1981 FJ40 Restoration

[AATLAS1X]

I will make it up this weekend. Don't want to miss out. Looks like you don't need the covers? I'll drive up in the 78 I just picked up last month. She's a driver but a looong ways away. Prolly start on her next year.

Drive it up.

Just have to chime in: what a masterpiece! I've always said that if I won the lottery I'd still live where I live and drive what I drive. Now I know that the catch is my cruiser would look like that!

Truely fantastic: your craftsmanship is incredible.

Thanks man!

If I won the lotto.................I would say ICON in my near future. But I know where there is a later model with less than 20k I know off and I would own that beauty. I am sure you could do a national ad looking for a museum piece and someone would reply.


So I dropped the manifold off this morning, I spoke to the owner, no excuse that his son had done the work but he look at it and told me to pick it up this afternoon...He understood I was a little bent. But was very cool about it.

More later.

 

[shamuslan]

Gosh that interior looks sweet! does it have that new car smell?Every time I look at the pics in your posts Shane I find myself ordering more new parts realizing that the old stuff just wont doI know youve heard it before but fantastic job I just hope you will do more.

 

[AATLAS1X]

Gosh that interior looks sweet! does it have that new car smell?Every time I look at the pics in your posts Shane I find myself ordering more new parts realizing that the old stuff just wont doI know youve heard it before but fantastic job I just hope you will do more.

Thanks Dude!

Actually it really stinks of burning off all the part number decals and breaking in the cat...

But I do rub and caress it

 

[AATLAS1X]

ok, this manifold issue I had is now solved..

Welded the ears.

Machined the face

flipped it over and machined down the mounting ears so that the bolt has equal pressure on both ears thus making no leaks

Pics.

Shane

 

[AATLAS1X]

What do you think?

 

[AATLAS1X]

Yes I will take a disc and cut the weld off.

 

[thetoyotaman]

Where did you find the new factory floor mat? Are they still in production?

 

[AATLAS1X]

Where did you find the new factory floor mat? Are they still in production?

Yes they are still availabe. The corners under the seat are not.

 

[FJ40Jim]

What do you think?

The bolt hole misalignment is not pretty, but it can be made to work.
Hang the manifolds on the center studs, then have a look at the remaining bolt holes, using a mirror as necessary. Use a carbide burr in die grinder to "stretch" holes to get the manifold holes over the bolt holes in cylinder head.

 

[AATLAS1X]

The bolt hole misalignment is not pretty, but it can be made to work.
Hang the manifolds on the center studs, then have a look at the remaining bolt holes, using a mirror as necessary. Use a carbide burr in die grinder to "stretch" holes to get the manifold holes over the bolt holes in cylinder head.

It slips on fine, and came off fine. That is why I had the pics of the bolt in the hole.

The gaskets and metal plate in the center is all NEW and so is all the hardware. They said the same thing as you and set it on a spare head and it all lines up. But yes it looks like it doesn't.

 

[FJ40Jim]

As long as the bolts go through the manifolds and straight into the head, it is good enough.
Sometimes things are so warped up that one of the manifold ears will obscure the bolt hole(s) in the head, necessitating the die grinder clearancing procedure.

 

[DarkMachina86]

It's good to be anal about this stuff because it looks awesome afterwards, great job!!

 

[Michael Hanson]

Excellent work,does your new amp gauge ever leave that position? Mike

 

[AATLAS1X]

Excellent work,does your new amp gauge ever leave that position? Mike

Amp gauge and all gauges are OE, I just cleaned them up. I don't think that it is or any are available.

I have only had one over the years that has works, weather there is a trick to them I do not know.

Shane

 

[brewhaw]

shane, will the seat covers you use fit over the SOR deluxe high density foam seat? and great craftsmanship again.
thanks

 

[Ironmanfj45]

Very nice resoration. I really like the way it came out.

Cheers,

Jim

 

[AATLAS1X]

shane, will the seat covers you use fit over the SOR deluxe high density foam seat? and great craftsmanship again.
thanks

I would hope so, I mean they are made from originals as my covers are.

Very nice resoration. I really like the way it came out.

Cheers,

Jim

Thanks!

 

[srgould41]

Believe it or not, everything in my 1971 dash still works, including the amp gage.

Amp gauge and all gauges are OE, I just cleaned them up. I don't think that it is or any are available.

I have only had one over the years that has works, weather there is a trick to them I do not know.

Shane

 

[AATLAS1X]

Believe it or not, everything in my 1971 dash still works, including the amp gage.

Now you have had me thinking all night about that damn thing. I do know that each one was inspected and cleaned. Not tested, but I cant remember if it worked prior to tear down. I always do all my drive train repairs, clutch and so on before tear down as I want to know that everything was working when I assemble it and not chase my tail.

It may not be the gauge though so Ill start looking when I get the bugs worked out.

Speaking of, I got the manifold on last night....2 hours to get it off and 2 just to get it on and nothing else....So tonight I will bolt up the carb and hopefully another EGR cooler that was leaking and go burn some gas.

 

[srgould41]

Or you could leave work early, get it done and drive it up to Seattle for a road test. The Seattle Cruiser Heads are meeting tonight in Ballard... Come surprise us

Speaking of, I got the manifold on last night....2 hours to get it off and 2 just to get it on and nothing else....So tonight I will bolt up the carb and hopefully another EGR cooler that was leaking and go burn some gas.