1973Guppie
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- Joined
- Jan 31, 2003
- Threads
- 952
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- 10,224
- Location
- "the whale's vagina", CA
- Website
- www.noahsarkstlc.com
Ok, so decided to start a thread on my new build. I have been into landcruisers for awhile and own a 73 fj40 which has been worked on since I was 17 and bought it (now 33). I have learned alot building it and hope to use some of this knowledge on this new project.
I have always admired the "Pigs", so I decided to find one and build it up. I was fortunate enough to find a very clean 1970 FJ55 out of Arizona. It was a guys project that he had basically taken apart, bought a bunch of parts for (several years worth) and then decided not to build it up. The deal worked out well as it included all the original weatherstripping (oem) and a boatload of other parts, original and aftermarket. So far, I have very little into the project, so this is a good start.
THE PLANS: I plan to keep it toyota. Not a complete specific restoration yet a rebuild with all new parts and some modern upgrades, but fairly close to stock. It will have a 2F stock drivetrain, 2.5 inch ironman lift (already have), stock diffs, PS (minitruck), all terrain bfg tires, Front axle disc (minitruck), Rear chevy discs, original interior with herculined floor (maybe?), bench seats redone to factory specs, what else?, probably forgot something.....
THE USAGE: This is basically a toy and will not be an offroad vehicle. It is not a daily driver and I already have a DD and an FJ40 wheeler. Some minor offroading in the desert with the family (middle willows/anza borrego is my favorite) but beyond that 95% street and to the beach, store, desert, julian trips, etc.
I plan to take my time on this one as there really is no rush. In the past it seems I have always had a reason to RUSH. NOT HERE! For once, I want to enjoy the "journey". That means taking one chunk at a time and walking away for awhile when I need to. I plan to try to do everything in house in my 2 car garage. The only thing that is up in the air now is whether i will do the paint and body work myself. I am leaning towards "yes" as I think it would be a good skill to have for future builds and I would really like to make this a full time hobby restoring vehicles. Plus, in the long run the skill should save me a buttload of $$. I also don't need perfect paint as the truck will be used and not just sit in a garage.
So that's about it for now, I will update this post every so often. If you have any questions, ask away. I know most of the talk here is for the FJ40's but I think we need a little more "pork" in this forum, plus it's the "other white meat".
Here's a pic of what I started with, basically a shell and a pile of parts. The dash area was a pain to take apart and the body bolts and steering linkage was even more fun. 100+ heat in the garage and I am sitting there with a torch and a BFH and some PBblaster, lots of fun!
Noah
I have always admired the "Pigs", so I decided to find one and build it up. I was fortunate enough to find a very clean 1970 FJ55 out of Arizona. It was a guys project that he had basically taken apart, bought a bunch of parts for (several years worth) and then decided not to build it up. The deal worked out well as it included all the original weatherstripping (oem) and a boatload of other parts, original and aftermarket. So far, I have very little into the project, so this is a good start.
THE PLANS: I plan to keep it toyota. Not a complete specific restoration yet a rebuild with all new parts and some modern upgrades, but fairly close to stock. It will have a 2F stock drivetrain, 2.5 inch ironman lift (already have), stock diffs, PS (minitruck), all terrain bfg tires, Front axle disc (minitruck), Rear chevy discs, original interior with herculined floor (maybe?), bench seats redone to factory specs, what else?, probably forgot something.....
THE USAGE: This is basically a toy and will not be an offroad vehicle. It is not a daily driver and I already have a DD and an FJ40 wheeler. Some minor offroading in the desert with the family (middle willows/anza borrego is my favorite) but beyond that 95% street and to the beach, store, desert, julian trips, etc.
I plan to take my time on this one as there really is no rush. In the past it seems I have always had a reason to RUSH. NOT HERE! For once, I want to enjoy the "journey". That means taking one chunk at a time and walking away for awhile when I need to. I plan to try to do everything in house in my 2 car garage. The only thing that is up in the air now is whether i will do the paint and body work myself. I am leaning towards "yes" as I think it would be a good skill to have for future builds and I would really like to make this a full time hobby restoring vehicles. Plus, in the long run the skill should save me a buttload of $$. I also don't need perfect paint as the truck will be used and not just sit in a garage.
So that's about it for now, I will update this post every so often. If you have any questions, ask away. I know most of the talk here is for the FJ40's but I think we need a little more "pork" in this forum, plus it's the "other white meat".
Here's a pic of what I started with, basically a shell and a pile of parts. The dash area was a pain to take apart and the body bolts and steering linkage was even more fun. 100+ heat in the garage and I am sitting there with a torch and a BFH and some PBblaster, lots of fun!
Noah
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