Builds 1960 FJ28L - Project Lara

[red66toy]

Wow, those pieces came out great!

 

[whitey45]

Do I see a barn door lv wagon in the second pic?

 

[scoobiedubes]

Do I see a barn door lv wagon in the second pic?

Sure looks like it doesn’t it? Has the long LV emblem. Good eye

 

[1969FJ]

I’ll email ya, they actually had to go down to Colombia to get done wasn’t cheap but nobody in the US wanted to touch them.

Wow, how did you find a person in Columbia to do the steering wheel ? Could you share information as I have 2 wheels to be done ?

 

[c2dfj45]

I’ll email ya, they actually had to go down to Colombia to get done wasn’t cheap but nobody in the US wanted to touch them.

 

[xtremeVA]

Anybody that has kids looking for a career, get them into body work! Pays really well and there aren’t very many good ones around.

I have learned that metalworking on these old bodies takes a mountain of patience. I'm still a rookie but compared to when I started a few years ago it has become alot easier.

btw - you have now made me add a "power hammer" to the list of fantasy tools I want to own. Your shop did a great job keeping the panel flat while stretching the metal to put into those dual ribs. Love to know the "trick" to achieve that result.

 

[scoobiedubes]

More photos of that Saudi 28L - it’s a 1958 with the F105. this thing is amazingly complete! Confirmed all the door hardware and internal door regulators should match the 45LV

 

[scoobiedubes]

I now know what the seating should look like too. Interesting that this front bench looks like it was made for a RHD. Also confirms that battery opening on the right side is OEM, and the interior body panels were upholstered. This guy has been incredibly helpful with a lot of info I would never have been able to find anywhere else.

 

[scoobiedubes]

Engine bay and Gifu emblem

 

[red66toy]

That is so cool!

 

[c2dfj45]

Amazing.....what a great help those pics will be.

That Gifu badge is too cool....

 

[scoobiedubes]

well its been a very very slow year, I wish I had more progress to report on. For those that didn't see it, the other 28 that House of Cruisers had finally finished restoration and went to auction here in Scottsdale a couple weeks ago and really did very poorly.

Rough day at Barrett for 20 series

1957 FJ25 went for $42k, and one of the only other 4 FJ28s (mine included) went for only $62k. Not a whole lot more than I paid for mine as a project two years ago. I spent some time looking at it yesterday with the house of cruisers team, a great group of guys. Restorations aren’t perfect but i...

forum.ih8mud.com

I know those guys had a lot more into it than that, and really Barrett just did a terrible job promoting it. No mention was made to the rarity, just that it was a restored 1960 land cruiser.

At any rate, although I don't have any plans to sell it was still a bit depressing. However, it was still incredibly valuable to get a chance to see it in person - took several hundred pictures of it there, lots of videos, and had a lot of time to discuss with their restoration team as well. I took the guy that's working on the body over there with me and it seems to have lit a fire under him these past couple of weeks. I hope that continues. Now have a couple of doors done and they look pretty perfect. Really he's spending about half of his effort fixing the "repairs" that the previous shop made, but I still have confidence that it's in the right place. This guy really can work some magic when he sets aside the time. Hoping this spring is a productive one!

 

[tucker74]

The collector market is fickle, someone got a hell of a deal. Don’t let it discourage you

 

[scoobiedubes]

Body shop has been making very slow but steady progress these past 6 months or so. Turns out there's almost no piece of this body that doesnt need at least a little bit of work. Driver side doors are done, and B pillars have been taking up a lot of time lately. This guy doesn't cut any corners which I appreciate certainly, but he gets maybe 10 hours a week on this project. Though I wish it was moving faster, its good to see progress and be happy with everything he's done so far. I've never had to ask him to redo anything. Hoping the quarter panels can be done within the next month or so, then its on to the floors and rear doors. Realistically, I'm betting I've got another 6-12 months left of body work still though, even though he tells me 2 or 3 more months. And I wouldn't be shocked if its more. What would I tell my younger self at that Barrett auction pre-pandemic had I known what I know now?? I'm sure it will all be worth it in the end, but boy this has been quite the undertaking...

Chassis is starting to come together now too. The 1960 F135 that's going back in it has been rebuilt (sleeved) and is awaiting its chariot. Should be a good learning experience figuring out everything on this 20 series chassis. Shooting to have it over to the body shop to be "mated" with the body sometime in August. That might light a fire under them too, motivate them to get that shop space back.

Good news I've found almost all the parts I need. The only thing I'm still missing is some of the interior door mechanisms. Believe I've got both of the drivers passenger side ones but missing both passenger driver side (edited: had it backwards!). I have some old TEQ stamped hardware from a Toyota Corona that I may end up having to use, but some LV hardware would be the right way to do it if anybody has any leads.

A few teaser photos of some of the progress. Again, a lot of this is just fixing the previous shop's work. Much of the bracing inside the doors had to be repaired as well as the door skins themselves.

 

[scoobiedubes]

B pillar repair still in process. This is the kind of stuff that's frustrating but has to be done. At least half of the holes were completely stripped and had to be rebuilt and re-tapped. Several of the door hinges had to be remade, as well as the pins which turned out to be a completely different size from the LV doors and any other 40 series door.

 

[JLawson]

Keep the faith! It will definitely be worth it in the end!

 

[xtremeVA]

...cut, weld, grind, repeat... Progress looks great!

 

[JohnnyC]

progress?

 

[scoobiedubes]

progress?


View attachment 3152072View attachment 3152073

Awesome scans! Good to see you on here again @JohnnyC

There’s some progress, rear quarters are done. On to the rear doors now and then the floors finally. I laugh at his deadlines now though, it’s not even worth repeating them here really. I’ve just resolved that the pace is out of my control and to just be happy that the work is good.

I’ll try to get some pictures of the quarters posted as soon as I can get down there to check it all out.

 

[scoobiedubes]

Good progress the past few months (relatively speaking) on the 28. I’m going to hold off posting any photos until more of it is reassembled as a lot of the panels have to be removed to be repaired.

I did come across this this morning on instagram thanks to @red66toy. Apparently 30 year old photos, but as this thread is probably now the best thread on the FJ28 Gifu wagons I thought we better capture them. The couple of interesting things I noticed (aside from the snow plow!) was fender mounted turn signals and a lack of jail bars in the rear. Possible those were modifications though rather than factory specs.