1969 FJ40 build "Dr Banner" (2 Viewers)

[scratchhax]

I thought I'd go ahead and add my spreadsheet that I've been using to track how much this is all costing me.


That brings my total to $ $ 22,555.85 including the purchase price of $13,900 . The break down looks like this.

Wiring	Engine	Body	Drivetrain	Suspension	Interior	Exterior	Upgrades	Parts total	Overbought
1068.37	1620	681.72	3191.94	759.9	651.75	294.96	387.21	8655.85	$ 113.21

7/29/2022	Air filter	Engine	$ 22.00	needs one	https://www.autozone.com/filters-and-pcv/air-filter/p/stp-air-filter-sa3549/115121_0_0
7/30/2022	Gas Caps	Exterior	$ 70.00	Trying to find a gas cap that fits lots of failures	Gas Cap ~ Fits 10/71 to 9/77 ~ TOYOTA - https://www.coolcruisers.com/gascap1071977.html
7/30/2022	Carb Cap	Engine	$ 21.35	Trying to address the gas smell	Amazon product ASIN B003BZX0DK
8/1/2022	Lots of wire	Wiring	$ 279.00	1200 feet, various colors	Custom wire Harley Chevy Ford Cat cars trucks boats motorcycle | Harley Stripe Automotive Wire - 540 Colors Available - Custom Len - https://4rcustomswire.com/t/shop-owners-wiring-caddy
8/7/2022	Tool box buckles	Interior	$ 6.00	they hold the seat down and were shot	Amazon product ASIN B09Y8HKHCB
8/9/2022	throttle cable adapter stud	Engine	$ 8.95	Edelbrock 8009	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CN713O
8/9/2022	Carb adapter plate	Engine	$ 32.95	Edelbrock 2696	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00062YACG
8/9/2022	Carb	Engine	$ 480.95	Edelbrock 1916	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088QC2HBX
8/9/2022	Fuel Filter	Engine	$ 7.49	K&N 81-0300	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07X64ZN5H
8/9/2022	Fuel Line relocate	Engine	$ 25.73	Edelbrock 8126	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006303ZS
8/9/2022	Throttle return spring	Engine	$ 23.94	Edelbrock 8005	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CN712A
8/10/2022	Gas tank fuel line converter	Engine	$ 30.00	tank fitting is special, this unspecials it	https://www.coolcruisers.com/gastatofulic.html
8/11/2022	90 AN6 NPT fitting	Engine	$ 10.69	Total fuel line replacement parts	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09D3TC7K6
8/11/2022	hose clamps	Engine	$ 9.99	Total fuel line replacement parts	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0040CU0JA
8/11/2022	AN pipe wrench	Engine	$ 24.99	Total fuel line replacement parts	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N7I387M
8/11/2022	6AN PTFE fuel line kit	Engine	$ 94.00	Total fuel line replacement parts	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0922M63H8
8/11/2022	6AN 3/8 NPT adapter	Engine	$ 8.99	Total fuel line replacement parts	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TWG7CLN
8/11/2022	Brake master cylinder	Drivetrain	$ 93.49	Dual Hydraulic brake setup parts	https://shop.cruiserparts.net/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2731_2720&products_id=24347
8/11/2022	Brake Booster	Drivetrain	$ 165.00	Dual Hydraulic brake setup parts	https://shop.cruiserparts.net/index...info&cPath=4_3412_5723_3481&products_id=23522
8/11/2022	Brake cylinder adapter	Drivetrain	$ 65.99	Dual Hydraulic brake setup parts	https://shop.cruiserparts.net/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_4859&products_id=149
8/11/2022	Dashbox	Upgrades	$ 359.22	100% do not need, but it's cool.	https://www.ebay.com/itm/354198913007?hash=item5277e67fef:g:L2UAAOSwCRFi6E3J
8/11/2022	Rough Country suspension and steering stabilizer	Suspension	$ 759.90	this rancho mess is brutal	https://www.roughcountry.com/toyota-suspension-lift-kit-735-20.html
8/17/2022	Hose Finishers	Engine	$ 9.99	Fuel line hose finishers	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B086TYFM7Q/
8/17/2022	AN6-AN4 adapters	Engine	$ 14.99	Fule system	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088T6V4WY
8/17/2022	AN6 Rubber fuel line	Engine	$ 43.99	PTFE fuel line was the wrong choice	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077GTNT9D
8/17/2022	AN4 Rubber fuel line	Engine	$ 62.99	need mutliple sizes	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GN7RF6V
8/17/2022	AN6 3/8 NPT swivel	Engine	$ 16.99	Fuel pump adapter	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084QGTG6R
8/17/2022	AN6 to AN6 adapter	Engine	$ 11.19	Union fittings	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KW69PDJ
8/17/2022	Edelbrock AN adapter	Engine	$ 38.95	AN adapter and filter	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00063040C
8/18/2022	Ignition switch	Interior	$ 35.00	Original is toast	https://www.ebay.com/itm/233716550053
8/18/2022	Windshield wiper arms	Exterior	$ 143.48	Got em both!	ebay
8/20/2022	Throttle cable bracket	Engine	$ 53.59	Old adapter didn't fit	https://www.amazon.com/Edelbrock-8031-Throttle-Cable-Bracket/dp/B000CN718E
8/21/2022	Air Cleaner spacer	Engine	$ 13.99	New carb doesn't fit the air cleaner	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08PFLNK21
8/21/2022	Air cleaner stud kit	Engine	$ 8.49	Old stud won't fit with the riser	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0008G5FZG
8/21/2022	Adhesive weather stripping	Interior	$ 10.99	To take the rattles out of the dashbox	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007ZVR44W
8/22/2022	throttle cable	Engine	$ 18.89	need a longer one that can loop	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B093D5KG2J
8/26/2022	Dual seal speedo housing	Drivetrain	$ 189.50	old one is leaking	cruiser brothers
8/26/2022	Ebrake rebuild kit	Drivetrain	$ 105.00	old ones are ruined from oil	cruiser brothers
9/1/2022	50mm fuel filer mount	Engine	$ 10.99	Fuel filter mount bracket	https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GB5S4JP
9/1/2022	50mm fuel filter	Engine	$ 26.99	Running dual filters since the tank is old	https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BPXZSP4
9/2/2022	10mm brake line fittings	Drivetrain	$ 20.50	Fittings for 3/16 brake lines	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KNGVPCC
9/2/2022	AN6 Hardline adapter	Engine	$ 13.99	For making hard fuel lines	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B098NPL9P6
9/2/2022	3/16 nicopp brake lines	Drivetrain	$ 35.99	Hard brake lines	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BMZ5FV2
9/3/2022	Fuel pressure regulator	Engine	$ 44.99	Mr Gasket adjustable FPR	https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/...10?q=adjustable+fuel+pressure+regulator&pos=3
9/3/2022	Fule Pump	Engine	$ 19.99	Mechanical Fuel pump	https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/...n-fuel-pump/pfp0/m16011?q=SBC+fuel+pump&pos=0
9/6/2022	Winch remote	Exterior	$ 81.48	Warn winch remote	https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004YTOHQ6?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
9/6/2022	Battery cable	Wiring	$ 108.80	1/0 battery wire	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016HFD5G2/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
9/6/2022	Cable lugs	Wiring	$ 36.99	various cable lugs	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08R6XMCWC/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
9/8/2022	50A circuit breaker	Wiring	$ 40.99	50 amp breaker	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00514XIO0/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
9/8/2022	Battery terminals	Wiring	$ 12.99	12v battery terminals	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QZRKXSL/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
9/8/2022	Fuse block	Wiring	$ 42.49	18 slot fuse and relay block	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07R2879FC/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
9/8/2022	fire extinguisher mount	Upgrades	$ 27.99	Rollbar mount fire extinguisher	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09M6LHGLL/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
9/8/2022	Relays	Wiring	$ 14.95	10 relays	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KVZ2KEM/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
9/8/2022	Wire connector	Wiring	$ 20.79	automotive wire connector terminals	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08QMYJX22/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
9/9/2022	driveshaft bolts	Drivetrain	$ 43.90	This thing was missing bolts	https://www.jtoutfitters.com/produc...for-toyota-land-cruiser-fj40-fj45-fj55-68-74/
9/9/2022	Rear disc brake conversion	Drivetrain	$ 474.00	cheaper than fixing the drums	https://www.jtoutfitters.com/produc..._pa_brakelinesupgrades=b4-ssbraidedfulllength
9/9/2022	diff gasket	Drivetrain	$ 6.75	differential gasket	https://www.jtoutfitters.com/product/differential-gaskets-tlc/
9/9/2022	speedo cable	Drivetrain	$ 27.95	speedometer cable	https://www.jtoutfitters.com/product/speedometer-cable-for-toyota-crown-corona-carina-fj45-fj40/
9/9/2022	transfer case saver	Drivetrain	$ 42.95	to support the 3speed case	https://www.jtoutfitters.com/product/transfer-case-saver-kit-for-toyota-land-cruiser-fj40-45-55/
9/9/2022	master cylinder	Drivetrain	$ 126.52	special one needed for 4 wheel disc	https://www.jtoutfitters.com/produc...for-toyota-land-cruiser-fj40-60-pickup-truck/
9/9/2022	Knuckle rebuild kit	Drivetrain	$ 226.00	Incudes wheel bearings	https://www.jtoutfitters.com/product/super-knuckle-rebuild-kit/?attribute_pa_model=ssbkl1
9/9/2022	Rear axel bearing and seal kit	Drivetrain	$ 119.95	Since i have to pull the axels anyway	https://www.jtoutfitters.com/produc...for-toyota-land-cruiser-63-74-fj40-fj55-fj45/
9/18/2022	Wheel studs	Drivetrain	$ 143.95	Found broken studs	https://manafrelv.com/product/fj40-...1973-1974-1975-1976-1977-1978-1979-1980-1981/
10/18/2022	4 inch brake pedal extension	Drivetrain	$ 6.94	4 inch extention to connect the brake pedal to the master cylinder
10/31/2022	3/8 fuel line	Drivetrain	$ 72.87	3/8 hard fuel line
11/2/2022	3/8 fuel line couplers	Engine	$ 28.95	2 AN6 to 3/8 hard fuel line couplers	https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098NPL9P6
11/2/2022	3/16 brake line and clips	Drivetrain	$ 45.98	3/16 brake line and retaining clips
11/6/2022	blower motor	Interior	$ 49.76	92 ford ranger heater blower motor
11/6/2022	Solenoid and flashers	Wiring	$ 73.00	Solenoid, various fuses and flashers
11/12/2022	4 speed 1071 trans	Drivetrain	$ 600.00	4 speed trans, bell housing and full clutch	facebook marketplace
5/3/2023	Cooling fan	Wiring	$ 160.00	Electric cooling fan and shroud	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0118F3KZ2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
8/25/2023	1 wire alternator	Wiring	$ 87.00	1 wire alternator	https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N6CVLAB?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
9/5/2023	Body Mounts	Body	$ 213.02	Body mounts	https://www.sor.com/cat105.sor
9/6/2023	Transfer case gear	Drivetrain	$ 190.50	3 to 4 transfer case gear adapter	https://www.jtoutfitters.com/produc...r-case-gear-adapter-toyota-land-cruiser-fj40/
12/8/2023	Clutch kit	Drivetrain	$ 189.50	Full clutch kit from Napa
2/20/2024	Exhaust Manifold	Engine	168.99	Rams head exhaust manifold	https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZPK121Q?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
2/23/2024	Valve Covers	Engine	119.88	Valve Covers	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076MN3SHN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
2/23/2024	Valve Cover Gasket	Engine	15.18	Valve Cover Gasket	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000C2GH9Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
2/23/2024	PCV Filter	Engine	15.99	PCV Valve replaced with a filter	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09Q12SZ2R/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
3/26/2024	windshield	Body	329.70	Old windshield was broke	https://cruisercorps.com/products/40-series-windshield-glass-1
4/1/2024	Distributor	Engine	57.99	I broke the old one when I installed the body	https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08DCRPJ6V?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
4/2/2024	Turn signal switch	Wiring	97.49	new switch and hazard button	ididit
4/2/2024	Parking brake cable	Drivetrain	59.58	Old one snapped in half	https://cruisercorps.com/collections/parking-breaks/products/parking-brake-cable-oem
4/2/2024	clutch hydraulic kit	Drivetrain	139.13	old stuff was roached	https://cruisercorps.com/collections/parking-breaks/products/parking-brake-cable-oem
4/21/2024	Seats	Interior	550	1969 bench seats and brackets	Facebook marketplace
4/21/2024	LED Bulbs	wiring	21.98	LED replacement signal bulbs	https://www.amazon.com/dp/B097MNL5Z8?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1
4/21/2024	Bumper signal lights	wiring	38.96	Bumper Lights	https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJQZVF29?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1
4/21/2024	Rear signal lights	wiring	32.94	Rear lights	https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FR7Y96J?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
4/22/2024	Windshield hinge delete	Body	139.00	Hinges are broken	https://www.sor.com/cat/120

 

[scratchhax]

December 27th 2023: Drivetrain mounted​

This would have been so much easier if I had pulled the engine and mounted everything as a single unit. Since I only have the one cherry picker and I don't think it would have been able to handle all that weight though, I had to try to mount this all together in frame.


It took me 2 hours. Once again I banged my head against it until I realized that my starter motor was stopping me from aligning everything correctly. Once I removed that, it slid right in. Tomorrow I'll need to start working on the transmission mounts. I have measured the pinion angle at 3.1 degrees and I can lower the transmission to 2.7 degrees while still keeping that carb at roughly 1 degree. I might end up with a little driveline vibration but it should be ok.


The next decision before I get driveshafts made is going to be whether or not I flip the rear springs and slide the rear axle back.

 

[scratchhax]

December 29th 2023: End of year wrap up and the body goes back on for a bit​

I was able to get the transmission mounts installed and the cross member is firmly attached. I took a quick video of what's been done over the course of 2023.


With the drivetrain installed. I needed to make sure everything still fit and I didn’t just create a bigger issue. So, it was time. The body was going back on (temporarily).

The good news is that everything fits except for stuff I didn’t expect to fit like the transmission hump. The bad news is that the straps slipped when I was lifting it off my rolling tables and the entire body came crashing down on a cherry picker leg gaining me a new section of body work.

But, it fits!!

 

[scratchhax]

February 18th 2024: Another grab bag​

The start of the year has been very busy for me, but I was able to get a little shop time in. I've come to the conclusion that I need to redo all of the brake lines. I think I might have double flared some of them at 33 degrees instead of 45, so it's better to just redo it be sure. As part of that I'm re-routing the hard lines and decided to run some of the rear lines in some leftover PTFE braided hose that I have to act as a shield while it goes through some tight spots. I originally wanted to run all of the line through PTFE but someone on ih8mud made the very astute observation of "what will you do when you get mud and water in there?" So there's just a tiny section where it gets near the transmission mount.
The firewall was next to clean up. It was filthy and had lots of bonus holes in it. I'm going to need to fabricate some plugs for most of this mess, but before I put the body back onto the chassis I wanted to go ahead and clean it up at least. A whole bunch of time with various sanders, some etching primer, then some filler primer followed by VHT black paint.
With the firewall sorted I could mount it back onto the chassis with the new body mounts. Somehow, this thing still had the factory cloth and rubber mounts and the bolts were 100% seized up. It took many hours with a dremel and a finger sander to get the bolts to where they would come out and I could put in the new rubber mounts. But it's all back together now. This week I'm hoping to get back into the shop and finish up the brake lines.

 

[projectTuRD]

Good work, and a fun read.
I guess you’re well aware the bib and front signals aren’t 1969. Do you need the later signals for a DOT issue (you mentioned DRLs on all the time, so I’m thinking Canada)?
I didn’t watch the video, but do you have to go with later style taillights to be legal as well?

 

[scratchhax]

Good work, and a fun read.
I guess you’re well aware the bib and front signals aren’t 1969. Do you need the later signals for a DOT issue (you mentioned DRLs on all the time, so I’m thinking Canada)?
I didn’t watch the video, but do you have to go with later style taillights to be legal as well?

Thanks! yeah it's gonna be a little frankenbuild. I'm out of the midwest US but I like the way it looks with the halo DRLs which is why I plan on having those on all the time. I have both sets of front signals and I'm not entirely sure which ones I think look better just yet, but I'll probably end up with the later model style but painted the body color. For rear lights I'm still shopping around. One of the POs did some crazy hacks to the backend so I've got a lot of options back there, since I'll be rebuilding from scratch it seems, but I'm leaning towards late model taillights too as soon as I figure out the bumper situation.

 

[KentOffill]

The first expensive fix came in the form of an Edelbrock AVS2 1916 offroad carb. The install went pretty smoothly, though my carb arrived with some damaged parts and misconfigured floats. After taking it apart and getting replacement parts sent to me from edelbrock, it fires up faster than my fuel injected 4runner.
View attachment 3499376


New Old Stock (NOS) dashmounted ignition switch and a dashbox were the next easy fixes and upgrades while I waited for more interesting parts to arrive. The dashbox is good, but has some fit and finish issues, still though, totally worth it for all the extra storage it creates.


The last easy fix was getting rid of the old diamond plate. I was afraid I would find a ton of rust underneath there, but overall it’s in pretty good shape. There is a mass of bondo that I’ll have to address, but I’ve got a welder and lots of time. The original color looks to be whit and at some point a red primer was sprayed on before the wild green.
View attachment 3499377

Would you happen to have the original drivers seat to sell? I have a 1970 FJ40 and think a 69-71 would fit. Thanks.

 

[scratchhax]

Would you happen to have the original drivers seat to sell? I have a 1970 FJ40 and think a 69-71 would fit. Thanks.

I wish I did. It was supposed to have the rear seats based on the sellers pictures but those were gone when I got it too.

 

[KentOffill]

I wish I did. It was supposed to have the rear seats based on the sellers pictures but those were gone when I got it too.

Thanks for the reply. Search continues.

 

[scratchhax]

March 7th 2024: Maybe I should just buy a new tub​

While I'm waiting on gaskets and brake lines to arrive, I decided to replace the valve covers on the engine and try my hand at body work. The great news is that, under the very beat up valve covers, the top of the head on this engine looks fantastic. Practically brand new. I nabbed some aluminum covers and a new set of goat horn manifolds and everything mounted up nice and easy.

A little more challenging was trying my hand at body work. I've never done this before and watched a whole heap of youtube videos to get the rough idea. Basically it's drywall but more unforgiving and you need to be afraid of heat instead of water. So here's my first attempt. It's not great, but I saved this fender from the trashbin, so I'll take it.

I'm waffling on the final color. I really like this gray but I think that with my body shop skills, white might be a better choice. Though to be honest, I'm not building a show car, I'm building something that I want to have oak tree pinstripes, gravel road polka dots and an ever changing selection of mud, dust and dirt on it. We'll see I suppose.

 

[scratchhax]

March 19th 2024: Brakes again​

OK, this time I am doing them correctly. I've been struggling to get this conversion kit to route the brake lines in a manner that didn't seem dangerous. Every way the calipers would mount up would cause the lines to run directly into something like the leaf spring or would need some really aggressive bends to get around and still end up being the lowest part of the truck, which seems bad.
Turns out my brackets were a bit off. A little grinder time and tada, everything lines up brilliantly now and I was able to mount up the calipers!

I have moved the flex line to the top of the pumpkin in the rear. It won't see as much movement up there and it's pretty safe from basically everything. I made a bracket to hold it in the orientation I want and then made a few brake line brackets to hold the line in place. I was able to start running the hard lines again and added in a proportioning valve for the rear just in case. I figure it's way easier to do that now instead of trying to fit that in later.

 

[scratchhax]

March 22nd 2024: Finishing the electrics​

I spent the last day of my PTO bleeding the brakes, checking for leaks and finishing up the electrics. The brakes bled out great, though I could probably do with one more round, and the only leak was around the adapters going into the proportioning valve. I guess I underestimated how tight those need to be.

The electrical system went back together great with just a few hiccups around connectors not being fully seated. I have a mix of incandescent and LED bulbs and I'll need to swap those out entirely for LED when I decide what kind of tail lights I'm going to go with. I am having an interesting problem with grounding. It seems like the tub is not carrying ground the way I expect it to. This is probably because of all of the POR15 I have on everything, but it doesn't matter too much because I ran dedicated grounds to every wiring harness. All of the harness is wrapped in Tesa tape and using Deutsch connectors and everything except the brake lights are on a relay. I didn't relay those because I didn't want the "click" every time I stepped on the brakes. The last bit to wire is the wipers, the instrument cluster, the electric cooling fan and the heater blower. I left plenty of spots in the chassis connector for all of that and, once done, I'll wrap the entire harness and pour holy water on it or something.

The tail lights took awhile to figure out. I want all the lighting to be modern and bright and very visible to other drivers but not look too out of place. I ended up going with some round tail lights on the body and oval ones inset into the bumper. Both have sequential turn signals and are nice and bright, I'll eventually fabricate hoods for them both.
Once all of the LEDs arrived I realized I might have gone a bit overboard. The DRLs are almost as bright as the headlights on my old 4runner. But hey, it will be seen.

 

[scratchhax]

April 14th 2024: Grab bag​

Another grab bag couple of weeks. First off the windshield. The hinges were hopelessly corroded and rusted into the frame and refused to come out no matter what I did or how long I soaked them in penetrating fluid. Eventually I had to break out the welder and put some heat to the bolts. That freed them up but I quickly realized that one of the POs had actually broken one of the hinges and it was poorly welded back onto the body. I decide to scrap the hinges entirely and ordered a solid plate from SOR that should be here in a week or two. Who drives with the windshield down anyways? I also took the opportunity to paint the frame (matte black on the inside, gray on the outside) and remove the 6 different mud dauber nests that were inside of it using the garden hose. Fitting the glass into the frame sucked. It’s a two piece seal with a lock strip and I thought I was going to break my thumbs before it was finally done.

 

[scratchhax]

April 14th 2024: Grab bag continued​

So while I wait for the hinge plate, I did a little more engine work (replacing the distributor, clutch master and slave cylinders and cleaned up the hard lines) and finally made the steering column mount. I have a weld in plate but it showed up with the wrong dimensions, the vendor didn't have a correctly made plate or an ETA on when new ones would arrive and, by the time I had enlarged the hole myself, there was no way I was going to be able to weld over the gaps I created. So I went down the route of getting one of these bolt on mounts and then turning that into a sandwich of sorts around the firewall. I had to grind out a little bit of space to fit the pivot ball, but this actually worked out really well and looks pretty trick in my opinion (the bolts that create that sandwich aren't installed in these pictures yet, still in shipping).