1981 FJ45 Troop Carrier Undercoating or LineX or nothing

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

G

Greco

10 Year
Joined
Feb 2, 2011
Threads
1
Messages
2
I am getting ready to purchase a 1981 FJ45 Troop Carrier. I live at the beach and want to keep this vehicle as prestine as possible..but of course drive it everyday to 4wd on the beach!

It will be used heavily, so Im leaning toward LineX for the inside..but still up for debate. Does anybody have any suggestions on approach to deal with sand both inside and under but yet keep to its true roots!
 
if the truck is sacrificial then linex, hippo liner what ever you want.
if it is a keeper then good quality paint with a rubber throw mat.
once you put that stuff in then you can not see what is happening underneath till your foot goes through the floor.

just sayin
 
I'd be more concerned about the frame than the body. Before you buy it crawl under it and see how much crap has accumulated in the frame rails over the years. Don't be surprised if you find an inch of water trapping dirt. This dirt can promote internal rusting. If it's the older style with the cast rear spring mounts check the area close to the front mounts for rust rot on the inside of the frame.

Body panels are easy to replace. Frames are a lot harder to find if you're trying to keep it in good shape.
 
I will be taking care of the frame first. Do you think undercoating or lineX liner for the bottom subtracts from the vehicle? I like the idea of just keeping it clean and a rubber mat....but we really want to use it and I dont want to have to "re-paint/fix" the floor every few years from salt water/sand corrosion...so still on the fence on that, but feeling swayed to keep it paint and the rubber mat! Don't want a sacrificial truck!!!
 
I think you will still end up doing rust repairs even with LineX or some other undercoating. I believe the Troopy body is made of a thinner gauge steel than the other models in the 40 series. This was an effort to make them lighter. They are prone to rusting. If you drive it in salt water or on salty beaches that stuff will find its way into areas that you can't easily spray undercoating.

I think the more important question is what shape the vehicle is currently in? Is it currently pristine? Is it close to stock condition or has it been modified by previous owners? Do you intend to restore it to near-original quality?

I personally don't think LineX, undercoating, Rust Bullet, POR-15 or any other treatments really should matter in how much enjoyment I would get from the truck. But I also don't have any desire to keep my 40s in pristine condition.
 
what ever you do, make sure you can repair it easily...
POR15 is s*** and not the s***z.
 
Greco said:
I will be taking care of the frame first. Do you think undercoating or lineX liner for the bottom subtracts from the vehicle? I like the idea of just keeping it clean and a rubber mat....but we really want to use it and I dont want to have to "re-paint/fix" the floor every few years from salt water/sand corrosion...so still on the fence on that, but feeling swayed to keep it paint and the rubber mat! Don't want a sacrificial truck!!!
Click to expand...

Then don't drive it on the beach. Get a sacrificial rig for beach wheelin' and keep the troopy for wheelin' places where there is no salt water. No matter what you do, sea water will get everywhere; LineEx or not.

If you really are keen to use this on the beach, then hot dip galv. the frame (bear in mind if you live in Australia, this is likely illegal without an Engineering Certificate - there is no problem with doing it if you live in the US) and invest in a trickle unit that positively charges the body tub. You might also look into attaching a sacrificial annode like a zinc block to the body somewhere.

Keep the rig sprayed with fish oil and wash it completely after each and every jaunt onto the beach.

Cheers,

Josh
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom