Finally got me one

[FJ40zen]

Some more stuff has been done, so I thought I'd update this thread. ARB'd Front & Rear, 4.56 R&P, 4+Plus Rear Tire and Rack, MAF Shackled(I need a pair for the back now) and a Tuffy Center console. Enjoying driving it now for over 3000 miles since the latest changes, but I need to do some steel panel patching and add an Orion next spring.

 

[FJ40zen]

More.

 

[FJ40zen]

Had to get rid of the rust..

I hope all of the purists cover their eyes and don't see this. I was not about to go the OEM way since it is a defective design.

I replaced the bed with a 16 ga one of my own design as well as a sill of my own making - 2x4x1/8 tube. I don't think it will rust out for a very long, long time. I trimmed the fenders in since they were tweaked since I got the cruiser. I trimmed the rocker panels almost to the floor seam and replaced all the rust with the patch method - everywhere. Minimizing all of the layered thin steel as much as possible. New poly body mounts were installed and I am having some rock sliders built.

Painted it an almost VooDoo Blue color. (Of course it is rattle can also!) All of this work and material will cost under $400. The body is much more stable and the sill area under the bed is very easy to clean fully.




More to come later.

 

[Curtice]

Beautiful.

 

[scott johnson]

I had to cut out the bottom 2 inches of my tub and the rear sill too. They were totally rusted out. I built a frame out of 1x1 steel and layered it with 16 ga. The rear sill is 1" x 5" thick walled tube (its what I had on hand) Then I sprayed it all with spray can bedliner.

Nice build. Don't worry about the purist, they will be OK.

 

[FJ40zen]

^That looks neat!


I knotched my 2x4 where the body mounts on the inside are located and cut the ends on an angle(open end forward) to access the body mounts. I can also pressure wash the tube out if needed. No worries about drying the tube out here in CO.

 

[scott johnson]

I cut out the bottom but was able to save the body mount cross bars. Then at the back I used some of the body mounting rubber and bolted the 2 x5 directly to the rear cross member. Connected the sub frame I built to the two cross bars. The combo makes the tub really stout.

 

[FJ40zen]

Rock Sliders added

4 tubes each side.

 

[FJ40zen]

U-Bolt Flip Kit and figuring out rear disk brake installation. Notice the "L" on the right side of the caliper? Yup, needed to switch that out for the "right" one. Both upgrades are working out very well. Both were very easy upgrades. No more loud scraping over the rocks and I can stop quickly in a straight line. More to come in a few months!

 

[JohnnyOshow22]

It is with a sad heart I am going to take over this thread and continue posting updates on Bob @FJ40zen's behalf as I am now the owner of his beautiful 40.


Bob (61) past away on June 14th, 2021. Rest in peace my friend, may we wheel together again someday.


I met Bob when I was 20 years old in 2015. I had just moved to Fort Collins Colorado to start what I thought would be a 4 year degree at CSU. I didn't know anyone but I packed up my trusty 80 series and off I went. Shortly after moving I went to one of the local TLCA chapters (Horsetooth 4Wheelers) club meetings and there I met this quirky awesome hippy mountain man, Bob. Bob was quite the character but had a grit to him and knowledge about cruisers, wheeling, and all the trails. We immediately became friends.

Not to long before then Bob also met and became friends with my wife. He introduced me to her in October at a snow wheeling run up on Ballard road and the rest is history but before he made that introduction Bob met Polly at a random 4x4 meet up in foco. He was there in his 40, Polly had her 1986 4runner. Polly really didn't know anyone there so Bob went over introduced himself and explained to her that this random group of 4x4's wasn't for her and that she should come to the Horsetooth 4 wheeler meetings instead. Polly did just that and became friends with Bob and the rest of the club members.

Bob earned his nickname from us "Our Fearless Leader". He would take us and the club all over Colorado on some awesome trails and help everyone when they needed it. We had a ton of work parties on club members rigs and he'd always make time to help. Lots of snow wheeling trips and summer camping. Just truly a great cruiser/toyota head that just wanted to be in the mountains using his Toyotas. A lot of trips were just Polly Bob since we had that same drive to go camping/wheeling.

Thanks to Bob I married Polly on 7/14/2018, we had our wedding at 12,500 ft on top of radical hill (across from redcone/webster pass, south of montezuma). The horsetooth 4 wheelers club helped us by shuffling our guests to the top of the mountain (IIRC i think there were 50+ people there). It was a huge effort and just went to show how close Bob had made the community.

I wish there were more Bob's in this world. I've known Bob for just a little under a quarter of my life and in those 6 years he did so much for me and my wife. He was a true friend and mentor and I owe a lot to him. His 40 will be maintained, and used how he would've wanted it. This 40 is a huge part of his legacy and between Polly and I it will live on.

Here's to "Our Fearless Leader" Bob Paul

 

[1969FJ]

Let us say a prayer. Much to young to die.

 

[JohnnyOshow22]

This week I got a lot done to get it running properly. The 40 has sat for the last 2 years so I knew there would be a few things that needed to happen to get it on the road. On attempting to start it I discovered that it turned over incredibly slow even with a new battery and once it started it wouldn't idle well and given any throttle it would fall on its face and die. Looking at the wiring I knew the main starter wire and all the grounds would need redone and looking over the carburetor I decided it was probably worth rebuilding since I could see a lot of buildup inside. So last Tuesday I started it's maintenance by rebuilding the carb (definitely debris inside), put on a new oem fuel pump since it had a weird electric pump with regulator, took the hardtop off put on the bikini top. In between work on Tuesday (work is building land cruisers all day at Overland Cruisers up here in Montana) I managed to get all that done. On Wednesday Polly and I went to dinner on our anniversary in it and even though it still barely turned over it started all Wednesday by itself. Yesterday I replaced the main starter wire, redid the terminals with milspec style clamps, redid the battery to frame ground and added a ground from block directly to battery. Turns over like a 2f should now and starts in less than 2 seconds. Drives fantastic but there is a miss in the higher RPM range that at some point I'll have to figure out. I also changed all the oil in the engine, trans, tcase and diffs just to baseline it and inspect the condition. Now to just drive it and enjoy it for a bit. At some point I'd like to add a radio and speakers but that will likely be a winter project.

 

[FJ40|RUNNER]

What a story about how Bob impacted you and Polly’s lives. Sounds like he was a really special guy. Awesome you’re continuing the story of his ‘40, I’m sure he would be proud.

 

[JohnnyOshow22]

What a story about how Bob impacted you and Polly’s lives. Sounds like he was a really special guy. Awesome you’re continuing the story of his ‘40, I’m sure he would be proud.

Thank you he was a great man

Continuing on with the 40 I redid the latch on the 4 plus bumper tonight. The 4 plus is a stout stout bumper, I've installed many of 4plus bumpers and while built really well but the latch falls short. While very strong the eyelet bolt, cam handle and hitch pin are cumbersome. Bob opted for a 3/4" bolt vs the cam handle. I needed an easy way to open and close the bumper, dogs will be loaded in and out often and other stuff too so it had to change. I opted for a Destaco 2000 lb latch with clasp so it can't open by itself. This is the same latch that is on my 4x4 labs rear bumper on my 80 and it is strong, fast and easy to open, never had an issue in 8 years. Swingouts work how they should now, easy!

 

[White Stripe]

I think I remember meeting that guy at a swap meet or something. Sad he passed away. A lot of people have passed away this last year and a half.

 

[JohnnyOshow22]

Went camping this weekend in the Tobacco Root mountains. Took our 80 and the 40.

 

[JohnnyOshow22]

Got out again this past weekend for the 406 Cruisers "40's only run". Went over to the tobacco roots and meandered around! First longer trip in the 40 with one of the dogs, he did great

 

[JohnnyOshow22]

Added a sticker to the 40 today

 

[JohnnyOshow22]

Will be trailering the 40 down to moab for 25 annual Cruise Moab! Anyone else going in their 40? Very excited to be going down in the 40, we've been to Moab a bunch of times in our 80 and it'll be exciting to be in a smaller more nimble vehicle

Prep is in full swing

-Fixed intake manifold vacuum leak
-Fixed Carb plate vacuum leak
-Fixed idle fuel solenoid operation
-Adjusted the valves
-Created an exhaust leak at the manifold/head... Stupid headers
-Adjusted the fuel air mixture.

Runs way better now that she is breathing properly!

Still on the list, on another weekend

-Adjust/fix parking brake
-Fix Orion popping out of low range, very scary
-Fix front arb solenoid electrical issue
-Replace Windshield
-Replace DS seatbelt
-Fix exhaust leak if time
-Maybe install efi... Maybe, very undecided

Not too bad of a list for a 44 year old vehicle!

 

[MDH33]

I`m sad to hear about Bob passing, he was a good dude indeed. I had the opportunity to meet him when I used to live in Colorado and was part of the Rising Sun club. I used to lead the annual "40's Only Run" from 2007 till 2014 when I relocated to IA. Rising Sun is still continueing the tradition and the Horsetooth 4 Wheelers have had folks participate many times. I'm glad Bob's 40 and his spirit are still on the trail.

Rising Sun 40' s Only Run 2011

Bob's (your 40) is the 4th from the right. Good times.

Looking forward to meeting you at Cruise Moab and seeing the 40 again.