Builds 1971 FJ55, "Bucky"

[Ol Yeller]

No seat brackets?

 

[roadstr6]

No seat brackets?

Not yet. I'm building this truck for my son to drive when he turns 16. I want the truck to have three point belts for safety reasons. The B pillar does not have provisions for the upper belt location and honestly, I don't trust that the metal is strong enough there to use as a belt attachment point. I decided to jettison the front bench (and the brackets) in favor of a set of bucket seats. The original bench seat that was in this truck was really rough, so I don't feel too bad about not using it. I picked up a set of Chevy Trailblazer buckets from the pick-and-pull. These buckets have integrated three point belts. I will need to fab new seat mounts for the Trailblazer seats.

 

[roadstr6]

I finished up the passenger side floor last night and began test fitting the passenger side front fender. Once I get the fender location dialed in, I'll make some brackets to attach the lower fender to the tube rocker like I did on the driver's side. Then filler, primer and finally paint my repaired spots around the whole truck.

 

[roadstr6]

Finished up the underside of the body with a coat of paint. Next I plan to spray Fluid Film in all the nooks and crannies. The front fender vents have always been a point of contention with me. I love them but they seem to be perfect collectors of wasps, leaves, pine needles and other debris. I decided to put screens behind the grates to keep out the dirt and insects. I used a section of woven metal gutter guard. It was $3.33 at Home Depot. I just cut it to size with snips and put it between the body and the grate.

 

[RUSH55]

Turned out nice
And that mesh behind the vent is a slick idea.

 

[roadstr6]

I had my local paint store to mix up some color matched spray cans for Bucky. Tonight Nathan and I wet sanded the primed areas on the driver’s side, masked it off and sprayed it. The color match isn’t absolutely perfect, but it will have to do. Overall I am very pleased with how this truck is turning out.

 

[roadstr6]

Here’s a few more:

 

[RUSH55]

Somebody’s FAB-U-LOUS!!!

 

[roadstr6]

Laying down body filler on the patched areas on the passenger side.

Pulled the disgusting faded carpet off the rear seat back and re-installed the rear seat. It sure feels nice to be reassembling a few things and putting them back where they belong.

 

[roadstr6]

Passenger side is done.

 

[RUSH55]

So sweet! Thank you for maintaining that nice tan/beige color!!

 

[Gordobe]

What tires are those?

 

[Megadoomer]

What tires are those?

Look like bfg km1

 

[roadstr6]

What tires are those?

Yeah. The tires are old BFG KM's. I need to replace them once we start driving it.

 

[roadstr6]

The bench seat in this truck had seen better days. The upholstery was in tatters and the foam was almost non-existent. I like the idea of keeping the old bench but I decided long ago that rather than try to repair it, I would be ahead of the game to find a set of bucket seats with integrated seat belts. A trip to the local pull-a-part allowed me to kill two birds with one stone...comfortable seats and three point belts. I was able to scavenge a set of manual buckets from an '03 Chevy Trailblazer for $25 each. The Trailblazer has a huge transmission hump, so the seat legs closest to the center of the vehicle are shorter to accommodate the hump. For my purposes with a floor that is mostly flat, I had to fab up a set of risers for the inner seat legs. The outers will just bolt straight to the floor. With these seats having integrated belts, it is important that they be mounted securely. The pics don't show the seats in their final positions. I am still experimenting with their ideal placement before I drill holes in the floor.

The plan is to pick up a set of black seat covers so the seats will match the rear bench a little better. I have a set of GT Seat Covers in my FZJ80 and I like them. That's probably the route I will take.

 

[cruiserjunktion]

I'm building this truck for my son to drive when he turns 16.

#1 Dad

 

[roadstr6]

Updated “Bucky and his younger siblings” pics. This pic features a new and improved Bucky and his baby brother Dusty, an ‘82 FJ40.

 

[wngrog]

Factory color it is. Lookie what I found

 

[roadstr6]

Factory color it is. Lookie what I found

View attachment 2026023

Awesome! Is it a ‘71? Way to go Nolen!

 

[wngrog]

Awesome! Is it a ‘71? Way to go Nolen!

It says 1970 but I did not look at the month. So hot when I got home I just unhooked and left it. Gonna buff on it this weekend