Plan on removing fj40 body today to decide to fix or replace. (1 Viewer)

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Mar 16, 2018
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Quick question for the group. I plan on removing the body this afternoon to get a good look at the extent of cancer. I dont have my welder where the 40 is now. Judging from the pics do you think leaving the roll bar in place will keep it square enough if I end up fixing it? I am lifting it off with a 4 arm rotary lift. Any suggestions would be great! Thanks in advance.

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It might keep it square but will be really flexy. Best way is to use braces welded across side to side. Are you just lifting it straight up and leaving it on the lift? Or do you plan on moving it around. Cancer looks pretty heavy
 
You could at least bolt across the tailgate where the hinges bolt into the tub. Cut a stock piece of angle iron to length, drill and install. Would help with the flex. A lot will depend on how rotten the floor supports are.

-Geoff
 
It might keep it square but will be really flexy. Best way is to use braces welded across side to side. Are you just lifting it straight up and leaving it on the lift? Or do you plan on moving it around. Cancer looks pretty heavy

yes just lifting straight up and leaving on lift for the time being.
 
Weld some bracing to keep the tub square and start cutting, it can be fixed.

I did one that was in similar condition, and I had no experience with anything like that.
 
You could at least bolt across the tailgate where the hinges bolt into the tub. Cut a stock piece of angle iron to length, drill and install. Would help with the flex. A lot will depend on how rotten the floor supports are.

-Geoff

the floor supports from what i can see are solid. fender wall in tact as well. the major issue is the rear sill
Weld some bracing to keep the tub square and start cutting, it can be fixed.

I did one that was in similar condition, and I had no experience with anything like that.

thanks, still trying to decide what to do. Did you patch or replace quarters? definitely needs a rear sill.
 
My tub was in better shape than that before I started my repairs... and in hindsight, I wish I would have just saved time and bought an aqualu tub.

There are a lot more potential problem areas that aren't in your pictures. If it's just your rear quarters and rear sill, then I'd say it's definitely worth fixing. But I imagine if your quarters and sill are in that bad of shape (and I see some bondo and relatively new paint over rust- not a good sign as you consider what other magic the PO might have tried), you might also have problems in the following areas:

-rockers
-gas tank floor board
-driver and passenger floors
-Wheel wells where the supports are

You'll probably also have some pitting that will put you in a position where you teeter on either filling or cutting out and replacing.

I didn't discover a lot of my rust until I started exploring with a wire wheel on the angle grinder. So my best advice is to not even lift it off yet. Just go to town with a wire wheel in all common rust areas and take inventory of the repairs you'll need to do. I probably have about 300-400 hours into fixing my tub and I'm still not done yet. Lots of welds to grind on the underside, etc.

Once you've identified the necessary repairs, price out the replacement panels. Then it just becomes a time vs money equation. I probably have around $2,000 into my tub. An aqualu tub costs $3,500, plus around $500 for shipping. So call it $2,000 more to go with aqualu. Assuming I put in 400 more hours fixing than replacing, that means I'm paying myself $10/hr. Only you can decide whether that's worth it to you. You might find cutting, grinding, and welding enjoyable. I don't- I will never do this again. So for me, I wish I had just gone with the aqualu tub. No worry about future rust, and I'd be WAY further along in my restomod project than I am today.

My $.02.
 
I replaced the quarters, rear sill, both floor pans, patches along the sides, both rockers, the list goes on.......

Browse my thread and see what you’re in for!
 
oh, and btw... consider that sandblasting will probably be required in order to do this right, you need to factor in that cost.

Sandblasting would be one of the first things to do to find out what you are dealing with.
 
My tub was in better shape than that before I started my repairs... and in hindsight, I wish I would have just saved time and bought an aqualu tub.

There are a lot more potential problem areas that aren't in your pictures. If it's just your rear quarters and rear sill, then I'd say it's definitely worth fixing. But I imagine if your quarters and sill are in that bad of shape (and I see some bondo and relatively new paint over rust- not a good sign as you consider what other magic the PO might have tried), you might also have problems in the following areas:

-rockers
-gas tank floor board
-driver and passenger floors
-Wheel wells where the supports are

You'll probably also have some pitting that will put you in a position where you teeter on either filling or cutting out and replacing.

I didn't discover a lot of my rust until I started exploring with a wire wheel on the angle grinder. So my best advice is to not even lift it off yet. Just go to town with a wire wheel in all common rust areas and take inventory of the repairs you'll need to do. I probably have about 300-400 hours into fixing my tub and I'm still not done yet. Lots of welds to grind on the underside, etc.

Once you've identified the necessary repairs, price out the replacement panels. Then it just becomes a time vs money equation. I probably have around $2,000 into my tub. An aqualu tub costs $3,500, plus around $500 for shipping. So call it $2,000 more to go with aqualu. Assuming I put in 400 more hours fixing than replacing, that means I'm paying myself $10/hr. Only you can decide whether that's worth it to you. You might find cutting, grinding, and welding enjoyable. I don't- I will never do this again. So for me, I wish I had just gone with the aqualu tub. No worry about future rust, and I'd be WAY further along in my restomod project than I am today.

My $.02.

Thanks! The votes here are overwhelmingly in favor of aqualu-which I am leaning towards. Some weird instinct of mine doesnt like giving up on something that could be fixed though....my plan is to remove it today and get a good look at the underside and then make the call. Thanks for your input! Really appreciate it!
 
Thanks! The votes here are overwhelmingly in favor of aqualu-which I am leaning towards. Some weird instinct of mine doesnt like giving up on something that could be fixed though....my plan is to remove it today and get a good look at the underside and then make the call. Thanks for your input! Really appreciate it!
Fix it!!! That would be my vote. Real Steal makes great body panels, I have no affiliation.
 
Think of all the cool tools you can buy if you fix it yourself!!
 
Don't rule out finding a used tub in better shape than yours.
 
If you are in massachusetts as your sig says, I would probably go with a gozzard tub. Never worry about any corrosion again. Aqualu is nice too. I removed my old steel tub around march last year. I removed rust from all the frame from the A pillars back, had the 3/4 aqualu tub installed, aligned, modified to old steel trans tunnel to work, bedlined inside and underneath, and painted by august. I did everything but the paint. In the north east I would not think twice about getting rid of the steel tub, really hard to keep rust from coming back out their. At least with the aqualu you can wash it if you get caught on a nasty salty road without worrying about how much salt is now trapped between all the spotwelds.
 
Thanks! The votes here are overwhelmingly in favor of aqualu-which I am leaning towards. Some weird instinct of mine doesnt like giving up on something that could be fixed though....my plan is to remove it today and get a good look at the underside and then make the call. Thanks for your input! Really appreciate it!

I know a lot of guys like Aqualu but while I don't like the look, the main thing that's kept me away is the difficulty in repairs, like dents that can be picked up on some of the narrow trails that I frequent. I suppose you can pound out a dent in aluminum but I don't think it's nearly as forgiving as steel. And while I can sort of weld steel sheet with my MIG I haven't tried welding aluminum.

I would repair what you have but I for sure would weld or at least try to bolt in some cross bracing before taking the tub off the frame as several others have suggested. The roll bar won't save your door openings.

Just my opinions,

Pete
 
If you are in massachusetts as your sig says, I would probably go with a gozzard tub. Never worry about any corrosion again. Aqualu is nice too. I removed my old steel tub around march last year. I removed rust from all the frame from the A pillars back, had the 3/4 aqualu tub installed, aligned, modified to old steel trans tunnel to work, bedlined inside and underneath, and painted by august. I did everything but the paint. In the north east I would not think twice about getting rid of the steel tub, really hard to keep rust from coming back out their. At least with the aqualu you can wash it if you get caught on a nasty salty road without worrying about how much salt is now trapped between all the spotwelds.


agree with you on all points.
I did a fiberglass tub on a 73 back in the 80s and never put the hardtop back on. I still have this rig but it is far from original. This new project is for my 14 yo son and we have both decided to keep it as original as possible, except for suspension and maybe a bit taller tires. That being said, I love the look and feel of the steel body and definitely want the hardtop back on. Do you have any pics of the transmission cover modification, would love to see! also, did you rivnut anywhere ( hardtop bolts) on the tub or just nut and bolt?

Thanks! David
 
agree with you on all points.
I did a fiberglass tub on a 73 back in the 80s and never put the hardtop back on. I still have this rig but it is far from original. This new project is for my 14 yo son and we have both decided to keep it as original as possible, except for suspension and maybe a bit taller tires. That being said, I love the look and feel of the steel body and definitely want the hardtop back on. Do you have any pics of the transmission cover modification, would love to see! also, did you rivnut anywhere ( hardtop bolts) on the tub or just nut and bolt?

Thanks! David
Well the Gozzard fiberglass bodies are world's away from any other fj40 fiberglass bodies. They are a work of art and will take a hard top. Gozzard even makes fiberglass hard top sides too as well as a beefier roof. As far as my aqualu, I should be able to run a hard top on it. I fitted the sides as I was mocking everything up, I know basic bodywork skills. Look in my build thread link below, I have lots of pics and notes. I just use nuts n bolts to hold the sides down, thought about rivnuts but decided against them for this. A thicker hard top to tub gasket should be used with the aqualu that is 1/4" thick. With the carpet in its tough to tell it's not a original tub. A great benefit to using the factory tunnel is that you can make the drivetrain floor cutout bigger, and I'm glad I did because I had to fix a bad Trans input seal shortly after. The tunnel and hole aqualu supplies is not adequately large enough to pull the drivetrain as is and the whole motor would have to be pulled with drivetrain attached to service.
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Aqualu tubs are much harder to dent than steel. Years back I helped s mudder try to straighten a bent 1/4 in an Aqualu tub... with a ten pound sledgehammer. We got it close, but tin is way softer.
 

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