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So I've had this 77 for 3 years now....update time...
Beyond the JimTLC carb rebuild (may thanks), front axle rebuild, body repaint, some engine compartment pieces powder coated, new windshield gasket, tailgate gaskets (thanks Slocruisers), new suspension (FJ75 upfront, mixed pack of 60 and original 55's on the rear), rebuilt door hinges (thanks midgainc) shocks, tires, wheels, front OEM bumper (thanks Pigeaten), etc, etc, (many others to thank), she's made two trips to Arkansas, and one trip to NC Uhawrrie NF.. Mechanically sound all three trips....
I'm documenting my Feb 2022 purchase of Sophia, another 77 FJ55, green and white, out of Wyoming, and thought I best update the red/white.. I crawled up under her today and just laid there a bit appreciating my 5K budget...
She's good.. when I bought her she was fairly/mostly complete, but among a couple of things was she did not have a heat shield over the muffler. The other three smaller ones are.. To compound things, when I had the new exhaust pipe added (from the headers back) I was told I had to have a catalytic converter albeit she had been desmogged some years back... So to counter the heat transfer from the exhaust to the cabin, I decided to use some DEI products available via EBay.. where the catalytic converter is I strapped three panels, then covered that with what you see in the pics.. Very happy with the results... I can actually place my hand on the top most layer after a good long drive.. and I get the benefit of my AC (dealer installed in 77)..it's a Clardy system w a front and rear blower box... Above the muffler itself, I made a heat shield, double layered, and screwed them together as well as trimmed the cut edges out w material from McMaster/Carr.. I like the trim, so I've got more ordered ad will trim the outer heatshield above the catalytic converter as well..
A note, when they did the catalytic converter install, it was placed adjacent to the tranny/transfer case. That's why I 'wrapped' it... I ended up reading a bunch of threads on insulating headers, and finally decided to loosely wrap the downpipes to the collector pipe in the insulated aluminum... Heat transfer to the cabin is minimal ...
