1964 FJ 45 lwb or swb ??? (1 Viewer)

[wilkie]

I am missing the bed on my new project , an Australian FJ 45 , and to find out whether it was a long bed or short bed i measured the wheel base . 115.7 inches ?
Going on TLC's specs it should either be 95.7 or 104.3 ?
Were the Aussie FJ 45 longer ? Is a long bed from the States going to fit ?

 

[whitey45]

Hey Mate,

Definately long wheel base 45, 116 wb was lwb, 104 was short wheel base 45 pickup and wagon,and the 95 would be an fj43.
cheers,whitey

 

[wilkie]

Thanks for your help ,again , Whitey !
I don't suppose you know of one for sale ? it looks as though im going to have to import one . I dont think they came into Australia .

 

[Marcfj-45]

www.aqualu.com in Canada B.C. sell all the body parts .They got your bed in Aluminium.

But if you want a real one in steel Awl_Teq made it . Parts and complete bed in Canada Alberta
.
His for sell thread is here
https://forum.ih8mud.com/merchandise-storefront/300691-your-fj45-lpb-bed-parts-here.html

 

[EWheeler]

Not sure how much of a purist you are, but I really dig this look. I am sure you could find one of these beds over on your rock.

 

[west aussie]

g'day wilkie - another aussie here - have a 64 fj45 project or 2 myself - interested in info about your chassis - does it appear to be cut and joined at the rear of the cab? many aussie ones were from new but i think they varyied between states. on all mine the extension involved moving the rear cab mount; blowing out the rivets with oxy and re-welding the mount direct to the chassis. if so you got an estimate on the added length? you got an existing tray? most aussie were locally made trayback - run with it!

 

[Living in the Past]

g'day wilkie - another aussie here - have a 64 fj45 project or 2 myself - interested in info about your chassis - does it appear to be cut and joined at the rear of the cab? many aussie ones were from new but i think they varyied between states. on all mine the extension involved moving the rear cab mount; blowing out the rivets with oxy and re-welding the mount direct to the chassis. if so you got an estimate on the added length? you got an existing tray? most aussie were locally made trayback - run with it!

I would be curious to see what you are talking about. Here in the US our frames have a plates welded onto them just behind the cab. Mine isn't kept local so I can't check to see if the rear cab mount is riveted or welded on.

In this thread there is a picture of the factory Toyota long bed box. Post #6. Not sure if this guy is selling it or not but it is in Australia.


https://forum.ih8mud.com/fj45-owners-club/452894-fj43.html

 

[west aussie]

yea i try post some pics up to explain what im talking about. my technologically inclined girlfriend visiting soon etc help me etc etc

i have only seen west australian chassis (frames) though. i would like to get a comparison with other aussie states.

 

[west aussie]

ok some pics of the chassis extensions i have been yabbering on about. every example of 1962 - 1964 chassis type fj45's i have sen in west australia has this same modification. wondering if this the case australiawide? you can see where the original rivets that held the cad mount have been blown out of the cab with the oxy and the cab mount welded to the extension piece. have chalked it a bit so stands out.

 

[west aussie]

re: previous post. an axample from 62 and 64.

 

[Living in the Past]

From the 62 and 64 dates it appears your talking about short wheel base truck which I don't own. But since it seems most truck over there in the early years had a locally produced tray then what your saying makes more sense. Like I say our long wheel base trucks have a plate welded on the frame in the mid section that was just to beef up the frame. All our in the US came with the factory bed installed and changing the wheel base would stand out. I did see a short fixed top extended once. Don't remember if it had a long wheel base frame or the original frame extended. I do remember convincing the couple of guys I was with that it didn't come from Toyota that way. The side of the bed looked good but Toyota would have never installed just a piece of flat metal for the extra floor lenght.

 

[west aussie]

thanks for the reply. every one of the 7 examples of this frame type i heve viewed in west australia has this same modification. would like to determine how this compares with other states. (thats your cue wilkie haha). i cant be the only aussie with a couple split rear window 45 projects surely. anyway i best stop harping on about this but it just intrigues me. i have raved further about it in the 25 forum if you wish (thiess australia i think)

that 62 frame pictured above came with original well body type bed (doubt its toyota; why the frame extension?) and most others are local trays. ill post a pic of that sometime. in fact i wont be able help myself but put all my chassis mod and tray type observations inti a single thread sometime. i not sure who made westralian trays yet but some patterns are imerging. ill open that can of worms another day.

wilkie i may be able dig up an oilbath filter for you. drivers seats and sidesteps are hard. heater? never seen one over here; yours have evidence of having had one?

 

[Bear]

Find this all to be interesting.
Such a short lengthening of the frame doesn't produce much extra box length/ capacity for the work involved to stretch a frame.

The frame area between the torque tube and the rear spring hanger, must be highly stressed on the pickup trucks.
Toyota in the 1966 and 1967 longbed versions plated that area with a c-channel configuration welded to the outer, top, and bottom part of the frame. The rear cab mount is hot-riveted on the outside frame there, while the bed mount is simply welded. In the later longbed trucks, the frames have a much smaller plate reinforcement welded inboard between the torque tube and the cab mount(riveted). Perhaps in their redesign of the frame, the engineers' research had found that to be the spot under the most stress.

Two thoughts on why your trucks have such a relatively short frame extension. First, was there at the time an existing trayback bed used for a different application, that needed the extra frame length to fit your Toyota?
Or--as I found in the Netherlands--is there a governmental taxing authority that taxes "long" wheelbased vehicles differently for importation, or even restricts their importation if not of a certain length. Ofttimes local politicians put on draconian trade regulations to appease a locally-produced domestic company, guaranteeing local jobs and moneys in their jurisdiction. Or they feel that a certain sized vehicle will be utilized for a different purpose and tax it differently.

Here in the States, Toyota was restricted years ago from shipping completed pickup trucks with their beds mounted at the factory. Back even then, the top US manufacturers were worried about the competition from the imports.

Could you post-up the length between your two white chalk marks to see just how much extra length all that welding actually produced?

 

[Living in the Past]

Toyota in the 1966 and 1967 longbed versions plated that area with a c-channel configuration welded to the outer, top, and bottom part of the frame.

My 65 long bed has these welded plates also.

I agree with politics/import taxing having something to do with why the would only be a little longer. That's a lot of work to gain very little.

 

[west aussie]

bear thanks for your input. i need to mearure the added piece more precisely but it is either 4 or 5 inches only; the welds themselves are very wide.

i really havnt studied import regulations at all; not political orientated enough to even know if this would be a state or federal area of influence but imagine the later. while west aust is geographicaly isolated from our eastern brothers it is not so politically. i would like some eastern aust input.

i can photograph several later 60s style frames; be interesting to see how they compare with usa. could probably hijack this thread indefinately really haha

 

[wilkie]

Hi West Aussie , Sorry for the late reply . Yes , mine has a mitred weld . As for the measurements , I cant confirm as im up in sunny Byron Bay for a bit. Send me your phone no and i will contact you re the oil bath . That would be fantastic.There definitely was a heater. I cant be sure if it was factory or not. The fittings are still on the engine and the brackets are still on the cabin floor.

 

[bullbars45]

this is interesting i have 2 cruisers ones a 1983 FJ 45, I have had this girl for about 5 months its extended by about 300mm can see obvious extension and has a modification sticker under the bonnet I will take some pics tomorrow , My other cruiser which i have had for 11 years or there abouts is a 1980 HJ 45 has no extension and looks to be standard to me no welds no plates no extra holes , Im In Victoria so looks like you can get some more eastern states models..
Mabby it was a requirement for the chassis mods for the mines or government department .
I did hear that cruisers were bought out to Australia for the Snowy Mountain scheme because the landrovers couldnt handle the punishment BUT the cruisers couldn't fit in the tunnels so the landrovers still had a job to do in that aspect they could be lowered into a tunnel by crane and driven . usless info to some but to me interesting if true , the cruisers i then would imagine were the main transport for man , tool and equipment above ground so a chassis extension would of been a benefit and perhaps a requirement ,

Has anyone else heard of similar stories as to the extensions

 

[Aussie 25]

Wilki

Have you found a tray? I seen one 2 weeks agao near Gympie QLD.

 

[wilkie]

I really want a tub !
A repo one in the states are worth 7 grand before shipping!!!

 

[slyaussie]

still need info on 1962 fj 45 lwb

hi. would any of you guys know anything about an 1962 fj 45 lwb. It's a column shift 3 speed with a vacum transfer case, f motor.Tool box under passanger seat and cab that doesn't come off.Also windscreen doesn't fold down. i"ve posted photos of it on here. You can find them if you search ( need info on a 1962 fj 45 lwb flat bed)I've owned this truck for over 10 years and still can't find out anything about it.Any help would be great.