‘69 Time Capsule

[tyama]

There's a lot of great ideas posted so far. however, looking at the pristine condition of the vehicle, I would hesitate to do anything that would remove it from OEM. I know that the safety upgrades: disk brakes, dual brake MC, etc... are important, but your 40 could be a rare OEM driver that rarely exists. Anything that is rubber in the drivetrain will have to be replaced eventually, and all the maintenance checks with all fluid changes, grease, etc.. will be needed. It'll probably start leaking a small bit as it has sat for 40 years, and the drums are a pita. But...Very few people have gotten a 'Cruiser that is as close to OEM as the one you have. I would suggest getting it clean, shine the patina?, and drivable, use it as a grocery getter for awhile, take it to some car shows and TLCA meetings and have folks drool over what OEM looks like.

best, ty

 

[Chamba]

1/78-1/79 US market diffs were still 4.11:1 but pinion was fine spline. Wasn't until 8/88 that combo was used again in the US. Those the driveshaft flanges had changed.

You, John, are a legend.

 

[peesalot]

Favorite part, the hood alignment, that thing is so straight and actually has decent gap, coilovers too.

 

[brian]

I would be hesitant to do much other than making it more oe than it already is.

 

[69JortsGuy]

Thanks again everyone for the replies. No point getting too far down the rabbit hole of future "upgrades"/changes before I start delve a little deeper to see what I am working with (which is beginning tomorrow).

First things first, give the 57 year old girl a bath
Take photos (and post them for you dirty dogs)
Flip the bezel
Take more photos
Take apart brakes to see the condition currently is
Take even more photos

Someone mentioned they believe I may have an aftermarket carb. Will take MORE photos and post some later for you sleuths to do your thing.

If my existing brakes are not as far gone as originally thought, I will get those operational until a donor axle can be found.

The family and I have been planning on camping for labor day for a while now. I don't think I've ever been this NOT excited to go camping before. I'd rather geek out and get this thing operational, but such is life.

Cheers!

 

[H2o]

Keep it completely stock. I wouldn’t mess with the brakes. Once you start modifying, it is a slippery slope and it will lose value. Plus you get to drive it as it was out of the factory. Which is cool, and as someone said earlier becoming rarer and rarer

 

[pb4ugo]

Keep it completely stock. I wouldn’t mess with the brakes. Once you start modifying, it is a slippery slope and it will lose value. Plus you get to drive it as it was out of the factory. Which is cool, and as someone said earlier becoming rarer and rarer

Completely Stk? 57 year old belts and hoses, plugs, worn tre's. The coil over shocks aren't stk. I'd guess the springs are sagging. Knuckles and brakes are serviceable items.

It's your 40, you do you. I'd keep the family safe. Your on the right track. Clean it up and check things out. Base line it. Congrats on a great find. Get MMO in the cylinders and let them soak. Have you driven a 40 b4?

 

[69JortsGuy]

Completely Stk? 57 year old belts and hoses, plugs, worn tre's. The coil over shocks aren't stk. I'd guess the springs are sagging. Knuckles and brakes are serviceable items.

It's your 40, you do you. I'd keep the family safe. Your on the right track. Clean it up and check things out. Base line it. Congrats on a great find. Get MMO in the cylinders and let them soak. Have you driven a 40 b4?

Fair points! I think there is a good middle ground I will find. Mostly stock but quasi modern.

As promised, done under hood photos. At least one cable is not connected to my carby I just noticed. Both choke and (high idle?) knobs are stuck/not moving. Any insight to free them before I break something?

TIA.

Cheers!

 

[SteveH]

RE: stuck cables

Squirt WD40 into the cable at the dash end (lightly, if you can get some onto the shaft) and heavily at the carb/choke end. Cables tend to rust and get gunky at the ends, not so much in the middle. You might also choose to loosen the screws at the carb end, and exercise the cable separately from what it controls. If the cable sheath is not vinyl covered, you can spray WD40 along the whole length of the cable, where you have access.

While you're doing all this, check the linkages (what's operated by the cable) and see that they are free-moving.

 

[60 40]

Looks like a nice rig and you got the support of the MUD team, stock is nice but those old drum brakes are sketchy and there's no new slave cylinders available. My rig came similar to your's so might be able to help with what is or is not stock for your year/month.

Got my 3/69 from the original owner pretty much stock but worn including the old radio and all 30 something years ago. I have to agree with @JohnnyC at least replace the front drums. Personally I rear ending one car and barely avoided another accident in a separate incident when traffic stopped in a small town. Swerved around a corner when the break peddle went to the floor...... ended up on two wheels! By the grace of Allah was able to ride it out Arab drift style back on all four....

Drove that sketchy stock junk for 10 years then stored it for twenty till I knew enough and had the finances to unsketch it, still in the process but it's getting there. If you live in a rural area and can just putt around at 45MPH or so it's probably not that big deal but if your in a modern town or city and don't want to change breaks, gearing or anything really you might want to just use it for parades or cars and coffey type of stuff.

Also not to be a downer but so you know in my opinion your looking at 10 to 15K just in parts to clean that up as a decent driver even if you do all the work your self so be ready. Research is key and if you can find someone local with experience to help or can form a clear plan you could save a lot of time by not going down the wrong path.

And the traditional Mud welcome.



Good luck!

 

[RevISK]

These are very handy for lubricating cables: https://www.autozone.com/p/helix-ra...MIiN-A7YHVlgMV5Vx_AB2_xBaSEAQYASABEgJ_3_D_BwE

Sold all over, just look up "cable lube tool"

 

[charliemeyer007]

I like to flush the cable with WD-40 several times over several days. Then use real cable lube. I still have my Yamaha one from the 70's. I got a couple more from Amoron for like $5 each.

 

[69JortsGuy]

As promised…

 

[60 40]

Frigging awesome looks like it has the original tires!

Couple extra lights here or there but nothing bad,. Painted mine green but later wished I had kept it that light blue color you have, would have looked bad ass as a built up rig.

 

[MDH33]

Nice find, congrats!

I'll throw my 2cents in. I've had a few 40's over the years and I found a 69 pretty similar to yours a few years ago and have been tinkering with it. Here's my advice. I'm not trying to sound like a d*ck, I just like to speak plainly.

Keep it (mostly) stock. It's an FJ40 and none of them are safe or family friendly, so don't kid yourself there.

The drum brakes are fine if working properly and are easy to work once you've learned. (I did upgrade to a dual circuit MC since mine needed replacement anyway). Disk brake/axle swaps usually snowball into bigger projects than you'd expect. If you really want something more modern, then I would fix yours up, get it running, sell it and buy something more modern. Or at least drive it for awhile with the drums and enjoy it for what it is.

I would toss that carb and get an early 70's Aisan 2 barrel. 69 could have had the 1 barrel or the oddball early 2 barrel. The Early 70's 2 barrels are easy to find, easy to rebuild, period correct and run great.

Post lots of pics of your progress and ask lots of questions, I'll be following along.

 

[69JortsGuy]

Nice looking truck … some things worth noting if you were thinking of going back to original…

All the black on the inside should not be there … should all be body color

The door on dr side I see an odd L bracket?

If you were wondering the setup for the radio is a stock location… can’t tell if it’s actually an oem radio setup as pic is poor… but to me looks oem

Looks like rims were painted silver? Or is it the lighting and they are gray? They should be gray … not metallic gray either

Vent scoop is a po add on

Coil/spring shocks are a po add on

Bumperettes should be pewter colored

Hour meter is a po add on

Hitch looks custom po

Of course, the fog lights, gas pedal, and the switches for the lights … fuel tank … fire extinguisher bracket… were add-ons

And definitely the bezel is wrong … there are just a few pics that are not correct in old pics… old literature has one … and is in a manual two times different years … interestingly one year you see it on correct then they show how to replace the head lamp and magically it on upside down … if anybody says otherwise to thick being up … they are ignorant and don’t understand that there are morons in the 60’s and 70’s just like we have today

They also say the J in FJ40 doesn’t mean jeep… they are wrong about that as well

Exception to this is Bandeirante as they had equal thicknesses bezels for quite some time… even later 40 bezels can be on wrong

With all that … you do have a very nice cruiser and do enjoy it … it’s yours do with it as you wish … po did

Good eye on the weird L bracket. That would be an alarm system of some sort. He drilled right through the VIN plate on the door jam which is kinda lame.

He went overkill with the spray paint. Signs of overspray everywhere (front grill/Toyota emblem, the motor, rear bumper/hitch ball). I’d like to attempt to remove it from the door jam and below the windshield, but that is low priority.

Currently camping with the family. Alas, no wrenching for me.

Cheers!

 

[69JortsGuy]

Nice find, congrats!

I'll throw my 2cents in. I've had a few 40's over the years and I found a 69 pretty similar to yours a few years ago and have been tinkering with it. Here's my advice. I'm not trying to sound like a d*ck, I just like to speak plainly.

Keep it (mostly) stock. It's an FJ40 and none of them are safe or family friendly, so don't kid yourself there.

The drum brakes are fine if working properly and are easy to work once you've learned. (I did upgrade to a dual circuit MC since mine needed replacement anyway). Disk brake/axle swaps usually snowball into bigger projects than you'd expect. If you really want something more modern, then I would fix yours up, get it running, sell it and buy something more modern. Or at least drive it for awhile with the drums and enjoy it for what it is.

I would toss that carb and get an early 70's Aisan 2 barrel. 69 could have had the 1 barrel or the oddball early 2 barrel. The Early 70's 2 barrels are easy to find, easy to rebuild, period correct and run great.

Post lots of pics of your progress and ask lots of questions, I'll be following along.

No offense taken. Appreciate the honest feedback. Anybody have any guesses what kind of carb I’m looking at? Thanks for the reply, cheers.

 

[SipLife]

Looks like it’s probably a Rochester 2G, popular modification. Absolutely get a rebuilt AISIN carb in there as others have mentioned.

 

[peesalot]

Something is funky with the throttle as it is NOT supposed to be hose clamped to the MC ?

 

[MDH33]

Something is funky with the throttle as it is NOT supposed to be hose clamped to the MC ?

All kinds of wrong going on since it's a poorly installed aftermarket carb.

I'm more confused by the vacuum cleaner hose duct taped on the intake directed down where it can suck up dust and water.