'79 FJ40 Crossroad on direction to take repairs

[smwilfon33]

I am new to the site and this is my first thread- reviewed the rules so I hope this is in the right place.
I have owned my 1979 FJ40 serial number 308583 since I was 15 years old. I have had this truck through all my formative years, which means it has been to hell and back a few times. I have a stay at home wife and three boys under 8 (only to paint a picture of my limited disposable income). I am trying to determine the best course of action investing back into my rig to get it running great. The values are up so my question is about modifications that detract. Is there any reason to keep the carburetor instead of going fuel injection route for long term value?
My truck is basically all original but some parts need some real love. I am going to stop all rust first and then work on getting mechanical repairs done.

I also have a parasitic drain somewhere and I think I may need a new wiring harness. I have seen some suggestions but most of the places I have gone all show it being discontinued. If anyone has a suggestion I would greatly appreciate it?

Thank you.

 

[jbldaddy]

We need pictures, they tell 1000 words. My 6 year old son will only ride to school in my 1981 fj40.

 

[VTX78FJ40]

Plenty of folks on here knowledgeable with wiring problems. Coolerman built me a new chassis harness and it is fantastic.

And yes, want to see some pics.

 

[VTX78FJ40]

Anyone notice that pictures are like crack to mudders on here? Ha

 

[White Stripe]

I am new to the site and this is my first thread- reviewed the rules so I hope this is in the right place.
I have owned my 1979 FJ40 serial number 308583 since I was 15 years old. I have had this truck through all my formative years, which means it has been to hell and back a few times. I have a stay at home wife and three boys under 8 (only to paint a picture of my limited disposable income). I am trying to determine the best course of action investing back into my rig to get it running great. The values are up so my question is about modifications that detract. Is there any reason to keep the carburetor instead of going fuel injection route for long term value?
My truck is basically all original but some parts need some real love. I am going to stop all rust first and then work on getting mechanical repairs done.

I also have a parasitic drain somewhere and I think I may need a new wiring harness. I have seen some suggestions but most of the places I have gone all show it being discontinued. If anyone has a suggestion I would greatly appreciate it?

Thank you.

Well fuel injection probably wouldn't devalue the vehicle much-but fuel injection is expensive. If you do it yourself, its very time consuming. A well built and adjusted carb can be very reliable and cheaper. Why do you think your wiring harness is bad? If you just have a few bad wires it would be cheaper to fix trouble spots. Basically any mod you make that is not of the original equipment will devalue the rig. If you paint it pink with zebra stripes and put a 289 chevy motor in it-it will devalue it. Paint it the stock color with quality body work and freshen up the stock motor-it will increase its value. I caution about relying on the price of 40s staying as high as they are, its possible this is a peak and soon their value may drop. Just saying theirs no guarantees. Whatever you do, try to keep the rig in running and driving condition as much as possible while you are fixing things. That will help so as to not lose interest in doing the repairs.

 

[TheHardWay]

Agree with White Stripe. Unless your existing carb is so effed up it can't be adjusted or rebuilt, a limited budget will not support a fuel injection project. I've taken the time to scan through the threads going back to the beginning of Mud, and have concluded viewers are most interested in well maintained, stock 40s. I enjoy looking at Ebay vehicles, when I see 'V-8' I move on to the next one. I'm not a purist, but there's something special about unmolested 40s!

 

[smwilfon33]

 

[TheHardWay]

First pic looks really clean. How's the rust situation in the rear sill/amby doors? Try posting another one with your next response.

 

[Racer65]

Even with this one pic, I can tell your rig is highly original, and that is special. If I were you I would not modify or re-engineer anything. A '79 already has all the right stuff. My Feb 1980 is essentially the same as your rig. I rebuilt the carb a few months back and couldn't be happier with the way it runs.

 

[Indestructible 47]

You have the right idea, rust is your worst enemy. You have to get on top of it before it gets two bad, and in the future you will be a really happy man. I agree with the others to keep it stock and personally wouldn't worry about making it fuel injected.
btw, that is one nice cruiser.

 

[FJ43 1980]

Agree with others that keeping it stock is the way to go. I also agree with White Stripe not to rely on the value of 40s staying as high as they are. With three boys under 8-years old, you not only have limited disposable income, you'll see that time is your most precious commodity. Keep it simple, keep it stock. Plenty of info here on repairing the wiring harness and carb. Search is your friend.

 

[alberta mac]

do the simple things that are easy like a can of spray grease to spray inside the door panels and any factory holes like the inside front of hood, that will keep the corrosion at bay or away. Very nice gem you have there !

 

[MrMoMo]

Nice rig! There are also plenty of mods that are un-doable, should you decide to take it back to stock. A good set of 33" tires, new leaf springs and a good bumper or two shouldn't detract from the value but can give a much better feel. Should a future owner not want those mods, they can simply un-bolt and go back - just keep the original parts, no matter what the condition - that makes it worth more right there.

Your parasitic load may be very simple to find, don't give up on it yet. Something as simple as a blown diode inside the alternator could be doing it. How long does it take to drain? (Try disconnecting your alternator lead over night and see if it stops). If the alternator isn't the cause, remove one fuse at a time (overnight) and see if one of them stops the draw. (This is of course a very basic troubleshooting method, if you have a hand held amp meter we can go a little faster!)

 

[sggoat]

First of all, That is a nice looking truck.
Personally, I think the body could wait just a while, til you get the mechanics working well-as you want them.--Fluids/compression check/timing, all the running gear--Seems you have this in-hand, though, since you've owned it for a while. I would not go the FI route(too complicated if a problem pops up) carbs are easier to diagnose-AND a lot simpler, and cheaper. I also think the Fi detracts from the original.
Your thread almost gives me the thought that you may be thinking of a future sale--don't do it. (unless of course you sell it to me-HA!)
Those boys of yours will never get a better chance to connect with their Dad than when they are wrenching on the family Cruiser--take a look at some of the MUD archives--they are loaded with family pics of original Cruisers that "Dad" had.

 

[winnie]

I'm a bit of a traditionalist so I'm all for trying to stay as OEM as possible ... besides, these things are survivors and deserve to retain their tradition ... just my opinion and to each their own ... if you're on a limited budget (as many of us are, I'd assume) the key is to do what you can to keep it in decent shape and repair the ravages of time ... take your time, spend when you can and where you must ... its a great hobby and parts can be had at a reasonable price if you look around ... good news is you can drive it ... enjoy ...

your kids will thank you some day when they want to use it ... 40s are loaded with cool ...

 

[orangefj45]

White stripe nailed it!

If you take that cruiser to a shop and they tell you " it needs a new harness" then run the other way. If it's fairly un-molested then there's no reason to replace it. You just have to dug in and figure out what's causing the drain. Shouldn't take more than an hour or two if you know what you're doing.

As far as upgrades go, fuel injection would be "nice" but a well tuned carb is a great way to go, especially for a rig close to stock.
If you're going to do any upgrades, then how about power steering and a better headlight harness?! Both these mods are super common for one simple reason; THEY WORK!!!!!!! And they make the vehicle more user friendly.

Georg @ Valley Hybrids