Building A Four Door FJ40 (1 Viewer)

[FouadHafeez]

Right. Onto more serious stuff than Cruiser porn (yeah...who'm I kidding?).

The past few days have been spent in doing up the interior for the Phantom's winter avatar. What we wanted to achieve was something that'd be comfortable, rattle-and-squeak-free (we all know how FJ40s are notorious for that), and durable...without taking away from the "stock-ish" look and feel of the truck.

To this end, the obvious choice was synthetic leather - or leatherette - which is tough as nails, waterproof, searproof, scuff-proof and pretty much everything-proof. We've used it on the rest of the car, earlier on, as well. The soft-top, the seats, the wrappings around the roll-cage are all made of this stuff. The inner door-boards needed to be fabricated from scratch. So rather than choose a cardboard variety, we've done them up in fiberglass, added some nice thick foam padding, and swathed them in the same material. These boards have been screwed down to the door, rather than using grommets. They are taut and tight and as solid as a rock. Same for the headliner, which has a terrific soft feel to it...and yet, is really fused to the inner roof. The entire car has gotten the weatherproofing treatment, too. All rubber mouldings and linings are in place.

I'm happy to report that over some deliberate banging into potholes and ridges to check for squeaks and rattles, the doors and headliner are acting like champs. No rattles, no squeaks, no sense of the entire interior about to fall apart.





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[FouadHafeez]

The Tundra parked next to the Phantom in this photo, was a random visitor to the street where my home is. Seeing it conveniently parked there, the urge to snap both of these behemoths together - both double cabin, massive trucks - was simply too much to resist.

 

[FouadHafeez]

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[FouadHafeez]

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[FouadHafeez]

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[FouadHafeez]

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[FouadHafeez]

In case anyone was wondering...yes, we're ditching the smokestack/chimney exhaust in favour of an under-the-body one. The wheel mount has gone...and will be reincarnated as a "P H A N T O M" tailgate instead. The spare cans are going to go, too. As are the bracket-mounted foglights mounted at the roofline. At the end, we'll be seeing what a "stock" Phantom looks like.

 

[FouadHafeez]

I was just thinking...the Tundra looks kind of...well...timid? Or perhaps I'm just biased.




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[Weber Sarge]

I think you're right , lol .
One thing that has my curiosity - What is the reaction of the public when driving it around the city ?
Ever find any more pictures of that school ?
Sarge

 

[FouadHafeez]

'Fraid not, Sarge. I must've inadvertently deleted the pictures, somehow.

 

[FouadHafeez]

And the reaction of the general public to seeing it on the roads is actually quite priceless.

There'll be bored-looking children; staring listlessly out of the window who'll spy the Phantom and become visibly animated and excited. You\ll have the odd Suzuki 800cc car driver who'll do his best to entice you into racing him. Shiny new 200 Series Land Cruiser owners - which have clearly never even left the tarmac - who'll look at the truck as though it's an interplanetary, pre-invasion reconnaissance vehicle sent from Mars.

But above all else - and as is almost overwhelmingly the case - it's a thumbs-up, or a smile, or a wave, or a word of appreciation.

 

[FouadHafeez]

A sight to warm the cockles of an owner's heart...


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[toyotaspeed90]

I just saw in your signature that you have an AW16..... makes me wonder what the heck you've done to that thing?!

 

[78fj40mg]

A sight to warm the cockles of an owner's heart...

Fouad, I love your enviable rigs! Very nice even my cockles are warmed up and I'm on the other side of your world!

On another note what are those towers in the background extending above the horizon?

 

[FouadHafeez]

I just saw in your signature that you have an AW16..... makes me wonder what the heck you've done to that thing?!

Now THAT'S an indication of a true MR2 enthusiast. Most would simply call it an AW11...but referencing the Chassis Code AND the VIN Code gets you full marks!

I bought the MR2 as a first car for my son, when he turned 18. And it's the fun-est thing to drive on four wheels, aside from perhaps a go-kart. Handles magnificently, goes like stink, stops like nobody's business, T-top, climate control, cruise control (with a manual shift), all wrapped up in a lovely little body package. Small wonder, then, that I'm the one who's been hooning it around more than my boy!

As for "what I've done with it"...nothing, for now. It's completely bone-stock. I AM thinking a 3S-GTE somewhere down the line, though...




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[FouadHafeez]

Fouad, I love your enviable rigs! Very nice even my cockles are warmed up and I'm on the other side of your world!

On another note what are those towers in the background extending above the horizon?

Thanks, Mike.

Those are water reservoir towers. We pump water up into 'em, and store it. During normal usage, gravity allows it to be supplied to our houses and residences, rather than it having to be pumped into the residential areas around the clock. Eyesores...but admittedly utilitarian eyesores nevertheless.

 

[Weber Sarge]

Lol , the MR2 looks like a go-cart next to the Phantom . Wish I could find one of those around here , most of them have been severely wrecked to the point of no salvaging anything from them . Not a one in the wrecking yards and they have some unique parts too .
Sarge

 

[toyotaspeed90]

Now THAT'S an indication of a true MR2 enthusiast. Most would simply call it an AW11...but referencing the Chassis Code AND the VIN Code gets you full marks!

I bought the MR2 as a first car for my son, when he turned 18. And it's the fun-est thing to drive on four wheels, aside from perhaps a go-kart. Handles magnificently, goes like stink, stops like nobody's business, T-top, climate control, cruise control (with a manual shift), all wrapped up in a lovely little body package. Small wonder, then, that I'm the one who's been hooning it around more than my boy!

As for "what I've done with it"...nothing, for now. It's completely bone-stock. I AM thinking a 3S-GTE somewhere down the line, though...




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Yeah... I've never owned an original s/c MR2 but I have had an 87 hardtop with a latemodel high comp/high PSI 4agze on MS (and 8 other Mr2's including one that I had swapped a 5sfe into).

Interesting you say it's bone stock and it has 2 tone seats & climate control. At least here in the states, those were only offered in 85's... 3 years before the s/c and 2 years before the t-top was available... Also looks like it doesn't have the LED spoiler (let alone any 3rd brake light) - again something only available in the 85.

Very nice/clean version. If you can find another AW11 - that would be the one I'd suggest swapping the 3s into (I'm no purist by any means, but the AW16's are much harder to come by). Thought at all about a 2GR? Biggest concern I've heard with those in the first gens is the wheel bearings are limited and will wear out at about 120mph (something fixed in the 2nd gens)....[/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL]

 

[FouadHafeez]

Yeah... I've never owned an original s/c MR2 but I have had an 87 hardtop with a latemodel high comp/high PSI 4agze on MS (and 8 other Mr2's including one that I had swapped a 5sfe into).

Interesting you say it's bone stock and it has 2 tone seats & climate control. At least here in the states, those were only offered in 85's... 3 years before the s/c and 2 years before the t-top was available... Also looks like it doesn't have the LED spoiler (let alone any 3rd brake light) - again something only available in the 85.

Very nice/clean version. If you can find another AW11 - that would be the one I'd suggest swapping the 3s into (I'm no purist by any means, but the AW16's are much harder to come by). Thought at all about a 2GR? Biggest concern I've heard with those in the first gens is the wheel bearings are limited and will wear out at about 120mph (something fixed in the 2nd gens)....

Well, by "bone stock" I meant with regards to the mechanicals. The two-tone seats you see currently (and the two-tone dash which might not be visible), are just my taking a bit of artistic license with the velour seats and the plain black dash.

I haven't considered a 2GR, but one engine I HAVE (other than a 3S-GTE), is the 2ZZ-GE VVTLi. I'm told it comes with a rather fabulous 6 speed Tiptronic tranny, and I'd really like to see a paddle-shift operated midship car using that engine, one day. That being said though, I probably won't be doing anything at all to the MR2 any time soon. Quite frankly, I love it just the way it is..and you're right; it IS too rare to be tampered with. Especially in Pakistan, where I know of just one other T-Top SC car. However, once this engine completely runs out of steam, a swap MAY become a necessity rather than just a flight of fancy.

Nice change from talk that exclusively borders around the matte black Hulk. Cheers.

 

[FouadHafeez]

The more I see this set of pictures, the more of a fan I become of a combination of flat black and glacial white.