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Nonoriginal

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Hello All!

I recently wrecked my 4runner (not my fault) and settled with the insurance company today. In other words, the search for a new rig is ON. I found a 1978 FJ40 in the classifieds and I really interested in pursuing this route. The owner and I talked a bit tonight, and I'm scheduled to see it Sunday morning.

The FJ40's features;

350 Chevy: not sure how many miles exactly, but owner said it was about 10K. He bought it in Utah last year and the Original owner didn't include any doc.'s regarding engine???

Edelbrock Carb: New

Rhino lined: under carriage and interior

New 33" MT/R's

Full roll cage: not exactly sure what he meant, so I will have to wait until I see it.

Detroit Locker

Premium Sound system: Clarion 6 disk changer w/ six speakers.

Problems:

Speedo: No worky

Gas Gage: No worky

No Hard or Soft top.

Questions:

In your opinion Can I use this as a daily driver? I need a daily driver period.

Are FJ's with 350's reliable? Hard to work on? I would probably not buy a rig that had undergone an axle swap. IMO, all axle swaps are NOT created equally, and the only person that really knows how to work on a rig at that point, is the person that installed it. Is the 350 swap a similar situation?

What else should I look at specific to a 1978 FJ40?

I appreciate any help you can provide. :D
 
First of all. Its a 40 so don't expect the same ride as you got with any year 4-runner. Depends on where you live if you can drive it year round without some type of top. The 350 conversion is pretty standard. A general indication of how well it was done is to look at the motor mounts--s***ty stick welds indicate some garage hack-job. 350s are easy to work on and lots cheaper than a F/2F. I love my sbc cause I can actually buy cool stuff from JEGS:D I like the raw HP but the F has got any sbc on torque.

Get the 40 and buy a cheap late 80s accord to commute with:D
 
I use my 75 fj40 with a 350 as a daily driver. the 350 is super easy to work on by anybody with a little mechanical apptitude. i would suggest buying some kind of top no matter where you live, it makes a big diffrenec. once you own one you'll never want anything else
 
I personally dislike 350 conversions, I do not find them any easier to work on than F's, and in some cases can be a bitch depending on what you're working on and how the conversion was done.

IMO what you said about axle swaps is very true. I do not like having to deal with other peoples half ass rigging. IF it was a swap (and it well may be one) that was done professionaly or by a proficient detail-oriented person, I may be more inclined.

Conversions are standard, but I dislike them very much. I've driven several cruisers with 350's, and while they would haul ass, the truck just did not feel right, in all but one case.

I would also like to know what transmission and transfer case is being used. Toyota is better.

Basically, if it was me, I would pass this one over, unless the (doubtfully) the 350 conversion was not what most of them are.

Thats just me and my purist self. :D
 
Having just bought my first rig, by coincidence a 78' 40, let me tell you a few things I discovered. First, it took me over a year to find what I was looking for. Like you I was pretty jazzed about buying and when I look back I think how horrible it would have been if I had settled on some of teh early ones I looked at. Now that I have what I was lloking for I could not be happier. While it is not a DD for me as I have a long commute, I do take it out 3-4 times a week.

My unsolicited suggestion is this. Make a list of what you want in your cruiser (stock, lifted, pure rock crawler etc.) and lok until you find what you want not what the other guy is selling. In the meantime go get a DD mini truck.

My 2 cents but for what its worth I am glad I waited. Also, I looked as far north as Iowa (I am in Houston) but ended up buying one 15 minutes from my house....go figure.

Good Luck.
 
Thank you all so far...

Two vehicles are absolutely out of the question right now. I've recently become an apprentice machinist and I need tools! I wouldn't mind having a lathe or mill in my garage either. As it stands now, I have NO debt. The accident has paid off my loan for the 4runner and left me with a nice check to buy something decent. I would rather stay out of debt, by combining my DD into my rig. That will leave plenty of cash to buy machine tools and perhaps start a little side business.

I have been wondering about the tranny and T-case myself ( I forgot to ask last night... Doh!). I will add those to my list. This may be a stupid question; Can a 350 mate to the stock tranny? If so How? Adapter plate? If not, what type of tranny are the most common and the problems related w/ them?

What am I missing?
 
Look,


You can get a decent FJ40 for a DD, but you'd better be ready to buy the right machine. Like Pimp has said, his 82 (83?) FJ40 is a good DD, but it's not a 4Runner.

How much you're willing to spend is a BIG Factor in whether or not you can get into an FJ40 that will suffice as a DD stepping down from the street-a-bility of a 4Runner.

They ride rougher, they get s***ty gas mileage, you can't realistically ferry around clients in one, you'll have to be able work on it, you'll dump s*** loads of money into upgrades on them, etc...


Take at look at the FJ60's and FJ62's as well.


As far as the 350 goes, they're fun as hell, I had a 1970 with a 350 in it, but you need to be careful with the extra HP because you'll mess up the rest of the drive train is you're romping on it all the time. (I KNOW this, man!).

My 82 FJ40 has a VERY strong 2F in it. I actually didn't know they were as good as they are, having driven this one.

Good Luck.
 
"Speedo: No worky

Gas Gage: No worky

No Hard or Soft top."

Where do you live? It might suck w/ no top and winter coming. It's a '78, will you have to get it smogged? Gauges not working 'might' indicate a hack job. Hopefully the temp gauge works. I'd drive it around enough to see if it has cooling issues- even if you gotta give him a few bucks for gas. Rhino lining covering up rust? Bring a camera and get some pics :)
 
You didn't say where you lived or what he was asking. Usually when someone is selling, they have not performed the required maintenance. You need to checkout to see if there is any seepage where the axles meet the wheels, tranny, tcase, oil pan or any other area. It will be a rough ride and unless you live somewhere it is always 80 deg, you will want a top (hard or soft). You might want to look at a 60 series like Tommy said or an early 90's 80 series as well. Take your time and make sure you don't compromise. Since I am not selling you the car, its fair to ask how much you plan on spending. Be prepared to put another $1000 into it to get it up to snuff. Things like changing all the fluids and potentially rebuilding the front axle.

Good luck. You came to the right place for advice.
 
...the top is a good thing for bad weather but I really hate the weight out on the trails. Can you say "topheavy"?

As for the gas mileage I run a 350 with an SM465 and stock diffs on 35s. I get anywhere from 15 to 20 MPG depending on how much I abuse the loud pedal. ;) My mini usually gets less than 20 so...
 
I live in Arizona. It still gets chilly here in the winter. I will be looking into some kind of top.

Owner bought it in Utah and drove it home (approx 1200mi by my estimations).

Yes, it needs to be smogged. I have no clue how to go about this, yet.

Temp gage does work, at least that is what owner says.

He is asking $4000, and I'll be posting pictures sometime after 10 am (AZ time) tomorrow. Unless I check it out tonight. I'm getting kind of antsy, but my wallet is staying closed until I'm convinced...better yet until you all say it looks like something worth pursuing :D

I'm not concerned about the rough ride, in fact I loved my old CJ's rough ride. I'm only 25, my kidneys can still take a some good hits and bumps! :D

Gas mileage, heh! My runner was an Absolute DOG and got s***ty gas mileage as well. 15 mpg at best :rolleyes: At least I'll have an a$$ load of power for the 10mpg I'm likely to get with a 350!

I think it’s a trade off anyway. With a 4runner, if anything goes bad you better be prepared to break out the check book for some big $$$ too. My 3VZE engine had a bad cam seal about three months ago. I did the work myself, because I was quoted $1500 from the dealership! It took me and a friend 12 hours to take the engine out and fix it. Another 7hr’s to put it back in the next day. I don’t think it was worth it in the end. I got off cheap $200 in parts (Timing, water pump, anything else I could replace), but I’m still paying him back in Billet parts for his ‘62 Ford, and the truck is not here anymore? Kind of rambled a bit… but my point is, all vehicles will take money out of you’re a$$ one way or another.

Where should I snap the pic's off, besides the usual suspects?

So far:

Engine mounts
Tranny and T-case mating zones
Axels; All angles
Interior tub
Exterior
Wiring

(Thanks again, the response has been great.)
 
Check all over for rust. Not a "functional" problem, but an issue just the same.

Sounds like you can handle a chore, so I say go for it.

$4000 is a little high if it has the gremlins you've described. Speedo not working means he either fxxxed with the trans/case or just didn't hook it up to the gauge cluster. No temp gauge on a 350 in an FJ40 is just flat out retarded. I would put one in BEFORE I bought it, cause a 350 can and will run hot if it's not placed properly and linked to the right cooling components (4 Core radiator, etc...). Drive it and listen for gear noise. A lot of 350 installs tear up transfer cases and transmissions if the P>O has a lead foot and no regard for the damage they can cause. Also check the brakes over real well for equal distribution of stopping power, etc...you don't need to get into replacing wheel cylinders or master cylinders, etc..

Check the cooling VERY CLOSELY. I would probably recommend just getting a soft top to start with for it as well. You can pick them up on Ebay for around $400 in VERY GOOD condition. Use that expense as a barter for the vehicle price. As well as the gauge issues and installation issues. MAKE sure the fan/shroud/radiator appear to be set up properly, because placement of the cooling system on a conversion is one of the major issues.


Also, if this cat doesn't have a top for it, $4000 is WAY out of line. I'd tell him $3000 MAX bid and if he shrugs, don't sweat it, because you don't need to be his fxxxin' gopher buying his s*** at the price HE THINKS it's worth.


And post pics.
 
You've not mentioned whether the rig has power steering or not. I drove my '78 for years with no power steering, very challenging in city driving, and my ex-wife would not drive the rig at all.

If the rig has a conversion on it, ID what type (i.e. mini-truck or saginaw) and have a look at the frame. The mini truck version is a pretty clean job, just a change in pedestal and the addition of a vane pump. A saginaw can be done well and be clean, too, but check around the frame horn for cracking.

If the rig doesn't have power steering, you'll probably want to add it if you're going to drive it everday.

My $0.02, inflation adjusted.

-Dog
 
78 is a very disereable year due to 4.11, and fine spline (stronger) rear end. You can drive it easily without power steering if you run narrow tires like 33X9.50s. Agree on the above on looking at the motor mount welds/engine placement (is the fan just behind the radiator? What kit or adapter was used in the swap?) to judge quality of conversion. Don't discount an FJ60 for a DD/trail rig. They are great (I have both), more practical if you haul people or drive longer distances, and more comfortable (though still a little rough compared to more modern rigs). And you can get clean ones cheaper in many cases than a 40.
 
Not sure about the power steering; adding it to the list. BTW - Has anyone ever used Howe boxes? I know where, how, and who makes them... :censor:

TJ -

Your a funny dude, and I appreciate you lookin out. I agree with you 100%, I aint no FAWKING gopher. I keep getting ahead of myself, already looking in the Jegs Cat. and pricing soft-tops...

Let me know if my research thus far is correct:

Radiator should be about 5in from water belt pulley, and there *should* be a fan there.

Motor mounts: Should look like this, if it was done right. Should be four of them.

Temp *should* be in the upper to middle of the lower range at operating temp? (not really sure and I haven't seen one of these gages yet.)

Smog pump, if it has one, will be mounted under the Alternator. I priced some new smog pumps and :eek: they are $$$. That should give me more leverage regarding the price as with everything you mentioned.

And the stuff mentioned above this post, I feel like I'm cramming for a test... the difference... I want too. :D

Thanks guys you have been great!
 
If smog is an issue I say forget the pump and go catalytic converter your modified anyway its a lot easier and really works. Used ones aren't hard find free and most muffler shops can test for back pressure real easy. My 2 cents. Oh yah I'm in Texas 4000 is a good price where im at if it has min. rust.
 
$4000 is steep for no top and a SBC would have to be pretty rust free. I only $4500 for mine from Utah with a hard and soft top, little rust and a average SBC conversion.

It's taken the past year to straighten out all the "cut corners" on my conversion, and I've still got a few more to fix.
 
You may also wanna check to see what distributor he is running. If its a points style and the motor is backed up against the firewall already, there is almost no way to put in a HEI w/o relocating the motor. There are lots of issues with these but if you want one bad enough I guess you will over look anything but there are lots of demons built into these rigs like the cooling issues, steering, rough ride etc. If the gage cluster is not hooked up then he either swapped the tranny or the cable is broken, happens alot but you wanna make sure because if you take the time to swap a motor in a FJ your gonna want it done right and have gages there for backup. 4 K sounds a little high to me, I sold my 75 stock in good condition for 6500, I took a loss on that rig but had to due to a layoff. sux. And if you want one bad enough, come to TX and buy my 71 that I have started the conversion and not completed it yet. I have over 3k in this rig and will take 1500 for it. If I dont sell it soon I am gonna part it out. Too many toys too little time. Good luck on your hunt. but until I see pics I'd say pass this one up. I've seen better rigs for less.
 
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