoses back up. However I need to double check but I am pretty sure the heater hoses or heater dont actually have any sort of block off valve. I want wondering if anybody had any input on any valves for this? I know Spector off road has a kit. Land Cruiser Front Heater 40, 45 & 55 Series - https://www.sor.com/CAT186.sor?TABPAGE=TAB1# (at the bottom of the page in the link)
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This looks like the most factory option to me and the fact that I could turn the heater on from the dash seems like a huge bonus.

I am out of town right now and I cant wait to get tinkering and fixing stuff. of course all of my parts arrived the day that I left home for veterans day weekend.
 
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It is amazing how dim headlamps can get when you have old wire and components that need service or replacement in the circuit. Also, having a more direct ground to the battery (body panels are no longer trust-worthy grounds, and who knows how long the grounding wire is or how much resistance it has created with age) would be a strategy if you don't mind modifying the wiring a bit.

Did an almost total hack job on the other rig (looks very homebrew) but, my fresh and new halogens behind actual glass outshine any of the plastic lenses that you see on kinda used Toyota and Honda on the road today. Too bad the automotive industry has to redesign lighting for every thing that they make - what a waste.
 
Thanks for the postcard! Great pic.
 

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