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For strictly on road, how would you build a 40?
- Thread starter Nik
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[quote author=Landpimp link=board=1;threadid=15116;start=msg142874#msg142874 date=1082568367]
true unless the said 40 is a 81+ fj40........beleive it or not they make a nice DD, same drivetrain as a fj60
I added OEM PS, OME suspension, 33x9.5s, nice tunes...............dang 40 is a joy to drive.
[/quote]
i beleive it! but:
what of the 10 mpg. @ 300 miles per week... that joy would quickly drain away, away, away....
now 10mpg in an 80... i would still have joy.
true unless the said 40 is a 81+ fj40........beleive it or not they make a nice DD, same drivetrain as a fj60
I added OEM PS, OME suspension, 33x9.5s, nice tunes...............dang 40 is a joy to drive.[/quote]
i beleive it! but:
what of the 10 mpg. @ 300 miles per week... that joy would quickly drain away, away, away....
now 10mpg in an 80... i would still have joy.
[quote author=theo link=board=1;threadid=15116;start=msg142914#msg142914 date=1082572181]
[squelch][/squelch]
"Breaker one nine. Cruiserdudes to Kip. "
[/quote]
Who the hell is Kip? ???
[squelch][/squelch]
"Breaker one nine. Cruiserdudes to Kip. "
[/quote]
Who the hell is Kip? ???
I be getting 17mpg on the highway in my 82
[quote author=me78he78 link=board=1;threadid=15116;start=msg142936#msg142936 date=1082574115]
i beleive it! but:
what of the 10 mpg. @ 300 miles per week... that joy would quickly drain away, away, away....
now 10mpg in an 80... i would still have joy.
[/quote]
[quote author=me78he78 link=board=1;threadid=15116;start=msg142936#msg142936 date=1082574115]
i beleive it! but:
what of the 10 mpg. @ 300 miles per week... that joy would quickly drain away, away, away....
now 10mpg in an 80... i would still have joy.
[/quote]
Well my 70 40 (3spd)is a DD for 4 years and I do about 25 miles a day to and from work(with running around in there as well as weekend excursions) and it has been good. Yes the gas milage is aweful and the ride is rough(nicer with the mazda seats, lumbar support in 'em) and every other vehicle on the road goes faster, but I have driven other vehicles for a time for work but I can't wait to get back to the cruiser. If your body can handle it go for it. I don't even notice the rough ride anymore it is just as it is. Keep up on the maintenance and drive defensively. Good luck player.
brian
SILVER Star
300miles a week(5days)is around 60 miles aday.
i'm doing about 56miles aday. about half highway(sorta) and the other half city. it's about 45min to an hour each way.
55mph is about as fast as i push it(4spd,33"s). i'am the slowest one on the road, without doubt. and gas is killing me, but i drive a 40 to work, and flip jeeps off the whole way.
when DDing a 40 it's important to remember that the journey is the destination, if you lose sight of that, your 40 isn't going to last long. you always have to be thinking about what needs attention and when. it's a 30 yr old truck something will always need/want something. right i'm due for an oil change and i've got two lights out(R brake RF marker). for the most part it handles it fine. and at this piont it has been yrs since i've really had it off road(hunting season doesn't count) just for fun. i really don't miss it. BUT i do really enjoy driving a 40.
in the summer, i'm hot. in the winter, cold. when it rains in the summer i get wet(bikini or nothing) and when it's sunny i get a bitch'n farmers tan.
i enjoy driving it, but i'm really looking to get the ol'lady's 60 finished so i can have the celica back.
[mode][ramble] /off
i'm doing about 56miles aday. about half highway(sorta) and the other half city. it's about 45min to an hour each way.
55mph is about as fast as i push it(4spd,33"s). i'am the slowest one on the road, without doubt. and gas is killing me, but i drive a 40 to work, and flip jeeps off the whole way.
when DDing a 40 it's important to remember that the journey is the destination, if you lose sight of that, your 40 isn't going to last long. you always have to be thinking about what needs attention and when. it's a 30 yr old truck something will always need/want something. right i'm due for an oil change and i've got two lights out(R brake RF marker). for the most part it handles it fine. and at this piont it has been yrs since i've really had it off road(hunting season doesn't count) just for fun. i really don't miss it. BUT i do really enjoy driving a 40.
in the summer, i'm hot. in the winter, cold. when it rains in the summer i get wet(bikini or nothing) and when it's sunny i get a bitch'n farmers tan.
i enjoy driving it, but i'm really looking to get the ol'lady's 60 finished so i can have the celica back.
[mode][ramble] /off
[quote author=Landpimp link=board=1;threadid=15116;start=msg142982#msg142982 date=1082576947]
I be getting 17mpg on the highway in my 82
[/quote]
(i have to exaggerate a little... 10 is close to 17, right?)
17mpg: what does he have under there? knowing pimp, the only hybrid 40! what a cheater!
time for a tune up for me...
I be getting 17mpg on the highway in my 82
[/quote]
(i have to exaggerate a little... 10 is close to 17, right?)
17mpg: what does he have under there? knowing pimp, the only hybrid 40! what a cheater!
time for a tune up for me...
I get 17 on the highway in my 60. 
No stops, 55 all the way, no AC.
No stops, 55 all the way, no AC.
stock 2F(untouched), jam full of all the stock emission goodies(and they all work) brand new Aisin carb(but mpg sam with old one) 8274 on the front, 3.70 gears, stock 4 speed, 20-50 oil.......get about 11mpg in town(heavy foot,stop and go, short trips)
[quote author=me78he78 link=board=1;threadid=15116;start=msg143029#msg143029 date=1082583157]
(i have to exaggerate a little... 10 is close to 17, right?)
17mpg: what does he have under there? knowing pimp, the only hybrid 40! what a cheater!
time for a tune up for me...
[/quote]
[quote author=me78he78 link=board=1;threadid=15116;start=msg143029#msg143029 date=1082583157]
(i have to exaggerate a little... 10 is close to 17, right?)
17mpg: what does he have under there? knowing pimp, the only hybrid 40! what a cheater!
time for a tune up for me...
[/quote]
Nik;
I'd have to agree with most of the above posts regarding the 40 as a DD. I was kind of like you when I bought my '76, in that I wasn't into wheeling. I just wanted a fun, cool truck that I could take on fishing and hunting trips and use to bang around on weekends. I never thought of it as a daily drive, though. Like you, I live in Texas. Only North Texas instead of South, but I felt like I had to have a vehicle with a/c, and waited 'til I found one that had it. If I had to do it over, I'd buy the truck I wanted and have a CCOT a/c put in afterward. Actually, I'd buy a hulk and rebuild it or have it rebuilt by somebody that really knows and cares about Cruisers. The trouble with NorthTexas though, is there aren't too many places to really go wheeling unless you have access to private land. Most of the driving I do to the places I fish are on highways and then I do a little bit of off-road driving sometimes when I get there. After a while I got to really hate my truck because it was killing my back even after driving it for an hour. I asked a lot of questions on this forum, and at my local club meetings, and ended up putting in new shocks, springs, and seats. That all helped a lot, but the truck still has a pretty rough ride, and I now keep a pillow in the truck permanently.
Now that I've been on a trail ride and seen what my truck can do, I have a new respect for it, and I've come to really like the simplicity and power (at least off-road) of the 2F engine. Automotive technology has come a long way in 28 years though, especially when it comes to driver comfort. I keep dreaming of getting another truck for long distance travel, but I don't think at this point I could bear to sell the 40. I'd love to have something to take me to places out west, but can't really come up with anything as appealing as a Cruiser that gets decent mileage. If your flying to Dallas to buy your truck, please pm me. There are several places in Texas that "restore" Cruisers that you should definitely avoid.
I'd have to agree with most of the above posts regarding the 40 as a DD. I was kind of like you when I bought my '76, in that I wasn't into wheeling. I just wanted a fun, cool truck that I could take on fishing and hunting trips and use to bang around on weekends. I never thought of it as a daily drive, though. Like you, I live in Texas. Only North Texas instead of South, but I felt like I had to have a vehicle with a/c, and waited 'til I found one that had it. If I had to do it over, I'd buy the truck I wanted and have a CCOT a/c put in afterward. Actually, I'd buy a hulk and rebuild it or have it rebuilt by somebody that really knows and cares about Cruisers. The trouble with NorthTexas though, is there aren't too many places to really go wheeling unless you have access to private land. Most of the driving I do to the places I fish are on highways and then I do a little bit of off-road driving sometimes when I get there. After a while I got to really hate my truck because it was killing my back even after driving it for an hour. I asked a lot of questions on this forum, and at my local club meetings, and ended up putting in new shocks, springs, and seats. That all helped a lot, but the truck still has a pretty rough ride, and I now keep a pillow in the truck permanently.
Now that I've been on a trail ride and seen what my truck can do, I have a new respect for it, and I've come to really like the simplicity and power (at least off-road) of the 2F engine. Automotive technology has come a long way in 28 years though, especially when it comes to driver comfort. I keep dreaming of getting another truck for long distance travel, but I don't think at this point I could bear to sell the 40. I'd love to have something to take me to places out west, but can't really come up with anything as appealing as a Cruiser that gets decent mileage. If your flying to Dallas to buy your truck, please pm me. There are several places in Texas that "restore" Cruisers that you should definitely avoid.
[quote author=Landpimp link=board=1;threadid=15116;start=msg142982#msg142982 date=1082576947]
I be getting 17mpg on the highway in my 82
[/quote]
I be getting 18 mpg on the highway on my 71
Still, while it might be FUN to take on a long trip, it would also be an adventure. The first time. To do it DAILY on long trips would be ineffiecient prospect, and would lose the adventure aspect after a while for sure. I agree with the majority here, there are far better vehicles for the purpose you intend.
I be getting 17mpg on the highway in my 82
[/quote]
I be getting 18 mpg on the highway on my 71
Still, while it might be FUN to take on a long trip, it would also be an adventure. The first time. To do it DAILY on long trips would be ineffiecient prospect, and would lose the adventure aspect after a while for sure. I agree with the majority here, there are far better vehicles for the purpose you intend.
I try and drive my 40 to work one day a week. About 20 miles on the hiway each way. I run errands on the weekends too. I do that for fun and figure its the best way to keep it in shape. I drive a GMC the rest of the time. Its definitly more comfortable with leather seats, Bose sound system, comfortable ride. I can go over 80 and not even know it on a quiet hiway. Can't do that (not even know it) in a 40, you'd feel it if you were going 80.
I like driving it to work one day a week and that's probably because it's my choice instead of the GMC , instead of it being my only option.
That said, 22 years ago I use to drive a 74 FJ40 1500 miles back and forth between Denver and Phoenix during school breaks. That was fine then, but I was a poor college student.
I like driving it to work one day a week and that's probably because it's my choice instead of the GMC , instead of it being my only option.
That said, 22 years ago I use to drive a 74 FJ40 1500 miles back and forth between Denver and Phoenix during school breaks. That was fine then, but I was a poor college student.
I've driven my 78 40 back and forth to San Francisco from Santa Cruz for work a few times. 85 miles each way. It takes about full tank of gas to do the round trip. It turns what is normally a 1.5 hour trek each way into a loud, tough 2-2.25 hour grueling slog. I get thumbs up all over the place, but even the frequent air cooled VW buses can drop me on the climbs. You know, the day-glo green ones with the bumper stickers that say "I'm slow, but I'm ahead of you" or "0-60 in 11 minutes"
I'm running 33's, so highway gearing is a little better, but it's not a fun commuter vehicle.
I'm running 33's, so highway gearing is a little better, but it's not a fun commuter vehicle.
What kind of liquor do you sell? Pulling up to a bar in a 40 might help you win some sales compared to a pimped out Geo Metro. Texas bars can be a little rough from my experience, what about a chopper? That would be my choice for a bitchin ' work vehicle.
The little amount of highway driving I did with my '76 in stock form (1000 miles in 6 mos) convinced me to spend the entire winter working almost every part of the vehicle over. I have done a spring over and removed some leaves to help the ride, power steering, moved the front axle forward and reversed the shackles, new soft shocks, new seats, disc brakes in the back, worked on the lights, new clutch slave and master, new fuel tank in the rear to get the stock tank out of the cab...now it is much better for sure but it is still a 28 year old vehicle. I know there are better candidates for a daily driver, but I use my 40 every day for checking irrigation sprinklers, running 15 miles one way for parts, putting out salt and checking windmills, so I know what its like to drive the thing every day. I really like being able to use my rig and like you think it's cool just to drive something that everyone else doesn't have.
My point is that you will spend a buttload of time and money to make the 'Cruiser work for your application. Anything can be done but don't say we didn't warn you. Good Luck!
The little amount of highway driving I did with my '76 in stock form (1000 miles in 6 mos) convinced me to spend the entire winter working almost every part of the vehicle over. I have done a spring over and removed some leaves to help the ride, power steering, moved the front axle forward and reversed the shackles, new soft shocks, new seats, disc brakes in the back, worked on the lights, new clutch slave and master, new fuel tank in the rear to get the stock tank out of the cab...now it is much better for sure but it is still a 28 year old vehicle. I know there are better candidates for a daily driver, but I use my 40 every day for checking irrigation sprinklers, running 15 miles one way for parts, putting out salt and checking windmills, so I know what its like to drive the thing every day. I really like being able to use my rig and like you think it's cool just to drive something that everyone else doesn't have.
My point is that you will spend a buttload of time and money to make the 'Cruiser work for your application. Anything can be done but don't say we didn't warn you. Good Luck!
- Thread starter
- #36
Here's the thing on doing a 40 for work, each month I get a car allowance from my job that would cover a car payment and my insurance. They don't care whay I do with it as long as I get my job done. I figured I might as well have some fun with it. Most of my travel is from one store to the next, usually less then a mile between stops. The furthest account from me is 25 miles each way and I only call on them once every other week. Three days out of the week, my travel is maybe 20 miles combined and then 70 for one day and then 400 once a month for a weekend when I go to state meetings. Any other mileage would just be dinking around. I'm not looking for Caddy ride quality, I just don't want to be strapping on a kidney belt to go to the store. If I can make it work for a couple of years, then I'll pull it off the road and maybe by that time I'll be of the off road mentality. Hopefully by then I can aford to send it out to TLC4x4 and have them do it up as a keeper.
Haystax, liquor wise, I sell Jack Daniels, Jose Cuervo, Smirnoff and probably another thousand or so brands. It's amazing how popular you become when you have a job like this. If I could figure out how to post pics, I'd put some up of some of the bar promos and parties I have to do. Last night I had to judge a wet T-shirt contest, and tomorrow night I have to be at the thong contest. Some days it's tough to get the motovation to even go to work.
Haystax, liquor wise, I sell Jack Daniels, Jose Cuervo, Smirnoff and probably another thousand or so brands. It's amazing how popular you become when you have a job like this. If I could figure out how to post pics, I'd put some up of some of the bar promos and parties I have to do. Last night I had to judge a wet T-shirt contest, and tomorrow night I have to be at the thong contest. Some days it's tough to get the motovation to even go to work.
Unfortunately I have put hundreds of thousands of miles of paved road miles (same goes for dirt) on mine, fact not brag. Mine is a dreamboat compared to stock. Hammerhead will vouch for this, he drove it to LA from S.Utah a couple of times.
I recommend SR first. LC Advanced Handling or Man A Fre(same thing). It's a bolt-on. It is the single most significant mod I have done. I used 2.5in. Rancho Springs in front and 4in. softride springs in the rear, and 33's. Next I would go PS. I did PS first because nobody had SR kits way back when and it was no-way as big an improvement as the SR. Offroad it 's better than Arm Strong PS but not as important unless you do a lot of paralell parking. It's relatively cheap too!
The ride is cush for a truck, Steers with 2 fingers and I can sit back in the seat. Never could do that before the SR. I had a deathgrip on the wheel and leaned forward in terror for ages. I found out what it was like to sit back comfortably on my first 20mi. commute. It surprised the BLEEP out of me. Add a V-8 and you can cruise 75+ down the HWY(seriously) and nobody needs to pass you on hills either!
There are lots of other combo's. Hammerhead's truck rides pretty good but the mods he did take a lot of expertise. He was not happy with his for quite a while because he got spoiled by the way mine handles.
PM either myself or Hammerhead for more info.
I recommend SR first. LC Advanced Handling or Man A Fre(same thing). It's a bolt-on. It is the single most significant mod I have done. I used 2.5in. Rancho Springs in front and 4in. softride springs in the rear, and 33's. Next I would go PS. I did PS first because nobody had SR kits way back when and it was no-way as big an improvement as the SR. Offroad it 's better than Arm Strong PS but not as important unless you do a lot of paralell parking. It's relatively cheap too!
The ride is cush for a truck, Steers with 2 fingers and I can sit back in the seat. Never could do that before the SR. I had a deathgrip on the wheel and leaned forward in terror for ages. I found out what it was like to sit back comfortably on my first 20mi. commute. It surprised the BLEEP out of me. Add a V-8 and you can cruise 75+ down the HWY(seriously) and nobody needs to pass you on hills either!
There are lots of other combo's. Hammerhead's truck rides pretty good but the mods he did take a lot of expertise. He was not happy with his for quite a while because he got spoiled by the way mine handles.
PM either myself or Hammerhead for more info.
Forgot to mention that these same mods make for an extremely capable trail machine, and you never saw so many thumbs up! 
What is SR? You talking about Soft Ride springs or something else?
Uh, I think he's talking Shackle Reversal.
Ed
Ed
