1982 fj40 lx

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Living in the Past said:
Great looking cruiser. Three point seat belts for the back seat in 82. In the US the first Land Cruiser with three point seats belts in the back was the 89 FJ62. Curious is it really a 82 or a early 83? Maybe the LX got the insert dash earlier. Also the round multi switch to the right of the speedo, what is that for? Looks something like one of the climit control switches in a fourth gen. 4Runner. The bezel behind also looks like the pattern of the tach on the diesel models. Did this cruiser start life as a diesel? Either way it's a great cruiser. I would love to find a rust out one just to get the LX interior.
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Definately an 82, one of the first LX's ever made according to the previous owner, but he could have been full of $hit. :)

Funny you mention the seat belts, I was thinking the same thing. That round multi-switch to the right of the wheel is a Sony Remote Commander for the stereo system. The stereo is a relatively decent 2011 Sony system with an internal iPod bay. The iPod actually slides right into the deck, the way you would have inserted a cassette decades ago. It is hidden in the glove compartment to preserve the vintage look and the AM radio. I wanted to still be able to control all the functions so I bought a remote commander (got the idea from my boat), and put it in that panel so it would look vintage. Behind the sony remote commander is a piece of beat up aluminum that I cut a hole in to hold the commander and I thought it looked sorta old school. If it was a diesel, yes, there would have been a Tach in that panel.
 
dspan said:
...one of the first LX's ever made according to the previous owner...
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if it's a janurary 1982...then it would be :)
 
Living in the Past said:
Great looking cruiser. Three point seat belts for the back seat in 82. In the US the first Land Cruiser with three point seats belts in the back was the 89 FJ62. Curious is it really a 82 or a early 83? Maybe the LX got the insert dash earlier. Also the round multi switch to the right of the speedo, what is that for? Looks something like one of the climit control switches in a fourth gen. 4Runner. The bezel behind also looks like the pattern of the tach on the diesel models. Did this cruiser start life as a diesel? Either way it's a great cruiser. I would love to find a rust out one just to get the LX interior.
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My 82 Troopie/ute has the insert dash
 
Any updates on the FJ40 LX? I've got an 84 FJ40 LX and I love it. Mine has the gas system with the factory carb and I switch back and forth from gas to petrol.

I love running it on gas because the power is so smooth and even but I feel like I get more power on petrol. I also use about 30% more fuel when I'm on gas so the cost savings is minimal.

The best part about running gas is how clean the engine stays. I run synthetic engine oil and I change it every 10,000 miles. When I drain it out it is almost as clean as it was when I put it in.

How did you get teh rear trim panels to fit your Aqualu tub? Did they firt over the corner brace or did you have to trim it? I'd love to see some more photos of the tub swap.

Cheers,

Josh
 
HJ47 said:
Any updates on the FJ40 LX? I've got an 84 FJ40 LX and I love it. Mine has the gas system with the factory carb and I switch back and forth from gas to petrol.

I love running it on gas because the power is so smooth and even but I feel like I get more power on petrol. I also use about 30% more fuel when I'm on gas so the cost savings is minimal.

The best part about running gas is how clean the engine stays. I run synthetic engine oil and I change it every 10,000 miles. When I drain it out it is almost as clean as it was when I put it in.

How did you get teh rear trim panels to fit your Aqualu tub? Did they firt over the corner brace or did you have to trim it? I'd love to see some more photos of the tub swap.

Cheers,

Josh
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LPG is about 110 octane. If you are set up to run both, the timing is compromised to make it work on both. If you want to really see what it can do, adjust your timing for LPG only. Economy should be more like 10-15% less. Power should be close to the same. LPG can even produce much more if it's set up right.

http://www.go-lpg.co.uk/diffperf.html

:cheers:
 
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bikersmurf said:
LPG is about 110 octane. If you are set up to run both, the timing is compromised to make it work on both. If you want to really see what it can do, adjust your timing for LPG only. Economy should be more like 10-15% less. Power should be close to the same. LPG can even produce much more if it's set up right.

Go LPG - Will the performance of my vehicle be any different when using LPG?

:cheers:
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Thanks. Great link. I run petrol about 5% - 10% of the time to keep the seals in my carb from drying out. Lately with the cost of petrol being so high, I have just been switching over to petrol right before shutting my truck down for the night so I can leave petrol in the float bowl over night.

I run my timing at 10 degrees BTDC now, so I may try 15% to see how it goes. I always ran about 14-15 degrees back home because I lived at 7,400' but here there isn't anywhere on the whole continent where I get that high....

I'll see what that does for my fuel economy.

Josh
 
Got a bunch of upgrades done since my last posting. Been doing a couple hours a night and major projects on the weekends. This FJ40 addiction is out of control. I might need to find a 12-step program soon. I was in my garage from 5pm to 5:30am last night doing all kinds of random stuff, I thought it was around midnight, looked at my phone and it was 5:10am. Damn.

Honestly, I blame this forum. :)

Every time I read about a mod or get an idea from someone's project or post, well, anyway.

New wheels and 33" bfg mt's, rear light rock shields, new stainless hood latches, new aqualu aluminum radiator holder, new grill trim, new perfect ambulance doors (thanks butch), new front bumper gussets top and sides, new ccot hfs front bumper with all the fixins, new warn 8274, new SOR fog lights.

The front end is a bit overdone but I love it. The plan was to paint the brushed aluminum radiator holder but it is gorgeous and I am toying with the idea of leaving it raw. I have to give some props to the Aqualu folks, great service and great part for a reasonable price.

I would love some other opinions on the unpainted grill...

As always, if anyone wants advice or to chat about any of the work I have done, PM me or post. I am far from an expert in any of these areas, but willing to help. Also, I am still looking for a good, relatively inexpensive paint shop to paint my doors North or West of Boston.

First cruise with the new gear, no fog lights yet...

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and now with the fogs:

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Falco80 said:
Sweet LX! I love that colour also. I really love the stripes that Toyota put on some of these too. You don't see them on cruisers nowadays! :)
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I hated the graphics at first, but they grew on me. When I get it painted, I am going to have a sign shop recreate them exactly. Neon orange on top of mustard yellow, seriously?
 
I like the unpaint front

Personally I like the unpainted front, I think it ties in the chrome bezel, of course you have to realize I'm and old hot rodder and not a purest. I saw my first FJ in Atlanta as a teenager 16 I think and the salesman took pity on me and my brother and gave us a ride on a kind of course they had set up. Since then I have had many 4WD's but had to move to the Philippines before I finally got one. Yours is very cool...Lee
 
love everything about it, love the dakar suspension, the seat upholsterer, the decals and stripes on the exterior, even all three wipers up front!!!!! I wanted to keep reading but I just keep scrolling through the pic's!!! Did it have a Tach when you got it? nice use of that spot for the remote!!! kinda like steering wheel controls but keeps your factory wheel!
 
huminajumina said:
love everything about it, love the dakar suspension, the seat upholsterer, the decals and stripes on the exterior, even all three wipers up front!!!!! I wanted to keep reading but I just keep scrolling through the pic's!!! Did it have a Tach when you got it? nice use of that spot for the remote!!! kinda like steering wheel controls but keeps your factory wheel!
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thank you for the excitement. no, I never had a tach, those only came on the diesel models. I would like to add one though, maybe I will search around.
 
I vote for painting it, but that's just the purist in me (which is laughable, given how impure my rigs are):D.

I'm glad to see that you put US Spec front turn signals on your rig - I much prefer them to the Aussie spec ones. I re-wired my Aussie ones here so they are the same as yours.

Looking forward to the final shots with the decals and doors.

I put a factory tach in mine using Teabag's link above and it is fantastic. I don't know why they never put them in the petrol ones - obviously an oversight which I have fixed.

Josh
 
Nice, very clean.

My personal preference is against shiny bezels. They remind me of the jdm cruisers which I feel have too much going on in the front end.

I feel that if you paint the bezel white and get the grill painted it will literally be perfect.
 
Question about the Aqualu grille

Does the Aqualu grille allow you to bolt on the Aussie hood catch? I bought a new Toyota grille for my HJ47 in the US about 10 years ago and it fit the US Spec hood catch but not the Aussie spec one. Thus I can't use the one on the interior now on my HJ47.

Josh
 
HJ47 said:
Does the Aqualu grille allow you to bolt on the Aussie hood catch? I bought a new Toyota grille for my HJ47 in the US about 10 years ago and it fit the US Spec hood catch but not the Aussie spec one. Thus I can't use the one on the interior now on my HJ47.

Josh
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Does not fit aussie hood latch, correct. I. was planning on disabling the interior pull and just using a US spec latch for the safety catch only. I have the two spring side latches, plenty IMO.
 
Been working on the rig daily now, chasing down gremlins the previous owners created, grinding, sanding, rust proofing, rubber coating, etc, etc... lots of fun...

The engine is running like a top and the engine bay is starting to look a bit better. One component at a time, refurbishing each one the best I can. :)

Before...

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After...

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