Thanks Nolan, I'm doing fine now. It was just an infection that would'nt go away so they had to cut it open. It is weird that you can not walk when the pain is actualy better than before the procedure, at least untill you try to walk.
Builds Doc's 1978 FJ40 Rebuild
- Thread starter TractorDoc
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
The body does develop more obsticals as it ages and I'm past that age where I had to learn to deal with it, most af the time. It is a struggle with work as you try to keep up with the younger people.
For me the 40 is a way to clear the mind but when you get closer to completion the urge to drive it takes over. It helps to have a bigger project plus you need more tools.
Work and the honey do list will keep me busy for the next few months but I will try to sqeeze in some metal crunching hours.
Ocho77
SILVER Star
@TractorDoc, I just read through your entire thread. Beautiful work on the 40. If you're ever up in Northern Michigan, I'll treat you to some craft beer.
Cheers!
Cheers!
- Thread starter
- #484
Oh, Ive given a second 40 serious thought. I even had another project truck ready to go but found another enthusiast that could get to work on it long before I was able to -- saved it from sitting outside for another year. My brother in law really likes the Toyota and would be interested in owning/driving one. . . I told him I would help him thru the process but I am not sure he is cut out for that kind of project. He is a smart and entertaining guy and a welcome member of the family but not the most mechanically gifted. I know Id be doing the majority of the work -- which is ok -- but I'm not sure he can keep up with my level of activity and time spent in the shop. We will see what happens. . . the 1956 Dodge Power Wagon is patiently waiting its turn to be gone thru too.
For me the 40 is a way to clear the mind but when you get closer to completion the urge to drive it takes over. It helps to have a bigger project plus you need more tools.
Work and the honey do list will keep me busy for the next few months but I will try to sqeeze in some metal crunching hours.
I like to think time spent in the shop as therapy as well. Nothing else in the mind except the task at hand. . . and maybe which beer is best suited for said task. And yes, you can never have enough tools. We have a rather large assortment but I still found myself acquiring a few more for the 40. Looking forward to your posts/seeing you back in action.
A big Thank You @Ocho77 !
Thank you for taking the time to read thru the entire story.
Ive made the trip up your way a couple times -- cannot remember what time of the year it was on the last visit but the biting flies were terrible! Never made it up to Isle Royale National Park but that is a goal. Would love to chat over a couple brews. . . I just cannot do the IPA stuff though as my taste buds have an aversion to it!
There was a visitor at the farm earlier this week. Here is a side by side with the FJ40's younger, younger cousin.
While I must admit the exterior does not appeal to me as much on the newer FJs I was impressed with the interior. The owner has it set up nice with a custom roof rack, exhaust, intake, etc. -- just the way I would do it if it were mine. He looooved the 40. In fact he took the pictures and sent them to me via smart phone. Did not have the camera with me that day so all photo credits go to him.
Sometimes its the little things. . .
Picked the 40 up from the exhaust shop yesterday. They were able to better align the pipe with the frame and installed proper hangers. They also did a nice job of routing the tail pipe over the rear axle and out the back -- I went with a driver side exit as it was easier/more straight thru than making 90 degree bends to get to the passenger side.
Yes, I know the exhaust is below the frame but should easily clear any obstacles I plan to drive over. Still debating on whether or not to put a stainless tip on the end of the pipe. . . but we will cover that one day in the future when I install the tire carrier. I am waiting on one last little part for the tire carrier (perhaps Ive mentioned this -- apologies for redundancy) before it can be mounted.
I did acquire a rear view mirror -- and I did choose the day/night option mirror. Its a cheaper looking, plastic version vs. the older metal style but at least its OEM and bolts right on. If your mirror was missing like mine was make sure you also get the plastic cover that hides the mounting bolts. You'd think one might come with the mirror but no -- it has its own special part number.
Cannot forget about the windshield wipers. I blasted and repainted my original arms but had to order new blades. The OEM coloring should be black for the wiper arms and blades but I decided to bend the rules a little and paint my arms silver -- I used the blades from a '75-'77 model year as they came factory silver. Also painted the wiper mount covers.
With these new accessories attached I did a little more driving around the farm and took a ton more pictures. Not sure if I mentioned it in the past but photography is another interest and I tried capturing several 40 glamour shots which I will throw in another/the next post. Hopefully its not too much like looking at your neighbor's baby or vacation pictures. . . but I cannot help myself.
- Thread starter
- #485
I apologize in advance if oversharing, but be warned Ill probably do the same thing over again once the tire carrier is on.
Back in 2004 we built a covered bridge over a large stream between fields on the farm -- makes a nice backdrop for weddings, school pictures, . . . or important stuff like vehicles!
Read on to find out what that stuff is in the tire for this next pic.
These trucks look more at home surrounded by nature than pavement.
The view for oncoming traffic.
There. Its all out of my system for now. Unfortunately I did drive thru a couple cow pies on the way to/from the bridge (nearly impossible to miss in some spots!) so the 40 is looking better than it smells right now. Drove slow enough so as not to sling a mess on the underside; a cleanout of the tires will be the next priority.
Back in 2004 we built a covered bridge over a large stream between fields on the farm -- makes a nice backdrop for weddings, school pictures, . . . or important stuff like vehicles!
Read on to find out what that stuff is in the tire for this next pic.
These trucks look more at home surrounded by nature than pavement.
The view for oncoming traffic.
There. Its all out of my system for now. Unfortunately I did drive thru a couple cow pies on the way to/from the bridge (nearly impossible to miss in some spots!) so the 40 is looking better than it smells right now. Drove slow enough so as not to sling a mess on the underside; a cleanout of the tires will be the next priority.
Very Very Nice you did a great job your truck and the pics are cool to!!
JP
JP
Wow. Wow. Wow!!!
Vossie
#thecrazycruiserman
there is no such thing as over sharing, especially when you have a 40 this pretty
MScruiser
obsessive-compulsive oppositional-defiant wise-ass
Looks so good!
Know the p/n for the new rear view mirror and plastic cover? I have a new mirror from CruiserCorps, and it's a piece of crap.
Know the p/n for the new rear view mirror and plastic cover? I have a new mirror from CruiserCorps, and it's a piece of crap.
Looks excellent! When I restore mine it will be red but my next favorite color on an FJ40 is blue like yours.
75-76 Cover 87834-14011-03 Mirror Assy 87810-90801
Details on the fog lights?
- Thread starter
- #494
I will be honest. . . I have literally done nothing with the FJ40 this week.
I kept it in my thoughts as I was a good distance away -- dragged Mrs. TractorDoc with me out West for a quick fall vacation.
I did get to see several of the 40's relatives while we were out and about and I snapped a couple pictures of two of them. This fine early '70s specimen was spotted just outside of downtown Laramie, WY.
Also saw this more rugged expedition rig in Yellowstone (and later in Grand Teton) park itself. It had the full side hinge swing out door on the back.
I went the week without internet (but still a few phone calls) and really enjoyed it. Saw lots of wildlife -- I will throw up another post with some of the critters a little later once I go thru the pictures. For now I am working on unpacking and seeing what needs done around home after a week of absence.
We had a great time in Wyoming; if I had to sum up Yellowstone in one picture it would probably be this one. . .
Thermal features and Bison.
I had seen pictures of the Mouton (homesteaders) Barns from Grand Teton National Park for years -- I wanted to see (and photograph) them in person and missed that opportunity on past visits due to weather or timing. Made it happen this year though. . .
More to come. Apologies that you are literally looking at vacation pictures this time; but this group seems to enjoy outdoorsy stuff so I am throwing them out there.
I kept it in my thoughts as I was a good distance away -- dragged Mrs. TractorDoc with me out West for a quick fall vacation.
I did get to see several of the 40's relatives while we were out and about and I snapped a couple pictures of two of them. This fine early '70s specimen was spotted just outside of downtown Laramie, WY.
Also saw this more rugged expedition rig in Yellowstone (and later in Grand Teton) park itself. It had the full side hinge swing out door on the back.
I went the week without internet (but still a few phone calls) and really enjoyed it. Saw lots of wildlife -- I will throw up another post with some of the critters a little later once I go thru the pictures. For now I am working on unpacking and seeing what needs done around home after a week of absence.
We had a great time in Wyoming; if I had to sum up Yellowstone in one picture it would probably be this one. . .
Thermal features and Bison.
I had seen pictures of the Mouton (homesteaders) Barns from Grand Teton National Park for years -- I wanted to see (and photograph) them in person and missed that opportunity on past visits due to weather or timing. Made it happen this year though. . .
More to come. Apologies that you are literally looking at vacation pictures this time; but this group seems to enjoy outdoorsy stuff so I am throwing them out there.
Michael B
SILVER Star
Hey Doc don't worry about the pictures. You know this is a visually driven group. That's a big part of why we own Land Cruisers. I appreciate you sharing your excellent vacation pictures. It enables me to live vicariously through you until I can make my way west.
I think the second Cruiser pictured is a Bandarantie. Notice the lack of wiper motor cover with wipers on the bottom of the windshield.
Keep up the great work on your 40! I'm enjoying your build very much. It will be intersting to see how well the hard top fits the aluminum tub. I've heard it can be a tough area.
I think the second Cruiser pictured is a Bandarantie. Notice the lack of wiper motor cover with wipers on the bottom of the windshield.
Keep up the great work on your 40! I'm enjoying your build very much. It will be intersting to see how well the hard top fits the aluminum tub. I've heard it can be a tough area.
DSB345
SILVER Star
Great pics! Wanted to go there Last week but got tied up with work. Did you stay in Yellowstone or Jackson Hole?
- Thread starter
- #497
Many Thank Yous for all the comments while I was away. Feedback from others is one of the great resources of MUD and keeps me coming back to post and learn. I will try to keep the good times rolling, but I am starting to slow down as the "to do" list is getting shorter (Finally!).
Color choice is one of those difficult mental tasks. . . you want to get it right the first time if possible. I think the FJ40 looks great in any of the primary colors (red, yellow, blue) -- I did a lot of bouncing back and forth and looked at a lot of 40 pictures before I finally decided on this blue. I suppose you could also get a wrap installed -- would not be too complicated on these mostly flat trucks -- this way you could change the color if you did not like how it turned out. I was thinking that if I brought another one back to life I might go Red!
Fog lights were an OEM kit I ordered from CityRacerLLC.com ( @Racer65 here on MUD). Roger offers individual pieces or a complete kit including wiring harness and switch. Fair warning ahead of time. . . if you check out his website you will come away wanting more than just a fog light kit.
The old Power Wagon and the FJ40 do have a lot in common. There is a Power Wagon Forum but it does not seem to be as fun as this one
. Two websites that I will check into from time to time are VintagePowerWagons.com and DodgePowerWagon.com -- worth taking a look even just to check out the classifieds. I was lucky to find mine at a reasonable price -- if I'm not mistaken Hagerty has listed the Power Wagon as continually one of the hottest collector vehicles -- about 2/3 of the top 25 are trucks and SUVs. No surprise to us, right? The FJ40 fits right in with that line of thinking. . . other people are figuring out what we already know. 
I have also heard and read in other posts/archives that the hard top is not a direct fit to the Aqualu Tub. This was one area that looked to be addressed prior to my acquisition and the top looked to fit well (from the before pictures anyway) but we will see if that continues to be true when it comes time for a final fit.
Thanks Dave! We stayed several nights at the Canyon Lodge in Yellowstone, then the Coulter Bay Cabins at Grand Teton. Both locations were budget conscious but still very clean/comfortable and offered good central locations for exploring both parks. Yellowstone is huge and some people even divide their time between north and south side of the park. Feel free to shoot me a PM if you want any details; you may well know more than I do about the place but I'd be happy to tell you what I know. A place I really enjoyed much closer to home for you is Lassen Volcanic National Park -- it was out of the way in North Central California but decided to visit after Crater Lake in Oregon. I really enjoyed it and even thought it compared to a mini-Yellowstone.
Dad had me back on the wagon today. . . literally. He had the hay cut/ready to go and decided to get the square bailer out to make some horse hay. That meant I was wagon stacker, something I enjoyed during my younger days but the novelty has worn off a couple decades later. Luckily it was third cutting so the emerald green bails were not flying out of the kicker as quick as they usually do. We accomplished about half the prepped fields and ate up the better part of the afternoon -- time I should have used to cut grass but at least it was spent with family.
Dug out a few of my favorite critter pictures from the trip so here you go:
Bison were literally everywhere. Kind of like the rats of Yellowstone!
Elk were abundant as well. There is a resident herd in the Mammoth Hot Springs area and get quite close to the buildings (and the road!). In the fall they are in the rut and you can hear the bulls bugling in the evening -- a cool but eerie sound.
This Trumpeter Swan was swimming solo down the Firehole River. I read somewhere they can weigh in at 25lbs. and have an eight foot wingspan.
One evening in Grand Teton I saw a couple heads bobbing in the Snake River. I went down to the bank to get a closer look at the OxBow Bend Overlook and wouldn't you know a couple river otters swam up to the very same bank to munch on a fish they had caught.
We had left the parks saddened by the fact that we had not seen a moose. We checked every marshy spot where they should have been but nothing. The Moose Wizard must have heard us talking about it because after leaving the parks we spotted this guy along side the road in the Bridger Teton National Forest. There was a female not far off but not close enough to get in the picture.
I will work on one more post of some of the thermal features -- only to show some of what is out there and perhaps inspire others to visit the parks in the future. The Mrs. was constantly posting on Insta-Chat/Face Page and hearing back that people would be interested in seeing such things themselves/planning a visit to one of the parks. I camped my way thru a number of them when I was younger as an inexpensive way to see the country -- they continue to draw me in and I always find something new to see or explore.
- Thread starter
- #498
One More Round.
It was difficult to narrow down to five pictures.
First is Riverside Geyser. Probably named because it sits next to the Firehole River. Geysers are simply super heated water that shoot out of the ground when enough pressure builds up from heat. Scary to think that we are walking over a giant volcano that will someday to erupt. . . what a great vacation destination!
Yes, I did see Old Faithful Geyser. They have stadium seating surrounding the poor thing so the masses can take in the spectacle. I prefer to take in the sights off the beaten path. . . even though there are a few benches set up in front of Riverside Geyser as well.
Next up is Grand Prismatic Spring. This is/was one of the main things I wanted to see during my visit. I think it is the largest hot spring in the world -- on the boardwalk (far side of the spring) are people to give a reference to scale.
The colors in the water are light reflecting (blues/greens) and bacteria or algae growths (oranges/browns). A tip is not to come too early in the day/when the ambient temp is cooler as the hot water puts up a lot of steam/fog and the spring is not as easily seen.
A close up of some spring runoff from the West Thumb Geyser Basin. West Thumb is right up against Yellowstone Lake and I liked the contrast of colors.
The Yellowstone River has created its own Grand Canyon over time. There are several waterfalls; this is the lower falls and I drove out early for this picture from Artists Point while the Mrs. was still sleeping. The yellow canyon walls are what gives the park its name.
Last picture is back at Grand Teton National Park. There are several older barns on what is called Mormon Row; this is another with the Teton Range in the background.
I hope to have some 40 content in the next post, even if just dusting it off. If you made it this far thanks for looking/reading!
It was difficult to narrow down to five pictures.
First is Riverside Geyser. Probably named because it sits next to the Firehole River. Geysers are simply super heated water that shoot out of the ground when enough pressure builds up from heat. Scary to think that we are walking over a giant volcano that will someday to erupt. . . what a great vacation destination!
Yes, I did see Old Faithful Geyser. They have stadium seating surrounding the poor thing so the masses can take in the spectacle. I prefer to take in the sights off the beaten path. . . even though there are a few benches set up in front of Riverside Geyser as well
.Next up is Grand Prismatic Spring. This is/was one of the main things I wanted to see during my visit. I think it is the largest hot spring in the world -- on the boardwalk (far side of the spring) are people to give a reference to scale.
The colors in the water are light reflecting (blues/greens) and bacteria or algae growths (oranges/browns). A tip is not to come too early in the day/when the ambient temp is cooler as the hot water puts up a lot of steam/fog and the spring is not as easily seen.
A close up of some spring runoff from the West Thumb Geyser Basin. West Thumb is right up against Yellowstone Lake and I liked the contrast of colors.
The Yellowstone River has created its own Grand Canyon over time. There are several waterfalls; this is the lower falls and I drove out early for this picture from Artists Point while the Mrs. was still sleeping. The yellow canyon walls are what gives the park its name.
Last picture is back at Grand Teton National Park. There are several older barns on what is called Mormon Row; this is another with the Teton Range in the background.
I hope to have some 40 content in the next post, even if just dusting it off. If you made it this far thanks for looking/reading!
You're welcome. This helps me to plan our next vacation.
Gorgeous 40 and awesome photos, Doc!!
I got a call the other day, from a guy I knew in another life... Classmates 1st-6th grade and 8th-12th grade. I joined the Air Force and he 'disappeared'. Turns out he became a carpenter and worked 35 years, for the National Park Service, in Yellowstone... HeliCoptered out and dropped off, for days at a time, to rebuild/maintain remote structures.
Anyway, he's retired now and lives alone, on 20 acres, seven miles outside the entrance to the park, near Immigrant, MT. I'm anxious to take a trip up there when the weather warms next year and catch up on 50 years of visiting!!
I got a call the other day, from a guy I knew in another life... Classmates 1st-6th grade and 8th-12th grade. I joined the Air Force and he 'disappeared'. Turns out he became a carpenter and worked 35 years, for the National Park Service, in Yellowstone... HeliCoptered out and dropped off, for days at a time, to rebuild/maintain remote structures.
Anyway, he's retired now and lives alone, on 20 acres, seven miles outside the entrance to the park, near Immigrant, MT. I'm anxious to take a trip up there when the weather warms next year and catch up on 50 years of visiting!!
