Adventure Wagon Build (1 Viewer)

[ZachA]

Hey Everyone,
I'm a month into my first FJ40 build.
My rig is a 1971 and I purchased it off a family that had owned it since 1985. They drove it up until 1996 then parked it in the field (shown below).
The son had rescued it back in 2013 and spent a bundle of money getting it insurable but undriveable.
We've picked up where he left off hoping to build out a useable wagon to explore the backroads of British Columbia with my 5 year old.
It's a 3 on the tree with the original F motor (allegedly rebuilt but the seals are all shot).
This fourm has already been a gold mine but I suspect that we will begin to run into the oddly specific questions that every build seems to encounter.
Thanks for all the information thus far. I'm looking forward to being a more active member of the community.

 

[greenbeasty]

Nice!!!
I would love to come to that part of the world and explore. Mabe someday.

 

[ZachA]

After 3 months of work I (was) ready for inspection. I took out a day permit to drive it to the local LC shop to sort out the last of the electrical gremlins. Unfortunately, it blew a fuel pump on the way there. After replacement it threw a rod on the way home two weeks later.

A motor swap is now on the to do list before we head out on any adventures.

 

[Skreddy]

Did they do an oil change? If the fuel pump blew the diaphragm, fuel will get into the crankcase and be disastrous for rotating parts quickly if the oil isn’t changed before running again (as may have happened). Doesn’t necessarily help you now, but if that were the case, I’d never use that shop again.
what area of B.C. are you in?

 

[ZachA]

Did they do an oil change? If the fuel pump blew the diaphragm, fuel will get into the crankcase and be disastrous for rotating parts quickly if the oil isn’t changed before running again (as may have happened). Doesn’t necessarily help you now, but if that were the case, I’d never use that shop again.
what area of B.C. are you in?

That's good to know.
The oil and fluids were all changed after the replacement. I'm afraid it looks like a spot of bad luck.
I'm in Kamloops, South Central Interior of BC

 

[ZachA]

Time flies when you’re trying to find parts
Motor rebuilt, match ported and blueprinted.
Ended up being bored 0.030 over because those were the only pistons we could find.
While I was waiting I found a proper front bumper and added a Warn 8274.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel, so long as my wife doesn’t add up the receipts it will all be worth it….

 

[JackA]

Just curious on the cost to rebuild the f motor?

 

[FJ40Savvy]

Time flies when you’re trying to find parts
Motor rebuilt, match ported and blueprinted.
Ended up being bored 0.030 over because those were the only pistons we could find.
While I was waiting I found a proper front bumper and added a Warn 8274.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel, so long as my wife doesn’t add up the receipts it will all be worth it….
View attachment 3114370View attachment 3114372

Receipt, What Receipt? these were parts that were on the shelf in the garage.

 

[ZachA]

Just curious on the cost to rebuild the f motor?

Including parts & machine shop hours it ran close to $10,000 CAD.

Everything was stripped and replaced down to the valve guides and frost plugs - which had to turned on a lathe because they’re unobtainium. Block was re-decked, crank was ground and balanced, all the valves were replaced, seats were lapped. Etc. Etc. Etc.

Billed out close to 50 hours of machine shop time by the time the motor was assembled and ready for install.

And to think it was coin flip when I took the motor there if I was going to do a full rebuild or pour ATF into the cylinders and cross my fingers…

 

[JackA]

Thanks for the info

 

[Greek Cruiserhead]

10.000 CAD (7.500 USD) is a substantial amount of money.
Did you ever consider a diesel swap, e.g. the 2H, or the slightly more modern JDM 14B and 15B (with or without a factory turbo)?
or you just wanted to keep it stock/original?

 

[ZachA]

10.000 CAD (7.500 USD) is a substantial amount of money.
Did you ever consider a diesel swap, e.g. the 2H, or the slightly more modern 14B and the 15B (with or without a turbo)?
or you just wanted to keep it stock/original?

It would have been a serious consideration had I known at the outset that was going to be the end result.

Yes the intention was to keep it as a carbureted F Motor. I picked up the donor motor for $200. Then stripped it and slowly started putting up cash as required for the parts as I worked with the motor shop to fully rebuild the motor. The money dropped out intermittently because it was often difficult to find parts. It wasn’t until I looked back at the end and added it all up that I realized how much I’d spent.

Projects are like that. If I had $10,000 burning a hole in my pocket there would have been other options on the table for sure. But it was usually $1,500 at a time that I was dropping. And if I’m being totally honest, had I put all the money away until I had a big lump of cash it probably wouldn’t have found it’s way into my cruiser.

Totally unjustifiable. Probably should have at least put in a 2F to make my life easier, but I didn’t get into this because it was a sound financial decision.