Builds 1977 FJ40 Rebuild – Focus on Custom Stainless Tub (1 Viewer)

[psmbfuer]

We also had a spare, large capacity AGM battery hanging around so we installed it under the driver's seat along with a DC-to-DC charger and a pure sine wave inverter that lived beneath the Tuffy console. All of this got installed, but I had to remove the console to replace some fuel lines and removed everything. Apologies in advance, we have a limited number of pics for this, and none show it complete.

And even with thorough circuit protection and insulation, I just wasn't comfortable with all of this power living so close to the gas tank, so I never reinstalled everything. One of these days, I plan to address AC (and DC) power again, but we'll be moving to LiFePO4 and other upgrades, and at least partially to new locations.

 

[knuckle47]

No the gas is a mix as you describe..75/25. I should have spelled that out more clearly. I also have a Miller Thunderbolt welder I boutght almost 40 years ago. Had not really used it much until 10 years ago when I started building bbq smokers. That thing is about the size of 6 concrete blocks and weighs almost as much. For a stick welder, it does a good job once you learn to get it right. Knocking off slag and burning through 16 gauge got to be a pain so I bit the bullet and bought the 211. It’s a breeze to run.especially with the “auto-set” feature. Rarely do I need to intervene and make adjustments. It was able to weld some 5/8 steel for the firebox on a few smokers and an average of 60’ of corner welds using 16 gauge skins . Since I can’t lift these things, I have to paint them with the wheels on…

 

[psmbfuer]

It looks like that smoker was a little more than 3 inches of welds - nice job.

Regarding welders, my Millermatic 200DX can stick weld, but I have never used it for stick. That said, at least to some extent, like some say in the photographic world (I believe Chase Jarvis often gets credit), the best camera [/welder] is the one you have with you [when you need to take a shot / make a weld].

 

[psmbfuer]

Next we worked the details around the fuel tank, installing grommets, closed loop adhesive foam, and finally installing the gas tanks and transmission cover.

We cleaned the floors again, with SEM Universal Surface Cleaner, not Windex, despite the bottle. In that we are trying to get on a trip out west, and that we plan to take the tub off the frame, we are skipping some paint steps as we put everything back together, but hopefully none that will allow any corrosion during this period. The black paint, as you might have guessed, is SEM Rust Trap, a minimum of 3 coats, and more likely 4 to 5.

Then we install the fuel line grommet.

And some closed loop adhesive-backed foam to rest the fuel tank on.

With the same closed loop foam around the perimeter of the bottom lip of the transmission cover.

Paint to the bottom edge of the gas tank cover.

And finally installation of the transmission cover, fuel tank, and cover.

 

[psmbfuer]

We also decided that for a long drive it was worth the time to put in some carpet to help control the noise - not sure how impactful this will be, but none the less - easier to do now than before final seat install.

We also decided, with some amount of debate (most in my own head), to install rubber beneath the carpet in the rear to help with sound deadening and to protect the floor from heavy object edges. The reason for the self-debate is that once water gets under the rubber, it will keep the surface of the floor wet for a very long time, almost indefinitely it seems, and obviously promote the return of corrosion on the rear and passenger floors, which are still carbon steel. That said, we are going to be diligent with checking for moisture, and for now decided to go with the rubber underlay. We also considered adhesive backed sound deadening, and we might install it on the stainless wheel wells and front floor, but I'm not brave enough to install it on the carbon steel floors.

The rubber is from TSC, and is 1/4" thick and I believe was the 48 x 96" roll. The carpet is a Vevor Marine Carpet. We used a circular saw to cut the mat to size. We set the circular saw blade to ~1/8" depth to gouge a line across the rubber, so it will flex at the two bends on the rear floor. We cut several of these gouges on the rubber where it needs to form an acute bend so the rubber doesn't pinch itself, and bends more readily. And while I don't have a separate pic of it, there is a roughly 2" deep wooden shelf beneath the rubber that was positioned properly to allow us to cut the mat, while keeping the blade out of the stones. And don't worry, we kept Finn safe and well away while cutting - he loves to play ball.

Below, there are two primary cuts that align to the bends in the rear floor. If you look closely, you will see multiple cuts on the bottom line, and just one on the top line.

It is very difficult to see the bends in the next two pics, but after placing several additional gouges across the acute bend, the rubber does flow with the floor bends rather well.

Now, the front driver's carpet.

Below, the transmission cover is primed and painted. If you are paying close attention, you will see that we have not made any effort to finish the welds on the transmission cover at this point. Time will tell if we ever do get back to it, but in that the weld and lines are fairly clean, they don't bother me in a location like this - I actually kind of like them - a reminder of the story-line. The seat support below has two slices so the carpet can fit inside and around the foot portion, so it can be easily removed, at least prior to the battery and component re-installation (which again, were later removed anyway).

 

[J40Fan]

I haven’t been back to your build in a while. Looking good! Looks like you have perfected welding stainless. Great beads.

 

[psmbfuer]

Good to see you again J40Fan and thanks for the kind words about the welds. Working with stainless has definitely progressed over the years, but there is always room for improvement. That said, we are quite happy with the build and MOST of the welds.

 

[neilfzj80]

The pics and progress in this thread to date have generally be focused on panels or specific areas, somewhat in isolation. This was done hoping to best convey a clear understanding of how the panel / area was built. And while in many cases, the progress above also reflected actual chronology, this is not always the case. And as an example of this, we only took one side of the rear apart at a time. We did this to preserve tub rigidity and trueness, at least as much as possible.

Also, before removing any of the larger panels from the rear of the tub, we took our time to get the 40 frame and rear floor sitting level from side-to-side and front-to-back. This was a little challenging in that our suspension is also a little wonky. We then used levels and squares, and measured everything multiple times. We also reinstalled the rear ambulance doors many times to check fitment, squareness, and confirmed the rear opening dimensions, not just through measurements, but by proving that the ambulance doors still fit and had good gaps, closure, and alignment.

And while putting large areas back together, we started with clamps and vice grips, sometimes a few screws, and even duct tape as we final-fit the panel before final weld and installation. We even used a come along to hold the rear opening from spreading and wood to hold pieces in place and square.

Then when we were happy, we would start with spot welds, check all measurements again, and slowly move forward.

Now, let's fall back just a little, and put together the passenger side wheel well and quarter panel.

Below, we intentionally left the top front factory wheel well panel long. This provided a good stable mounting service that we could bolt through as we test fit the wheel well and quarter panels. This will later be trimmed so the two panels can be butt welded together.
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If you look closely below, you will see that the screw is obstructed by the top / horizontal wheel well panel. This was not a design feature, but an oversight that cropped up after we redesigned the area, but failed to update all of our drawings. We will build a work-around below.
View attachment 3791804
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You will notice in the below pic that we needed to cut three slices in the rear sill extension to slightly tighten the radius. The change in radius was minor, but this now fit tighter than before.
View attachment 3791801
The next two pics show the work-around for the bolt / horizontal wheel well obstruction. We're not loving it, but we couldn't come up with a better solution and it is hidden behind the upright. In the first pic below, we need to remove more metal from the panel so the new nut assembly will drop in a little deeper for proper alignment with the bolt.
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Still not done, but more soon.

I have a 1977 fj40 green just like yours. What i see you’re rebuilding the tub is amazing work. Very skillful sir

 

[neilfzj80]

Good to see you again J40Fan and thanks for the kind words about the welds. Working with stainless has definitely progressed over the years, but there is always room for improvement. That said, we are quite happy with the build and MOST of the welds.

Where are you located sir? I was hoping you’re in Ga so I can see your work

 

[neilfzj80]

Hey @knuckle47, I had to lookup FantomWorks - very nice and high end work - one of our largest concerns rebuilding the rear of the tub was to forget to check the ambulance door fitment as we progressed. Imagine being happy, getting the rear entirely together, and then going to install the ambulance doors to have the opening be too small, for example - that would be a nightmare.

So, we'll be hanging those doors several more times before we are done with welding the rear back together.

That said, time to start the driver's side wheel well and quarter. While we cut and bent the wheel well lips on both quarters at one time, we have not yet bent the rear sweeping radius, nor the 90 degree bend on the very end of the quarter. We wanted to wait until we actually mounted the quarter on the truck to mark everything up and start the bending. Below are several pics of the work progressing this.

It also worth mentioning that tape is not our favorite in that it will likely leave a residue, generally not enough to cause issues with the weld, but more likely with the painting process, so we are careful to clean after using tape. I'm pretty certain I was working along and was struggling, so temporarily fell back to the tape.
View attachment 3795831
Bending the sweeping rear radius is a manual process for us. (I can't recall if we managed the final few degrees with the come along or not on this side, but we don't have any pics of it.) We set it up on the table with a rounded edge and continue to work it until it fits tightly on the truck. I should mention that this is not like bending a 90 degree bend, for example, meaning we don't just push down, but down and in at the same time. We also needed to change position of the quarter on the table to progress the bend. It is difficult to see, but we placed two lines on the quarter panel, one where the sweeping radius should start and another where it should end, and then did our best to confine the radius entirely within this area.
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And not to scare anyone with hammer in the pic above and below, it was just used to adjust the piece of wood to align with the bend lines.
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Below, you can barely see the start bend line, about an inch to the rear of the vice grips at the marker light opening, but the stop bend line is much more obvious. And you can see that we have yet to bend the final rear 90 that will slide in behind the upright.
View attachment 3795827

 

[neilfzj80]

@psmbfuer verbose? Well not for me. I enjoy the details …I should add educational too but this is well above my skill set so I can’t imagine creating shapes like these and having it turn into an FJ40. I also believe my posts are a bit wordy at times but I need that kind of preamble to set the image I have about the story I am trying to tell. I also do not like to hijack someone’s posts but at this age, I have been there and feel the need to contribute so my 2 cents gets tossed in…and sometimes too much.

I have not been banned yet so as long as I’m not offending anyone…I’m in.

You on the other hand have some terrific content…keep it up. I’m looking forward to seeing this FJ40 in its full restored glory. Any thoughts on color or is it always rustic green? You may know I’m partial to rustic green and mustard yellow.

View attachment 3820843.

Nice

 

[psmbfuer]

I have a 1977 fj40 green just like yours. What i see you’re rebuilding the tub is amazing work. Very skillful sir

Thanks much neilfzj80 - we have spent a lot of time across the years trying to figure out how to make it happen, and quite happy that we have.

 

[psmbfuer]

And I'm about 45 minutes northwest of Philadelphia, so a bit of a drive from Georgia, but if you're in the area, let us know. And nice '77, and some very clean work on the quarter and rear sill. Whose panels are you using? How deep are you going - from the earlier pics, it looks to be fairly clean?

 

[psmbfuer]

Because we were still targeting a spring trip with mild off-roading in the Moab area, we decided to reinforce the the rockers and not to reinstall the stock '40 side steps, at least at this time. I had also designed a set of steps that will serve as sliders that mount to the frame and look very similar to the original steps, but there wasn't enough time for this additional work, so we simply reinforced the new rockers with 1.5" x 1.5" x 1/4" stainless angle - not a perfect solution, but better than nothing. These were quite simple - we just cut the angle to length, angled the one end, drilled and counter sunk the holes, and installed.

 

[psmbfuer]

Throughout the last several posts, you have likely seen that we have been spot painting as we progress, and at this point, we started to paint all of the remaining exposed welds and other exposed carbon steel to keep the rust at bay during our trip out west.

It is also worth mentioning that the largest area that we painted was the cowl - everything else was a small patch or a portion of a panel. It was also late winter when we were about to start spraying so setting up an outside tent was not a viable option. This left us painting in a small and crowded shop, which also meant spraying one small batch or area, then setting up for the next, and so on. With this, we decided not to break out the spray gun, and instead we used a SprayMax 2K Epoxy Primer spray can and a color top-coat using single stage Urethane, in Rustic Green (code 621), again from a spray can.

As with getting your hands on tri-mix (that we discussed many posts above), your mileage may vary, but my local automotive paint shop can take some of their available paints (not all) and put them into a 2K spray can. After activating, both the SprayMax and locally mixed Urethene have a pot life of 3 to 4 days.

Sorry to say that I can't locate a pic of the top-coat spray can, but I'll eventually find one and add it to the post then.

Below are several shot of the areas that we primed and painted - no filler of any type was used at this stage.

And I'll warn those of you with sensitive eyes, some of this may be offensive, but it has served our purposes quite well, for now.

 

[psmbfuer]

And now several pics of the cowl - and even through it might look like we used some mud/filler, these different colors are new and old layers of primer and paint. And as before, the black is SEM Rust Trap, and it is compatiable with the primer and top coat.

And below we jump straight to Rustic Green, but we did spay two coats of primer before this.

 

[psmbfuer]

It's also worth a mention that the color 2K Single Stage Urethane, mixed and filled by my local paint shop, sprayed very well - better than expected. I'm no painter, but as references, I have two decent guns and have sprayed an entire FJ45 years ago using a friend's professional gun and truly didn't expect this rattle can to spray and level like it did. I'm not certain that I would paint the entire 40 this way, especially the hood, but it might work, especially if you plan to cut after painting, which is a pretty much a given for me.

 

[psmbfuer]

And finally, after roughly six years of on-and-off work, and hundreds of hours, our 77 FJ40 again saw the clouds of an overcast PA spring day - March 31, 2023 to be exact - and it got there under its own power. Regarding the number of hours, we kept a document and logged a good bit of our time, along with things learnt, etc. I have not had the time, nor been brave enough, to tally the hours as of yet, but some day - even then, I suspect that we only logged about 80% of the time / work, but more on that then.

It was a very short maiden voyage and not thirty feet from the shop door and we were smelling fuel. This wasn't entirely surprising in that almost all mechanical systems still needed to be gone through. At this point, only the clutch and e-brake had been rebuild. So, we grabbed some fresh fuel line from the shop, cut and installed several lines, grabbed a front bumper that we were storing behind the wood piles, and took it out on the road.

 

[psmbfuer]

The family was thrilled to have the 40 back on the road, as were the pups. It still needs a lot of work, but we started enjoying it almost daily.

 

[knuckle47]

Great color combination my friend…silver and green makes it look mean!

Seriously, congratulations on getting thru the project as you have. Logging hours on a job has always been a desire of mine but always a failure to complete. I start something and whether or not my intention is for a 1/2 day or half an hour…I would always skip that part and it is likely and important denominator .

This ones for you……