First time Females and FJs
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... i will have to mention it at group this month. 
Don't encourage him...
My71FJ40 said:Funny thing is usually in group therapy I don't think they encourage each other IN their addiction.
Too funny.
I bought mine sight unseen on eBay, had it shipped from Portland to Austin, and everything has worked out fine. Oh, and it has a 350 in it. In other words, exactly everything the OP has been told NOT to do, or is not interested in. No hard and fast rules, the only thing that matters is the outcome. Kinda like life.
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- #84
I LOVE all the pictures...especially of exuberant owners with their 'new' 40, pics of the better halves (halfs?)..Thanks for sharing your stories and photos!!
Ive calmed down a bit over my excitement of getting serious about finding a 40..a little. I found the link posted here on mud of the 40 manuals, studying up the plusses and minuses of each factory year production (this is how I geek out, not quite sure if its normal BUT - yall are probably only going to encourage the obsession and second - well, its either read manuals and forum posts or look over the same old craigslist and ebay ads)
So here's the question of the day for you -
What is the one thing you wish you had known BEFORE you got your first 40?
Ive calmed down a bit over my excitement of getting serious about finding a 40..a little. I found the link posted here on mud of the 40 manuals, studying up the plusses and minuses of each factory year production (this is how I geek out, not quite sure if its normal BUT - yall are probably only going to encourage the obsession and second - well, its either read manuals and forum posts or look over the same old craigslist and ebay ads)
So here's the question of the day for you -
What is the one thing you wish you had known BEFORE you got your first 40?
that you don't drive a F/2F like a V8 ... that first 40 would have lasted more than 6 months.
next, i wish i would have known that Toyota sold a diesel 40 that returned such great fuel mileage and reliability
then, how rare a BJ42 really was so i wouldn't have beaten the crap out of my first one.
my wife would have liked to have known that she was going to marry me BEFORE she hired me to build her cruiser.
next, i wish i would have known that Toyota sold a diesel 40 that returned such great fuel mileage and reliability
then, how rare a BJ42 really was so i wouldn't have beaten the crap out of my first one.
my wife would have liked to have known that she was going to marry me BEFORE she hired me to build her cruiser.
G'day Sarca..
Its good to see that you're making a study, but dont geek out too much on this, they all have their differences. Early ones have tougher/stronger bodies, more agricultural with bad brakes that are hard to maintain. Later ones can have more mod cons, disc brakes, power steering, air conditioning and even 5speed gear boxes..
Forgive me, but I repeat, Go for the best body you can find for your cash preferably with disc brakes.
Nothing is more soul destroying than a rusted out body thats not easy to repair. Take a magnet with you and look for bad bondo repairs, carefully inspect floors, wheel arches and rear quarter panels. All other componants are bolt on bolt off repair or replaceable.
Petrol (gas) motors, F, 2F or V8 are easier and cheaper to to repair and maintain than diesels, but diesels give better economy..
Sorry for the nag..(Yesss dad)
I wish I knew then what i know now...
All the best..
.. Gaz..
Its good to see that you're making a study, but dont geek out too much on this, they all have their differences. Early ones have tougher/stronger bodies, more agricultural with bad brakes that are hard to maintain. Later ones can have more mod cons, disc brakes, power steering, air conditioning and even 5speed gear boxes..
Forgive me, but I repeat, Go for the best body you can find for your cash preferably with disc brakes.
Nothing is more soul destroying than a rusted out body thats not easy to repair. Take a magnet with you and look for bad bondo repairs, carefully inspect floors, wheel arches and rear quarter panels. All other componants are bolt on bolt off repair or replaceable.
Petrol (gas) motors, F, 2F or V8 are easier and cheaper to to repair and maintain than diesels, but diesels give better economy..
Sorry for the nag..(Yesss dad)
I wish I knew then what i know now...
All the best..
.. Gaz..
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three things...
a) how much money they can inhale
b) that you don't drive a v8 like a cruiser...that first motor would've lasted more than 2 months
c) how much cooler fj55s are
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The only reason I chose an fj40 over a Jeep or early Bronco was that my wife said it was what I needed. I would love to build/restore one for her someday, maybe an fj45 short bed. She currently has possession of "her" factory lockered fzj80 she calls "da Bruiser" and refers to it as "he, him, his"etc. (femenists!) I have to blame her for our addiction. I'm so glad I obeyed.
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- Thread starter
- #89
three things...
a) how much money they can inhale
b) that you don't drive a v8 like a cruiser...that first motor would've lasted more than 2 months
c) how much cooler fj55s are
Now that my huz has figured out this is happening, he's taken a liking to 55s..says "but you might want to haul your 40 around" and "what if we want a bigger boat - your 40 wouldnt tow it"
Uh Oh..I think Ive started something.
Your wife isnt alone...I refer to them as 'she' and 'her' - I think its the affection..you cant love something that you refer to as "it"..but maybe its just us feminists
Funny my wife
says I can see a 40 through a fenced in backyard. (quote "what are you doin looking for landcruisers") You are all done I'm 56 and I have had the fever since I was 17.
Your wife isnt alone...I refer to them as 'she' and 'her' - I think its the affection..you cant love something that you refer to as "it"..but maybe its just us feminists
silly people, jeeps are girls
silly people, jeeps are girls
Well, my Pig, TWRECKS, is a female too. Though, I did try to hang some home-made truck nuts (two soccer balls in a burlap sack) on her once. She rejected them on a trail, I haven't tried again.
The female of the species is usually the more terrible. Pighead learned this long ago.
Pighead did mention to Nucularlemon, just this past Saturday, when you inquired if TWRECKS could even feel the busted down rig we were towing back to camp... "She may not look it, but she is sensitive" says Pighead.
55's won't tow any more than the '40. Same engine and more frame and body.
disagree completely ...
both are easy to repair
both are cheap to repair
both are basically pistons, crank, cam, block (one with higher compression)
diesel injection system is simple compared to dealing with a carb
diesel - glow plugs
gas - spark plugs
for me, what ever is under the hood (not a V8) is what i would drive. if i am putting on a lot of km a year then i want diesel. if it is a weekend putting around truck with some wheeling then a gasser if fine.
BUT
the older diesels are getting harder and harder to find parts for so take that into consideration before dropping the hard earned cash.
both are easy to repair
both are cheap to repair
both are basically pistons, crank, cam, block (one with higher compression)
diesel injection system is simple compared to dealing with a carb
diesel - glow plugs
gas - spark plugs
for me, what ever is under the hood (not a V8) is what i would drive. if i am putting on a lot of km a year then i want diesel. if it is a weekend putting around truck with some wheeling then a gasser if fine.
BUT
the older diesels are getting harder and harder to find parts for so take that into consideration before dropping the hard earned cash.
If you want a cheap fj40 for under $7000. Downunder is thew place to look
fj40 cars | eBay
fj40 cars | eBay
Sarca, welcome to the family. I've had my mistress for 27 years and the addiction never fades. Finding a low rust 40 on the east coast may take time or it can jump out and bite you when you least expect. I blew an engine in my Volvo and looked in the newspaper for a vehicle. The ad for the '78 FJ40 literally reached out and grabbed me by the neck saying "you know you cannot live without me". You never can tell. I know that there are many 40s here in southern Arizona. They just do not rust like they do in higher humidity areas. Best of luck and I'm sure you will find her. I must add that I laughed when you said that you would not install power steering. I drove my 40 for over a decade with manual steering. Adding PS made the biggest change in enjoyment factor of any modification I've done. And I've made quite a few.
THIS:
The ad for the '78 FJ40 literally reached out and grabbed me by the neck saying "you know you cannot live without me".
true wisdom in black and white ... i felt the same way when i first saw my PZJ70 ragtop.
The ad for the '78 FJ40 literally reached out and grabbed me by the neck saying "you know you cannot live without me".
true wisdom in black and white ... i felt the same way when i first saw my PZJ70 ragtop.
for me, the cruisers are male, too
I just wanted to see First Time FJ Females 
Sarca, looks like I'm late to the party, welcome! I went in 50/50 with my dad in '85 for my first FJ40 just to have something tough to bounce around west Texas and southern New Mexico in. In retrospect I'm not sure I have any regrets other than getting one sooner. In the beginning, when she wasn't a novelty it was just pure enjoyment, gas the tank and check the oil and point in the direction of your choice. Not the fastest from point A to B but she always seemed to get there, and often brought some folks home that ran into difficulties.
Later in the game, I've started to take a different approach and started to address her little ailments after years of point and go. I found MUD and with it a very broad and interesting community, albeit my LC disease is now at a more advanced stage as a result. There is a lot of good advise posted up in this thread and tons more tucked away here on MUD.
You will find your machine and possibly kick yourself for missing a couple of things in the excitement of the purchase, but I doubt you will regret a minute of the experience. Good Luck finding your truck and welcome to the slow lane.
Later in the game, I've started to take a different approach and started to address her little ailments after years of point and go. I found MUD and with it a very broad and interesting community, albeit my LC disease is now at a more advanced stage as a result. There is a lot of good advise posted up in this thread and tons more tucked away here on MUD.
You will find your machine and possibly kick yourself for missing a couple of things in the excitement of the purchase, but I doubt you will regret a minute of the experience. Good Luck finding your truck and welcome to the slow lane.