Howdy, I’m new here. Bought a fj40 and I’m looking to fix her up.

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D

dandycamp

Joined
Apr 1, 2026
Threads
2
Messages
44
Location
seattle area
It’s a 74 with a sbc with a sm465 muncy transmission I want to redo the axles and clean it up a bit then hopefully put a Toyota motor or something diesel in it eventually. Looking forward to posting progress and asking lots of questions!
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Looks nice. Drive it for a while as it is. Free factory service manuals download

Land Cruiser Factory Service Manuals (FSMs)

Factory service manuals (FSMs) for your Toyota Land Cruiser ! From the 1950s to the present!
www.cruisercult.com www.cruisercult.com
Coolerman's wiring diagrams

Lots of build threads some with diesels
Great list of vendors at the top. Also classifieds with buy and sell.
 
pbgbottle said:
X2 just get out and drive it love that engine transmission combo Works awesome in my rig haha.
Click to expand...
Yeah definitely not going to swap it anytime soon. I want to build some axles for it. That will be my first project. I have a spare front and rear axle so I can build those and still have fun with it. I need to rebuild the exhaust and clean up the dash and wiring.. some dingus cut a massive hole where the Speedo and gauges were and haphazardly slapped a piece of aluminum over it with some gauges from autozone. I’d like to put the original dash panel and gauges back in if you can get that to work with a sbc swap?
 
pbgbottle said:
X2 just get out and drive it love that engine transmission combo Works awesome in my rig haha.
Click to expand...
I heard they’re pretty bulletproof transmissions just wish I could shift a bit quicker but it’s fine for now. Just need to redo the exhaust from the header back. Have any photos of how you routed your exhaust?
 
charliemeyer007 said:
Looks nice. Drive it for a while as it is. Free factory service manuals download

Land Cruiser Factory Service Manuals (FSMs)

Factory service manuals (FSMs) for your Toyota Land Cruiser ! From the 1950s to the present!
www.cruisercult.com www.cruisercult.com
Coolerman's wiring diagrams

Lots of build threads some with diesels
Great list of vendors at the top. Also classifieds with buy and sell.
Click to expand...
Yeah definitely gonna drive it for the meantime, first priority is cleaning up the wiring and putting a new exhaust from the headers back, it has rams horns. Trying to figure out the best way to route the exhaust. I have a spare set of front and rear axles off to the side i want to rebuild and beef up to swap in it when I’m done so it’s not sitting on jacks while I’m waiting on parts and money.
 
Also I definitely need some new shocks any suggestions? I might wait till I finish rebuilding my other axle set before I buy anything but I’d love to hear what y’all are running. I have 37” tires and not sure how much it’s lifted but it’s pretty talk
 
I use the stk gauge cluster with one of my sbc 40's. I just use use stk Toyota senders. I run a gm alt with a idiot light. I bypassed the ammeter. You'll need an adapter for temp sender. I bought it from Toyota. I also run rams horns, one Cruiser uses the Wagner the Y pipe then single exhaust and exits on the drivers side. The other 40 runs an exhaust shop made up Y pipe and routed the single exhaust like it was stk with 6 and exits on the pass side. The po had it done. I'll likely change it to exit out the drivers side and be less restrictive. I think I'll buy kit of bends and straight pipes and make my own.
 
Mine also uses all the stock gauges. I too bypassed the amp meter gauge and I too run a dummy light for the gm alternator, You get it all sorted. I run the stock axles chromoly birfs and lunchbox lockers front and back running 38,5 swampers and today 37 Toyo’s. Crawls great in bull low. Goes good on the highway also. Stock 4:11”s in my diffs.
My t-case has been my week link. One day will get a Orion I think.
 
Yep, the tcase and birfs are the weak links. I run sm420, dana 20 tcase with 2.46:1 low range and 4.88's and smaller tires. I gave up on offset rear output tcases on my trail friendly 40. I centered the rear diff.
 
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Here’s some more pictures, I’d like to bang out a few dents, sand and primer then rattle can or paint it rustic green. lots of bondo on the rear quarts and the rear doors are pretty hammered, I’d like to get rid of the tail lights. Varozza 4x4 sold a 3/16 rear quarter panel that covered the whole rear quarter and corners but didn’t have any in stock and is too busy with jeep stuff to make any.. does anyone have a set by chance or know someone who makes something like it (not diamond plate)? It would clean it up and be much easier than replacing the panels. I was gonna take measurements and make a pattern to cut out a piece and try to make/ bend it myself. Friend has a 20ton press some I’m thinking about 3/16 but 1/8 inch is probably more practical

Here’s the corners by Varozza for reference:
varozza-4x4-outfitters.myshopify.com

Toyota FJ40 Rear Corners - 5

Steel rear corner guards Stretched. Wheel opening is shifted 5" rearward. These are CNC laser cut from 3/16" steel plate and formed in one single hit with our custom die to fit the FJ40 rear corner radius. This single hit bend leaves a nice smooth finish for a clean custom look. The wheel...
varozza-4x4-outfitters.myshopify.com varozza-4x4-outfitters.myshopify.com

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Other side is worse but I forgot to take a photo.
 
Steering box is from a Tacoma and in a weird spot, they cut the headlight panel which I don’t like but not gotta change for the time being. Has rams horn headers and some shotty exhaust. Exhaust and wiring are my first priority. Any photos or advice on exhaust set up for sbc with rams horns would be greatly appreciated. There’s a thread on here that says to use Walker crossover pipe (PN# 40261 or 42087. I can only find 42087. This looks like the easiest way to go and a single exhaust tailpipe. Anyone running an X crossover and dual exhaust?

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Budbuilt makes heavy duty 1/4 panels. I think they offer custom options also.

I run the Wagner y pipe on one of my 40's. It's quick and easy. You'll need to get the heat riser spacer for the passenger side for it to work properly. It tucks nicely under the engine. There's someone on the internet that sells a spacer blank without a flapper in it. The single exhaust is a little restrictive but works and sounds good. It can be run so it's up out of the way. Mine exits out the drivers side. My other 40 has a y pipe made by a muffler shop and is not a nice. I think I'm going to eventually get a pipe bend kit and make my own exhaust system. I'm also considering getting the 2 1/2" dump ramshorns that were on early Vettes.
 
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