Help needed FJFJFJ / 1962 FJ40 44K ORIGINAL MILES

[fjfjfj]

Thanks IRONMIKE for the nice comment. To everyone out there, if anyone has the two front amber blinker lenses for the 1962 blinker and want to sell them for a nice profit then let me know. That is the ONLY thing I do not have to finish this restore. TWO AMBER FRONT BLINKER LENSES. I know all you guys know which ones I am talking about. Thanks to anyone willing to give theirs up for the restore. lol. FJFJFJ

 

[cruiserjunkie]

Very very nice looks like glass with the white

 

[fjfjfj]

Lily White came in two shades back then, two codes. I really like the Code that mine came in. Your right, that single stage does look quite glassy. Thanks for the nice comments. FJFJFJ

 

[fjfjfj]

PICS

A FEW MORE PICS. fjfjfj

 

[fjfjfj]

Making some more progress on the motor.

Still some details but making progress. We rebuilt and it runs perfect. Great to hear that motor run again since 1968. FJFJFJ

 

[JohnnyC]

couldnt tell if you had felt under the front gas tank band/strap ... should be one there afaik ... dont want your paint to scratch

outstanding job so far!!!

remember this rig from years ago... what a transformation

 

[fjfjfj]

Hello Johnny C and thanks for checking in. Yes, the top straps have the original felt from 1962. I just cleaned it up and used it again since it was in such great shape. The sides were redone and yes, the paint is safe under there, they just don't stick out as wide nor are they quite as thick. I know you have seen this rig around for awhile. Hope your cruiser is coming along the way you want it and thanks for the inspiration and great knowledge you have given all of us on MUD. fjfjfj.

 

[fjfjfj]

Picture update

Here is a shot of the cruiser. Getting closer. This next week glass, hood, doors, seats, bezal, weather stripping, spare tire, bumpers and a bunch more details. fjfjfj

 

[fjfjfj]

When first delivered August 2012.

First time out of the barn since 1968.

 

[Chamba]

Love the old WZ plate (obviously not taken whilst still in Co, given the palm trees)!! Here is one of our rig (which we still have) with its original MU plate in 1972 your rig had only been sitting for four years at this point...)

 

[JohnnyC]

nice pics... love the battle scars

original dunlops rk3's looks like ... lost your hubcap and mirror as well ... when you 1st got the rig the whole wheeling thing was new to you?

my 79 heep chokeakey was a basket case when i sold it LOL I choose not to learn ... should have heeded this suggestion:

 

[Chamba]

I was only 2, my Dad was pretty rough on cars. That's why he loved the cruiser. Before that he'd destroyed a rover, two Willys and a Scout on the road to our house. He used to say that no matter what he did, he could not kill the toad (that cruiser's name). That pic was taken when the cruiser was almost a year old. The first dent occurred on the night my folks bought it when he took it up Gold Hill and had to push through trees to get to the other side. A few days after that he got it stuck in the Tetons and had to leave it frame-deep in mud for a week until he came back with a friend's Ford to get it out.

 

[fjfjfj]

Question to Chamba

Hello Chamba,,,,,,,,,,,I have the YP / 1962 Colorado Plates also. The WZ came with the Cruiser when I bought it. Since your from Colorado and I am NOT can you tell me why my 1962 Plates have YP and why the WZ plates do not have any date on there ie: 1962, 1963, nothing. Thanks. I would like to use the YP / 1962 plates on it if possible. Anyway, give me some education if you can. Best, fjfjfj
By the way, your 72 cruiser is frigging beautiful. Love that picture.

 

[Chamba]

That is very cool to have the original plate. Colorado uses the letters for counties. YP is Kiowa county, WZ is Routt county. Not sure why your WZ have no years but for some time I know they would have years some times and others not.

Our plate was MU, which is Boulder, but you usually keep the plate when you move to another county, as it only means where it was issued. My guess would be either the rig was sold to someone in another county (Routt) or your PO had to get new plates for some reason and registered it in another county though the two counties are miles apart, Routt being next to Wyoming and kiowa next to Kansas). Others would know better I bet as far as the reason why some have years and others not.

Colorado is not like ca though in that plates don't stay with cars but rather with owners. My step Dad still has ML 214, which he got in 1962.

 

[fjfjfj]

Hello Chamba,,,,,,,,,,,,So, since the WZ came with the cruiser, the cruiser is from Steamboat Springs and WZ was with PO owner from 1965 to 2012 do I assume that in 1962 when the original owner bought it there was another plate on there since plates stay with owners and not vehicles? The 1962 plate that is pictured above is a pair of originals that I bought from someone in Colorado but have NOTHING to do with the original ownership or any ownership of my Land Cruiser. I just bought them since I liked that they had 1962 written on them. Anyway, In you opinion should I keep the WZ plates on there or change to the YP 1962 plates? Which would be more authentic to the ORIGINAL 1962 plates? Sorry if I have made this confusing. Thanks for your input. FJFJFJ

 

[fjfjfj]

Chamba, the ORIGINAL owner of my 1962 cruiser was also from Steamboat Springs so I guess the WZ plate, though not the original plate since you mentioned the original plates stayed with the owners, the WZ plate might be the more authentic plate since the WZ represents Steamboat Springs area. I guess had I purchased WZ / 1962 plates I would have been spot on. O well, guess I blew it. Thanks for your opinion. fjfjfj

 

[Chamba]

Steamboat is in Routt county, so this makes more sense. If it were me, I'd send your WZ plates to a plate restorer (there is one advertised in Hemmings, I can post info when I get home if you'd like) and keep the original. It's just too cool to have the original plate. Add to that that kiowa county is pretty flat and boring.

You can also get date plates for some years: a 2" square plate with the year on it. That could be very cool.

How will you use the plate in ca? Front?

 

[fjfjfj]

Thanks Chamba. I agree with you and will use the original plates. I was not real well-versed on Colorado plates and thought they were all the same like California so thanks for the education. Not even sure how I will use them yet. Thanks for the info. Greatly appreciated. Adios, FJFJFJ

 

[Chamba]

Pleasure. Yes, Coloradans of my generation and older really appreciate the plate letters - there is even a bit of snobbery for some. I lived in the mountains outside of Boulder for a lot of my childhood, and mountain folks can get snobby about folks visiting with non-Summit County plates or other flat land plates. I guess it is like that everywhere which has county-specific plates. When I moved to New Mexico we still had the county on top of the plate, and folks in Santa Fe still got their noses out of joint when some wanker with Bernalillo plates cut them off (though they said nothing when someone with Rio Arriba plates cut them off, as that could be a good way to get shot).

I also collect licence plates, so you happened to hit on one of my passions. I still have my last set of Colorado plates (ML 6798), and if I ever move back I can simply get them transferred to my LX. Of course, it's hard to beat NM plates for shere beauty...

Here is a link to the thread with lots of pics of out '72 FJ40, my old troopy and my LX: https://forum.ih8mud.com/fj45-owners-club/219687-patches84s-fj45-troopy.html

 

[fjfjfj]

Chamba, The LX fj40.

Very cool LX and the Troopie is just amazing. And as mentioned earlier those old original pics of the 72 are the best. Is that LX a JDM? I have a JDM BJ41 1980 Diesel and had a BJ61 LX Diesel and have always liked the BJ42 LX Diesel but have not seen an FJ40 LX. What's the story on that one? Very cool. A pic of my 1980 diesel. FJFJFJ