"Detour" - FJ62 Fire Truck Ute - soon to be 80-chassis swapped (1 Viewer)

[RivMan]

Hey all!

I just purchased a 1990 FJ62 fire truck, sight unseen from a motorcycle dealer near San Antonio, what could go wrong?

I discovered the FJ fire trucks about a year ago, and my mind immediately went to a flat-bed aussie-style ute build. After pricing out my dream HZJ75 build, I gave up due to the $40k+ price tag I was landing at. I'm in the process of taking a temporary work assignment in San Antonio, and this FJ62 popped up on marketplace after being for sale for over a year (someone posted some photos of it on Mud last December, before the flatbed / accident)

It was imported in March of 2020, and suffered an accident in the dealers parking lot. The door has a little damage, and the fender was replaced. The bumper and valance were damaged and discarded, with a mismatched (I think) ARB bumper half installed. They've removed the fire box / pump system and installed a fuel cell / started a flatbed build.

14k miles
Carbureted 3F
H55F
Manual locks, etc
Full floating rear axle

My build plans so far are:
Re-install right hand fender mirror - was damaged in the accident and not reinstalled, sourced replacement head and will reinstall on the fender.
Drive it - I have 4-months in Texas to get it prepped to drive back to Michigan
Complete the flatbed conversion - Not sure I like the current setup, may go with a Long range fuel tank, mounted lower, with a lower flat deck
Improve the interior - cut out rear seat area and replace with a stock, flatter floor. Sound deadening, carpet and stock rear seat
Suspension - Probably an OME setup, need to figure out what weight I'm going to end up at before picking this out.
Tires: currently has good front tires, bald rears. 265-75-16 Geolander MT's. I'll probably get some matching rears and run it as-is for now. May up the size once the suspension is figured out.

Other long term ideas:
LS Swap?
LHD swap?
Canopy build / RTT mount?

That's it for now, I pick the truck up in Texas in a couple weeks!

Thanks
-Rob

 

[Knowbuddy]

Lhd swap would be a waste of money in my opinion. It’s a quarky truck and rhd adds that cool factor.

 

[CenTXFJ60]

Hey all!

I just purchased a 1990 FJ62 fire truck, sight unseen from a motorcycle dealer near San Antonio, what could go wrong?

I discovered the FJ fire trucks about a year ago, and my mind immediately went to a flat-bed aussie-style ute build. After pricing out my dream HZJ75 build, I gave up due to the $40k+ price tag I was landing at. I'm in the process of taking a temporary work assignment in San Antonio, and this FJ62 popped up on marketplace after being for sale for over a year (someone posted some photos of it on Mud last December, before the flatbed / accident)

View attachment 2869251

It was imported in March of 2020, and suffered an accident in the dealers parking lot. The door has a little damage, and the fender was replaced. The bumper and valance were damaged and discarded, with a mismatched (I think) ARB bumper half installed. They've removed the fire box / pump system and installed a fuel cell / started a flatbed build.

14k miles
Carbureted 3F
H55F
Manual locks, etc
Full floating rear axle

My build plans so far are:
Re-install right hand fender mirror - was damaged in the accident and not reinstalled, sourced replacement head and will reinstall on the fender.
Drive it - I have 4-months in Texas to get it prepped to drive back to Michigan
Complete the flatbed conversion - Not sure I like the current setup, may go with a Long range fuel tank, mounted lower, with a lower flat deck
Improve the interior - cut out rear seat area and replace with a stock, flatter floor. Sound deadening, carpet and stock rear seat
Suspension - Probably an OME setup, need to figure out what weight I'm going to end up at before picking this out.
Tires: currently has good front tires, bald rears. 265-75-16 Geolander MT's. I'll probably get some matching rears and run it as-is for now. May up the size once the suspension is figured out.

Other long term ideas:
LS Swap?
LHD swap?
Canopy build / RTT mount?

That's it for now, I pick the truck up in Texas in a couple weeks!

Thanks
-Rob

Hey Rob, let me know when you get in town. Look forward to meeting you and seeing this truck. There’s a 70 series a Freind in Austin is doing the same thing. Here is his prior to removing the pump etc. and I have a really nice stock 62 front bumper if you have any interest. I have a truck that could use an ARB

 

[onemanarmy]

That looks to be an 'old style' 60 series ARB. Not mismatched per se, just old school.

 

[RivMan]

Lhd swap would be a waste of money in my opinion. It’s a quarky truck and rhd adds that cool factor.

I'm on the fence about the LHD swap. I've never driven a RHD truck, so I figure I'll get used to it.

Hey Rob, let me know when you get in town. Look forward to meeting you and seeing this truck. There’s a 70 series a Freind in Austin is doing the same thing. Here is his prior to removing the pump etc. and I have a really nice stock 62 front bumper if you have any interest. I have a truck that could use an ARB View attachment 2870203

That 70's awesome! I was really looking at getting one of those, but they were going for more than double what I picked this up for. I may still look into them if this project exceeds my expectations.

That looks to be an 'old style' 60 series ARB. Not mismatched per se, just old school.

Thanks! The mismatched comment comes from this pic I got, it looks like the ARB doesn't fully bolt to the frame. I may be missing some parts though.

Thanks!
-Rob

 

[RivMan]

300km update!

I picked the truck up last weekend and have racked up some miles (kilometers?) since then.

My initial reactions were:
1: Visibility is impossible with this thing, it needs more than one mirror!
2: This thing is LOUD, like 10x louder than I was expecting.
3: This thing is too slow. It'll slowly get to freeway speeds, but won't climb a small hill without losing speed.
4: RHD isn't too bad, I got used to it quickly

First thing I did was install the right hand mirror on the new fender. I used rivnuts and some new hardware. This made a huge improvement in visibility and I really dig the utility of the fender mounted mirrors.

Next up was new tires. The rears were bald and the fronts new (0721 date code). I've never liked MT's, and I suspected that these tires were a huge part of the volume issue in the cab. The MT's drone produced frequency's that made every bit of steel in the truck vibrate. I went with 265/75/16 KO2's and couldn't be happier! The level of volume in the cab is night and day difference. I had my new MT's mounted on some steel rims for spares.

Next up was the performance issue. I couldn't believe this thing could be so slow, so I started with the throttle linkage. Sure enough, at WOT the throttle blades weren't fully open. Removing the thick rubber floormat on the driver side revealed a throttle stop on the floor. A quick adjustment and I picked up 100hp! The combination of the rubber floor mat and a poorly adjusted stop really limited the power. It pulls it's self down the road a lot better now.

I've put about 300km on it so far, and the RHD driving position isn't too much of an issue. Inconvenient for drive-throughs and the security gate at my work, but other than that it's ok.

-Rob

 

[RivMan]

1,000 km update!

Lots of daily driving, and a ton of upgrades / tweaks in the last few weeks. I still haven’t gotten it offroad, but that will happen soon enough.

Upgrades:

Headlights - the stock RHD market lights were garbage. I picked up the Toyota upgrade harness along with 4 Xprite LED bulbs. Huge upgrade, but not working quite right. When you flip on the headlights, you get high beams, and the stalk does nothing. I swapped some wires around to get low beams, but the stalk still doesn’t do anything. Low beams are good enough for now, so I’ll be looking into this again in the future.

Front end appearance:

I want to get the front end looking a little better. It was missing the front valance and parking lights, as well as one of the corner marker lamps. I removed the giant 9” halogen lights from the bumper, and installed a new corner light. I also sourced a valance, and pair of parking lights. I’ll be installing those in the near future. Once the valance is fit, I plan to send the fender and valance for a quick paint job. I won’t be a perfect match, but it’ll be better than what’s there now. I also installed some new windshield wiper inserts.

Interior:

I removed a ton of “fire truck” wiring and stuff that aren’t going to be used. This really cleaned up the interior. I also installed a pair of Alibaba 70-series armrest cup holders (fit perfect), and mounted a fire extinguisher between the seats. I also tossed a replacement clutch pedal pad in for good measure.

Under hood:

Lots of work under the hood. I installed an EGR delete setup from @FJ40Jim and ran some sea foam through the carb. This really helped the part throttle performance and cold starts. I also sourced new carb studs, and deleted the governor system (Butterfly valves, belt driven governor, control solenoid). While I was in there I removed the secondary throttle cable running from the pump area in the bed up to the engine. The thermostat was swapped out and coolant changed.

Chassis:

The biggest issue I ran into driving this truck is that the brake bias is WAY off with the removal of all the pump components. The rear would lock up under moderate braking, and send the truck sideways. I installed a Wilwood proportioning valve and calibrated it to allow the front brakes to lock first. This helped a ton, and I can get a ton more braking before lockup.

One of the other huge issues with the truck are the rear springs. They’re a 10-leaf pack, setup for far more weight than I have. I ended up removing 5 leafs from each pack. The truck rides and handles a ton better.

Fuel system:

The fuel cell was very difficult to use and fill. It also had no vent installed (just a fitting left loose to vent). I installed a cheap filler neck, and added a vent line.

So far I’m loving the truck! It’s a great driver, and I’ll be racking up more miles in the near future. I plan to drive this from San Antonio, home to Michigan in a couple months.

-Rob

 

[CaptHamster]

Awesome thread, love seeing the progression on this truck! Would you happen to have the link for those alibaba arm rest cup holders? Those are great! Good to know they'll fit a 60/62 also. How are they mounted?

 

[RivMan]

Awesome thread, love seeing the progression on this truck! Would you happen to have the link for those alibaba arm rest cup holders? Those are great! Good to know they'll fit a 60/62 also. How are they mounted?

I purchased from this link:

https://m.aliexpress.com/item/1005003075483775.html?spm=a2g0n.productlist.0.0.450fAmNtAmNtJ9&browser_id=d2e1134defca49f1afd678c856dd7169&aff_trace_key=700834b5478841c2867753a8ac8756e8-1643169454819-08479-UneMJZVf&aff_platform=msite&m_page_id=6vuzcuzemu8cauzb17eb327e8b123c156ec8576b9d&gclid=

They fit perfect, and attach with double sided tape. If I ever have to remove the door panels, I’ll have to re-mount them, the block the panel from coming off.

Note that I think the fire truck uses a lot more stripped down panel than the US spec trucks. Most I’ve seen wrap over the door, mine don’t.

-Rob

 

[RivMan]

Installed a valance and turn signals this evening, they really clean up the front end!

-Rob

 

[cruisermatt]

Nice. An LS swap would be sweet in that thing

 

[RivMan]

Nice. An LS swap would be sweet in that thing

Thanks, Matt! An LS swap is absolutely on my mind, this thing would really benefit from some more power and less JDM / AUS / ME specific powertrain parts. The fact that I don't have Air Conditioning, Power Steering or an OEM fuel tank to deal with make the swap even more attractive.

-Rob

 

[RivMan]

2,000 km update!

The last week has racked up some more miles.

The only real work I've completed since the last update is the installation of an OEM valance and turn signals. I also made the drive out to the Hill Country Cruiser Round-Up over the weekend. The truck got tons of attention and it was great meeting a bunch of cruiser fans!

I have a ton of work on-deck for the truck, and I hope to knock a lot out in the next couple weeks:

• Complete fluid check / swap
  • Check Front Differential fluid
  • Delete raw water aux cooling
    • Remove T-Case cooler plate - install std plate
    • Remove Aux Radiator - install std radiator hoses
    • Strip out hoses / lines
    • Remove Oil Cooler?
  • Change transfer case fluid
  • Change transmission fluid
  • Change PTO fluid - is there fluid in this unit?

• Install fender marker lights - cut hole in new fender
• Fix front mirror mount - stripped out riv-nut
• Paint valance / fender
• Install new hood release cable - current one is damaged
• Install fan belt - on order
• Fix fuel vent - some splash drainage, new valve on order

• Install / calibrate fuel level converter - 90ohm sender in cell
• Buff paint
• Wire high beams
• Install rear view mirror / camera
• Install stereo head unit / camera
• Install wood bed
• Fabricate / install RTT bars in bed

-Rob

 

[RivMan]

2,400 km update!

It's been a pretty good week for the Cruiser!

I knocked out the Trans / Transfer / PTO fluid change, and deleted the raw water transfer case cooler. The T-case and trans fluid looked good, and fairly fresh. The PTO fluid looked dirty, and may have been missed during normal maintenance.

I also took the opportunity to strip out a lot more of the fire truck wiring / accessories. I pulled the aux fuse panel under the hood, and all the fire truck specific wiring that was added. 99% of the wiring was contained in a stand-alone loom, completely separate from the vehicle wiring, and anything that needed to be kept. The only wire I need to replace (I stripped it out for now since it was so integrated with the other junk) is the wire for the dome light.

I also removed the fender, fixed my mirror mount, and sent it and the valance for a quick paint job. The match isn't great, but it's much better than the raw e-coat. Once I buff the existing paint, the match should be a lot closer. Having those parts painted really cleans up the look of the truck. The front end looks a lot more complete now.

I was just invited to a camping / wheeling event on a private ranch this weekend, so I may be scrambling to get a tent / rack installed sooner than expected. We'll see what the rest of the week brings!

-Rob

 

[RivMan]

Another fun milestone I just realized, 2,400 km is almost the exact distance I will be driving from my apartment in Texas, back to my home in Michigan.

-Rob

 

[CenTXFJ60]

You need to swing by the barn before you head back to Michigan

 

[RivMan]

You need to swing by the barn before you head back to Michigan

Absolutely! It's on my to-do list, one of these day's I'll find some free time!

-Rob

 

[RivMan]

4,700 km update!

We have a bed and rack! I picked up this fabricated bed rack from a Tacoma, and modified it to mount to the fire truck. Then I built out my flatbed.

The fuel cell is in a bad spot, but I'm still able to fill up through a hole in the floor.

We also have a tent! Picked up an OVS Nomad just north of Austin, should be a good fit sideways on the rack, leaving room up front to mount my spare tire.

My to-do list is ever growing, but it feels great being at this point!

On a side note, my fuel economy has increased 25% since adding the bed and tent. I'm guessing the aero of an open flatbed isn't that great.

-Rob

 

[CenTXFJ60]

That is bad a** Rob. Great find

 

[RivMan]

That is bad a** Rob. Great find

Thanks!

A few small projects in the last couple days.

Picked up a pair of Aisin hubs to replace the drive flanges that came factory on the Fire Truck.

I also started wiring up a secondary fuse box for the things I plan to add to the truck in the future. I wired it up to have three switched accessory circuits and three constant 12v for now, with the plans of making changes when needed to run things off switches, etc...

-Rob