77FJ40

[kansasfj]

Like to start off by introducing myself..My name is Bill Holtzman..I reside in west Olathe Ks. Approx 3 yrs ago I realized a decades old dream of purchasing a Fj40...Found what I thought I was looking for in Palm Springs Ca. on a business trip....Went ahead and struck a deal with the owner ...good desert truck with federal emissions that appear to be still intact...PO had attempted to restore and for the most part did a good to very good job...however ...He never really addressed the motor and drivetrain...The paintjob is just good enough for me not to screw around with it ....This truck is very original and complete for a 77....PO did have his limitations and pretty much attempted to do a frame-on restoration....What I am leaning towards is pulling the body off and doing a complete restoration ...total rebuild of motor...tranny..transfercase...axles...recoating of frame...Fj60 powersteering conversion...OME suspension...complete rebuild of both front and rear axles..seals etc...I will admit that I do not have the ability,experience or sparetime to acheive my goal ...I am employed by Fedex and my position with them is pretty much all consuming 24/7.....Is there anyone locally in KC area I can contact to realize my goal or should I strip it down and ship it to a LC shop...been looking at Atlanta Custom Cruisers in Atlanta Ga. Would appreciate any thoughts or direction....I absolutely love this truck...grew up with a now deceased father that was a avid collector of grand classic autos..."V12 Packards...V16 and 12 Cadillac's"...anyway I got the bug at a very early age but my best freind and I went in together and bought a 71 FJ40 in 1974 and we beat the living h#&& out of that truck wheeling it down along the Kansas River and where Hallbrook is now in Leawood Ks...Never forgot that 71...and I was totally hooked on 40's after that....Regards Bill

 

[ccasteel]

Bill,

I don't have much advice for you on a local shop that does resto work, but I do remember wheeling the Hallbrook area in the early 80's. My friends and I called it ripples. Great place. Got run out once by the dairy farmer that owned the place. (Or so I'm told) Off course my buddies also said he was shooting at us. I was 16 and so scared that I turned a stock CJ7 transfer case in to shift on the fly. Out of 4lo to 4hi at 30 miles an hour. I did a lot of damage to that thing before trading it to my dad for his car and he traded it in on a new one. Some time I'll have to tell you what my sister did in that same spot.

 

[kansasfj]

Hallbrook

Charles... My buddies and I were all over that real estate...I remember stories bout the dairy farmer...we.. however..never had a run-in with him...We did manage to roll the 71..no one hurt ..Cory and I bailed at the last second...and one of the things that absolutely blew me away was another friend of ours was following us that day in his newly acquired 73 FJ40..together with him and a brand new 74 chevy 1/2 ton 4x4 sporting a 6 banger..pulled our 71 back upright and after bout one wacky tabacci cig and alot of cranking it started right back up and on its way to the blue river curves and some female curves we were interested in at the time...We thought we were driving a Sherman tank !!