Building A Four Door FJ40 (1 Viewer)

[lostmarbles]

...This is a picture of my son, Shayaan, standing next to the Phantom.
Shayaan has that "thanks, Dad...this is SO mine" look on the face. ....

You are so right!!!

Family comes above all else! I bet you are proud of him!

And getting back to our secondary obsession, that PHANTOM lettering couldn't have been done better, even by someone having access to the largest font library imaginable and specialist presses.

Your use of the words "maestro" and "artisan" are entirely appropriate!




BTW -I'm sooooo glad you really know what YOU like and are prepared to go to so much trouble to achieve it. Because if you were to instead ask for a consensus-MUD-view on every aspect (or worse - blindly follow the opinion of someone like myself), the end result would surely be vastly inferior to what we see here.

On this topic .... I bet you've already got a fairly firm view on your intended colour despite asking for the opinions of others. AND THAT'S THE WAY IT SHOULD BE. (A build could never reach this level if the builder wasn't opinionated.)

So with this long pre-amble (that's telling you to ignore my silly opinions anyway, in case I haven't got through) - I vote Mustard for the body colour (with cignus white for the roof, bezel, and PHANTOM panel) and I oppose Black for any 40-series.

 

[cult45]

There's another reason Phantom is an exceptionally good choice. In the hot-rodding world, if you build a car that was never offered from the factory, but looks as though it should have, you have a phantom-bodied car.

Pot luck or did you know?

 

[Wall]

An Amazing Job.

The craftsmanship and attention to detail on this is mindblowing.
Have seen many builds by people with access to seriously well kitted out workshops and high tech gear that don't come within a mile of Phantom.

A credit to the vision and work going into her.
Can't wait to see more Phantom.

 

[FouadHafeez]

You are so right!!!

Family comes above all else! I bet you are proud of him!

You're absolutely right, Tom. My old man (God rest his soul) was first and foremost a friend more than JUST a Dad. In more ways than one, I find I've developed his hobbies, his likes, his dislikes, and his passions. The '65 Impala for example...my old man always used to rave about the '65 (it was the car he owned when I was born in '66)...about the luxury, the opulence, the beauty of it. He'd often tell me about how this was the car I came home from the hospital in as a nipper. My bringing one such '65 back to life (be it with a Toyota engine) was perhaps a subliminal way of my connecting with his penchant for this great car. The Range Rover in my signature was Dad's last car, and after he passed away, it went into a state of complete neglect and disuse for a number of years. This vehicle too, had to be resurrected in a manner of speaking. Having done that, I will NEVER part with this Range Rover. Come what may. Shayaan (when he comes of legal driving age) is going to get all these rides eventually. I think they'll be a part of whatever legacy I might leave in my wake. So yes...family comes first...always and every time. And I'm very proud of my boy!

And getting back to our secondary obsession, that PHANTOM lettering couldn't have been done better, even by someone having access to the largest font library imaginable and specialist presses.

Your use of the words "maestro" and "artisan" are entirely appropriate!

When I eventually got that rear plate, I was actually gobsmacked. I mean...rendered completely, utterly, and all-encompassingly speechless. More than anything else, it was an experiment to see if the Team could pull it off...and to be honest, I was somewhat skeptical that they could do exactly that, and go beyond my wildest expectations!

BTW -I'm sooooo glad you really know what YOU like and are prepared to go to so much trouble to achieve it. Because if you were to instead ask for a consensus-MUD-view on every aspect (or worse - blindly follow the opinion of someone like myself), the end result would surely be vastly inferior to what we see here.

On this topic .... I bet you've already got a fairly firm view on your intended colour despite asking for the opinions of others. AND THAT'S THE WAY IT SHOULD BE. (A build could never reach this level if the builder wasn't opinionated.)

So with this long pre-amble (that's telling you to ignore my silly opinions anyway, in case I haven't got through) - I vote Mustard for the body colour (with cignus white for the roof, bezel, and PHANTOM panel) and I oppose Black for any 40-series.

Truthfully, colour choice has been one of the things I'm absolutely undecided about. White has been on my shortlist. As has matte black (yeah...sacrilege, right? ). Mustard has, too. As has a high-contrast yellow-black combination. I've also very seriously considered FJ Blue (the dark, cobalt colour...and Shayaan is with me on this one). So you can see, it's far from a decided thing! With at least a month and a half between now and the time when we paint it, I think there'll be ample time for me to come to a decision. For now, with its matte black primer, I'm just going to thrash it around some, and allow inspiration to strike me in due course of time!

Cheers!

 

[FouadHafeez]

There's another reason Phantom is an exceptionally good choice. In the hot-rodding world, if you build a car that was never offered from the factory, but looks as though it should have, you have a phantom-bodied car.

Pot luck or did you know?

Sheer pot luck, mate...since I had absolutely no idea, whatsoever! Of course, this newly-gleaned knowledge makes me exceedingly happy...and now, whenever a Rolls-Royce enthusiast bridles at me for having "nicked" Phantom off that series of cars, I'm going to peer over my spectacles at him sternly, and say "well...you're clearly biased when you say that, because...."

 

[FouadHafeez]

An Amazing Job.

The craftsmanship and attention to detail on this is mindblowing.
Have seen many builds by people with access to seriously well kitted out workshops and high tech gear that don't come within a mile of Phantom.

A credit to the vision and work going into her.
Can't wait to see more Phantom.

Those are very kind words, indeed. Thanks, mate.

My job precludes me spending every single day overseeing this build...so a lot of the discussions on ideas, concepts, looks, performance related baselines - and subsequent decisions pertaining to the same - have been done in online forums. On weekends, I'd visit the team and say: "alright guys...this is what we're going to do next". It's a testament to the sheer genius of these blokes that they've managed to translate all of that obscurity into reality...when the only supervision (and moral support) I've been able to provide, has been on weekends.

 

[FouadHafeez]

*subscribed!
Love the pics - and I think your manner of explaining your particular path is just fine.

I got very envious reading your description of the availability for old Toyota parts...makes me want to go to Pakistan - between 40s and good food, I don't know if I'd have time for sightseeing all the beautiful places you've referenced.

I vote for videos of the Phantom!

Thanks for the kind words.

Despite yours being the ONLY vote for video...let it not be said that democratic norms do not flourish on the forum. The motion stands passed!

Here's the video link to a Test & Adjustment session of the Phantom. The video's name was chosen because this was the exact site, where a few days earlier, I'd snapped the tie-rod of the beast. I simply had to go back and "sort the place out". I'm kind of pedantic that way

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qk3raWJCtA&feature=player_embedded

 

[FouadHafeez]

Some Shots At Home

With so many different parts of the Phantom being simultaneously worked on, in different places, it would be a relief to get the vehicle back for a couple of days, every now or then.

This photo-set shows the beast at home. With most things "semi" complete.

 

[FouadHafeez]

AND....the last set of pictures that brings everyone up to speed on what the build has consisted of, thus far...

 

[Wall]

Truthfully, colour choice has been one of the things I'm absolutely undecided about. White has been on my shortlist. As has matte black (yeah...sacrilege, right? ).

Those primer shots show the potential for a seriously cool looking truck in matte black.

Besides, after fabricating your own four door tray back with Swampers I think it may be a little too late to worry about sacrilege.

 

[FouadHafeez]

Those primer shots show the potential for a seriously cool looking truck in matte black.

Besides, after fabricating your own four door tray back with Swampers I think it may be a little too late to worry about sacrilege.

LOL

Quite right...it IS a little too late to think of the potential damage to sensibilities, after having chopped, slashed, smashed and rehashed everything beyond any reasonable state of originality.

IF matte black is the path I go down, it's going to be offset by a set of brilliant polar white touches, too. The bezel. The kick-vent. The roof. The hooks on the tub. The tub handles. The towing hook. The spare wheel cover's base. The lettering on the "Phantom" wheel cover plate. Perhaps the shackles. The interior is also going to stick with this "theme". I'm thinking of black Sparco seats with some ivory detailing / stitching. A matte-black "rubberised" finish to the floor. Ivory "hold-all" pockets for the tube-doors. Black and ivory finishing on the interior of the full doors.

Of necessity, the Phantom is also going to have some chrome touches too (another downright blasphemous idea, I realise). The door handles, the custom grille in front of the radiator. The grille that wraps around the smokestack. The latches on the wheel cover. The wheels / rims, themselves.

If nothing...the study in contrasts - dull, bright, shiny - should certainly appear visually exciting...AND add to the overall guessing game: "it's a 40. No wait...it isn't. Of course it is. But it doesn't look like one. Wait...what the **** IS it?!"

 

[cult45]

Whilst I like flat black anything, I think sticking to a stock colour would be classier than an outrageous one - it screams of restraint. Then again I own a BJ74, not a HZJ46[?] so by definition I have no taste.

I think satin [semi-gloss] dune beige with white bezel and top. Pewter bonnet latches and bumpers. Keep the flares/steps dune beige too. Could you get the stack surround nickel-plated? It's less blingy than chrome and has an older school look to it. What are the odds you could get a set of stock steel rims widened/balanced in Pakistan and run hubcaps? Man that'd look sweet! You'd have to reach in a foot to take the suckers off! Change to the alloys every second week. Early Cruiser wheel [with Toyota word in centre] ivory interior, pewter cage, A/C ducting through the cage to the rear seats..

Man I could go to town on this thing! I'm pumped for you man..

 

[FouadHafeez]

Whilst I like flat black anything, I think sticking to a stock colour would be classier than an outrageous one - it screams of restraint. Then again I own a BJ74, not a HZJ46[?] so by definition I have no taste.

I love...simply LURVE the HZJ46 reference! I MUST get an engine plate made for that, along with the new colours and engine number, etc! And before this Phantom, an FZJ79 was my pride and joy...so I'm equally a 70s nut as much as I am a 40s one. Owning a 70 Series just shows you have good - rather than bad - taste, Cult!

I think satin [semi-gloss] dune beige with white bezel and top. Pewter bonnet latches and bumpers. Keep the flares/steps dune beige too. Could you get the stack surround nickel-plated? It's less blingy than chrome and has an older school look to it. What are the odds you could get a set of stock steel rims widened/balanced in Pakistan and run hubcaps? Man that'd look sweet! You'd have to reach in a foot to take the suckers off! Change to the alloys every second week. Early Cruiser wheel [with Toyota word in centre] ivory interior, pewter cage, A/C ducting through the cage to the rear seats..

Wow. I think I had a wet dream, just LISTENING to that.

Man I could go to town on this thing! Im pumped for you man..

Thanks, mate. The weird thing is...I could actually SEE the Phantom with all of that happening to it!

 

[FouadHafeez]

Does it REALLY get any better than this?

 

[waiting for time]

What a great vehicle this is. Love the attention for detail and the sound in the video in the end is great.

For collor Sun Fusion combined with dark gray metalic or black would bring enough shine and contrast and brings the new color to the old 40.

Keep the build going.

 

[My71FJ40]

This is almost as addictive as the Old Rustbucket. If it keeps up it might end up a sticky Nice work.

 

[sarca]

This is almost as addictive as the Old Rustbucket. If it keeps up it might end up a sticky Nice work.

AGREED! Two threads that make me stop doing something to see whats been posted.

The video makes is the icing on the landcruiser cake- thanks Fouad!

 

[FouadHafeez]

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Thanks, all.

Like most-nearly everyone on here, I've been following Sea Knight's thread with a regularity which borders on the pedantic. It's one of the most incredible reads I've laid eyes on, in a very long time indeed...and it's a right privilege to lay eyes on it.

THIS thread certainly offers much less. It isn't very detailed or technically correct...it doesn't chronicle every last item done on the vehicle...it isn't hugely informative. What I hope it DOES offer is a perspective on Land Cruisers (and life in general) from pretty much the other side of the world, for most people.

And...judging from the amount of positivity, advice, and input...it serves as a watering-hole for the like-minded to gather and yak about Land Cruisers!

 

[hudyhue]

Very cool Rigs!!! Nice job on the 40 came out very very cool, it was a lot to read thru, did I miss how long is the wheel base now.... And hey post up those classic Chevys over in the classic car section

 

[FouadHafeez]

Very cool Rigs!!! Nice job on the 40 came out very very cool, it was a lot to read thru, did I miss how long is the wheel base now.... And hey post up those classic Chevys over in the classic car section

Thanks for the kind words of appreciation.

The "dimensions" of the Phantom were tinkered about with, as follows:-

Length
Wheelbase: Initially stretched by 20 inches. 3 inches added later during spring flip / axle readjustment. Total 23 inches.
Tail: 10 inches added initially. Another 3 inches added, later. Total 13 inches.
Overall Increase in Length: 36 inches.

Height
SOA: Approximately 9 inches.
Suspension Lift: 3 inches.
Wheel Lift (difference of wheels): 6 inches (above hub level).
Overall Increase in Height: 18 inches.

Width
60 Series Axles: 3 inches wider.
Wheel Offset / Width: 17 inches (for both).
Spacers: 2 inches each. Total 4 inches.
Overal Increase in Width: 24 inches.

This increase in dimensions (36" x 18" x 24") has been nice and "proportionate"...resulting in a rig that doesn't look particularly tall or wide or long, per se. Rather, it looks "big" overall...without appearing exaggeratedly large in any one dimension. Hopefully, when we get to really thrashing it about off-road...these proportionate dimensions should come in handy.

Cheers.