I agree about not hacking up your dash! I’m more of a purist when it comes to sheet metal. It killed me just to drill holes in my rear crossmember for the 4plus tire/cooler carrier.
Dash Configuration Reference
- Thread starter woytovich
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Living in the Past
SILVER Star
Because it shows a floor shift my guess it is for a 72. Doesn't show the hand throttle as an option but as of 10/69 it was gone from the US market. My 10/69 70 model has a chromed metal plug there. Later Toyota use black rubber plugs.
FloridaLife
SILVER Star
You may be talking about noise, but what I'm talking about is pure great sounding music to enhance and enjoy the ride. My generation pioneered great sounding music in cars & trucks (a long with video games and home computing). 20 Years ago I got a steal on a great looking XJS V-12 Convertible 2 seater Jaguar (owner got in a jam and I stole it for $4,300), had a completely hidden stereo system with an MTX Black Thunder 1,000 watt amplifier + front & rear speakers + 2 MTX Thunder subwoofers, again, all completely hidden. At 160 mph you didn't hear any wind noise, just pure great sounding music! In my opinion, there's nothing like driving down the road in a vehicle you love and enhancing the experience by listening to some Boston, Journey Lynyrd Skynard, ZZ Top and music from the 80's and 90's. But that's just me.
I did take your advice and reach out to thecrazygreek (also from the same generation I am). He was SUPER nice, and I am looking forward to trying out his 200 watt system. Then if I decide I need more sound, I'll figure out a way to get a good stereo in there and use the 1,000 watt amp & subwoofer that I've had in multiple daily drivers (swapped it from one to the next) for the past 17 years and they still work great.
And the last thing I'll say in this particular post is that someone (I'll leave to look back and see who it was) posted a pic of their FJ40 (red dash) where they did the conversion to put a single DIN stereo in and changed from the single piece long lower dash pad to the multiple piece lower dash pad and it looked good to me. Perhaps a tiny bit tighter that the old 2 knob radios, but it didn't appear they had to cut the pads to make it fit.
And Brian (wareagle) before you start, yes, we know your stance on this topic. LOL
I'm still looking for the red dash single DIN pic someone sent me, but until I find it, here is another example, and it looks like they did not have to cut the pads (I would set it a little further back to you don't see the light colored metal of the stereo):
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Living in the Past
SILVER Star
The carrier is made to fit the 9/73 plus with rectangular tail lights. The crossmember has eight bumperette fixed nuts and four in the center for the pintle hook. I would have looked modifying the to the stock crossmember not other way around. Cutting a hole under where the stock padded is is an easy fix later. The repair is going to be covered by the original padded dash. If your widening the 9/72+ it would be different.
I would never have hacked up a dash like this but a PO did.
Can see you have a little room to cheat without having to cut the pads. The cap that covers the opening wider than the opening. Many modern radios do not have a bezel which helps.
Yeah that would drive me nuts having that hole there. People did some crazy things back then.
FloridaLife
SILVER Star
My 1971 (build date Dec '70) has a chrome plug there too (to the left of where my missing Hazard Warning Switch should be). I'm going to pop that out and put the Bluetooth unit from @thecrazygreek in that spot. Then get the missing Hazard Warning pull switch in its empty hole, and I'll probably replace the cig lighter (since the actual lighter piece is missing) with a very inexpensive piece I put on my motorcycle that had 2 USB-C ports (like all modern cell phones use) + 1 regular USB:
FloridaLife
SILVER Star
Here is the red dash example I mentioned. It's tight, but it looks like it does fit without cutting the pads. It also looks like if you ever wanted to remove it, the si
FloridaLife
SILVER Star
EmanC sent me the link to download a digital copy of the owners manual for my rig (thank you). Looking at the Dash Configuration info, I'm looking forward to looking under the glove box area of the dash this afternoon or tomorrow to see if the "Inspection Light Socket" is still there. I hope so. That would be neat to have.
pb4ugo
SILVER Star
The PO hacked my dash for a slide in radio or what ever you call it. Its weird, the retainer/sleeve mount doesnt fit in the hole. The radio fits, but not the sleeve that holds the radio. I stick a good looking junk radio in the hole at car shows so its not a gaping hole. The junk radio barely fits without the sleeve. Fortunately he didn't hack the pads.
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Living in the Past
SILVER Star
73 is a one year only dash. It's the first year of the radio opening and last year of the working cowl vent in the US market. Believe it is the last year for the Vader light. The interior light moved to the B pillar on the driver's side. Even the B bow on the soft top had the light. This is a 73 dash a friend gave me many years ago of a 73 he parted out. Only a few extra small holes. Widened for a radio but not a total hack cut.
Living in the Past
SILVER Star
Sure a close up would reveal your opening been cut.
pb4ugo
SILVER Star
Correct, As I said the PO hacked my dash for a slide in radio and the mounting sleeve doesn't fit.
FloridaLife
SILVER Star
Speaking of the cowl vent, for the less than 24 hours mine was here before being towed to the paint & body guys, I remember that to the right of the steering wheel, just below the dash, there was a (if I remember correctly) a round black knob maybe about the size of a ping pong ball, connected to a lever and I think you could push down on the knob towards the floor, or pull it back up. Is that to open and close the cowl vent? Or does that have something to do with the transfer case and 4WD? Again, mine is a 1971 FJ40 with a build date of Dec '70 with a 3 on the tree (which I'm changing to a 4 on the floor).
FloridaLife
SILVER Star
Here is the red dash example I mentioned. It's tight, but it looks like it does fit without cutting the pads. It also looks like if you ever wanted to remove it, the si
This may be a dumb question, but since I am new to FJ40's and I don't know, I'll ask: What is the "SMH" on the center of the steering wheel / horn button?
Living in the Past
SILVER Star
Number eighteen on this dash. Smaller than a ping pong ball. Can see the wavey lines. It also works the opposite of what you would think. Pulled out is closed. Pushed in is open.
FloridaLife
SILVER Star
OK. Depending on how my back feels, I'll either go over there this evening or in the morning and check it out, and look for the plug behind the dash for the Hazard Switch, and look to see if I can find the plug under the passenger's side for the small plug in light.
Living in the Past
SILVER Star
Plug for the light will be close to the heater hoses.
Thought I had photo of the plug on my phone but didn't f see it. Here is the vent knob.
Thought I had photo of the plug on my phone but didn't f see it. Here is the vent knob.
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FloridaLife
SILVER Star
Ah, I see the knob I was talking about! In your pic, look to the left of the cowl vent pull knob you are talking about, then the knob with "FD" on it (what is that by the way?), and below the FD pull knob there is a round black knob. That is the one I "thought" might be for the cowl vent. What does it do? Hi / Low Transfer Case for the column shift models?
Living in the Past
SILVER Star
FD is connect to a cable that operates a vacuum switch for four drive when pulled. Two wheel drive when pushed in. The ball below is used for high, range/neutral/low/range. It has pin out the side of the lever to pull the FD knob out when in low range. The lever is connected to a rod running behind the dash. It's this rod that needs to go when cutting a hole for a radio.
Better picture of the ball and lever.
FloridaLife
SILVER Star
That's good to know. And, since I am converting from a 3 on the tree to a 4 on the floor, I can completely remove this lever and the rod you mentioned, which means it will also help with installing a radio should I decide to do so.
By the way, I sent you a PM. Did you get it?
