1968 FJ40 Jolene (1 Viewer)

[VA Mountain FJ40]

Now time to add the headlight and headlight trim retaining ring.

Notice there are 3 dents along the inner bucket edge, corresponding to the trim ring hold down screws. The headlight has embossed lugs on the back side that match up with the grooves and ensure the light is straight and right side up.

Plug in the headlight to the plug in the outer bucket, match the light lugs to the inner bucket indents, and set the headlamp in place.

While I was putting headlights back on the bib, I also fastened the restored TOYOTA rear grill to the back. Also put the new OEM turn signal lights on.

With the new headlights in, secured by the trim rings. I bought the LED lights from City Racer LLC that have been recommended on this forum.

Time for the front bib grill!

 

[VA Mountain FJ40]

Bib Restoration
Front grill

Now sand and prep the front grill for paint:

Primer time

Color coat

Just need to add the bib screws and spacers in the lower left of the image above and that is a restored bib ready to go back on Jolene the 1968 FJ40…

 

[6f40j9]

I was all in until the headlights
Was hoping to see the oem koito upgrade kit instead.
Beautiful work otherwise

 

[VA Mountain FJ40]

Paint Jolene’s Rear Tub and Walls

When Jolene first came home with me she had all black interior. The tub, floor pans, transmission tunnel were all black bed liner, old enough to be peeling in many places.

After pulling the gas tank and swapping in a freshly built F engine, I am gradually restoring the interior tub floors and transmission tunnel cover to a more original light blue.

The front looked good. No way I could not update the rear tub as well.

Clean, grind, sand, prime. Starting the color coat:

Slowly building up color finish… Hitting some rust areas with silver POR-15 which is an excellent primer.

 

[6f40j9]

Paint Jolene’s Rear Tub and Walls

When Jolene first came home with me she had all black interior. The tub, floor pans, transmission tunnel were all black bed liner, old enough to be peeling in many places.

View attachment 3988659

After pulling the gas tank and swapping in a freshly built F engine, I am gradually restoring the interior tub floors and transmission tunnel cover to a more original light blue.

View attachment 3988660

The front looked good. No way I could not update the rear tub as well.

Clean, grind, sand, prime. Starting the color coat:

View attachment 3988661

Slowly building up color finish… Hitting some rust areas with silver POR-15 which is an excellent primer.

View attachment 3988662

View attachment 3988663

One day I need to do this to mine as well, it suffers the same affliction.

 

[VA Mountain FJ40]

Still putting color down on the tub floor but needed to tape up the windows and walls and ceiling.

Sanded and applied POR-15 again to rust spots found. Primed and then started putting color up on the walls.

Below: my amazing assistant and prep taper hard at work.

Priming and POR’ing…

Beginning to apply color coat on walls over primer.

 

[brian]

Bib Restoration
Front grill

Now sand and prep the front grill for paint:
View attachment 3985778

Primer time

View attachment 3985781

Color coat

View attachment 3985783

View attachment 3985789

Just need to add the bib screws and spacers in the lower left of the image above and that is a restored bib ready to go back on Jolene the 1968 FJ40…

Bezel.

 

[VA Mountain FJ40]

Jolene’s baby sister can’t help but peek around the corner and admire the old girl’s spiffy new interior look. Last coat of clear drying.

Color coat is done. Clear coating now.

With clear coat.

Stupid finger.

Now this is looking much better.

Say no more to the dark interior! This truck is busting out with positive energy.

 

[VA Mountain FJ40]

Bezel.

Yup, bezel works too. In the words of Mr. Mom (1983), “220… 221… whatever it takes…”

Now, the folks over at SOR use “Front Grill”. Either way.

 

[VA Mountain FJ40]

Jolene: Install Folding Rear Bench Seats

With the rear tub now painted and clear coated, time to install the folding rear jump seats.

Two winters ago I pulled them out of the truck and did a full off frame jump seats restoration. Full reupholstery. Came out nice. They sat in the basement while I was beginning the quest for a fresh built F motor. Time for them to graduate from basement back to FJ40.

It was a bit challenging to do the reinstall. The two back brackets on each seat got bent out of alignment in the hustle and bustle of basement life. When we threaded the foot bolts through the floor first, the back brackets weren’t even close. When we threaded the back brackets first, the foot bolts weren’t even close. Eventually I straightened the back brackets and once properly straightened, both the back brackets and the bench feet holes lined up very closely.

Through practice, the best way to reinstall the jump seats is:

1) Straighten back brackets on the jump seats.

2) With jump seat partly open, loosely attach the 2 M8 1.25 x 30 bolts for each back bracket into the tub wall. Two bolts per bracket, four bolts per bench.

3) Use a small Philips head screwdriver or Allen key and insert through one of the two holes in each of the 3 bench feet. Do one foot at a time. Wiggle the bench so the foot holes are close enough to the fender holes to work the aligning key tool in. The key should go through the both the foot hole and the tub fender hole. You can wiggle the tool in the bolt hole until the other foot hole lines up just right with the fender well hole. Put an M6 x 1.25 x 30 bolt through each open hole on each foot. After 1 bolt is in all 3 feet, remove the tools from each of the 3 feet one at a time, replacing them with M6 bolts.

4) Tighten the 4 bracket bolts. Easiest to do with the seat partway unfolded.

5) Thread washer / split washer / M6 nut from under the fender well onto each of the 6 M6 bolts securing the bench feet to the fender. With a partner, tighten the 6 M6 bolts.

6) Open close the seat with all tightened bolts and check for possible interference between the bottom seat and any seat belt anchors remaining on the fender well beneath the seat. If necessary loosen the seat belt anchor bolts and rotate the belt anchors until there is free movement clearance between the seats and the belt anchors.

Repeat for the second jump seat.

 

[VA Mountain FJ40]

 

[VA Mountain FJ40]

Jolene Interior Mats

I do like the brightness of the light blue rear tub floor and front footwells. But let’s get real: That sheen won’t last forever, not hauling things in the rear tub and getting in the truck with muddy boots. I wanted a removable rubber liner I could remove and rinse at will. Gray, if possible.

Found these at Cruiser Corps. They are advertised as laser cut and turned out to be spot bang on. Very pleased with the fit. Tight, precise, no movement to cause abrasion underneath. Had to cut two small holes for seatbelt anchors and three small notches for the passenger seat feet. Easy stuff. Did it with kitchen scissors.

 

[VA Mountain FJ40]

The rear mat fits just right between the fender wells. Room left at the rear for the rear doors to close. Precision is excellent.

I did not have to cut any of these notches. They were all dead on.

Passenger footwell mat here follows the transmission tunnel curve exactly. A+ fit. Very happy. Cutouts for passenger seat foot and dash support. Follows the inside of the door well perfectly.

Great passenger footwell mat fit, butting right up to both tank strap anchors, leaving a notch for the raised passenger seat foot, and then following the curve of the transmission tunnel.

Here is where the rear tub mat cutouts do a great job fitting around heater as well as the rear tank strap anchors … and then following the profile of the passenger fender well.

 

[VA Mountain FJ40]

I like these mats. Exactly as advertised. Recommend them. You can get them in carpet too.

 

[VA Mountain FJ40]

Jolene Rear Hatch Lift Struts

Spent the last couple of weeks working in and out of Jolene’s rear tomb. Sanding and paint prepping the tub and tub walls. Taping up inside. Hundreds of attempted entries and exits under the raised back hatch. The old spring lifts…. Had sprung. The hatch lid randomly descended on my head just because. Bonk. Push it back up. Back to work. A fly lands on the hatch. Bonk. Push it back up… back to work. A faint breeze blows through the open shop door. Bonk. Push it back up. Back to work. A cranky garage poltergeist is feeling puckish. Bonk. Push it back up. Back to work.

See the pattern? Yeah, the old struts are famous for that. After the first hundred or so bonks, you mostly get used to it…
OK. OK. No, you don’t. Sigh. Bonk.

The AI data goblins listened and my social feed suddenly fed me glorious FJ40 video reels featuring happy self rising rear hatches.

It’s been Bonk-tastic, old hatch lift struts. I’m trying the AVR Customs EZ lift struts.

The AVR struts are easy to install. Remove old strut: Unscrew 2 chunky JIS screws each to remove bottom (2) and top (2) strut brackets. Hitting all 8 bracket screws with Kroil first is highly recommended. Also, don’t even think about using that #2 Phillips head to remove those screws. You will wallow them out. Someone before you may have already done this. For Pete’s sake use a large #3 JIS bit and avoid making an easy task into a fastener removal nightmare.

Take of old OEM bottom bracket. Let strut hang loose from hatch. Bonk. Push it back up. That single strut won’t hold the hatch up now. I made a hatch prop rod from a broom stick and went back to work.

Put on new AVR bottom bracket. Knob faces front. AVR provides replacement hex drive bolts that exactly fit/replace the old bolts.

Remove OEM top bracket and remove OEM spring strut. Install AVR top hatch lift bracket with included screws. Knob faces away from vehicle center.
At this point, just snap the AVR gas strut onto upper and lower bracket balls, skinny end of the strut faces down. Easy peasy.

Keep that broomstick prop in place. When you take the other OEM hatch strut off, the single AVR strut won’t hold the hatch open on its own. Otherwise… Bonk. Push it back up. Back to work.

Other side the same thing. Rinse and repeat…

 

[pb4ugo]

Looks great
A lot of folks gut the chrome struts and install gas struts inside of them. Here's 1 link of many.

Thread 'Gas Struts for rear lift gate on '73 - Where do you fin 'em?'

Dec 29, 2005

Gas Struts for rear lift gate on '73 - I FIGURED IT OUT!!!!!

Saw some on eBay, but was outbid ($50). Where do you get 'em? Or does anybody have the specs so that I can order some?

• cooney
• Replies: 98
• Forum: 40- / 55-Series Tech

 

[VA Mountain FJ40]

I’m saving the old spring struts. Maybe rebuild ‘em with a gas strut inside like some here do. In the mean time, I really really like my hatch gate now. The AVR struts are great. Just open the hatch and step away… she rises on her own allllll the way up. You can step in. Crawl in. Peek in. Peek out. Crawl out. Step out. Weeeee…. No Bonk.

Nice movement. Calibrated just right. Clean install. Works great. I like a clean truck, but I’m not remotely a councours type owner. Great strut, great look, and now I don’t have to hold the hatch open with my head while loading inside. I can even put my beer on top. No Bonk. Life is good. I like these struts and I am also going to put them up front and get rid of that tiresome hood prop rod… but that’s a different Jolene story that hasn’t happened yet.

AVR FJ40 Rear Hatch EZ Lift Struts… I approve.