Builds 1975 frame off.

[brian]

I really didn't get too involved with it. I spent a lot of time digging the crap out of the frame, hosing it out, let dry out and repeat. The back end that was repaired got por15ed and rattle canned black. The front end still had whatever coating the po put on it 20 years ago.

 

[brian]

Front door assembly day!! But someone didn't take pictures or notes during disassembly day. So it's take one apart while putting another one together...day. anything worth doing is worth doing four times!!.

 

[brian]

hard top sides finished and on. cleaning up the fiberglass and doing some epoxy work on it, and then paint.

 

[SMG]

Nice work Brian, I really like that front bumper. Is that your own design?

Looks great!
I hope to be in your position some day.

 

[brian]

Nice work Brian, I really like that front bumper. Is that your own design?

Looks great!
I hope to be in your position some day.

The bumper design is sorta shared between myself and the PO.

 

[klinetime574]

brian I just read through this whole thread while I was bored at the office. Awesome work. Your FJ60 is another great ride as well.

Thanks for keeping all of your Land Cruisers alive! Just makes me happy

And now I want an FJ40... great. lol

 

[brian]

brian I just read through this whole thread while I was bored at the office. Awesome work. Your FJ60 is another great ride as well.

Thanks for keeping all of your Land Cruisers alive! Just makes me happy

And now I want an FJ40... great. lol

The 60 is awesome and would never not want one, but the 40 series is in a league of it's own.
You should get a 40. ..your bank account will thank you......

 

[brian]

spent the last two days "sanding" the finish off the top....and am going to spend the next six weeks cleaning the shop up.
it has some grazing that needs a little attention. the auto body guy that did all my media blasting was nice enough to give me some pointers on. i'm going to rattle can the top and see how it does this summer, if it doesn't fair well i'll take the fiberglass off next winter and have him coat it.

 

[Odienhanks]

Great looking 40 Brian - Digging the rear bumper.

 

[brian]

i'm trying to fend off the idea of cutting off the later tube style carrier and gluing a period correct plate type for a '75 on it, or just sell this one and start over.

 

[brian]

impatience, rules the day. the box containing an oem gasket for the drip rail arrived this afternoon. so instead of waiting till i was finished addressing my fiberglass issues, i figured might as well put the fresh gasket to good use.
so i'll now be finishing the fiberglass work off a step ladder instead of sitting on a bucket. but i guess the up side is, the top is almost finished.

 

[brian]

so the hardtop has been completely bolted down. i had a few gaps here and there, due mostly to weather strips being discontinued or overlooked on my behalf. the flexible sealant/caulk/pudy/shoe laces i picked up from east wood is making short work of them. also had to make an extension pc for the fiberglass tailgate to catch the weather strip on the lower edge of the upper hatch.
the fiberglass cap still needs more work, but it can't be seen from the driver's seat. the 93's state inspection expires this month, and i have exhaust work to do on that. so with that in mind i rolled the 75 out a few weeks early for the 2015 driving season. i was hoping to get into april before setting it loose from the garage. the last few days have been very spring like, so even though i would like a winter storm of biblical proportions, i'm also fully ready for nice sunny, warm days.
i have never owned, driven more than once, a 40 series with a hardtop, and i'am really liking it.
once the 93 is straight, i'll be starting work on the rear bench seat for my daughter.
in a fit of insanity i added up the dollar figure from all the receipts i kept. missing are several large ticket items, like the seats, the initial purchase price of either of the two 40s i used to make this one, any of the media blasting and the truck load of spray cans i used to paint it. the media blasting labor was the only work i outsourced. that puts me right around $14k.
other work that will wait till next winter includes rebuilding the transmission and transfer case that came with the '75 parts truck side of things, and a clutch kit at that point. nothing wrong with the 77 tranny/tcase, but i'm trying to use all the '75 parts i can.

 

[broth9640]

Nice work!

 

[brian]

and it has a functioning windshield washer!!
i picked up one of CC's repo/aftermarket kits some time ago. but i couldn't get power to the pump from the oem loom plug, so i just shelved it for a little. so today i got to picking with it again. turns off the dash switch just wasn't sure what was supposed to happen. after 15 or 20 years with no windshield washer hooked up, the switch just forgot how to work, a few minutes of playing it and we're good to go.

oem mounting bracket, CC bottle, and hose, to an oem sprayer.

 

[brian]

took it to a neat little local park for pics this afternoon.
the fiberglass work is on hold till the warmer weather returns.

 

[brian]

finally came up with an access cover and handle for the rear hatch.
just need to do something with the struts for said hatch now.

 

[brian]

was able to get around to doing something on a rear seat for jr.ms.
another round of knee work has my roll slowed pretty far down. just preventive work this time, but still a hassle.

 

[brian]

installation complete, the seat belt is laying on the floor behind the seat.

 

[Redgrrr]

P cc

 

[brian]

playing around with my phone and youtube.