Build Clifford is home again- a 1965 FJ40 FST

[red66toy]

Fun update. Finally got this battery hold down done with help from my buddy @TheNeek. I wasn’t a huge fan of the generic Chevy unit I was running. This one is stainless steel and has added bracing underneath so it’s pretty darn stiff. With the large wing-nuts, I think the battery area is sorted.

 

[red66toy]

Step forward and back again. Got rid of the hardware store bolts and put on fresh OEM goodness. I was hoping the thicker 1/2” spacer I put on the tire holder would push the tire out enough to not hit the hinges but no dice. Thicker it is!

 

[brian]

10.50s need an inch.

 

[red66toy]

10.50s need an inch.

Awesome. Good to know. I’ll shoot for that.

 

[rlong]

1” square steel tube (vertical) works well.

 

[red66toy]

Hey all! Quick question. Anyone have a good pic of how this section of a pre-75 hard door is supposed to look under the wing window? Mine looks to be quite messed up with cracks, overlapping metal tabs and welds (maybe factory?)! I want to make sure I get it back to the right shape.

 

[pardion]

Hey all! Quick question. Anyone have a good pic of how this section of a pre-75 hard door is supposed to look under the wing window? Mine looks to be quite messed up with cracks, overlapping metal tabs and welds (maybe factory?)! I want to make sure I get it back to the right shape.
View attachment 4148825

It’s very common for a crack to develop at the rear of the wing window. You will see a “fix” many have done using a bolt through the door instead of welding the crack.

 

[red66toy]

It’s very common for a crack to develop at the rear of the wing window. You will see a “fix” many have done using a bolt through the door instead of welding the crack.

Yeah there are lots of stress cracks in this door! I’ll look up that bolt fix. The outer sheet metal at the rear of the window is indeed cracked.

 

[65swb45]

The overlapping tabs are stock. However, the hole in them is for the 65 and newer pivoting windwing, as opposed to the bugcatcher .

When I rebuilt the doors on the Karma Cruiser for the PO over 30 years ago, I drilled a few holes in the outer door skin and welded a 1/4” steel rod inside the lip of the outer skin to reinforce the stress points before grinding them open and welding them shut.

All the welds are still holding…over 30 years later.

 

[red66toy]

The overlapping tabs are stock. However, the hole in them is for the 65 and newer pivoting windwing, as opposed to the bugcatcher .

When I rebuilt the doors on the Karma Cruiser for the PO over 30 years ago, I drilled a few holes in the outer door skin and welded a 1/4” steel rod inside the lip of the outer skin to reinforce the stress points before grinding them open and welding them shut.

All the welds are still holding…over 30 years later.

Thanks Mark! Appreciate the confirmation on the overlapping tabs. Good idea on the reinforcement. I’ll add that to the main stress crack area.
These doors are indeed later hard doors. I had added them to the cruiser at some point when my best top soft doors kept getting stolen. Bahaha.

 

[red66toy]

Another issue with these doors is one of the wing windows is missing the bottom pivot hardware. Looks like it’s all still available besides the little keyed stopper plate. Is anyone currently making a reproduction? If not I’m going to have a few cut since I need one.