Hey guys,
Thought I'd start a thread on my FJ40. I completely expect this to be a very long rebuild.
First a little background on the Landcruiser.
My father bought this FJ40 back in '68 (I believe) while he was in the Navy. He has a 283 installed back then and would go camping with his dad, who has a 63 I believe. While at Cal Poly SLO, it spent many days at Pismo with Paddle tires on it, roaming around the dunes. Once he graduated he moved to South Texas for work and began mud racing out there. (Los Dos Laredos Mud Racing back in the early 80s).
I spend many Friday nights growing up as a kid watching this landcruiser racing through mud. My dad eventually ditched the 283 and put a 327 into it. Not long after that 327 was in it, we moved to Houston where it sat for 2 years before we moved to Bakersfield where it really began its long hibernation.
Here's how it looked back in '87-'88, right after the 327 was installed. (Crappy pic of a pic..sorry)
Pic of my dad and his trophies.
Fast forward 13 years, my dad is living in the UK and clearing out the storage unit in Bako. He gives me the Landcruiser and I take it down to San Diego with the full intention of getting it running. Unfortunately, thieves had other plans:
They stole the 750 Holley Carb, Weiand single plane intake, Mallory distrib, electric water pump, fuel tank, electric fuel pump. At the time I didn't have the money to replace the parts, so ultimately it sat like that.
Ironically, I know live in Bakersfield and have recently trailered Capt.Midway back to my house to slowly (like glacier slow) begin working on it.
Already started to take parts off.
Seats out, they'll need a complete restoration. Debating on whether to keep them or go with aftermarket.
It looks like he applied Por-15 on the floor as there isn't any real signs of rust there.
However there is here.
[URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/CptMidway/media/Captain%20Midway/IMAG0075_zpsssrntfmn.jpg.html]
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Factory 3 speed and transfer case.
Unfortunately, my father passed away a few years ago so there's a lot of info on the FJ I'll have to find out on my own.
I know the front axle is from a different year, as it has discs on it. I'm not sure on the gears either, as he was running 38's (as you can see in the pics). Since he was mud racing, he filled the frame with foam, I have a feeling this will be a PITA as he routed the fuel line and some wiring through the foamed frame as well.
Going back and forth on whether I should rebuild the engine the way it was:
Balanced and Blueprinted 327 ci 13:1 comp
Double hump heads with 2.02/1.6 valves
Crower 272/284 .540/.567 lift 107 lobe sep camshaft
750 Holley DP
Weiand Single plane manifold.
Granted, it wouldn't be a realistic driver with this. It would be strickly for childhood nostalgia. I can still hear the engine idling and lope of the cam in my head. I remember when I was a kid, no matter where we were in the neighborhood if my friends and I heard my old man start up Capt. Midway, we'd drop whatever we were doing to go check it out.
Obviously the more realistic approach would be to make it much more docile, especially if it would be driven on the street.
At the very least, I would like to get it running again. Whether that's with a cheap 350, rebuilt 327 or a 5.3l (Pipe dream).
I definitely plan to swap to rear discs as well since all I've ever heard is horror stories about the drums on FJs.
Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read this. Looking forward to sharing this journey with you guys.
Thanks,
John
Thought I'd start a thread on my FJ40. I completely expect this to be a very long rebuild.
First a little background on the Landcruiser.
My father bought this FJ40 back in '68 (I believe) while he was in the Navy. He has a 283 installed back then and would go camping with his dad, who has a 63 I believe. While at Cal Poly SLO, it spent many days at Pismo with Paddle tires on it, roaming around the dunes. Once he graduated he moved to South Texas for work and began mud racing out there. (Los Dos Laredos Mud Racing back in the early 80s).
I spend many Friday nights growing up as a kid watching this landcruiser racing through mud. My dad eventually ditched the 283 and put a 327 into it. Not long after that 327 was in it, we moved to Houston where it sat for 2 years before we moved to Bakersfield where it really began its long hibernation.
Here's how it looked back in '87-'88, right after the 327 was installed. (Crappy pic of a pic..sorry)
Pic of my dad and his trophies.
Fast forward 13 years, my dad is living in the UK and clearing out the storage unit in Bako. He gives me the Landcruiser and I take it down to San Diego with the full intention of getting it running. Unfortunately, thieves had other plans:
They stole the 750 Holley Carb, Weiand single plane intake, Mallory distrib, electric water pump, fuel tank, electric fuel pump. At the time I didn't have the money to replace the parts, so ultimately it sat like that.
Ironically, I know live in Bakersfield and have recently trailered Capt.Midway back to my house to slowly (like glacier slow) begin working on it.
Already started to take parts off.
Seats out, they'll need a complete restoration. Debating on whether to keep them or go with aftermarket.
It looks like he applied Por-15 on the floor as there isn't any real signs of rust there.
However there is here.
[URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/CptMidway/media/Captain%20Midway/IMAG0075_zpsssrntfmn.jpg.html]
Factory 3 speed and transfer case.
Unfortunately, my father passed away a few years ago so there's a lot of info on the FJ I'll have to find out on my own.
I know the front axle is from a different year, as it has discs on it. I'm not sure on the gears either, as he was running 38's (as you can see in the pics). Since he was mud racing, he filled the frame with foam, I have a feeling this will be a PITA as he routed the fuel line and some wiring through the foamed frame as well.
Going back and forth on whether I should rebuild the engine the way it was:
Balanced and Blueprinted 327 ci 13:1 comp
Double hump heads with 2.02/1.6 valves
Crower 272/284 .540/.567 lift 107 lobe sep camshaft
750 Holley DP
Weiand Single plane manifold.
Granted, it wouldn't be a realistic driver with this. It would be strickly for childhood nostalgia. I can still hear the engine idling and lope of the cam in my head. I remember when I was a kid, no matter where we were in the neighborhood if my friends and I heard my old man start up Capt. Midway, we'd drop whatever we were doing to go check it out.
Obviously the more realistic approach would be to make it much more docile, especially if it would be driven on the street.
At the very least, I would like to get it running again. Whether that's with a cheap 350, rebuilt 327 or a 5.3l (Pipe dream).
I definitely plan to swap to rear discs as well since all I've ever heard is horror stories about the drums on FJs.
Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read this. Looking forward to sharing this journey with you guys.
Thanks,
John
