Building A Four Door FJ40 (3 Viewers)

[Diskord]

BTW - I do hope no-one here thinks I've lost my marbles.......... from this here "expose-ay".



Oh completely. But we are all a little crazy. I, in the past had British sports cars, those spawned by Lucas lord of darkness (triumph). One must be certifiable to want to deal with those, and I loved them.

 

[fjwagon]

This thread just gets better and better, I like the clocks and radios, too cool. I can not wait to see what pics Fouad will post next.

 

[FouadHafeez]

My first vehicle was a 1956 Vespa GS, I pushed it about as much as I rode it....http://www.wristybusiness.net
...My OCD

Those are some beautiful radios! Yet another display of our "collective magpie mentality" to hoard beautiful fusions of function and form. I love them!

now that I think back, my first moving violation was on a Vespa...

LOL...ANYONE who's been on a Vespa will have some residual memory about them. They're kinda like 40s, that way!

Sorry Fouad. But you started this diversion with your 2-wheeler pic. We should ideally be in the "chat" forum with all this now. Trouble is, instead of "kindred spirits, there I see crackpots. (Although they are indeed a very FINE bunch of crackpots ... And I feel i must add this because I know some of us become lost and weaken to the point where we actually post there on occasions too.)

I'm honoured that this page is a witness to some of the stuff that you're doing, Tom.

I love the sense of artistry, creativity, and nostalgia that you feel on here, and I dare say; it's because of how we share such things (our respective OCDs), and interact, and generally let our hair down around one another.

As far as this thread veering off-topic is concerned...that's for the Mods to decide, I think. To me, this is more a celebration of the 40 Series trucks we all own and love, and in the process, becomes a watering hole for like-minded beasts (the bunch of us).

That being said, though...my very NEXT post is going to be about "interior design" on the Phantom...just to make sure we retain a modicum of "tech-ness" about it all!

 

[FouadHafeez]

Oh completely. But we are all a little crazy. I, in the past had British sports cars, those spawned by Lucas lord of darkness (triumph). One must be certifiable to want to deal with those, and I loved them.

The plot thickens...

There's a beautiful little early 70s Triumph Herald for sale over here...which seems to invade my thoughts like a succubus every now or then. Certifiable? Naaah.

This thread just gets better and better, I like the clocks and radios, too cool. I can not wait to see what pics Fouad will post next.

You're probably going to be disappointed! I was thinking shots of the interior...

 

[Christian]

Whoa, this thread took a turn, but all the better for it!

I love your collection Fouad, and the diversity.

Just for the fun of it, how much do you think it would cost to have your Dream Team make a Troopy body with four doors? Same configuration as yours...

 

[FouadHafeez]

Whoa, this thread took a turn, but all the better for it!

I love your collection Fouad, and the diversity.

Just for the fun of it, how much do you think it would cost to have your Dream Team make a Troopy body with four doors? Same configuration as yours...

It'd depend on the level of work I'd say. The fittings, the interior, the mechanicals et al.

A hardtop four door troopy would probably be something in the region of 30 thousand dollars (US). Possibly more, since the rear would require extensive hand-crafting and fabrication. Moreover, the Dream Team would probably require a complete year for such an ambitious project...to include tests and trials. The finished project would very much be a turn-key one, though. Start it up; drive away.

No wonder no-one's undertaken this sort of build before...even in Pakistan, where such high-quality, highly-skilled workmanship is readily available!

 

[Christian]

Thank you Fouad!
I appologize, I was not precise enough, I was talking about JUST a body, no engine, no frame, no interior, just a raw steel body.

Why you might ask? Well of course money is an issue, however the cost you listed does not seem over the top at all, looking at it the right way, after all, we are talking about a hand-built car, and built the old-fashioned way by highly skilled craftsmen. THe price should be compaired to a Morgan actually...

The reasons are that I would like to make some very seroius rust-proofing, and build the interior etc. myself, and I have to use the frame I got, otherwise I would have to pay a fortune to register it here in Denmark.

So we are talking about a raw steel body with doors. Bonnet etc. I have alreeady.

 

[FouadHafeez]

This is where the waters become murky, Christian.

When we went about building my four door, the actual fabrication process was done ON THE FRAME, rather than without it. After we lengthened the wheelbase by 20 inches and the "tail" by another 10, we decided that the rear looked too "truncated", and needed another 8 inches. So we carried out that mid-course correction. The wheels were sticking too far outside the arches (they still do, only much less), so we added approximately 2.5 inches to the mudguards, along the way. While I had a fair general idea of what the rear fender flares should look like, we went through a great deal of rethinking about the exact angles and planes for their eventual fabrication. All of this involved visual appraisal of what the rig looked like, how it "stood" and what were the overall aesthetics and proportions.

Hypothetically speaking, if such a body were to be built by hand in Pakistan, there are no templates / blueprints on how to fabricate it. All the work is done from a single photograph (in my case: one, which I shared in the beginning of the thread), and all mid-course corrections are applied after visually inspecting the results of each rung of progress, periodically. A client who would want to buy just a body would necessarily have to draw up the exact measurements, angles, planes, contours, and looks himself. And only then, might a fabricator / metal worker be able to transform his exact plans into reality.

On the other hand, a local entrepeneur might fabricate a "model" from which he might build subsequent tubs/bodies. This however, is pure conjecture; since in Pakistan, too, there're a LOT of 40s fans who want a four door 40, but are loathe to take the plunge for the obvious reasons of this being uncharted territory...with the ability of so much, to go so wrong.

Soooo...if you've got a set of designs intact, you MIGHT be in business for becoming a four-door troopy owner. If not...well...get cracking on MAKING those designs!

Cheers.

 

[FouadHafeez]

by the way, an interesting snippet of information...

After having seen (and read) about the Phantom, my fabricator received a slew of requests from various would-be clients for four-door builds. Several FJ40s, and a couple of J**ps, too. He quoted a price to them, that was TWICE the amount he charged me.

His logic to me: "now I KNOW what a monumental pain in the behind, this sort of rebuild is. I didn't realise earlier, when you came along and wanted to build it"

 

[FouadHafeez]

Some Plans For The Interior

Like I've mentioned before, the seats of the Phantom are nice...and not just in an aesthetic manner of speaking. They provide great lumbar and lateral support. On the lighter side, for us middle-aged blokes they're also an invaluable "stay slim" tool...because you won't fit into 'em, if your arse is wide

The dash plate (for all the switches etc) is in pretty decent shape. We're going to sand-blast it, knock it straight, and paint it, eventually. All the switches and lights will be replaced from NOS (new old stock) available here.

The instrument / gauge cluster is going to get similar treatment, and all the meters should be working perfectly well by the time we're through (after being synchronised for 42 inch wheels). In addition, I'm planning on a voltmeter and a tacho to be "fabricated" locally. Something which looks like an OEM gauge, but in reality, is anything but. Fortunately (for the 1HZ engine), fitting a tacho is no real problem.

Also on the cards is air-conditioning and heating. The second hand A/C, the heater, the blower-box, all pipes, relays and controls are procured and ready. Before we go to the paint booth, all of the electricals should have been completed. The electrician will put everything in order, disassemble everything before paint, and then reassemble afterwards.

The entertainment system is going to be iPad based, for its music library, video playback/recording, GPS, its gorgeous screen, and wireless connectivity to the internet (yes...the Phantom is going to be a moving Wi-Fi hotspot too, as far as signal ranges permit). This will be connected to a head unit (I'm procrastinating between Pioneer and Alpine), routed through two amplifiers (Pioneer amplifiers, one each for the front and rear), and connected to four "satellite" speakers (Pioneer component speakers, front and rear). Bluetooth hands-free will be inbuilt, via a couple of microphones located front and rear.

The anchor points for all of this paraphernalia will be on "roof" of the roll-cage. It provides the perfect stability and height for such delicate instruments (we don't want to drown them in river crossings, right?), and will be much easier to access and read. From rough measurements we've taken, the front console won't interfere with driver's visibility. The consoles to house iPad, head unit, amplifiers and speakers, will all be custom-crafted from synthetic wood, water-sealed, leather coated and affixed.

Some photos to show what we're starting with. "After" pictures, in due course of time!

 

[FouadHafeez]

Spare Gas Tanks

Another aspect I've been thinking over is the cruising range of the beast. It's current, custom-built tank takes 80 litres; which, at 6 km/l gives about 450-500 kilometres. This is good...but certainly not enough by any means...since you never really can have too MUCH cruising range...just like you can't be too rich, have too much Gigabytes on board your computer, or have too much of a sex drive .

The solution to this is going to be quite simple, and effective.

Jerry Cans.

In the back of the truck, there's ample space for two jerry cans to be placed in tandem, in a secured bolt-on mounting bracket. These cans (each of which takes 19 litres) will be connected to one another by means of a metal pipe at their lowest portions. In turn, the front can will be connected directly to the fuel tank filler cap, by means of a pipe which will have a tap/joint. When you're low on fuel, and there's no gas station in range...simply step out, switch on the tap, and you have approximately 200 kilometres reserve fuel available. In addition, the pickup tub (which is only really big enough for utility items) would look rather nice-ish with two NATO-sized spare cans in the rear. Ornamental, as well as practical.

Next time, I'll try to get some pictures of the cans placed in the truck, for the concept to be clearer. For now, though...pictures of where what goes.

 

[FouadHafeez]

OEM Side View Mirrors

 

[FouadHafeez]

A Shot of the Smoke Stack

This, of course, is still only a rough design...which is going to get some more refinement (for the chromed heat guard around the pipe) in due course of time.

 

[FouadHafeez]

"Pole Position for the Hi Lift Jack"

 

[FouadHafeez]

Finally...a "clear" shot of the full four doors...

 

[FouadHafeez]

The Remade Tyre Cover

 

[FouadHafeez]

BOTH Phantoms - Senior and Junior!

 

[FouadHafeez]

More updates later.

 

[myquestoyota]

A Shot of the Smoke Stack

This, of course, is still only a rough design...which is going to get some more refinement (for the chromed heat guard around the pipe) in due course of time.

I absolutely love your build and the way you kept the 40 and "pumped it up a notch" but when I showed my she had much the same reaction as I had. "That really looks cool but what's that thing there? Exhaust? Other than that I really like it!". To each their own but I find that semi-truck exhaust a distraction from the exquisite lines of the Phantom. Just my $.02 but this is truly an inspiration to us all. Keep it up and keep the pics coming.
Mike

 

[Coolerman]

Well hell, if were showing our other addictions!

I collect and restore (sometimes, usually just clean them) old Coleman lanterns and stoves. Here is a sample of what I have...