how to verify if rig is a factory soft top model?

[Dusty 66]

More info stolen from TreerootCO.....JC

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f182/Dusty66/main.jpg

 

[Coolerman]

I dont have a light on the right side of the dash or have an "L" on the vin#.
I whould like to see a pic of the light on the right of the dash.

Here ya go...
http://tinyurl.com/qrhvn

 

[greenfox]

I think the last year they put the light there was in 73, 74 on up did not get it.

Thanks for the pic.

 

[pbgbottle]

heres some info i found in this book . i noticed on the cover it also mentions
vinyl top and canvas top , don't know if this helps

 

[pbgbottle]

also found this ,mentions something about fj40 - B,C (canvas top) or V (hardtop) rear drop gate or swingout??

 

[wantatlc]

thanks for all the help guys. tons of info out there 'about' original FST's.. but seems still pretty hard to actually 'verify', for a fact, what you might have in your posession. as you can see... some rigs have this piece or that piece that elude to the fact that it is an original FST.... yet will be missing this or that piece that should also be there. some have letters in the vin that show it to be a FST, some know for sure they have a FST but yet no letters in the serail number prove it. just seem there is no way to know for sure, as a second or third hand owner of a rig, whether it was a FST or not.

in the end, I still am stunned there is not some way to 100% authenticate whether your rig was sold as a FST. we can absolutly verify years, models, engine styles, etc... but not this it seems. as it stands, I have piece on my rig that say it is a FST and some pieces that should be there that thus say, it is not... so I am still lost to know for sure.

 

[pbgbottle]

from the info above doesn't it tell us from your vin plate in the engine bay if it has a V (hardtop) in it then it was hard top if no V then should have been a softtop NO ?? , Yes , maybe ,,,,, if no V in your model info then it should be a soft top

FJ40LV - KCJA for example fj40,L = left hand drive , V = hard top model, J = 4 spd ,C = C type rear doors, J - ?? , A = U.S.A.or Canada

 

[pbgbottle]

like this maybe

 

[crockett]

Soft top models

Sure look at your Vin plate . it has a V in it then that was Toyota's Soft top Vinyl model I owned 2 of them..Dave a 65 and a 69 both also had factory soft doors, and Tailgates on them,

 

[IDave]

V is hard top, like the chart pbgbottle posted shows.

 

[Klunky Chris]

I think the last year they put the light there was in 73, 74 on up did not get it.

Thanks for the pic.

I know my 74 FST doesn't have it (unless someone puddied or welded it up.... unlikely)

I DO have the threaded safety strap holes on the cowel and latch pillar, and still have the rear corner pieces for the bowes. Also have the latches (edit: I mean hinges )for the doors.

never knew about the light on the windshield frame I'm gonna run out and check mine!

of course..... my 74 was in such bad condition when I bought it, gawd knows if it has the right windshiled frame.... and the rear body was so bad I'd never know if I had loops or latches.... rear sill was gone, and I only had the plate, no rear doors

 

[Poser]

Those data plates that Jake posted up pictures of are nice and all, but on earlier years, these were attached to the inner fender, near the battery on the passenger side, and it was not until around 1978, iirc, that Toyota moved them to the bulkhead on the passenger side. So verify your frame number on your truck and the number on that plate, as it is possible on earlier trucks that the plate went with the fender to a new home.

 

[pbgbottle]

awsome good point , this plate i did get off of an old fender i had lying around, both pics are of the same plate one just edited .

Those data plates that Jake posted up pictures of are nice and all, but on earlier years, these were attached to the inner fender, near the battery on the passenger side, and it was not until around 1978, iirc, that Toyota moved them to the bulkhead on the passenger side. So verify your frame number on your truck and the number on that plate, as it is possible on earlier trucks that the plate went with the fender to a new home.

 

[wantatlc]

from the info above doesn't it tell us from your vin plate in the engine bay if it has a V (hardtop) in it then it was hard top if no V then should have been a softtop NO ?? , Yes , maybe ,,,,, if no V in your model info then it should be a soft top

FJ40LV - KCJA for example fj40,L = left hand drive , V = hard top model, J = 4 spd ,C = C type rear doors, J - ?? , A = U.S.A.or Canada

thanks, but posts #12, 30, 36 explain I have no vin plate in the engine bay. and, the vin plate I do have (on the drivers side door jamb which matches the frame etching) has no L or LV designation.

Poser -- thanks for the tip on a possible plate in the fender wall. Though I do not have it, thats the first post here mentioning that location of a vin plate.

 

[pbgbottle]

OH! without the other plate ,i would figure you are SOL . one plate for spec of vehicle ,year and date of manufacture , and gvrw (door jam), other plate for engine ,tranny ,and color codes ( firewall or inner fender )both plates and frame all have matching serial 's

 

[wantatlc]

yeah... since this rig had a SBC put into it, the inner fender area Poser mentions was cut away and modified to fit in the headers..... and then some new steel was welded in. so, I suspect IF mine had that plate there, it is long....... gone. wish the PO or whomever did that V8 install would have relocated that plate to the firewall (glove box maybe) or at least just kept the damn thing.

too bad there is not a way to go to a database and put in your serial number and get details on the original specs of your rig as it was sold and intended. would bekind of neat to know.

 

[pbgbottle]

that would be awsome if ya could check the data base , maybe somewhere they have the info ,kinda sucks that the plate is missing , you would think that they would of kept it , i keep all my plates ,even after the rig is taken apart , oh well . maybe he still has it lying around , maybe one day you will get this figured out ?

 

[Coolerman]

My 68 hard top has all the threaded holes in the tub except the ones on the dash for the eyelets. I stripped the hinges off a few soft tops in junk yards over the years and all can be removed, helps if the vehicle is from AZ through. There is bolts in the all the threaded holes around the top of the tub and nuts and bolts on the holes on the wheel wells. The early ones used four bolts the later used two.
John

I am about to complete my rear tub rebuild and need some help.

I have been searching this thread and others trying to identify all the brackets and bolt holes on my FST 1971 and have a question. You stated the early FJ's used 4 bolts to secure the FST rear bow to the top of the wheel well and the later ones used 2. Well my original wheel well top has three nuts welded to the bottom in that location all the same size. If two of them hold the bow bracket what was the other one for? The long Jump Seat? See Pic.

Next what else was on drivers side wheel well top? There is a small backing plate spot welded to the center with two small screws in it and two sets of evenly spaced holes that I think may have been the jack rod clips? See circled areas.

What about the passenger side? There are also two evenly spaced sets of holes that are exactly the same sixe as the ones on the drivers side. Any help appreciated. I am about to install the Real Steel Wheel Well tops I got a few months ago and need to transfer all the hole and welded nuts to them.

 

[projektdotnet]

Luckily I still have my data plate (passenger side next to the battery. I had no idea where it was till i put it an optima red-top just the other day when my other one finally let go the mortal coil

 

[Poser]

The pair of holes in the rear were used to mount a bracket that was used as a pilot for the rear down tubes on the factory soft top bow assembly....


As far as the holes on the passenger side....they were for mounting the jack tools....I am sure that someone can post up pictures of their stock rear inner fenders from the early truck and you will see what is supposed to go where.


Good luck!


-Steve