Intro- part 1 (way overdue) hopefully not too long

[GJCruiser]

I've been on here a long time and have owned a 76 FJ40 since the days of the LCML (homage to "Nightlight). It's my rockcrawler which I became addicted to back in CO. Came down with the swine flu quite a while ago and found this white one about five years ago. I was returning from a call (public safety) and saw it in a pasture between a barn and then Colorado River. Three horses were scratching their butts on it. Talked to the owner who stated it was to be a restoration project for himself and his son. He stated that never happened and it ahd been parked for 15 years. We could not come to agreement and I departed. About one year later, I was called to a pawn shop on a fraud call whenI noticed it in the parking lot for sale. Paid off the loan and drove it home where it became a lawn ornament (wife's term) in driveway.

I was always 50/50 whether or not to part it out or complete it. Has an early (1975) 2F/four speed and runs and drives. A lot of body work is needed but I was going to use bobm rockers and figure out the rear corners. Plans were to put in LS1/auto but suffered

an L3/L4 injury and fall off mud for a year to learn bobm had retired. Found the "butt" in socal and retrieved it. Plan was to learn to weld during pending retirement and use rear corners from butt for repair. Reality struck when I realized the body work was too much for me to make this happen.

 

[scrapdaddy]

Welcome to the group. That thing has a lot of life left in her just the way she is. What's your plan as of today for it?

 

[61twpw]

Looks like a fairly solid start. Running and driving is always good. Something to putter with in retirement.

 

[GJCruiser]

Intro part two--

Suffer C3/C4/C5 injury and getting scared. Retire with plans to relocate to our beach house on Gulf Coast. Put out feelers for the sale of our CO home and our realtor has a guy walk through who offers cash, no contingencies, and at 10% bonus to what we thought was insanely high price. Only catch--needed possession in 4 weeks. Gulp. We decide not to look gift horse in mouth and proceed to move. Drag 55 and cut up butt where it becomes lawn ornament in location number two. Still not feeling able to take on such a massive restomod with everything else going on.

This blue and white FJ55 (they're both 72s) comes on ebay in CA one about two weeks before Christmas last year. Talk to owner and have non- Land Cruiser friend look at it. I place an opening bid to take off reserve at about one fourth of recent ebay and BAT prices. I was sure it would bid up and don't know how far I'll chase it. I still don't get it but it never received another bid so I took it home.

It has gone through a recent restore and looks very good. It has 2F/ 4 speed with front disk brake axle and later tailgate. It's not without some warts however. Shackles are inverted so I'll need to address suspension. I hate the headers and Holley carb and am replacing with stock exhaust and NOS jimc carb. I hate the black trim paint everywhere and on interior headliner. It has the most beautifu restored FJ40 front seats I have seen. Killer is, I don't want them and am looking for modern ISS buckets.

This one will get a light resto-mod. I'm going to DD this one and keep the 2F for now. Just going to baseline everything right now. I've been collecting parts for a long time and have power steering setup and two 3.73:1 third members. I'll add A/C, rust prevention/ noise abatement and just enjoy driving it. Thanks for the length allowance.

I'll post build thread for this one.

 

[61twpw]

Part two even better! Nice score. Who knew getting old would be so hard sometimes.

 

[Hank Tank]

It’s a perfect color. Congrats!

 

[RUSH55]

I love black trim parts. We should trade!

 

[bobm]

And then there were 3 little PIGGY

 

[scrapdaddy]

GJCruiser,

Can we discuss the blue's birth year. Looks to have a later tailgate and side vent/marker lights on it and large back up lights. I didn't think a 72 had those, but I could be wrong. A lot of wagons seem to have mixed year blood.

EDIT...just reread your post, it does have some later parts added to it.

 

[GJCruiser]

All of the items you mentioned are not from a 72, I know. There are so many unknowns--like who did what to it in the past? I figured someone put a later tailgate on it and added the later items you mentioned. Check the attached photo-is it garbage or from

some strange model. I've never heard of it. Get this story, the guy I bought it from stated he is in the business of providing vehicles to Hollywood for cameos in movies and commercials. Stated he lost his warehouse lease and was purging. I don't know if I believed it and don't care but I thought the placard was interesting.

 

[GJCruiser]

The complete black interior is a little hard to get used to for me. I could keep everything but the black headliner-it's hard to get used to for me.

 

[GJCruiser]

61wpw

I realized way too late I beat the crap out of my body when I was younger. Wish I could tell my younger self that. 33 pounds of duty belt in and out of the car, sitting on it all day. Not good.

 

[Ol Yeller]

I realized way too late I beat the crap out of my body when I was younger.

I’m constantly telling my kids not to kneel on the concrete, same deal, I never even thought about it.

2 pigs, lucky (cursed?) guy!

 

[scrapdaddy]

My late 72(brown one) had the large backup lights, the individual license plate lamps, and the side vent/markers on it. It is December 72

Really? I thought those came later, 73 or 74.

 

[OldBeachBob]

Welcome to the sty. You can not recover from Swine Flu so best to make the best of it. Looks like your well on your way Great looking catch.

 

[wngrog]

Nice!