Family FJ Build : '76 40 Resto/Frame Off (a.k.a. the Japanese Baby Buggy) (1 Viewer)

[zerotreedelta]

Brakes are all sorted - one rear fitting had the tiniest of a weep, hence the slightly soft pedal after sitting. Just a snug up and all better it seems. Knocked out the last few little bits too - front metal seat backs, rear floor mat, radio antenna, spare tire, etc...nice to see the parts pile continue to shrink.

10 miles under the belt, the Sniper is settling in but still plenty of self-tuning for it to do. Drives surprisingly good already - happy with the Sniper + Hyperspark combo. I do have the *tiniest* of a tick from the timing gears, doesn't seem unheard of for the 2Fs. Will keep an ear on it for now - my suspicion is that it'll quiet a bit with the eventual switch from the break-in oil as well, but we'll see. Hopefully won't need to peel the timing gears back off, but not the worst job if needed.

Fabbed up a gutter riveting tool, seems to to the deed...on to stripping the hardtop down tomorrow now that I'm a bit more sure I can get it back together.

 

[Slapshot]

Looks awesome dude! Post some pics of your hard top refurb. I’ll be doing mine soon and need some inspiration.

 

[zerotreedelta]

Two afternoons, but the glass is cleaned up. Three layers to clear out...metallic gray, mailtruck blue, and the original Cygnus. The Cygnus was paint as well as far as I could tell via some acetone. Glass is in good shape...the only ding is on the inside layer, and smaller than 1/2". It may have even been there since new, as I don't think the headliner had any damage in that spot.

Nothing too difficult, but lots of time with the DA and the inline sander...slow and steady wins the race here. Looking forward to getting the rail blasted, glad I removed it...the inside lip was also a bit crusty with surface rust. Nothing crazy, but also impossible to treat while it was attached.

And I could've left the mottled blue and white for a good stonewashed jeans look there...

 

[zerotreedelta]

Gutter all blasted...ran out of time to do the metalwork, so that'll be in the AM. Also got the visor/windshield brace blasted, but it's in hiding under the top.

Hopefully can knock out the repairs in the am, shoot some epoxy primer on the rails in the afternoon...then on to reassembly Monday (sealant and clecos).

 

[Green Bean]

Gutter all blasted...ran out of time to do the metalwork, so that'll be in the AM. Also got the visor/windshield brace blasted, but it's in hiding under the top.

Hopefully can knock out the repairs in the am, shoot some epoxy primer on the rails in the afternoon...then on to reassembly Monday (sealant and clecos).

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Very nice job. All of your prep work will pay off in the finished product. How do you intend on attaching the visor to the cap?

 

[zerotreedelta]

I left the front windshield brace/visor attached - the rivets were still tight and it only had very light surface rust and old paint. I figured better to leave in place and in alignment vs pull it off, all things considered.

I just used some gaffer tape and scraps of sheet rubber to protect the fiberglass around it while I blasted it, and it'll get primed and painted in place.

The gutter/rail will get some sikaflex, then the aluminum solid rivets, then some self leveling sealer in the gutter itself.

 

[zerotreedelta]

27 miles on it...so far, so good.

All patched up, and the rail and visor are all primed, resting for the night. Should be ready for some sealant and clecos to mate things back together in the AM, and rivets Tues or Weds.

 

[zerotreedelta]

Oh...and does anyone else have these stampings in the rear on the inner lip?

Seems factory, but doesn't seem like a P/N or a date.

 

[zerotreedelta]

Hardtop all back together...clecos worked good, and the riveting actually went pretty quick. I think it was just under an hour or so. I didn't notice when I'd ordered (I snagged the P/N from another thread on hardtops), but the rivets were flathead vs the original domed...that said, I think it's actually a bit nicer, so not too concerned. Rotisserie coming in handy yet again, should help make it a bit easier to paint methinks. Still needs the seam sealer, but closing in on paint.

Cranked out a prototype Sniper screen mount that tags off the bolts on the dash. It's visible, but not right in field of view...but I was also trying to keep it fairly hidden. The alternative idea is to slide it up but in that same spot, but I do like not obscuring the original dash as much as possible...it's not something you need for anything critical, really. At least it's not flopping around willy nilly anymore...

 

[Green Bean]

Hardtop all back together...clecos worked good, and the riveting actually went pretty quick. I think it was just under an hour or so. I didn't notice when I'd ordered (I snagged the P/N from another thread on hardtops), but the rivets were flathead vs the original domed...that said, I think it's actually a bit nicer, so not too concerned. Rotisserie coming in handy yet again, should help make it a bit easier to paint methinks. Still needs the seam sealer, but closing in on paint.

Cranked out a prototype Sniper screen mount that tags off the bolts on the dash. It's visible, but not right in field of view...but I was also trying to keep it fairly hidden. The alternative idea is to slide it up but in that same spot, but I do like not obscuring the original dash as much as possible...it's not something you need for anything critical, really. At least it's not flopping around willy nilly anymore...

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Your hardtop turned out really well. It was a bit of a challenge to line up all of the holes when we recently went to mount ours I found that starting in the back and working toward the front worked out best.

 

[zerotreedelta]

Looking forward to getting it painted this week...it's the last real bit of paint left.

Good to know on the assembly...hoping for not too much headache, but won't know until you get into it. That does match somewhat what I found when doing the dry fit assembly and taking it on and off repeatedly, though. I had fairly good luck tagging on the back corners, then working the b-pillar into line. Luckily, the doors and hardtop sides have been curing since July, so the paint there has had some time to harden up.

 

[GatorPlater]

the rivets are bottom flat and top pull through? I am sure you will toss up a pic inside the top rail when you do the self leveling before paint. looks great.

 

[Green Bean]

Looking forward to getting it painted this week...it's the last real bit of paint left.

Good to know on the assembly...hoping for not too much headache, but won't know until you get into it. That does match somewhat what I found when doing the dry fit assembly and taking it on and off repeatedly, though. I had fairly good luck tagging on the back corners, then working the b-pillar into line. Luckily, the doors and hardtop sides have been curing since July, so the paint there has had some time to harden up.

Don't know if it is orthodox or not but I used some 3M weatherstrip adhesive (08011) to tack down the rubber seal to keep it from sliding around while positioning the hardtop. I think it helped keep the holes in the weatherstrip lined up for the most part. Same for the rubber on the top of the windshield frame.

 

[zerotreedelta]

Solid rivets - flat heads,

the rivets are bottom flat and top pull through? I am sure you will toss up a pic inside the top rail when you do the self leveling before paint. looks great.

Flat head solid rivets from McMaster, was in another thread here : McMaster-Carr - https://www.mcmaster.com/97481A125/

I ran the flat head on the lower (as it's exposed), and the riveting tool mushroomed the tops. Most mushroomed pretty good, and a handful were slightly less pretty but still tight and functional. They'll all get buried under self-leveling seam sealer, so I didn't bother to pull the oddballs and re-rivet.

Didn't have one of the uppers on the top, but did snag a video capture of my test subjects (the blue was mimicing the fiberglass, so those are the "uppers").

 

[Slapshot]

Do you have the specs on the rivets?(the link didn’t work without a login)
I like the flat head design.

 

[zerotreedelta]

Do you have the specs on the rivets?(the link didn’t work without a login)
I like the flat head design.

Aluminum Flat Head Solid Rivets​

1/8" Diameter, for 0.313" Maximum Material Thickness​

Length 0.375"

 

[zerotreedelta]

Upper rivets pre-primer...and primer all on. Needs to dry, then the seam sealer can go in the gutter. There's a couple tiny spots in the glass that need some pinholes filled where the sanding got through the coat, but all in all, pretty good shape.

While I was spraying the primer, I somehow heard a small tap-tap-tap on the garage door...I was all suited up with primer in the gun, so was only able to wave and show that fact through the window. Figured it was something like sales...peeked out a minute later and they were checking out the 40, guessing that's why they stopped. If you happen to be on here, stop another day.

 

[zerotreedelta]

Seam sealer in, came out nice...like most, needed more than one tube, but less than two. I barely covered the rivets, but that does fill in about approximately half of the gutter or so. It's definitely not 1976 OEM, where just the gap is sealed with deep gutter and exposed upper rivets, but it's likely worth it to deviate a bit for something that seals things up a bit tighter...there's a reason the gutters get the rust they do, so anything to help is a good thing.

Blocksanding in the AM, then hopefully some final white goes on in the afternoon...

 

[cims1970fj40]

Rear heater lines all redone, I used silicone firesleeve to replace the worn/aged foam. In theory, it should hold up a bit better as well, yet still hold the heat in. You do need a little bit in 3/4/19m for the front heater lines, then the rear is that 15mm:
Amazon product ASIN B07WYXT1ZFAmazon product ASIN B08DD3QKRN
Factory lines were still good, complete with 1975 date marks...it's interesting which parts hold up, the orange rubber throttle boot was also remarkably good. Front heater box is all tucked in too...looking to button up the fuel tank, and then front heater and seats can start going in...

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Looking good! Is the clip circled OEM please?

 

[zerotreedelta]

It is OEM/factory. There's the D-strap up front that goes around the sheathing, that "double-C" clamp that pinches directly against the hardlines, then another D-strap that goes around the hoses near where the fuel line comes through.

It's just left of the 8/9, but not listed as a specific part.