..And so it begins.... my BJ40 frame off restoration

[Volcano cruiser]

Stage One underway

Ok, Once Bobby Longs new inner axels and birfs arrived It was time to get the rig into the shop. The following repairs or upgrades are being done:
Suspension-
SOR 4" lift kit is going on
New shocks all around

Brakes
Front discs- new rotors and calipers
Extended steel braided lines
Rear Drums- new drums and shoes
New brake fluid goes in

Front end
Knuckle rebuild
swap out the stock inners and birfs for the 30 spline Longfileds
Replace all of the tie rods and drag link
new steering stabilizer

Engine
Runs fine so regular tune up and oil change

Transmission
gear oil change along with the other fluid changes

T-Case
Inspect and repair T-Case to determine why it is stuck in H-4

A/C
Install and charge the new system.

I dropped the rig off last week and It should be ready by second week in September. At that time I get it back here where I can take out the wirng harness that is in it now and replace it with one that I just bought from from a mudder who was parting out a 40 taking bits from a 60 harness that I sourced as well, to fill in the gaps.

I dropped by the shop and after fighting with the new bushings the crew had the old springs, bushings and shackles off and the new ones on. I finally feel like some progress is being made.
The Rust bullet shipment arrived at the international airport and is now thoroughly hung up at customs. I'm working with fedex to get this sorted out but Customs is insisting on a certificate from the Min of Health that says that it is ok to bring this hazardous materials into the country. Min of Health won't certify unless I file a form that says why I want to bring this hazardous stuff in and that is not good enough without a report done by a chemist that certifies that the hazardous material is what I and the manifest say and that it is not harmful. Folks have made suggestions of chemists who, for a fee, would so certify. I am trying to get fedex to manage this as the shipper. If not I guess I'll be getting next to some chemist and paying for a report.

The good news is that I won't need the RB for a bit until all of the repairs are done and the rig is running great at which time I hand it over to the body beaters for the cosmetic side of the make over which I call Stage 2.

 

[patches84]

Has your camera stopped working? Surely there is something you can show us.

Cheers,

Josh

 

[Volcano cruiser]

Has your camera stopped working? Surely there is something you can show us.

Cheers,

Josh

Josh,
Thanks for asking. Been on travel for the last couple of weeks. I had to take a trip back to the States to move my son into his new apartment for his senior year at university. I should pick it up this week and will post up progress pics then.
Cheers,
John

 

[M5driver]

John,

Glad to see your rebuild is moving along. I like the console/CB mount
Very nice!

Sorry to hear about your hang up with the RB. Here, I thought I would have to get the report you are talking about, but it turns out if the product is a commercial item in use in S Africa or UK, then it is considered approved for import. Guess I dodged a bullet on that account.

Looking forward to more pix and progress

Dan

 

[patches84]

G'day John and Dan,

Glad to hear all is well. I've had to bide my time pouring over Dan's Blue Mule in the mean time. Given I sold my Stinson 108-3, and I can't fly on my US ATP in Australia, I feel a certain kinship with you Dan.

Cheers,

Josh

 

[Chamba]

new address for Patches84

G'day John,

I just got this address, and I could not resist it. I will be changing all of my stuff from Patches84 to here.

Cheers,

Josh

 

[Volcano cruiser]

G'day John,

I just got this address, and I could not resist it. I will be changing all of my stuff from Patches84 to here.

Cheers,

Josh

Josh,
This is so funny. I'm in the process of doing the same thing. I'll be Volcano Cruiser, got the id all setup. I'm waiting until I get the cruiser painted and then I'll shift everything over to Volcano Cruiser. I figured that given that the build is underway it would be too complicated to change names over until at least the paint stage is finished.

Great minds think alike.
Cheers,
John

 

[Chamba]

I'll keep my eyes out for the Volcano. I logged in to Mud from an different computer, and I wound up on the registration site by mistake. While I was there, I thought I'd give HJ47 a try (thinking it would surely be taken) and found it was not. So, I took it I put a note on my troopie site, so hopefully anyone who wants me will see it there. I will continue to check Patches84 periodically, though.

I'm sure you said, but what colour are you painting her?

Cheers,

Josh

 

[Volcano cruiser]

I'll keep my eyes out for the Volcano. I logged in to Mud from an different computer, and I wound up on the registration site by mistake. While I was there, I thought I'd give HJ47 a try (thinking it would surely be taken) and found it was not. So, I took it I put a note on my troopie site, so hopefully anyone who wants me will see it there. I will continue to check Patches84 periodically, though.

I'm sure you said, but what colour are you painting her?

Cheers,

Josh

Josh,
I'm still going back and forth between as close to the original John Deere or Judson green as they can get and Nordic Blue. I still can't believe that I'm obessesing as much as I am about the color, at times I feel like a woman at a department store debating about handbag color. I'm sure that once I get through this stage I'll have some time still before final paint decisions need to be made. They still have to break it all down, hand sand her, and hit her with some coats of RB ( assuming I can ever get that stuff out of customs)

 

[Volcano cruiser]

Done headbanging

Ok, UNCLE
I give up. I am no longer willing to give myself anymore headaches worrying about my Rust Bullet which is STILL in Customs at the airport. I have sucked it up and hired a freight forwarding agent and am now going to pay for them to run around beg, bow and scrape until they get my stuff out of the hazmat Customs cage and into my driveway.

On the mechnical side of stuff, my rig has been ready for two weeks held up by one itty bitty part, a brake caliper. I ordered new ones after he put on the new steel braided lines and couldn't get the old ones to stop leaking. The problem is only one of two showed up so far in the mail. (Amazingly, they don't sell the remade calipers here. If you want one gotta order it from the States or get on and F***ing plane and hump them back in your carry on.) I'll be standing by the post office door everyday now like some skeezy lurker outside of a playground, ready to pounce on the unsuspecting postal clerk as he muscles the mail bags in hot off the plane. ( I use APO)

The next step is paint and body. I decided that I need to get that done next while I'm still here in country because it is relatively cheap and so well done. That being said I really didn't want to give up my rig which is my DD for 9 weeks which is what the last guy gave me for an estimate. I went with a buddy from work to pick his up his 03 extended cab Taco from the body shop. It had an unfortunate meeting with a 1/2 ton security gate and got almost cleaved in two right in the middle of the rear doors on each side. My buddy turns out had the body work and paint done not at an auto body shop but at the old international airport where he is restoring his plane. Turns out the same guys who recondition aircraft have some extra space in their hangers and when they are between jobs will do body and paint on cars for their aircraft clients. Long story short the work is amazing and they have done full dissassamble, sanding and paint on two LCs before. They want to do the job, I just need to get my car rolling again and get it over to them to get an estimate. If so they can get it back in less than a month as they are not busy now. (The aircraft restorers here have the same problems apparently as car guys, always waiting on parts to arrive) As soon as I can get the baby back in the driveway I'll get pics out. Till them I'm still on "foot patrol" as my brother calls hoofing it.

 

[Chamba]

I vote for original green, John. Not just because it is the original colour (in fact, that really isn't the reason at all), but because green Cruisers are cool...and it won't make your arse look fat

Pity about the rust bullet- what a PITA. I'll be back in the States in Dec/Jan for a bit, and am going to buy 33X10.50x15 BFG A/Ttyres to ship back here. I am hoping I don't have to go through what you have to get your paint....

Cheers,

Josh

 

[Chamba]

BJ40 VIN numbers

G'day John,

I forgot to mention earlier, but the 1980 BJ40 I just bought has VIN number BJ40-044310. How close is this to yours? Just a bit of 'awe shucks' info.

There are two Aussie HJ45 troopies on Mud in the US that are only 50 VIN numbers apart.... I sometimes scare myself when I realise what interests me.

Cheers,

Josh

 

[Volcano cruiser]

G'day John,

I forgot to mention earlier, but the 1980 BJ40 I just bought has VIN number BJ40-044310. How close is this to yours? Just a bit of 'awe shucks' info.

There are two Aussie HJ45 troopies on Mud in the US that are only 50 VIN numbers apart.... I sometimes scare myself when I realise what interests me.

Cheers,

Josh

Josh,
Mine is BJ40-047640. I'm not sure of the production run numbers, i.e., how many came off the line in a given year but could it be that these vehicles were in fact 3330 units apart? Did they make that many of these a year? Now you have me curious.
John

 

[cruiser_guy]

If you fail to get your shipment of RustBullit out of the customs let me know as I have a new unopened gallon here in Guatemala and I won't be needing it for a while yet. I brought it down by car so no customs BS and with the CA-4 agreement you should be fine bringing it over to Salvador.

You can maybe get yours returned stateside and when I'm up by vehicle next I can bring it down!!

 

[Chamba]

John,

I don't really know how the numbers work, but I assume that they are sequential. The first are obviously engine, place of manufacture and model number. Then the rest seem to indicate when it was made and how many were produced... There are 2 1980 Australian HJ45 troopies in the US (on the registry) which are only 50 numbers apart. Imagine how many BJ40s were built in 1980 for the entire planet.... I'm sure there were more BJ40's than FJ40's built for world markets in 1980- there are certainly more diesel 40's here than petrol ones.

Josh

 

[M5driver]

G'day John and Dan,

Glad to hear all is well. I've had to bide my time pouring over Dan's Blue Mule in the mean time. Given I sold my Stinson 108-3, and I can't fly on my US ATP in Australia, I feel a certain kinship with you Dan.

Cheers,

Josh

Hey, Josh & John,

Been off the air for awhile - between the electrical gremlins and no home internet - actually no power. ESCOM is load shedding, and our generator failed 3 nights in a row before we got the problems sorted out. Still have to start it manually sometimes,tho. Life can be so hard....

The Maule is still stuck in Scotland. It should be coming out of annual soon - got a new prop this year. I'm thinking of selling rather than flying it back to the US when we re-post to DC in Dec/Jan. Nothing worse than having a plane you can't fly unless it's having a 40 that won't start

 

[M5driver]

Josh,
I'm still going back and forth between as close to the original John Deere or Judson green as they can get and Nordic Blue. I still can't believe that I'm obessesing as much as I am about the color, at times I feel like a woman at a department store debating about handbag color.

Ha, ha. I had this same discussion with myself - original blue, or desert tan? Maybe red, nah...blue. resolved that for me - the Blue Mule is the BLUE mule. Problem solved

Ok, UNCLE
I give up. I am no longer willing to give myself anymore headaches worrying about my Rust Bullet which is STILL in Customs at the airport. I have sucked it up and hired a freight forwarding agent and am now going to pay for them to run around beg, bow and scrape until they get my stuff out of the hazmat Customs cage and into my driveway.

I feel yer pain... Too bad you can't haul that in carry on - I was tempted to try it anyway at one point. Stiff upper lip and all that, John. It'll happen - just takes waaaaay to long.

On the mechnical side of stuff, my rig has been ready for two weeks held up by one itty bitty part, a brake caliper. I ordered new ones after he put on the new steel braided lines and couldn't get the old ones to stop leaking. The problem is only one of two showed up so far in the mail. (Amazingly, they don't sell the remade calipers here. If you want one gotta order it from the States or get on and F***ing plane and hump them back in your carry on.) I'll be standing by the post office door everyday now like some skeezy lurker outside of a playground, ready to pounce on the unsuspecting postal clerk as he muscles the mail bags in hot off the plane. ( I use APO)

I hate the waiting - and it's always some dang little thing that you SHOULD be able to find, and just can't. Guess we can call it "character-building", eh? APO - nice Looking for ward to some pics and progress, John.

 

[M5driver]

I vote for original green, John. Not just because it is the original colour (in fact, that really isn't the reason at all), but because green Cruisers are cool...and it won't make your arse look fat

Josh, it ain't the color that makes yer arse look fat. I just saw a couple of pics my took of me in the mule - those will definitely not be posted!

 

[Volcano cruiser]

If you fail to get your shipment of RustBullit out of the customs let me know as I have a new unopened gallon here in Guatemala and I won't be needing it for a while yet. I brought it down by car so no customs BS and with the CA-4 agreement you should be fine bringing it over to Salvador.

You can maybe get yours returned stateside and when I'm up by vehicle next I can bring it down!!

Charles,
Thanks, that is a relly generous offer. I hope that I don't have to take you up on it. I am waiting now on Gudmira, the manager of the freight agency, to see what she was able to do with the technical , chemical composition and hazmat data sheets that I forwarded to her from Laurie at Rust Bullet. Hopefully she has been able to spring my stuff from the airport slammer.

Ha, ha. I had this same discussion with myself - original blue, or desert tan? Maybe red, nah...blue. resolved that for me - the Blue Mule is the BLUE mule. Problem solved

[/color]

I feel yer pain... Too bad you can't haul that in carry on - I was tempted to try it anyway at one point. Stiff upper lip and all that, John. It'll happen - just takes waaaaay to long.

I hate the waiting - and it's always some dang little thing that you SHOULD be able to find, and just can't. Guess we can call it "character-building", eh? APO - nice Looking for ward to some pics and progress, John.

Dan,
Yep you had an edge, having already named the rig the Blue Mule it would have been more of a chore to change the name and the color. At this point I have reached new heights of silliness on color. I am sliding away from the greens and am now looking for something that will look good but be a departure from the burgundy that the PO did. A lot will depend on their ability to match the Toyota color codes here. Once I get the RB I'm going to grab up the paint and body guy and head over to get some samples on metal. The only thing that I can say for sure is that she will be a Toyota color, most probably one found on some version of a Landcruiser. At least the brake caliper showed up. It is on the rig now and I'm rolling again. I'm definitely in the break in stage of these new leaf springs and truck shocks. While I no longer feel every pothole right through my bones, she bounces now like a superball. If I get onto a bad road it feels more like I'm riding a jack rabbit in the desert, boing, boing... If it wasn't for the APO and pouch I'd still be waiting for half of these parts.

John,

I don't really know how the numbers work, but I assume that they are sequential. The first are obviously engine, place of manufacture and model number. Then the rest seem to indicate when it was made and how many were produced... There are 2 1980 Australian HJ45 troopies in the US (on the registry) which are only 50 numbers apart. Imagine how many BJ40s were built in 1980 for the entire planet.... I'm sure there were more BJ40's than FJ40's built for world markets in 1980- there are certainly more diesel 40's here than petrol ones.

Josh

Josh,
you're probably right, I guess I just wasn't thinking that they made that many of these in a given year.

Hey, Josh & John,

Been off the air for awhile - between the electrical gremlins and no home internet - actually no power. ESCOM is load shedding, and our generator failed 3 nights in a row before we got the problems sorted out. Still have to start it manually sometimes,tho. Life can be so hard....

The Maule is still stuck in Scotland. It should be coming out of annual soon - got a new prop this year. I'm thinking of selling rather than flying it back to the US when we re-post to DC in Dec/Jan. Nothing worse than having a plane you can't fly unless it's having a 40 that won't start

Dan,
I feel your pain. We have power outages here at least once a week necessitating the generator to kick on. Just ran another couple of disaster drills also. Everytime the power goes (along with the bi-weekly earth shake) it reminds me to get my ass in gear re: my dual battery, aux tank, totally self sufficient rig mods. Yes, I have my tent so that I can live out in the backyard in the event of another really bad quake but I'd rather be able to live out of the rig in the driveway using my radio for comms and while I watched a DVD on my laptop etc.
As to you rotating back to DC, I take it that there is no way for you to get a tie down spot for the Maule at College Park Airport or Manassas Airport. I am spending more time around airports these days and it seems a shame to have to sell her if you can find a comfy spot for her to bed down in at night.

 

[Chamba]

John

The colour code on my FJ40 LX is 6L4 if you like that colour (olive green). She was white when I bought her (yuck), so I took her down to the tub and painted her green.

6L4 is a popular colour in Central America (it is also the colour my HJ75 pickup was when I lived in Panama- which is why I chose to paint this one that colour), so I am sure you can get it made up. When we move back to the US, we will hopefully be back in New Mexico (unless my wife gets her way and we go back to New York City), so there is very little chance that you and I will be at the same party with the same colour Cruisers.

What springs did you get? My OME's are wonderful on both my FJ40 and my HJ47. I put them on, and they were a dream straight away. On the other hand, a mate of mine in New Mexico put Iron Man suspension on his 1980 FJ40, and if you drove over a dime in the road, you could tell what year it was- they were bloody aweful!!

Dan,

You can't sell the Mule (Maule M5). I flew one of those with a mate of mine in Alaska, and it is just a wonderful plane. You could keep it in Moriarty, New Mexico where we kept the Stinson, as it is pretty affordable. I really miss having my own plane, but I will get another one day (just not here in Australia).

On the other hand, your M5 would surely be worth a small fortune in the UK/Europe, so it might be worth selling her there and buying another one back in the states. Can you do that with stuff that was brought over with the embassy? I tend to get very sentimental with machines, so to me it would just be nice to have her knowing I had been to all these places with her.

I flew Charlie (the Stinson) from NM to DC and back, NM to Ca and back, and finally to Ak where her new owner has now ruined her.:whoops: Granted that was no where near the travelling your M5 has done with you- but it still broke my heart to sell her.

I am looking into a job here with DFAT in the hope of getting stationed somewhere interesting for a while. This could give me the chance to add a few countries to the list with my FJ40 before I bring it back to the US. I may also look into the embassy in the US, but if we go back I will probably just practice law and play with Cruisers....

Cheers,

Josh