first 1978 FJ40 rebuild...
- Thread starter lvshust
- Start date
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- Thread starter
- #63
i have plenty of small projects to keep me busy while the the 40's in the body shop.
i started on the speedo cluster, which is in rougher shape then i expected. rust has made its way on the faces, lots of dirt has collected in the case. needles no longer have cover, and the amp gauge mount is bent and twisted. gaskets are in great shape and glass is also good, but will be resurfacing the four pieces.
repainting all cases with factory colors and re-plating where necessary. new rubber tubing on electrical connections.
original factory application of the numbers and markings on the faces is just not practical, so next best thing... designing an exact copy with Illustrator and having a dry transfer made. make a new gasket then finish off with lubing parts, needle paint and new bulbs and hardware.
i started on the speedo cluster, which is in rougher shape then i expected. rust has made its way on the faces, lots of dirt has collected in the case. needles no longer have cover, and the amp gauge mount is bent and twisted. gaskets are in great shape and glass is also good, but will be resurfacing the four pieces.
repainting all cases with factory colors and re-plating where necessary. new rubber tubing on electrical connections.
original factory application of the numbers and markings on the faces is just not practical, so next best thing... designing an exact copy with Illustrator and having a dry transfer made. make a new gasket then finish off with lubing parts, needle paint and new bulbs and hardware.
Nice project! What color are you going with? Also how are you getting that liner out? I heard that can be a NIGHTMARE! Good luck, Mark.
- Thread starter
- #65
thanks mark-
will be going with the 1978 sky blue...
yeah the liner looks rediculous! i didnt want' to tackle that so the shop will be doing it... ;p
i took some off with a screwdriver, finding one spot that was open and prying the stuff off bit by bit. lots of sanding for them...
- Thread starter
- #69
-slightly brushed the top with 600 grit to prepare for paint
-with a very small brush, painted the letters with three coats of sherwin williams tractor white which is a match for toyota white originally used on these pieces.
in between the coats i let it cure with 10 minutes of heat.
-renewed case with 3 coats of tire shine applied over a few hours. case absorbed this rather nicely.
-the gasket is in great shape, so no need to replace
-better then new (because it came with the rig)
-with a very small brush, painted the letters with three coats of sherwin williams tractor white which is a match for toyota white originally used on these pieces.
in between the coats i let it cure with 10 minutes of heat.
-renewed case with 3 coats of tire shine applied over a few hours. case absorbed this rather nicely.
-the gasket is in great shape, so no need to replace
-better then new (because it came with the rig)
It seems like you are putting a lot of $$$$ in to paint and body. I would suggest in case you are not doing it, is to remove the top, fenders, aprons and doors and paint separately. I would change out all the hardware and use all new seals. Their is usually rust between the hard top and tub.
While you have the speedo apart do yourself a favor and remove all the light shields and toss them. make a whole lot of diffrence in seeing your gauges.
- Thread starter
- #73
hey mark-
i am getting a very sweet deal on the paint and body... lets just say anywhere else i would have just been able to do minor body and interior for the price of the whole job
he will be shooting light primer with all parts on to check proper alignment, then disassemble the whole car and go over all the parts in detail then shoot will final primer. after that the plan is base coat/ clear coat with sherwin williams SKY BLUE.
if i had a better camera you could see these guys are very good at detail, everything welded not bondo patched.
most of the guys in the shop have never seen this truck before, and commented on how thick and nice the steel is compared to other vehicles of the era. i supplied them with detailed pictures, inside and out and roll in every three days to snap some progress.
- Thread starter
- #74
ron-
thanks for the tip, i have noticed most clusters i do see are very dark...
that speedo cluster alone will be quite the job...
- Thread starter
- #75
thanks assassin-
i fear that if i had more money, this FJ would be done around the second coming...
i just really have to tackle each mini job with what i have, but hard for me to make any concessions and necessary if i want to get it on the road...
Another 78 Fj40 newbee
Hi Let me start with the SICKNESS.No better words discribe the mental state im in when near my 40.
its all good. Started replacing the 350 engine ,nothing too crazy.Now the only thing left on machine is the tub and lots of parts all over my man cave,looking forward to the adventure. Just wanta say thanks to all you guys at IH8mud for the info,Beers on me 
Hi Let me start with the SICKNESS.No better words discribe the mental state im in when near my 40.
its all good. Started replacing the 350 engine ,nothing too crazy.Now the only thing left on machine is the tub and lots of parts all over my man cave,looking forward to the adventure. Just wanta say thanks to all you guys at IH8mud for the info,Beers on me
- Thread starter
- #77
Hi Let me start with the SICKNESS.No better words discribe the mental state im in when near my 40.
welcome to mud stoolk good luck on your rig
a great place for me to meet other addicts, i dream of driving my first FJ at some point in the new future.
Could you please explain me how you did to disassemble the speedo cluster this way. I'm also trying to get the Instrument Cluster restored.
- Thread starter
- #79
wow.. i have not posted in 3 months! this work thing has got in the way of my FJ..
the panels have been removed and they have had final once over and primed.
the inside floor and rear pan need to be sanded down and primed. a few more holes need to be welded up, the windshield screw guide has lifted from the dash, so this needs to be spot welded back in place...
the panels have been removed and they have had final once over and primed.
the inside floor and rear pan need to be sanded down and primed. a few more holes need to be welded up, the windshield screw guide has lifted from the dash, so this needs to be spot welded back in place...
