Hindsights FJ55 Rat Rod (1 Viewer)

[stockmax]

Any insight on steps you took to get the motor running? I'm in process of the same thing that has sat for a similar number of years.

 

[hindsight]

Step 1: Miracle Mystery oil down the cylinders

Step 2: Wait (weeks if possible)

Step 3: Hand turn the engine...if it turns freely, proceed to step 4

Step 4: Say a little prayer...if you are agnostic, say a little prayer just in case. If you are atheist, ask God not to smite your engine to teach you a lesson.

Step 5: Fresh gas, clean air, good battery...start engine

Doc

 

[toyotology]

Any progress?

 

[My wife said no FJ!]

There is a saying in automotive circles that "you only get to be original once", that is exactly what sold me on this FJ55. Abandoned to sink into the driveway somewhere between 15 and 25 years ago...this 1974 FJ55 was left to a fate that is best described as a blessing and a curse.

A curse for obvious reasons but in a way the blessing is that it was never subjected to the harsh salted winter roads in Iowa. It has 58,000 original one owner miles, is completely original except for the CB radio.

The story from the owner is that it was parked in good running condition...it had issues with getting a bit of water in the distributor cap and the owner eventually tired of the hassle of drying it out....let it sit. And here it is. According to him, it was well maintained and greased....always in the back of his mind to revive but it never happened. The owner of the property died and now he has to move his property off of it.

$500 later....it is mine.

























The plan is to make it roll, run and stop....clean it up a bit and leave it be.

Doc

I love your plan...but I would check the steering also

 

[My wife said no FJ!]

Step 1: Miracle Mystery oil down the cylinders

Step 2: Wait (weeks if possible)

Step 3: Hand turn the engine...if it turns freely, proceed to step 4

Step 4: Say a little prayer...if you are agnostic, say a little prayer just in case. If you are atheist, ask God not to smite your engine to teach you a lesson.

Step 5: Fresh gas, clean air, good battery...start engine

Doc

Did this exact process to an engine sitting for at least 10 years...started with a splash of fresh gas, but ran off the gas still in the tank!

 

[Pighead]

Any insight on steps you took to get the motor running? I'm in process of the same thing that has sat for a similar number of years.

Yup. Fill the float bowl via the vent tubes, jumper cables to the battery, loosen the dizzy so you can twist it while cranking the engine, little jumpers so you can put 12 volts to the coil when you are done with the starter motor...
This '74 40 was sitting for 10 years +, I was bored so I started it up...


junked 40 lives - YouTube

 

[hairy_apple]

My blue piggie not only had been sitting for 10 years (with no air cleaner on the car) in Nevada, it had a rod through the block. My GF and I spayed some starting fluid into the carb and it fired right up... rattled like hell and spayed oil out the hole in the block but it DID start and run for a minute. Cruisers don't like to die no matter how much abuse they've had.

 

[hindsight]

Any progress?

Sold to another MUD member....have not heard much.

Doc

 

[Runamuck]

What has been done over the past year

I have not done much over the past year but drive it around town.

Things I have done:
New Exhaust system
New Master Brake Cylinder
New Brake Booster
New Clutch Master and Slave
New Battery
Swapped the original Rims for my 40
I have bobm's set of floor pans, posts and pillars but not yet installed

I have listed it on Craigslist a couple of times with some interest. I have been working on my 40 trying to get it going and about out of steam to do another one. I did a compression check and it shows even wear on all cylinders at 125 psi.

 

[Runamuck]

Further Pictures

I have a new video uploaded at http://youtu.be/fg51ihXmLWE

I plan to continue working on it if I don't get any takers on Craigslist. It is great to drive and deserves to be restored. Once I finish my 40 in another couple of months, I will start tackling the body work on the 55.

 

[myquestoyota]

Any progress on this or the green 40? Been awful quiet.

 

[PabloCruise]

'74s are survivors!

If you feel up to it you can post in the Iron Pig PReservation Society: https://forum.ih8mud.com/forums/fj55-iron-pig-preservation-society.51/

 

[xtiaan2000]

Makes me wonder. Who would leave that thing just rot away?

 

[hindsight]

Any progress on this or the green 40? Been awful quiet.

It looks like the Pig is in good hands....just too much for me.

Here is the update on the green FJ40

https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/springtail-mpac-1977-fj40-build.447002/page-12

Doc

 

[PabloCruise]

Some more pics...

Doc

How bad was the extraction process from the earth

 

[hindsight]

I was told that it just slid out of the ancient driveway that it was left in.

It appears from Runamucks signature that it has been sold again....I hope that we can keep track of it.

Doc