1963 💩 FJ45LP SWB

[Unimogguy]

My first vehicle back in 1996 was a primer grey 1970 FJ40 I purchased in Giles County, VA for $800. After several months of trying to get it running and throwing money I didn’t have at it. I sold it to Blair a Crusierhead w/ several 40’s from NOVA who was going to school at VT and was one of the founders of SC4WDA. I then went on to own a CJ-7 that ended up on tons w/a 351, a stock CJ-5 and 2x Unimog 404’s which is where my username came from.

Fast forward…to early February of 2020 I started following this thread:

Build Thread '1964 FJ45 Short Bed Fixed Top Pickup Restoration'

Feb 28, 2020

I’m an addict.

Last week @wngrog finished up Project Mustard. It turned out fantastic and I absolutely love it. That project was very much an impulse buy - I woke up one morning and decided I needed another project and it just so happened that @thecrazygreek had listed the Mustard for sale. Well....as Nolen was wrapping up Mustard I started to get the impulse to start another project.

A week or so ago Nolen sent me a for sale ad on a 1964 short bed fixed top 45 series. I initially scoffed at the idea but the truck sort of stuck in my head. It would not go away. So as I was...

• jomelo
• saginaw
• Replies: 1,710
• Forum: 40- / 55-Series Tech

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Then in August 2020 after chasing several FJ45’s over the preceding years I saw Jomelo posted this 1963 SWB FJ45 for sale:

SOLD Thread 'Canton, MS: 1963 Short Wheel Base FJ45 Fixed Top'

Aug 31, 2020

I have decided to move on from this project. This is VIN 13529 and I bought this truck as a pair with Rotunda as chronicled here: Builds - Project Hate It or Love It - 196(4) FJ45 Short Bed Fixed Top Pickup

@wngrog and I had all these crazy ideas but so many of them have been dumped on Rotunda. Just not sure I really want to build another FJ45, especially with some of the ideas I have for Mustard.

This is a 1963 model truck and there are not many of them out there. It’s a project. As in, it doesn’t run or drive because it doesn’t have an engine. We have replaced a few odds...

• jomelo
• Replies: 7
• Forum: BJ42 | FJ43 | BJ44 | FJ45 | FJ45LV | HJ47

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The 45 was in AZ when @jomelo purchased it from @LeRoy Cordova.
@jomelo then had it shipped to @wngrog in MS to have him work his magic.

Photos taken by @wngrog

 

[Unimogguy]

I acted quickly as I saw several others who were interested and didn’t want to miss out on yet another opportunity due to my analysis paralysis.

As you all know at the time of purchase we were all going through COVID. I was still running RT8DONUTS full time as we were fortunate enough to be able to stay open without having to close. In October I decided to take a week off and drive from VA to Las Vegas to pick up a Aqualu FJ45 LPB bed I had recently purchased. I picked up a U-haul car hauler in Vegas and tossed the 45 bed on it and strapped it down and quickly hit the road towards MS and the 45.

 

[Unimogguy]

After sleeping in the Tahoe on way to Vegas and then to MS I would just pull off on the off ramp and then back on to the on ramp so when I woke up I could just started driving again. This allowed me to be as efficient and frugal as possible.

I finally found myself crossing the state line in MS. Upon crossing the Mississippi River just west of Vicksburg I was in the passing lane with a tractor trailer beside me. As you come across the bridge there’s a slight left bend in the road which prevented me from seeing the 15’ to 20’ 4” steel pipe in the middle of the lane. With nowhere to go and unable to slow down in time I hit it with the driver side tires and the trailer. Unfortunately the trailer didn’t fair as well as the Tahoe did after the impact. I slowed down and pulled off on the inside shoulder of I-20 only to watch a tour bus hit the same piece of pipe while I was outside the vehicle inspecting the truck and trailer for damage. Upon seeing the bus starting to merge off the shoulder of I-20 and started sliding in the grass behind me as I hustled back to the truck. As you can see from the pics the trailer blew both tires, bent both rims and busted the rear leaf spring shackle knocking the rear axle backwards into the fender. The bus behind me blew out it’s front tire.

I called U-haul and since I had their full coverage trailer insurance (I now get this religiously every time after this incident) they advised me to drag the trailer off of I-20 and to the nearest parking lot (Kroger) where they would dispatch a roll back to pick it up. I made my way to the local U-haul rental location and picked up a new trailer and headed back to Kroger to reload the 45 bed and continue on to pickup the 45 from Nolen.

 

[Unimogguy]

Due to the accident I arrived later at Nolen’s than I had originally planned. I asked Nolen for advice on a place to eat since he runs www.seeandeatms.com. He told me to go to Lou’s. I was pretty bummed when I arrived after they had already closed up for the night. Having spent 1/2 my life in the restaurant industry I always enjoy going somewhere new with great food and service. But I did manage to catch a glimpse of this sweet 60 in the parking lot which I later found out was Nolen’s buddy.

Nolen had previously pulled the 45 into his shop to make her pretty and give her a once over before I picked her up.

He made mention of the C-clip barely holding the broken passenger side axle in place and advised me to be mindful of it. I filed it away in my brain that I’ve punched more holes in than Swiss cheese.

This issue will come up later to haunt me…

 

[Unimogguy]

Nolen and I agreed to meet up early the next morning. He graciously offered me a place to crash in his shop as he knew I had been sleeping in the truck the past several days. I think he felt sorry for me. Upon arriving at his historic farm and 1800’s farmhouse I somehow drove right past the shop in the darkness. Being late and not wanting to wake anyone up I continued driving forward thinking I hadn’t passed the shop yet and ended up at the shed where the 45 was being stored. I parked the truck content I was in the right area.

I woke up early to see Nolen walking out to the truck and 45. He was ready to go while I was still half asleep wiping the eye buggers away.

We made small talk for a few minutes and then got busy unloading the 45 bed and loading up the 45 with his Kabota since it didn’t run. We initially were going to put the Aqualu bed in front of the truck but decided against it and flipped it upside down on some 2x6’s and strapped it down.

If you’ve never met Nolen he’s like the energizer bunny and now I completely understand how he’s able to accomplish all he is in the short amount of time he’s able to on the trucks that come to Tilda Bouge for service.

 

[Unimogguy]

After getting the 45 loaded up I set off for VA. About an hour down the road my phone starting ringing. It was Nolen I answered thinking I had forgotten something he asked if I could pull over and see if his female cat Cowboy was in the truck. I chuckled at the thought thinking there was no way she’d still be on the 45 and must have jumped off somewhere along the dirt road as I was leaving the farm. He said he posted the pic of me driving away below on Instagram and someone pointed out that Cowboy was on the top of the Aqualu bed. He then sent me the pic. I immediately pulled over. Not seeing her between the beds of the truck I cracked the door and saw her under the seat. I called Nolen and we formulated a plan. I’d turn around and head back towards him and he’d bust ass towards me in the 55 w/ the Mosley cop motor. Truly a man of his word as you can see from the speedo.

 

[Unimogguy]

With Cowboy safely back with her dad I continued north to Blacksburg. I stopped at a gas station (one of many on this trip) and snagged some refreshments and pics.

 

[Unimogguy]

Back in VA I parked the 45 behind the donut shop and started sourcing parts that I needed for the restoration. Until someone in the community complained about the derelict Toyota Landcruisers and other vehicles on the property. In fairness only the HMMWV and ‘73 FJ45 ran of the 6. So off I went to moving the vehicles to the farm in Floyd and my garage where my HOA despises me even more than my ex wife. As evidenced by all of the bylaws that have been added in the past 20 years that I lived there. They were added to prevent me or anyone else from doing what I was at that time in the future.

Remember Nolen telling me about that passenger rear axle? Several years later after I had completely forgotten about it being an issue it came back to haunt me…

This doesn’t look right….I’m pretty sure the tires are suppose to be behind the horizontal bar?

As part of the initial purchase Nolen sent me @jomelo ’s old engine out of the 1964 SWB FJ45 that they were restoring (4-FJ45-15784) as it was destined for a 1FZ w/Sniper. We used Fastenal Blueline Freight to ship the engine, transmission and transfer case all still connected on a pallet from Pearl, MS to Christiansburg, VA for $170. That’s 713 miles.

 

[wngrog]

Reserved.

 

[Unimogguy]

And then I ended up here…

I was on my way to Pueblo, CO to pickup a mint 8274 for $300. Which was the most expensive Warn winch I NEVER purchased. Outside of Monument, CO on I-25 a guy in front of me 2 lanes to my left started to fish tail. Then lost control and started heading towards the Jersey wall to his left. He then over corrected and then headed perpendicular back across all the lanes to the right shoulder. Where I was putting along in the slow lane and impacted him in his passenger door. Luckily I had already slowed down due to the wintery weather and further slowed when I saw the individual start fish tailing.

Unfortunately the insurance company didn’t want to repair it so I ended up with this:

Yeah…yeah…I know another Subaru….just like hey look at me I’m super unique I’m outdoorsy in CO.

 

[Unimogguy]

I had planned to fly home for Christmas but the accident presented another opportunity. Since CO law mandates that insurance companies put you back in a vehicle that is comparable to what you lost. They put me in a ‘24 Ram 1500 4x4. Wanting to take advantage of the opportunity that had now presented itself I decided to drive it home to pickup the 45. Why put 3k+ miles on one of my vehicles when I can just take the rental.

I took a week off of flight training in 2025 to go home for the Christmas holiday. I decided not having enough to do with flight school, studying and flight training full time that I should drag the 45 out to CO so I had something to tinker with in my completely non existent free time.

I always stop at Joe’s in KC for BBQ and for some reason I always seem to have a 45 in tow.

This time was no different…except I got to meet some great Cruiserheads @tornadoalleycruiser and his buddy we sat down and enjoyed some delicious BBQ! I met up with the guys to pick up a 3rd member they had rebuilt so I could pay into the LC karma bank and Mudship it back to Denver and help out a local guy. I hopped back on I-70 Westbound and started chasing the sunset.

I finally made it to CO!!! If you haven’t had the pleasure to drive from one side of KS to the other (9hrs) you need to do it once in your life.

First pic of the Safari windshield. I’m going to try it out as I haven’t seen another SWB fixed top with one and I’m curious how the airflow will be with the sliding rear windows. I’ll have to swap out the fixed windshield hinges and figure out a mount between the cowl and windshield frame inside the cab. I’ll report back later on my findings.

 

[miller]

Sweet someone else in the same boat as me!

 

[Unimogguy]

Sweet someone else in the same boat as me!

Yes sir…I unfortunately don’t have your impressive skill set.

Which is why I half jokingly asked when I could bring you my bed for you to work your magic.

 

[Unimogguy]

Once I got back to Denver the 45 got parked in the driveway while I waited for good weather to swap out the rear axle and get the City Racer wheels and new KO’s into storage. I previously picked up a set of rollers @gr8ful graciously had offered up. Thanks Abe!

 

[Unimogguy]

Couple weeks go by and we finally have good weather and I swap out the rear differential due to the broken axle shaft. Which catches us up to today…

Do any of you guys keep extra housings? Maybe for the gears or the other axle shaft?

 

[Unimogguy]

Reserved

 

[jomelo]

Hell yes.

 

[redfj45can]

 

[jfz80]

Looking forward to following along.

I’ve had your donuts before and was saddened when you closed the doors. Was always a stop on the way up 8 from NC to Blacksburg to meet with builders in the area.

What’s funny is I’ve seen your LS around christiansburg with the tag and didn’t make the connection before.

 

[jfz80]

And whats wrong with people these days ?!?
After the donuts the parking lot was my favorite highlight of the drive. I mighta peeked at your collection before