1977, 60's, 1974, 1991, AKA Time Machine Build!

[gwalt584]

I will not be long on words but long in pictures to document this build.

Goal- Reliable FJ40 to hunt and wheel with. mainly so I would not have to use the 1975 dune beige model in the woods.

Recipe:
1- 1977 frame and body parts with spare 1974 for parts- sourced in Dothan Alabama.

2- Full float rear differential, 350 4 bolt main engine, adaptor, transmission and transfer case, power steering pump and other parts from a guy in St. Louis, MO.

3- 1991 TPI L98 engine that has been sitting on a stand since 1991. Yea, you read it correctly, Street and Legal Performance pulled this engine from a 1991 Pontiac GTA Trans AM to put one of their engines in it. A hot rodder in northern Illinois bought it with the harness, ECU, and fancy serpentine belt system and stored it for 22 years. I got it on EBAY.

4- Man-a-Fre Mojave lift kit, front shackle reversal.

5- 4x4 Labs Hysteer system for a spring under system.

6- U-bolt flip kit

7- Aqualu aluminum tub with rear storage tailgate and drop rear storage box in bed. sourced from David S. in Gainesville, GA

8- Lift rear hatch from a 74 with gas struts in the tubes instead of springs.

9- BFG- 33x12.5x15 mud terrains.

10- Lunch box locker in front differential

11- 3.70 (EDITED 2/19) gears in differentials

12- Saginaw power steering with 4x4 Labs mounting kit.

13- Old Air Products Hurricane Heat and AC system.

14- Corbeau Moab Seats

15- Bib from a 60's FJ40 with amber lights. Thanks to TEXICAN

16- All Glass is tinted.


I started with parts as you can see in this first set of pictures.

 

[gwalt584]

I picked up a 350 V8 with a Holy Avenger Carb. Good 4 bolt main engine. this engine got shelved and replaced by an L98 TPI motor.
Started working on the frame.
Luke at 4x4 Labs supplied the Power Steering mount,

 

[gwalt584]

March 2011

Started working on the shackle reversal.
The frame was cleaned and epoxey primer was applied.

 

[gwalt584]

March 2011

started on the full float rear differential and spring installation.

 

[gwalt584]

April 2011

Worked on the frame assembly, disk brakes on all four wheels, and new bearing and seals for the full float rear.

TSM manufacturing was the source for the brackets for the rear full float disc brakes.
Link Home (TSM Manufacturing Home Page)
The rear calipers are 1979-1983 Monte Carlo front calipers. I think you can use rear calipers from a 1979-1985 El Dorado also.

 

[gwalt584]

May 2011

assembled the 4x4 Labs High Steer setup. It turned out that I had the High Steer for a spring over setup and since I was staying spring under Luke was gracious to swap with me the proper setup. so the pics of the setup here eventually changed to a slightly different angle control arms.

Also, while searching for a TPI intake I came across this complete L98 Engine from a 1991 GTA Trans Am. Like I said in the first post, the engine still had the original oil from 1991 in it.

 

[gwalt584]

August 2011

By August 2011 I had the engine, trans, transfer case ready to mount.
I did use a Marks adaptor for matting the Toyota 4 speed to the engine.

Also, I had to nix the fancy serpentine belt system and bling for a OEM serpentine belt system. Although the wide stance and low profile short water pump would have been nice match for the Mark's Adaptor, the width interferred with the shock mounts and I did not want to engineer new shock mounts.
BTW the belt routing on the OEM serpentine belt system was all wrong in the picture. I had to go to ThirdGen.org and search for the proper belt routing with a smog pump delete.

 

[gwalt584]

Sept 2011

By September I had the body parts back from the bead blaster, epoxy primed.
I also found a 60's hood, I think the spear on the 60's hood is cool.

 

[gwalt584]

Nov 2011 to March 2012

I worked on the body work, got a mig welder to help with the patch work.
I ditched trying to salvage the original body when I found a deal on an Aqualu tub in Atlanta. Drove over one afernoon with my trailer had dinner with the seller, talked FJ40 stuff, his wife helped me move it over to my trialer and back to MS with my nice body.

 

[gwalt584]

March 2012 to October 2012

Continued working on the body. My plans were to install an Old Air Products Hurricane AC / Heat unit. I wanted vents in the dash. Thus the round holes on either end of the dash and two rectangle holes in the middle upper.

 

[gwalt584]

October 2012

Still working on the body.
I built a paint both in my shop. More pics of the booth to come.
Measured and cut for the extra wide version of the fender flares.
did some test fitting on the doors and body parts.

 

[gwalt584]

October 2012

I expoxy primed the body and cowl before fitting them together. I used the proper etching material for the aluminum tub.

 

[gwalt584]

October 2012

picked up a stud welder from Noah and purchased a puller arm to help get some dents out of the doors.
Mated the cowl to the body and sealed it with 3M body seam sealer.

 

[gwalt584]

October 2012

Built the paint booth

 

[gwalt584]

October - November 2012

Started painting.
After the primer was done on the body and it was assembled to the cowl, I applied Lizard skin heat shield and Lizard Skin Sound Deadner to the underside of the body in black.

 

[lelandEOD]

Impressive!

 

[gwalt584]

October and November 2012

Finished the Lizard Skin with U-Pol Raptor over it for protection.
Did the bottom of the body with black Raptor and the firewall I tinted the Raptor with the Freeborn Red.

 

[gwalt584]

November 2012

Started painting the large parts, the doors in the previous post, fenders.
I had the motor mounted too high and had to pull the engine from the frame and re-position the motor mounts.

I also wanted to get the holes drilled for the tire carrier before I painted th body. so I took some craft paper and made a template of the mounting holes and transferred the position to the aluminum body.

 

[gwalt584]

December 2012

The body gets some color, finally.
Then the floor gets black U-Pol Raptor. The mist had not cleared in the last picture. more pics to come

 

[gwalt584]

December 2012

more of the Raptor on the floor and the storage box. fitting the storage tailgate to the body and finally the body just sittin on the frame.