Fj40 dos 78 blue Name tbd

[alabamatacomaguy]

After selling my first 40 that I never could make time to work on I am making time to post about the 40 I found that made me change direction. It’s a 78 that I’ll get into in the coming posts. I’m using this to document my journey and keep up with my ownership of the new to me blue 40.

 

[alabamatacomaguy]

I picked up my first 40 about 3 years before this one. It was a more “fixer up” project that I tried for a few years to make nicer and documented in a different thread on mud. I named it frank even though my fil mentioned a males name was bad luck. It’s thread is linked in my signature.

I started looking for a finished 40 after realizing I just didn’t have the time my project one needed to be finished. I lost out on a couple good ones to other buyers over a few months and started thinking about focusing on my project one again but free time is a resource I have very little of. One Sunday night checking Craigslist while my wife watched tv, a 40 that looked like what my head was wanting to build popped up. I shot the owner a couple of texts telling him how interested I was and how I would be there the next day to buy... but he had a few other interested parties he claimed who would look first. I continued texting him starting around 11pm until after midnight when my wife reminded me I would probably scare him and make him think I was crazy. So I layed in bed looking over the screenshooted pics again and again until I couldn’t take it and did some work on my laptop to prepare for a Monday of traveling in case it’s worked out I could get away for the day. I messaged the seller again around 6 or 7 am telling him I wasn’t crazy but I would be a serious buyer for the fj that afternoon.

The 40 was located 375 miles away just over 5 and a half hours north in Huntsville. It just so happened I had lived in the city a few years back and had family around the halfway point in Birmingham I could stay the night to make it easy... but I had to get it first. The seller told me he would be in touch after a few hours but I couldn’t lose out. I contacted a nice active member in the landcruiser community I had met a few months prior who lived in the same city to see if he knew any details on the truck. Michael 76fj40 on here with the great 78 Fj45 build. He contacted the seller and said something to the effect of I wasn’t crazy and that was enough to get me to the front of the line. I threw everything quickly into my fj cruiser to head north, except my trailer hitch.

I left my place around 9am to head out and hopefully get another 40. The day was spent stopping by my local bank and heading north while making calls to arrange a trailer to use. After the deal was done I started heading back south arriving at my grandmothers hour drive past her bedtime a time after 11. I stayed over night at my grandmothers house who was happy to have me.

 

[alabamatacomaguy]

It’s first night in the garage I had to flip bezel.

 

[reddingcruiser]

Well, welcome back! Looking forward to seeing the progress.
Looks like a good 40 to start the journey.

 

[alabamatacomaguy]

2f mostly stock and mostly there. Someone desmogged in the past which is fine since I don’t live in communist California. I’m assuming it needs a carb rebuild, full tune up and adjustment. It runs best at half choke but still could be better. The ignition has been swapped for something not stock I’m not well versed on that area so I’ll have to research what’s best. It has a newer header which looks great but seems as hot as a August afternoon in Alabama. I would hate to have to wrap them but that may be the only option besides finding an old Toyota one to get the heat out of there. That’s for a post down the road.

Pic of the 2 40s and my garage that needs organizing.

 

[alabamatacomaguy]

Now that my project 40 is sold I’m going to start giving this one attention. Started with a small order to racer to get a few things. I ordered on Tuesday and it was here by Thursday. Wow! Great experience all around, my local dealer took a month to get me a fastener for my fjc in the past.

 

[ginmtb]

Wow looks great! Doesn’t look like much needs to be done to it. Lucky dawg! Congrats!

 

[David70FJ40]

+1 on Racer. Outstanding service and a MUD member I will support.

 

[imyahucklbrry]

Uh.... now I see why you sold Frank
Good looking truck!

 

[TractorDoc]

I would have probably done the same thing if I was in your position.

Now you will have a 40 that you can work on and enjoy driving at the same time. . . the best of both worlds!

Blue looks great (it is the vision of what I wanted when I started searching for a truck of my own); still working on a name for mine as well. Sooner or later something inspirational will come along and we can stop calling them 40. . . they are already members of the family but a name makes it "official."

Looking forward to your future adventures!

 

[alabamatacomaguy]

The mrs was a good Santa Claus this year.

No free time to enjoy the cruiser but have hung a few things in the garage cruiser related.

The land cruiser service sign is from the in laws for Xmas, whits end poster from last Xmas, waiting on the 40 series one

 

[gator25]

That's a good looking truck, congrats.

 

[TheHardWay]

Okay, I'll bite - where did Mrs. Claus get that framed print - or did she have a little elf make it?

 

[cbmontgo]

Very nice looking 40.

 

[GA Architect]

The mrs was a good Santa Claus this year.

No free time to enjoy the cruiser but have hung a few things in the garage cruiser related.

The land cruiser service sign is from the in laws for Xmas, whits end poster from last Xmas, waiting on the 40 series one

Nice 40....Oh, and nice WP banner! Did you do any tubing in Fraser or grab a pizza at Hernando's?

 

[alabamatacomaguy]

Nice 40....Oh, and nice WP banner! Did you do any tubing in Fraser or grab a pizza at Hernando's?

Its been almost a decade since Ive gotten out there. Used to get out there a good bit as a kid and park city. My dads brother has a place in Fraser which made it a common destination for us. Was hoping to go this year but shes going to Disney.......I may go anyway without her.

We usually go to both and always stop at sharkys to get some food for energy and a place in a small town going up the mountain. I always enjoy going there but need a few days to recover before getting back to the real world after all the activity. Ive always wanted to see some of the mining history when out there but that seems to take a backseat once there.

 

[GA Architect]

Its been almost a decade since Ive gotten out there. Used to get out there a good bit as a kid and park city. My dads brother has a place in Fraser which made it a common destination for us. Was hoping to go this year but shes going to Disney.......I may go anyway without her.

We usually go to both and always stop at sharkys to get some food for energy and a place in a small town going up the mountain. I always enjoy going there but need a few days to recover before getting back to the real world after all the activity. Ive always wanted to see some of the mining history when out there but that seems to take a backseat once there.

Winter Park is where I learned to ski, back in '74. We used to drive striaght thru from Atlanta to Winter Park, 28 hours straight. Ski for about 10 days, and drive back home. Did that every year till about '94 or so, skiied differnt locations after about '82....Now we are on a every other year, fly out and stay on the slopes. For the past few years we've been going to Copper.

Never stopped at the mines, but always thought it would have been cool to visit them, albeit in the Summer time though. However, never been to the Rockies in Summer, but I hear they are just as spectacular as in winter.

 

[mtrdud]

Looks good and oh yeah....ROLL TIDE!

 

[alabamatacomaguy]

Haven’t done much but drive it when I can. About to get out in it today and have some cruiser time.

The front axle was rebuilt by the previous owner last year and looks clean and like a good job was done but it is leaking diff fluid from both knuckles again. I’m going to try the easiet thing first and pull off the dif breather maybe it is clogged and venting out the shaft seals when pressure rises. If that doesn’t work I have a front rebuild kit from cruiser outfitters sitting on my shelf from the last cruiser with the marlin inner seals.

I picked up a spare tire wheel so I can have a matching spare. Going to get out and look for matching paint today if I can find local so I don’t have to order from online. The previous owner rattle canned the wheels and they look good and seems like a durable coating that’s holding up.

I’ve been trying to think of names Clementine and Sydney are leading the pack. Figure I need a name so I don’t call it “it”. Though the name “the blue one” has seemed to stick from talking with family and referencing it.

 

[Michael B]

How about Nermal?