Advice on a swap--1971 FJ and 1980 BJ (1 Viewer)

[dohenyboy]

Hello everyone, thanks to this forum I have sourced here in Southern California a 1971 FJ40 frame and running gear, all refurbished or new, with no engine or transmission, or interior, but a good condition body with glass, that I can get painted.

I have in the Caribbean at my second home a 1980 BJ40, on which I have installed AC and power steering. Nice interior too. A great car but when I bought it, the body rust was hidden with pretty paint over bondo. After a decade of tropical rains, the rust is coming through and the bondo is falling off. But I don't see any frame issues.
The big question #1 is, will a 1971 body fit without problems on a 1980 frame?
If so, which would be easier after I paint the body and test mount it together here in Southern California:
Do I then install wiring and ship the complete assembly to the Caribbean (need a 20 foot container) and there, transplant my engine, transmission and interior
or
Ship the body panels over in a shipping crate and install the body on my BJ0, transferring over my interior and existing wiring? (lower shipping and customs costs)
Don't take into account the shipping and customs, I want to know what is easier.
I have done engine swaps before so I think either way is feasible.
Thanks in advance.

 

[charliemeyer007]

I think you could make it fit but it will be job not like just swapping in the parts. So 1980 wire is 45 years old, a lot of connectors will likely be in poor condition and that doesn't count PO's bastard fixes/swaps/deletes...

 

[dohenyboy]

I think you could make it fit but it will be job not like just swapping in the parts. So 1980 wire is 45 years old, a lot of connectors will likely be in poor condition and that doesn't count PO's bastard fixes/swaps/deletes...

Replacing the wiring either way not a issue for me. I have a lot of electrical experience from when I refitted a big powerboat and have all the tools and parts.

 

[anothernz45]

Fitting 71 body on your frame is probably the easier option. Bit of work fitting a B series diesel in a petrol frame as I found out - the front mounts along with the back right must be removed, and 2 new mounts for the B fitted further back. Either fab a new crossmember for the gearbox mount or use the one off your BJ. The gas tank on the 71 is probably under the seat, use your BJ one and you'll have a return fuel line. Worth it tho, the diesels have a lot going for them.

 

[brian]

Irrc body mounts changed in 79, so putting that 71 body on it is not going to be straight forward.

 

[Unimogguy]

If it was me and I was planning on keeping a 40 in the Caribbean long term I would seriously be considering and looking at a full Aqualu body. Sell the parts you have in CA and order a Aqualu body shipped to your Caribbean home. You don’t even need to paint it.

If memory serves me correctly the body/frame mounting changed during those years. Which is why Aqualu offers both early and late bodies.

Followed by a galvanized dip of the frame and powder coating over top. Even if you didn’t go Aqualu this is something I’d seriously consider!

Does the BJ have PS and AC?

 

[dohenyboy]

Yes the BJ has both AC and power steering.Would like to retain. Looks like the frames are slightly different. I notice just from the drawing on Specter Offroad that they have different ears on the frame for some of those mounts. 6 mounts each side. It comes down to, can I make a jig and ship with the body or I might be better served by shipping the 1971 frame there so it is side by side.

 

[dohenyboy]

If it was me and I was planning on keeping a 40 in the Caribbean long term I would seriously be considering and looking at a full Aqualu body. Sell the parts you have in CA and order a Aqualu body shipped to your Caribbean home. You don’t even need to paint it.

If memory serves me correctly the body/frame mounting changed during those years. Which is why Aqualu offers both early and late bodies.

Followed by a galvanized dip of the frame and powder coating over top. Even if you didn’t go Aqualu this is something I’d seriously consider!

Does the BJ have PS and AC?

I did consider Aqualu but going that route would run me triple the cost

 

[-MaTTi-]

I’d take only the engine and transmission, and install them to -71 frame.

 

[dohenyboy]

Fitting 71 body on your frame is probably the easier option. Bit of work fitting a B series diesel in a petrol frame as I found out - the front mounts along with the back right must be removed, and 2 new mounts for the B fitted further back. Either fab a new crossmember for the gearbox mount or use the one off your BJ. The gas tank on the 71 is probably under the seat, use your BJ one and you'll have a return fuel line. Worth it tho, the diesels have a lot going for them.

Is the later BJ diesel tank going to fit underneath the earlier body? or will I have to use the earlier tank under the passenger seat?
The frame width in the front is the same in the early and later 40s, correct?
It seems to me that if I have both frames in front of me, I can without too much difficulty remove the existing petrol mounts, move the diesel mounts to the same positions in the 71 frame, and move the cross member over. Seems to me that the rivets in the engine mount can be replaced with M8 bolts, 10.9 or 12.9 and lock nuts. I will also need to transfer over the glow plug relay (actually I plan to toss the factory glow plug relay and replace with a solenoid, an 80 amp circuit breaker and a push button switch), and transfer the diesel stop knob and I think the accelerator pedal. Not sure about the latter.
That seems like a lot less work than reworking the tub mounts.
Someone in Latin America converted this BJ to 12 volts. Not sure on that altogether but when I got it it had a single 12v battery and a 12v voltmeter added under the dash.

 

[Living in the Past]

No the fuel tank from a 1/79+ with not fit earlier years where the tank was inside the can on the right side. The tank up to 9/72 was 18 1/2 gallons. The 1/79+ was 22 1/2 gallons


The 71 tub was made for a three speed. The tunnel cover is shorter and not as tall as the 9/72-1/79. When I installed a H42 in my 68 FJ40 I used either a 75 or 76 tunnel cover shortened in the back. Need some molding on the passenger side. I also needed to add spacers on the front motor to lower the back. I also did it not have move or alter the torque tube behind the transfer case. Only a fraction of an inch between the torque and hand brake drum. The differences in the frame and tub can be over come. Same with transmission cover. The never the tub the less work required. 71 is really no easier than a 65 model. If you have plans for a Larger transmission in the future would plan and do the mods as part of tub switch.

 

[anothernz45]

The moved mounts on mine are all bolted in, 10mm M8.8s with nylocs, no issues in last 20 years. The right rear engine mount has to go, that's where the exhaust ends up. I used the under seat tank from about a 1978 truck, the later petrol ones have a return in the side - could put a tee in the filler breather pipe instead.. No issues with 12 volts tho mines a 13b and doesn't have/need glow plugs. Accelerator cable is the petrol one. Alternator with vac pump must have been changed too. Check voltage on your glow plugs, may have always been 12.

 

[dohenyboy]

Thanks to everyone so far. I have time to figure it all out. I was thinking. If I were to just do a straight body transplant to my BJ 40 frame and just ship over thr body it would save me $6000 in "environmental fees" per vehicle. That is on top of the 61% duty on car parts and autos. Shipping would be less as well.
Then I would make a body mount jig. Put the 1971 body in a packing crate. Now I have a bare 1971 frame in front of me. Insert a threaded rod of the correct size into every mounting hole on the frame with a nut and a 3" diameter washer made out of 1/4" plate flush with the mount. Weld up angle iron to the washer. Would put legs on the jig so it would sit on the ground. Ship the jig with the body. Then a local welder can weld on brackets on the 1980 frame where needed and I can drill holes in the frame using the jig.no hefting a tub off and on to get it to fit.
??? Good idea?

 

[anothernz45]

Good idea, my transplant was an FJ45 to diesel so can't help with mount positions.

 

[45Dougal]

Seems like a question to be asked prior to buying the second truck tbf...
If it were me, I'd rebuild the 71 as a mainland truck, and get the bodywork fixed locally on he BJ.
Stripped back, new bondo, and new paint, and you'll be happy as you were when you bought it, right?
The honesty of the truck history is more important to me than the illusion of owning a nice truck. Either you pretend to own a nice classic, or you actually own a real classic. Each to his own i guess though

 

[dohenyboy]

That sounds lovely but..it is never worth it long term to repair steel panels that have significant rust. It always comes back, after moisture inevitability seeps in between bondo and steel..having lived on and off there for over two decades, like any other third world country, i know that tradesman will not do a workmanlike job unless you watch them every day, and it will take 2 to 3 times more time and be 2 times over budget. It is called being "localled." If you insist on paying only the agreed upon price, you will wake up the next day in your bedroom seeing a baseball bat in his hands. Report it to the police and they will not charge the fellow but demand you pay the inflated price. Don't ask me how i know.And if I were to ship a a new body there, which would be over 14k plus shipping, I would have to pay 61% duty on the cost AND all the freight charges from the manufacturer. Yes, duty is calculated on the freight cost too. Suddenly it is $25,000 before it is even painted.