Aftermarket FJ40 Dash Pad

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

I am going to try and respond to several posts with one. If I didn't answer your post.....Hit me with a sledge hammer and I will understand the hint.

I apologize for the lengthy reading but I most certainly appreciate the feedback I am getting from you guys.

When I say molds or tooling they are the same and are interchangeable. I appreciate the offers however, I already have molds/tooling for the upper dash pad (72-82) and the lower dash pads. I said in an earlier post that I had been kicking this around for two years. That was kind of covering up the fact two years ago I bit the bullet and had the tooling cast but it has sit in the corner and I haven't done anything with it. I'm sure everyone has projects like that. Hopefully sooner than later I will get around to getting a tool made for the roll bar pads. I have a question. My brother always calls the roll bar the show bar. He says that they were just made for show but really provide no roll over protection like the real after market roll bars. Anybody know if that's true.

What I've been doing in the last 3 weeks is getting the inserts (3 metal plates) correct and working on the rough cast tooling. The OEM plates are if memory serves correct 24 to 26 gauge. We are building this with 20 gauge. I just like having a heavier stiffer metal on the dash. It doesn't affect the mounting. The metal is laser cut and braked. It mounts up to the dash's bolt holes. After the first prototype we had to move the holes to mount the dash light. It still mounted but I wanted to move it approx 1/8" to better line up.

I have another question. The retainer clip (Long 90 degree angle clip that mounts to the dash with 9 screws.) I drew it up and considered manufacturing it as well but didn't know if there was much of a need for it? I looked at SOR and they show a used one for $30 but no new ones in stock. I would assume there isn't much need for that. Am I wrong?

Sorry on the prototypes. My brother and I have several fj40's and a couple of buddies around here have already purchased the prototypes. I will tell you this is the only product I've ever worked on that I could sell the prototypes.

On the center console question that is kind of yes. I designed a center console cap part and tool for a so called "Buddy" back in 2007 for Jeeps. He is in the 4x4 business and sell aftermarket products for Jeeps. This "Buddy" ended up sending the production over seas to be manufactured. He didn't pay for the design work. I've thought about building them and undercut his pricing just the burn his hind end. I would be interested but it will be awhile. I have several irons in the fire and stuff like this is just playing around. However, keep us in mind and if you come up with a product and want us to manufacture it for you we would be more than happy to quote it.

On the pricing......I haven't settled on that yet. I need to look at all the numbers when I get done. However, I have a lot of money tied up in the molds/tooling for this project. I haven't had any employees work on it just me. Subconciously this might be because I am scared to see what my real costs would be if I had to figure in labor to get the tooling completed. I think the main reason for the OEM part being so high is that there really isn't that many fj40's out there not like a 350 Chevy.

I know that there probably isn't anyone or any way to find out how many fj40's are still out there? That would be a key number in calculating cost/selling price.

On the lower dash pads I'm sure that I can come in under SOR is selling them for. That is the next project.

Thanks for the responses. Look forward to seeing if any has any answers to the questions above.
 
fjgoober said:
I have a question. My brother always calls the roll bar the show bar. He says that they were just made for show but really provide no roll over protection like the real after market roll bars. Anybody know if that's true.
Click to expand...

Your brother is incorrect. The stock roll bar is not as strong and does not offer the same level of protection as many aftermarket roll cages, but it's certainly functional. Last March a lady ran me off the highway and onto a banked shoulder, causing a high speed rollover. The stock roll bar did what it was supposed to do. A highway patrol officer at the scene commented that it probably saved my life. FWIW, the roll bar was not damaged and I'm still using it. The only casualty was fragmentation of the roll bar pads.
 
Sea Knight said:
Your brother is incorrect. The stock roll bar is not as strong and does not offer the same level of protection as many aftermarket roll cages, but it's certainly functional. Last March a lady ran me off the highway and onto a banked shoulder, causing a high speed rollover. The stock roll bar did what it was supposed to do. A highway patrol officer at the scene commented that it probably saved my life. FWIW, the roll bar was not damaged and I'm still using it. The only casualty was fragmentation of the roll bar pads.
Click to expand...
Sea Knight,
Then what your saying is I need to get busy on those pads!!!! Nice subtle sledge hammer LOL.
 
Good idea, but I agree with others that $300 for an aftermarket pad is too high. I've seen OEM upper pads for around $300 at various on-line Toyota parts dealers.
 
Sea Knight said:
Your brother is incorrect. The stock roll bar is not as strong and does not offer the same level of protection as many aftermarket roll cages, but it's certainly functional. Last March a lady ran me off the highway and onto a banked shoulder, causing a high speed rollover. The stock roll bar did what it was supposed to do. A highway patrol officer at the scene commented that it probably saved my life. FWIW, the roll bar was not damaged and I'm still using it. The only casualty was fragmentation of the roll bar pads.
Click to expand...

Pics Please!
 
Blueegg said:
Pics Please!
Click to expand...

No pics of the wreck. Driver fled the scene. I was hanging upside down until the highway patrol guys pulled me out. 40 was towed. I went to the ER. Rebuilding the truck took almost a year. Here's a photo after coming out of paint showing the intact roll bar. Yeah, I know, it's chrome. That's the way it came. Probably makes it stronger than plain old paint. :o

[URL="https://forum.ih8mud.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=562400&stc=1&d=1317961094"][/URL]
 
As a previous 4x4 vendor I can only offer one bit of insight into cost/vs sales numbers - if you price it low enough you can hit the highest possible percentage of the potential buyers, price it too high and they just opt for the OEM stuff .
I love the idea of the upper dash pad priced better than north of $500 , that's just rediculous . It's not like the thing is that complicated and for this type of vehicle it's pretty hard to spend that much coin on that type of part when a plastic $60 cap can look nearly just as good. The price of an oem unit is half the price of an ARB air locker, better money spent to most folks. When I built Weber carbs in the winters ( I work construction in the Trades) there were times I just couldn't keep up, priced myself a bit too low and had to deal with the super-cheapo crowd . No offense, but some of them drove me nuts with tech work . When the exchange rates changed a few years back and the dollar dropped so bad I just had to quit as most of my parts came from the EU . I'm actually kicking around the idea of doing it again on a limited basis, but not sure how much market is really out there, much like yourself . I say run a small production of 20 or so units and guage how fast they sell . Judging by current ecomony it may take a while but I think you're seriously onto at least a decent niche market here...
Sarge
 
Sea Knight,

That is a nice ride!!! I bet even wrecked it looks better than anything I have. Reading some of your posts in other threads it appears that you take your time and put them back together with some care. I'm glad you and the fj came out all right.

Is that a 79? I have a limited knowledge of the difference in the years. Is that a recent picture or one during the restoration. By your conversation I am assuming your still restoring.

3 yrs ago I pulled my gas tank and half the passenger floor came out with it. Enough was enough. Ripped everything from the firewall back out. Ended up rebuilding most of it with modified forms for braking and such. Before I got use of a brake, I made one bend with a 350 gal. tote filled with water a fork lift and welded the steel to a metal table. Soon found out it was better to find a good ol boy with a brake!!!

Turned out pretty good. Went back with either 14 gauge on rear fenders and 10 gauge (It may have been 12) on the rear bed. The thing is a tank now. I was still tack welding and getting ready to sand it down and paint when my youngest daughter kept on pleading to get it back running so we could drive it. She was 10 at the time and basically ran the roost as far as daddy was concerned.

I slapped her back together thinking I only have about 4 to 5 yrs before dad would no longer be fun to hang out with. Haven't touch it since. Surface rust everywhere and unfinished welds. This thing is ugly!! But we still have fun in it. Later was looking through some of the posts on here and saw some of the easier ways several guys came up with making the rear fenders.

I finished the las two prototypes tonight. Very pleased with the texturing!! The only fear there is that the porosity I sanded out may come back after I have molded 20 to 30. Should know by Monday.

Very happy with the density and duromer. It does feel good but I will have to wait until morning for the complete cure of the part. I have been trying to find the fine line on stiffness yet flexible enough to be pleasing. The skin will be what some have termed "self healing". I will demonstrate with a picture later. When cutting out the dash light I used the cut out piece and cut it several times with an exacto knife (not as easy as it sounds). When you bend the urethane you can see the cuts however they are not apparent when it is static. I will post a picture tomorrow.

I am listening to what you guys are saying on price. I will figure up pricing in the next week or so. I would like to offer it as economical as possible while still making return on the investment of tooling and hopefully a little profit (The wife kind of likes it vs. the other way). The largest issue is how many fj40's are out there. How big is the market. If the market is large enough I can make the return on volume. Tough dilema without any numbers. So far this has been a project not driven by numbers but by gut feel. (Not real comfortable about that part of it.)

Sarge,

I appreciate the post. You understand what I am faced with. As a fellow fj enthusiast you want to keep it as economical as you can but by the same time I gotta pay payroll and the light bills!!

As a result of all these activities.......I may have just made for myself the most expensive fj40 dash in the history of the world!!

I do appreciate everyones input and I will keep you posted.
 
I had asked a question earlier but can hardly blame anybody for getting lost in my long gibberish.

The retainer clip (Long 90 degree angle clip that mounts to the dash with 9 screws and slips into the slots in the dash support.) I drew it up and considered manufacturing it as well but didn't know if there was much of a need for it? I looked at SOR and they show a used one for $30 but no new ones in stock. Since I have not had a single response I would assume there isn't much need for it.

I thought there might as they could get lost when people go ahead and take the dash off because it's beaten up so bad.
 
fjgoober said:
Sea Knight,

That is a nice ride!!! I bet even wrecked it looks better than anything I have. Reading some of your posts in other threads it appears that you take your time and put them back together with some care. I'm glad you and the fj came out all right.

Is that a 79? I have a limited knowledge of the difference in the years. Is that a recent picture or one during the restoration. By your conversation I am assuming your still restoring.
Click to expand...

It's an '82. That pic was taken last October and yes, I'm still putting it back together. I'm pretty anal, and slow, but it should be finished in another couple of months.

Here's a more recent pic, I think from December?

[URL="https://forum.ih8mud.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=563866&stc=1&d=1318465731"][/URL]
 
I'm jealous but in a good way!! What's up with the Austin Tejas in you signature line. I'm a good ole boy from Kansas but have never heard of Austin Tejas. And by judging by your join date and number of posts I'm sure someone has brought this to your attention.
 
Judging just by the bidding wars on parts lately both on the forums and especially Craigslist and Ebay, I'd say there's a heck of a market if you can costs down. I totally understand about making at least some profit, without it the incentive to make this sort of stuff just isn't there.
I'd be nearly first in line for an upper dash, no kidding.
Sarge
 
Tejas, the Spanish spelling and pronunciation for Texas
 
IMO the demand for that piece would be very limited. Most of us still have dashes... And there are plenty of cracked spares around.

As for numbers, 550 or so have posted up here on mud... That likely means there are way more than that around. Numbers have to be fairly high for SOR to be staying in buisness especially now that they have a few other companies in competition with them. When I was there, I saw their daily shipment come in... A 50' trailer load. The guys said that's what came in on a daily basis.

Price point would be key. The purists will pay throu the nose, but for the rest of us, a cracked dash is well down he list... For $300, not a chance. $200... I'd think about it (just being honest). I don't have a shiny 40, and cash is tight right now (this decade)

I understand that you aren't runnin a charity, but you'll be able to sell at least 2 to 3 times as many at $200 each.
 
Driving shotgun back to Austin from Harrisburg, pa, I've found that reading mud helps to pass the time, along with some Lyle Lovett. Anyways, we've got two 40s that would enjoy a nice "dash-lift". Interested to see some more pics and pricing. Good work!
 
Just had a quick look at the "How many FJ40's represented on IH8MUD and the last number seems to be 531...and that's
just MUD...No Idea of the ones on Pirate, etc that do not cross over...hope that helps
 
Is there a 82 roll over club? My roll(show) bar saved what I'm sitting on back in '93 when I turned around on the interstate at 55 and hit the guard rail and flipped sideways twice and end over end twice and landed on the drivers side. Crawled out through the roof and cussed a little. She was red but has gone with dune now. Factory roll bar GOOD...
Shane
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom