Body Shop Needed For FJ40 Tub Restoration

[Kenobi]

Hi all, I have a 1981 FJ40 tub that is in need of some restoration work. I’m doing a frame off restoration. Mainly I need rusted rear lower quarter panel areas cut out and patches put in, and I need the two perches for the front seat mounts welded in. I have the patch panels from CCOT and the seat mounts. The hardtop sides need some rust repair on the bottom edges that interface with the tub. After the rust repair, I’d like the tub and hardtop sides blasted and primed. The tub and hardtop sides are removed from the frame already.
I am in the Huntsville Alabama area and I am looking for a good shop to have this work done.Any recommendations? I’m willing to trailer the parts to locations outside of Alabama if needed.
Thanks in advance for your replies!

 

[Jdc1]

Hi all, I have a 1981 FJ40 tub that is in need of some restoration work. I’m doing a frame off restoration. Mainly I need rusted rear lower quarter panel areas cut out and patches put in, and I need the two perches for the front seat mounts welded in. I have the patch panels from CCOT and the seat mounts. The hardtop sides need some rust repair on the bottom edges that interface with the tub. After the rust repair, I’d like the tub and hardtop sides blasted and primed. The tub and hardtop sides are removed from the frame already.
I am in the Huntsville Alabama area and I am looking for a good shop to have this work done.Any recommendations? I’m willing to trailer the parts to locations outside of Alabama if needed.
Thanks in advance for your replies!

I’d be willing to discuss if you want to PM me.

 

[Chamba]

Hard to beat @Jdc1 's work. It'll be done right.

 

[3_puppies]

@kelly saad does wonderful work also, just a little further from you tho

 

[wimberosa]

I took a similar route with removing and "readying" everything for body work....but when I went to
body shops....no one would touch that type work with it off frame. A lot of body work requires it to be sitting on the
frame to ensure that fitment stays within the tolerances of what it will eventually be bolted back down
to. I eventually went a completely different direction with doing my own body work.

It sounds a bit like perhaps you have no structural issues so maybe its possible. Care to post a pic
of what your rear quarters and sill look like?

 

[Kenobi]

Here are some of pics of the tub.
Thanks for the replies!

 

[wimberosa]

Definitely starting with a better 79 tub than most of them. I see some small cancer at the floor pan connection to the tub mount under the A pillar. I see that roll on the right passenger lower apron. I "think" I see a rust pocket causing the metal to bulge at the right back wheel well front bracket support. And of course I see the back lower quarters that are cut out. Off hand I'd probably replace the sill while I'm there and its already practically disconnected. The front floor pan can probably be corrected with just some straight metal patching since it doesn't involve a rib. If I were doing this I'd really want it mounted on the frame to ensure proper final fitment while I was patching. In finality its not just .... "does it fit in the tub mount holes?" ... but "do the doors fit correctly...do the upper quarters...and roof fit correctly?". Having it tied down on your final frame is goodness in my opinion only. I suspect others might have differing opinions and most assuredly have better body work capability than me. If you glance at my build thread you can see similar areas that I tackled.

 

[Living in the Past]

@kelly saad does wonderful work also, just a little further from you tho

X2

His currently has a thread on here on an FJ55 he is doing. It was shipped to Arizona from Alabama. He recently moved his shop to the Verde Valley. Good for me because it dropped distance to about half from the previous location.