Introduction - New Rig (1 Viewer)

[Big Easy]

Hey all,

Picked this up a month ago for a song and am planning a frame off resto as a father / son project.

It's a '69 with the bench seat configuration and the 4wd shifter under the dash. It apparently came with the 3 speed on the column but was changed to a floor shifter at some point. It also has a Hone overdrive unit. Runs great, no smoke, no leaks. It spent the first 48 years of life in Lake Tahoe and the past 2 years in Shreveport, LA so there is some rust but not too bad.

I was originally planning a SBC or even the R2.8 Cummins, but am now leaning towards a rebuilt 2f. Does anyone have experience with the overdrive? I'm hoping to cruise comfortably at highway speeds and don't anticipate any hardcore off-roading. Should I ditch the overdrive and swap out the 3 speed?

I've already started tearing it down and will start a build thread at some point. Looking forward to picking y'alls brains.

 

[Slapshot]

Looks like a good place to start! Welcome to Mud.

 

[Slapshot]

And watch out for the bezel police.

 

[Economist LC76]

Bezel police never sleeps

 

[flee]

Yours is the color mine was before the PO's decided they preferred orange!

 

[bikersmurf]

I’d start with the F you’ve got in there and take care of the rust. Don’t know much about those overdrives but if it’s working I’d run it while you get the lay of the land. I believe it’s more about how well your’s is working than how well they can work... if it’s broken parts are harder to find.

 

[1969FJ]

Nice rig. Would you share the frame number ?

 

[Big Easy]

Nice rig. Would you share the frame number ?

Sure, where do I find it?

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

Sure, where do I find it?

Front passenger side frame rail just behind the bumper

I second keeping the F - if there's nothing all that wrong with it and it runs and drives, why replace it? This is coming from a guy with a small block conversion...These things are a black hole for money, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, and spend the money fixing what's broke!

 

[4Cruisers]

That's my favorite FJ40 color. Have fun with your build.

For mostly highway/on-pavement driving you could swap in FJ60 3.70 differential gears. And a little taller tire - I like the 30X9.50R15 ATs on a non-lifted FJ40.

 

[1969FJ]

Sure, where do I find it?

Front passenger side frame rail.

 

[Big Easy]

Here it is.

 

[greenbeast]

This is going to be cool, love to hear about father /son projects especially when there is a Cruiser involved.
Agree with other, fix the obvious and drive it for now. Get to know it a little and all it's quirks then go from there.
Cheers, and Welcome to Mud!!

 

[adaharsh37]

Great find! Stick with the f engine and work out the kinks the are required to make it safe to dink around in. I've got a stock f engine and 3 on the tree in my 70 and it'll cruise down the hwy no problem with the speedo bouncing between 45-55. It really and truly is a never ending kind of project with these but that's half the fun especially sharing it with your son!

 

[Mark Jennings]

Just finished overhauling a ‘barn find’ Hone drive. They are pretty simple....bearings and synchro rings are still available...you just need to do a close inspection of the planetary gear set, they are unobtainium....if it was run without oil, it’ll be toast. And you need to change the gear oil in it a bit more often. Synchro rings are actually Ford 3 speed parts. Bearings are standard industrial sizes and o-rings are available from several internet suppliers.

They’re pretty cool units otherwise...another stepchild of the 70’s.

Hone Drive “innards” . The 2 shafts are the transfer case output shafts. Yep, if you decide to remove the Hone, you need to go back to a stock transfer case output shaft.