mrboatman
GOLD Star
Very true I like that !!!!Lol, female logic and hormones do not make life easyer.
JP
Builds Doc's 1978 FJ40 Rebuild (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter TractorDoc
- Start date
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JP
- Thread starter
- #442
Horns.
I picked up a set of Hella Sharp Tones.
Several archive posts mention using Hella Super Tones as a replacement but if my wife's fashion sense has taught me anything its that red horns (Super Tone's color) do not "go" with a blue truck that has a yellow battery and shocks. She is also the one that has tried to eliminate tall socks and velcro wallets from my lifestyle. I remember back to the early days of dating and I was buying lunch at a Subway (only the best!); the rrriiippp sound of the velcro wallet opening stopped her mid veggie request and left a look of disbelief/confusion on her face. It is one of my favorite memories
. She married me anyway and it was not long down the road that a quiet, adult-like, fold open wallet was given to me at the next appropriate gifting holiday.
The Hella's bolted right in and I must admit the touch of yellow does compliment the other engine bay contents. Sorry bout the sideways pic -- forgot to rotate it before upload.
I know some of you will be quick to point out that there is a red battery terminal in the engine bay. No plans to change that as function does supersede cosmetics in some situations.
I have gone thru the first round of sanding/polishing of the hood. Being the impatient velcro-loving loving kid that I am I set the hood in place to see what a more complete 40 was going to look like.
While the hood does look nice there are still quite a few areas of light orange peel and sanding marks still present. I will push my luck and give it another round of sanding/polishing to try and improve those areas. After spending several hours doing that (sanding/polishing) on Wednesday I thought it was good enough -- having recharged my batteries Ive decided that I can do better and will give it a go this weekend.
I picked up a set of Hella Sharp Tones.
Several archive posts mention using Hella Super Tones as a replacement but if my wife's fashion sense has taught me anything its that red horns (Super Tone's color) do not "go" with a blue truck that has a yellow battery and shocks. She is also the one that has tried to eliminate tall socks and velcro wallets from my lifestyle. I remember back to the early days of dating and I was buying lunch at a Subway (only the best!); the rrriiippp sound of the velcro wallet opening stopped her mid veggie request and left a look of disbelief/confusion on her face. It is one of my favorite memories
. She married me anyway and it was not long down the road that a quiet, adult-like, fold open wallet was given to me at the next appropriate gifting holiday. The Hella's bolted right in and I must admit the touch of yellow does compliment the other engine bay contents. Sorry bout the sideways pic -- forgot to rotate it before upload.
I know some of you will be quick to point out that there is a red battery terminal in the engine bay. No plans to change that as function does supersede cosmetics in some situations.
I have gone thru the first round of sanding/polishing of the hood. Being the impatient velcro-loving loving kid that I am I set the hood in place to see what a more complete 40 was going to look like.
While the hood does look nice there are still quite a few areas of light orange peel and sanding marks still present. I will push my luck and give it another round of sanding/polishing to try and improve those areas. After spending several hours doing that (sanding/polishing) on Wednesday I thought it was good enough -- having recharged my batteries Ive decided that I can do better and will give it a go this weekend.
Horns.
I picked up a set of Hella Sharp Tones.
View attachment 1519425
Several archive posts mention using Hella Super Tones as a replacement but if my wife's fashion sense has taught me anything its that red horns (Super Tone's color) do not "go" with a blue truck that has a yellow battery and shocks. She is also the one that has tried to eliminate tall socks and velcro wallets from my lifestyle. I remember back to the early days of dating and I was buying lunch at a Subway (only the best!); the rrriiippp sound of the velcro wallet opening stopped her mid veggie request and left a look of disbelief/confusion on her face. It is one of my favorite memories
The Hella's bolted right in and I must admit the touch of yellow does compliment the other engine bay contents. Sorry bout the sideways pic -- forgot to rotate it before upload.
View attachment 1519426
I know some of you will be quick to point out that there is a red battery terminal in the engine bay. No plans to change that as function does supersede cosmetics in some situations.
I have gone thru the first round of sanding/polishing of the hood. Being the impatient velcro-loving loving kid that I am I set the hood in place to see what a more complete 40 was going to look like.
View attachment 1519427
While the hood does look nice there are still quite a few areas of light orange peel and sanding marks still present. I will push my luck and give it another round of sanding/polishing to try and improve those areas. After spending several hours doing that (sanding/polishing) on Wednesday I thought it was good enough -- having recharged my batteries Ive decided that I can do better and will give it a go this weekend.
Looking great, Dave. I have to remind my wife almost daily that she picked me out of an unlimited supply of eligible bachelors to spend the rest of her life with.
Man, even the horns match! Looking good.
"The relentless pursuit of perfection." Looking great Dave!Horns.
I picked up a set of Hella Sharp Tones.
View attachment 1519425
Several archive posts mention using Hella Super Tones as a replacement but if my wife's fashion sense has taught me anything its that red horns (Super Tone's color) do not "go" with a blue truck that has a yellow battery and shocks. She is also the one that has tried to eliminate tall socks and velcro wallets from my lifestyle. I remember back to the early days of dating and I was buying lunch at a Subway (only the best!); the rrriiippp sound of the velcro wallet opening stopped her mid veggie request and left a look of disbelief/confusion on her face. It is one of my favorite memories
The Hella's bolted right in and I must admit the touch of yellow does compliment the other engine bay contents. Sorry bout the sideways pic -- forgot to rotate it before upload.
View attachment 1519426
I know some of you will be quick to point out that there is a red battery terminal in the engine bay. No plans to change that as function does supersede cosmetics in some situations.
I have gone thru the first round of sanding/polishing of the hood. Being the impatient velcro-loving loving kid that I am I set the hood in place to see what a more complete 40 was going to look like.
View attachment 1519427
While the hood does look nice there are still quite a few areas of light orange peel and sanding marks still present. I will push my luck and give it another round of sanding/polishing to try and improve those areas. After spending several hours doing that (sanding/polishing) on Wednesday I thought it was good enough -- having recharged my batteries Ive decided that I can do better and will give it a go this weekend.
Horns.
I picked up a set of Hella Sharp Tones.
View attachment 1519425
Several archive posts mention using Hella Super Tones as a replacement but if my wife's fashion sense has taught me anything its that red horns (Super Tone's color) do not "go" with a blue truck that has a yellow battery and shocks. She is also the one that has tried to eliminate tall socks and velcro wallets from my lifestyle. I remember back to the early days of dating and I was buying lunch at a Subway (only the best!); the rrriiippp sound of the velcro wallet opening stopped her mid veggie request and left a look of disbelief/confusion on her face. It is one of my favorite memories
The Hella's bolted right in and I must admit the touch of yellow does compliment the other engine bay contents. Sorry bout the sideways pic -- forgot to rotate it before upload.
View attachment 1519426
I know some of you will be quick to point out that there is a red battery terminal in the engine bay. No plans to change that as function does supersede cosmetics in some situations.
I have gone thru the first round of sanding/polishing of the hood. Being the impatient velcro-loving loving kid that I am I set the hood in place to see what a more complete 40 was going to look like.
View attachment 1519427
While the hood does look nice there are still quite a few areas of light orange peel and sanding marks still present. I will push my luck and give it another round of sanding/polishing to try and improve those areas. After spending several hours doing that (sanding/polishing) on Wednesday I thought it was good enough -- having recharged my batteries Ive decided that I can do better and will give it a go this weekend.
I picked up the same horns! Have yet to install them. I was thinking of mounting them off the radiator support cross bar bolts to point them forward behind the grille if they will fit. Good call going with the yellow ones, I think they sound much better than the reds which are a different tone.
Thanks Dave, you made my wife smile. She was lucky, I never used the velcro wallet but the tube socks were an item with a previous gf. What we do for ................
Maybe when you go back to velcro she doesn't want you pay for her.
Love the blue & yellow combo, the hood does add something.
Maybe when you go back to velcro she doesn't want you pay for her.
Love the blue & yellow combo, the hood does add something.
- Thread starter
- #448
Me too. . . although some days I think she'd prefer I not remind her.
Thanks Guys. Far from perfection. . . there are flaws here and there that the pictures do not show (or that the photographer somehow misses). One day I will meet some of you in person and you will see for yourself. I will say the truck is looking very nice and I am proud of the result thus far.
I thought about a grille mount for forward projection. The space is limited in my application because I had to move the radiator forward and I did not want to see the horns when I looked at the front of the truck. They are still loud -- there is enough open area on the 40 that everyone around will hear them just fine. I also liked the Sharp Tones vs. the Super Tones as the Supers were a bit higher in pitch.
Ah,
Those were the days when I actually had money in my wallet.
- Thread starter
- #449
Spent some time this weekend cleaning and installing the defroster piping under the dash. Went the route of soap in a bucket. Even though the Mrs. was gone on Saturday I still did not want to risk running the pieces thru the dishwasher and having her find out. Usually we have an understanding that the only two appliances I use while she is gone are the fridge and microwave. Every now and again I get wild and wash a load of laundry, but there are too many buttons on the dishwasher for me to know what I'm doing.
While the door window defroster pipes are not my favorite feature they do fill the big holes on the dash.
I also worked a little with the exhaust. I welded the flange to the pipe after determining proper placement. A test fit revealed the down pipe still needs a bit more bending before the hanger bracket gets welded to it (slants quite a bit below the frame) so I improvised with a metal strap and muffler clamp to get a feel for how the muffler will sound. The camera must have wanted to focus on the drive shaft, but you should get the idea.
I was quite pleased with the sound and tone of the muffler. . . dare I say it was rather quiet. There will be modifications done to muffler placement, pipe routing, etc. Right now I just want something in place to allow a drive to the muffler shop.
I also bolted the hood in place. The next picture is out of sequence, but the last task of the day was installing the windshield blocks and hooks.
I left the washer nozzle hole in the hood. . . this one will work as a backup if the windshield frame option gives me trouble.
Before installing those pieces I spent some time behind the wheel. I wanted to get the hood out in the light so see if there were any other spots that needed touched up before bolting things on.
Initially I struggled with the front clip lining up but after a tiny shim behind the driver side fender bracket things are looking spot on.
I stuck to driving around the farm. I have plates/registration in hand but need to look into insurance. I did not give it much thought when the 40 was rusty and in pieces but we are way past that point now. I will touch base with my local carrier but may also look into Hagerty as they specialize in older/collector cars.
Working on a couple hiccups with the tire carrier but will post more about that when I am able to get it mounted.
Taking the windshield frame to town this week for new glass. Hoping I can walk in the Mom and Pop shop in town and they be able to help. Definitely need something to balance out the roll bar and keep the bugs out of my teeth!
While the door window defroster pipes are not my favorite feature they do fill the big holes on the dash.
I also worked a little with the exhaust. I welded the flange to the pipe after determining proper placement. A test fit revealed the down pipe still needs a bit more bending before the hanger bracket gets welded to it (slants quite a bit below the frame) so I improvised with a metal strap and muffler clamp to get a feel for how the muffler will sound. The camera must have wanted to focus on the drive shaft, but you should get the idea.
I was quite pleased with the sound and tone of the muffler. . . dare I say it was rather quiet. There will be modifications done to muffler placement, pipe routing, etc. Right now I just want something in place to allow a drive to the muffler shop.
I also bolted the hood in place. The next picture is out of sequence, but the last task of the day was installing the windshield blocks and hooks.
I left the washer nozzle hole in the hood. . . this one will work as a backup if the windshield frame option gives me trouble.
Before installing those pieces I spent some time behind the wheel. I wanted to get the hood out in the light so see if there were any other spots that needed touched up before bolting things on.
Initially I struggled with the front clip lining up but after a tiny shim behind the driver side fender bracket things are looking spot on.
I stuck to driving around the farm. I have plates/registration in hand but need to look into insurance. I did not give it much thought when the 40 was rusty and in pieces but we are way past that point now. I will touch base with my local carrier but may also look into Hagerty as they specialize in older/collector cars.
Working on a couple hiccups with the tire carrier but will post more about that when I am able to get it mounted.
Taking the windshield frame to town this week for new glass. Hoping I can walk in the Mom and Pop shop in town and they be able to help. Definitely need something to balance out the roll bar and keep the bugs out of my teeth!
Michael B
SILVER Star
Oh Doc! You're gettin' there now son.........
I can't get my 45 finished becuase I'm driving it!
You might also consider a proper appraisal of the 40. Some insurance companies will insist on having one before covering the vehicle.
I can't get my 45 finished becuase I'm driving it!
You might also consider a proper appraisal of the 40. Some insurance companies will insist on having one before covering the vehicle.
I have had good results with American Collectors Insurance, decent rates and they specialize in older vehicles .
800 630 6302
Looking good Willis! Been using Haggerty for quite a few years for a number of unusual cars, easy, fast and personable.
Dang I need sunglasses to look at that thing its so nice!
Hey mate, great thread. Love the colour of your FJ! Have just got myself an 1978 FJ45 so have enjoyed your exploring your thread. Cheers
- Thread starter
- #455
Some of you may have heard something about an eclipse earlier this week. The hype leading up to it created a bit of disappointment during the actual event. If I had not known better I would have said a large cloud passed overhead. In any even here is my attempt at a picture:
I found myself quite busy this week but looking back I am not sure what I accomplished. The usual schedule at work and time spent on the barn remodel claimed the majority of time. For 40 stuff I dropped the windshield and frame off Monday at the glass shop. I also worked to refurbish the rear view mirror and wiper motor (tested it and it works!).
I also dug thru the box of previous owner acquired parts and found a few gems. . .
The mom and pop glass shop called just today and I picked up the windshield this afternoon. It looks good just sitting in the shop. . . looking forward to mounting it in place.
Id will try to have it in place this weekend. . . its all I can do not to go over and work on it right now!
I found myself quite busy this week but looking back I am not sure what I accomplished. The usual schedule at work and time spent on the barn remodel claimed the majority of time. For 40 stuff I dropped the windshield and frame off Monday at the glass shop. I also worked to refurbish the rear view mirror and wiper motor (tested it and it works!).
I also dug thru the box of previous owner acquired parts and found a few gems. . .
The mom and pop glass shop called just today and I picked up the windshield this afternoon. It looks good just sitting in the shop. . . looking forward to mounting it in place.
Id will try to have it in place this weekend. . . its all I can do not to go over and work on it right now!
- Thread starter
- #456
As I hoped, I was able to get the windshield frame installed this weekend. By no means did it just drop into place. . . It took several hours of trial and error before everything lined up right. To the best of my memory the most efficient path to installation would have been as follows:
1. Set windshield frame in place without the long gasket between the frame and cowl -- line up and install the 16 windshield hinge bolts (screws?) but do not tighten them. It helps to run a tap thru those fixed nuts beforehand. Fold windshield down to hood.
2. Install windshield wiper linkage and defroster panels.
3. Put gasket in place on cowl, pull wires (wiper motor, dome light) and fold windshield up. Tighten windshield hinge fasteners and knobs that secure the frame to the dash. It took me several attempts to get the gasket between the frame and cowl in just the right spot.
Once I was happy with placement of the windshield frame I installed the wiper motor.
These pieces were already removed/in a box when I acquired the 40 so I had no reference as to how they went back in place. It took a little more fiddling but I believe I worked it out right in the end.
An hour or two later, couple gallons of gas in the tank, a driver side lap seatbelt, and a license plate temporarily bolted to the back. . . I officially became a menace to other drivers on the road as I pulled out onto the asphalt.
I did stop to take the picture -- safety first! Yes, the defroster panels have a "rust" line across them where the old dash pad left its mark. . . it will be dealt with accordingly.
It was only several miles and I doubt I topped 45mph (don't know how you guys do 70 on the interstate with these things!) but I thoroughly enjoyed the drive. For fun I also bounced around on several of the maintained "trails" we keep at the farm. There is about a two mile stretch between mom/dad's place and mine -- it has been dry the last couple weeks so I went for it.
And here is what the 40 looks like from the outside:
Driver Side:
As it turns out the PO acquired windshield wipers were a different style than what will fit on my setup; a cleanup/painting of my originals will be undertaken after all. Still working thru a few kinks on the spare tire carrier -- nothing major but waiting to see if a replacement part can be acquired. I will give the muffler shop a call this week to set up a time to finish up the exhaust.
Today was a very good day. While the weather is nice I will make attempts to venture out farther from home and get a better feel for the 40's personality. I like the open top and feel of the truck but I am not used to being so exposed when cruising down the road -- I'm sure it is an acquired feel and I look forward to getting used to it!
1. Set windshield frame in place without the long gasket between the frame and cowl -- line up and install the 16 windshield hinge bolts (screws?) but do not tighten them. It helps to run a tap thru those fixed nuts beforehand. Fold windshield down to hood.
2. Install windshield wiper linkage and defroster panels.
3. Put gasket in place on cowl, pull wires (wiper motor, dome light) and fold windshield up. Tighten windshield hinge fasteners and knobs that secure the frame to the dash. It took me several attempts to get the gasket between the frame and cowl in just the right spot.
Once I was happy with placement of the windshield frame I installed the wiper motor.
These pieces were already removed/in a box when I acquired the 40 so I had no reference as to how they went back in place. It took a little more fiddling but I believe I worked it out right in the end.
An hour or two later, couple gallons of gas in the tank, a driver side lap seatbelt, and a license plate temporarily bolted to the back. . . I officially became a menace to other drivers on the road as I pulled out onto the asphalt.
I did stop to take the picture -- safety first! Yes, the defroster panels have a "rust" line across them where the old dash pad left its mark. . . it will be dealt with accordingly.
It was only several miles and I doubt I topped 45mph (don't know how you guys do 70 on the interstate with these things!) but I thoroughly enjoyed the drive. For fun I also bounced around on several of the maintained "trails" we keep at the farm. There is about a two mile stretch between mom/dad's place and mine -- it has been dry the last couple weeks so I went for it.
And here is what the 40 looks like from the outside:
Driver Side:
As it turns out the PO acquired windshield wipers were a different style than what will fit on my setup; a cleanup/painting of my originals will be undertaken after all. Still working thru a few kinks on the spare tire carrier -- nothing major but waiting to see if a replacement part can be acquired. I will give the muffler shop a call this week to set up a time to finish up the exhaust.
Today was a very good day. While the weather is nice I will make attempts to venture out farther from home and get a better feel for the 40's personality. I like the open top and feel of the truck but I am not used to being so exposed when cruising down the road -- I'm sure it is an acquired feel and I look forward to getting used to it!
looks great. Put a bikini top on - you'll love it. Driving around with no doors is a blast, but when I leave it to go into a store I have to resist the urge to take the jack with me - anyone can see it!
Ready for Mid Ohio!
Man I'm envious. Sometimes I wonder if I will actually ever drive mine again. Yours, and others, keep me inspired. Thanks for sharing
