Seth, you are leaving out an important and highly amusing detail about the trip. I'll let you spill the beans.
A solid weekend would probably have the engine ready to fire up. Good Luck, it was nice to meet you.
Just bought on ebay: 1964 FJ40 FST
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Seth, you are leaving out an important and highly amusing detail about the trip. I'll let you spill the beans.
A solid weekend would probably have the engine ready to fire up. Good Luck, it was nice to meet you.
A little more backstory on your truck. It was purchased and lived all its life in the Ohio Valley. The Farmer that bought it used it for Duck hunting. He built a platform that they could sit on and just backed the 40 into the water for a mobile blind. When the motor seized they took it to the local mechanic and it was lost. Must have been around 1977 though as there was another 77 40 with the rear frame and body totally rotted from using it in the same way. It did not survive like your truck did. Says a lot for the heavier and better quality steel back in 64. The farmer must have had really good vehicle sense as the landcruisers always commanded a premium price and he did it twice.
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I think it's worth a public update that this truck (lovingly called "Dirtbag") is up and running! It certainly has patina to beat all patinas, and what a testament to the longevity and quality of the FJ40!
First, a photo from a local meet-up here in Los Angeles, and then everything I had to do to get it back up and running.
As most of you on the forum know, the fascination with these trucks runs deep, and I've been in the thick of it for quite some time. My daily driver in Los Angeles for almost 6 years is a late-1964 FST FJ40, Yosemite Yellow, in fantastic near-original condition. I have long intended to bring that truck to 100% original condition, so I'm always keeping an eye out for parts that span the 1964/1965 YOM.
In late-2016 I was on the hunt for the original (early) rear seats. Some of you will say "just take the later seats and cut off the rail mounting tab", but no, I had to find the real deal...
And that's how I came to find Dirtbag. Because, why buy the seats when you can buy the whole truck. Right?!
The journey, in short: Ebay purchase. 2-day drive from California to Ohio. Mad dash to install the tow bar bumper before an impending blizzard (Thanks for the help, Jesse). Flat towing (on 30+ year-old tires) through 1 blizzard, 3 torrential downpours, 9 states, and 2,367 miles. Arrived relatively unscathed in Hollywood. Total journey – 5 days.
I'll admit, I didn't have much hope for it as a driver. Of course, I was told the engine should be good, and if everything got wired up, it might run, but you know how much that's worth, and I had zero faith in the old rusty brakes, the old crunchy seals, the old rusty–you get the point. So, the first thing I did was pulled those rear seats for the other Cruiser and stuck them in storage until I reupholster them. Winning!
And then it sat–For almost a year.
During that time I went ahead and started the process of getting a California non-op title for it, managing the nonsensical inspections, the annoying trips to the DMV, and somehow, as if by magic, I found myself able to get plates! (But that's a story for another day.)
As soon as I had a title and plates, the small flicker of a (crazy) idea began to grow...What if I can get this thing up and running, instead of just parting it out? Then, I told myself, I could use it as my donor vehicle AND a driver! Sort of a symbiotic relationship between the two project trucks. One ending in a 100% original, and the other (Dirtbag) ending as a really cool patina driver with a lot of new (but non-original) parts.
And so the madness took hold. (insert cool montage music of your choosing here)
My first goal was to make sure the motor could turn over. I was feeling optimistic, but it had sat for so long, that there's no telling... Tried turning by hand on the crank pulley. No luck. Tried with a fat screwdriver on the hand-crank nut on the front. No luck. Oil in the pan? Lots of it, and very clean. Removed spark plugs and tried the Marvel Mystery Oil method: Soak each cylinder with about 2 tablespoons of the stuff for a few days, and then try it. Was able to turn it about 1/16th of a turn, and then stuck again. More MMO in the cylinders, waited a week, and then...another 1/8th of a turn. I was getting somewhere! Next I put a breaker bar on the flywheel teeth one by one and levered against the block. One tooth, push, small turn. One tooth, push, small turn. I did this until it had successfully rotated 2 full turns without any clanking or weirdness from within!
I was feeling good, so I grabbed the battery from the other truck and hooked it to the starter...voila! Chunka, chunka, chunka. 'Round and 'round it went, more free with each turn. No clanks. No clunks. Just beautiful spinning of that old F motor.
Once I knew the motor turned, I felt like I could conquer the world. (But it wasn't running yet.)
I had a friend staying with me for a couple of months, and together we replaced all brake parts: all steel lines and soft lines, all wheel cylinders, master cylinder, shoes, parking brake cable, parking brake shoes... Even if this truck couldn't go, at least I knew it would stop.
We re-wired, replaced, re-tested, and got every switch, light, and gauge (except for the old burnt out ammeter) working.
New radiator hoses, new belts, new plugs, new clutch slave and master. I was in a delirium of Land Cruiser madness. I HAD to get this running.
One month later there it sat with shiny new headlights and turn signals, in stark contrast to it's rusty panels, and I was ready to finally conquer the steel beast of that old F motor.
New distributor? Check. New coil? Check. New battery? You got it. Spark? Yep. Cleaned out carb? Good to go.
And so we finally came to the moment of truth...
Jumper cables from the other Land Cruiser, a quick timing check, and a palpable nervous excitement. Pump the gas. See fuel in the barrel? Yep!
Click as I my buddy turned the ignition switch to the first position. My hand on the distributor. Zzzzrrrr-pufff. Zzzzrrrr-pufff. Small turn of the distributor. Zzzzrrrr-pufff. One more turn... Zzzzzrrrr-pufff-pop----gluh---gluh--gluh-gluh-gluh!! And it ran! No. Better yet, it purred.
We had done it!!!!! In an almost anti-climactic way, it went from dead to alive in what seemed like seconds. Like it just woke up from a long nap and said, "oh, hey guys. You need something?"
A testament, I suppose, to the nature of these machines, and the engineering prowess of the Japanese. Someone should write a book called The Everlasting Land Cruiser.
We climbed in and took it for a spin around the block. One lap and the smoke started to dissipate from the exhaust. 2 laps and we were zipping along like it was fresh off the dealership floor. People in the neighborhood stared at us...some guys cruising in a rusty old clunker with no windshield... unaware that this was our chariot, and we were conquerers taking in our moment of victory and sheer joy.
There are few things in life that compare to such a feeling. And, admittedly, people who don't appreciate old cars probably just won't get it. But, we were on top of the world with Dirtbag back on the road. A rust-laden member of casual society in Los Angeles, cruising alongside the frequent Prius, and more frequent Tesla–as if saying, "I may be noisy, smelly, and crude, but let's see how you're doing in another 53 years."
First, a photo from a local meet-up here in Los Angeles, and then everything I had to do to get it back up and running.
As most of you on the forum know, the fascination with these trucks runs deep, and I've been in the thick of it for quite some time. My daily driver in Los Angeles for almost 6 years is a late-1964 FST FJ40, Yosemite Yellow, in fantastic near-original condition. I have long intended to bring that truck to 100% original condition, so I'm always keeping an eye out for parts that span the 1964/1965 YOM.
In late-2016 I was on the hunt for the original (early) rear seats. Some of you will say "just take the later seats and cut off the rail mounting tab", but no, I had to find the real deal...
And that's how I came to find Dirtbag. Because, why buy the seats when you can buy the whole truck. Right?!
The journey, in short: Ebay purchase. 2-day drive from California to Ohio. Mad dash to install the tow bar bumper before an impending blizzard (Thanks for the help, Jesse). Flat towing (on 30+ year-old tires) through 1 blizzard, 3 torrential downpours, 9 states, and 2,367 miles. Arrived relatively unscathed in Hollywood. Total journey – 5 days.
I'll admit, I didn't have much hope for it as a driver. Of course, I was told the engine should be good, and if everything got wired up, it might run, but you know how much that's worth, and I had zero faith in the old rusty brakes, the old crunchy seals, the old rusty–you get the point. So, the first thing I did was pulled those rear seats for the other Cruiser and stuck them in storage until I reupholster them. Winning!
And then it sat–For almost a year.
During that time I went ahead and started the process of getting a California non-op title for it, managing the nonsensical inspections, the annoying trips to the DMV, and somehow, as if by magic, I found myself able to get plates! (But that's a story for another day.)
As soon as I had a title and plates, the small flicker of a (crazy) idea began to grow...What if I can get this thing up and running, instead of just parting it out? Then, I told myself, I could use it as my donor vehicle AND a driver! Sort of a symbiotic relationship between the two project trucks. One ending in a 100% original, and the other (Dirtbag) ending as a really cool patina driver with a lot of new (but non-original) parts.
And so the madness took hold. (insert cool montage music of your choosing here)
My first goal was to make sure the motor could turn over. I was feeling optimistic, but it had sat for so long, that there's no telling... Tried turning by hand on the crank pulley. No luck. Tried with a fat screwdriver on the hand-crank nut on the front. No luck. Oil in the pan? Lots of it, and very clean. Removed spark plugs and tried the Marvel Mystery Oil method: Soak each cylinder with about 2 tablespoons of the stuff for a few days, and then try it. Was able to turn it about 1/16th of a turn, and then stuck again. More MMO in the cylinders, waited a week, and then...another 1/8th of a turn. I was getting somewhere! Next I put a breaker bar on the flywheel teeth one by one and levered against the block. One tooth, push, small turn. One tooth, push, small turn. I did this until it had successfully rotated 2 full turns without any clanking or weirdness from within!
I was feeling good, so I grabbed the battery from the other truck and hooked it to the starter...voila! Chunka, chunka, chunka. 'Round and 'round it went, more free with each turn. No clanks. No clunks. Just beautiful spinning of that old F motor.
Once I knew the motor turned, I felt like I could conquer the world. (But it wasn't running yet.)
I had a friend staying with me for a couple of months, and together we replaced all brake parts: all steel lines and soft lines, all wheel cylinders, master cylinder, shoes, parking brake cable, parking brake shoes... Even if this truck couldn't go, at least I knew it would stop.
We re-wired, replaced, re-tested, and got every switch, light, and gauge (except for the old burnt out ammeter) working.
New radiator hoses, new belts, new plugs, new clutch slave and master. I was in a delirium of Land Cruiser madness. I HAD to get this running.
One month later there it sat with shiny new headlights and turn signals, in stark contrast to it's rusty panels, and I was ready to finally conquer the steel beast of that old F motor.
New distributor? Check. New coil? Check. New battery? You got it. Spark? Yep. Cleaned out carb? Good to go.
And so we finally came to the moment of truth...
Jumper cables from the other Land Cruiser, a quick timing check, and a palpable nervous excitement. Pump the gas. See fuel in the barrel? Yep!
Click as I my buddy turned the ignition switch to the first position. My hand on the distributor. Zzzzrrrr-pufff. Zzzzrrrr-pufff. Small turn of the distributor. Zzzzrrrr-pufff. One more turn... Zzzzzrrrr-pufff-pop----gluh---gluh--gluh-gluh-gluh!! And it ran! No. Better yet, it purred.
We had done it!!!!! In an almost anti-climactic way, it went from dead to alive in what seemed like seconds. Like it just woke up from a long nap and said, "oh, hey guys. You need something?"
A testament, I suppose, to the nature of these machines, and the engineering prowess of the Japanese. Someone should write a book called The Everlasting Land Cruiser.
We climbed in and took it for a spin around the block. One lap and the smoke started to dissipate from the exhaust. 2 laps and we were zipping along like it was fresh off the dealership floor. People in the neighborhood stared at us...some guys cruising in a rusty old clunker with no windshield... unaware that this was our chariot, and we were conquerers taking in our moment of victory and sheer joy.
There are few things in life that compare to such a feeling. And, admittedly, people who don't appreciate old cars probably just won't get it. But, we were on top of the world with Dirtbag back on the road. A rust-laden member of casual society in Los Angeles, cruising alongside the frequent Prius, and more frequent Tesla–as if saying, "I may be noisy, smelly, and crude, but let's see how you're doing in another 53 years."
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Seth,
I was elated when you sent me pics of the '64 on the road. This one was hard to let go, im glad it went to a good home.
When I heard that you were flat towing it home to CA, I thought it was a crazy plan. When you showed up to pick it up in late December, I thought it was an even crazier plan. I was on pins and needles waiting for each update as you made your way home, breathing a sigh of relief when you texted that you were home.
This should be an inspiration to everyone that thinks these "rust buckets" have no chance and should be parted out. I think that most here are starting to catch on. @wngrog , I also enjoy seeing your patina builds.
I was elated when you sent me pics of the '64 on the road. This one was hard to let go, im glad it went to a good home.
When I heard that you were flat towing it home to CA, I thought it was a crazy plan. When you showed up to pick it up in late December, I thought it was an even crazier plan. I was on pins and needles waiting for each update as you made your way home, breathing a sigh of relief when you texted that you were home.
This should be an inspiration to everyone that thinks these "rust buckets" have no chance and should be parted out. I think that most here are starting to catch on. @wngrog , I also enjoy seeing your patina builds.
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- #25
So glad you saved that photo! HA. I was on an adrenaline high at that point, but I think stopped at an Applebees somewhere just outside of Ohio, attempting to clear that storm. Thanks, again, for your help getting that bumper on. Don't know how I would have managed otherwise!
Rock on.
These three that I’ve done are mechanically sound with character from/for life.
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Those look great!
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Nice work Seth. Well written update. I had a similar thing happen to me. I was working on my 76 garage queen and a crusty 71 fell into my lap. Had a few aquaintances smugley ask if I was going to restore the rusty 71 too. When I bought it I had no intentions of getting it running. Reason I bought it was it had a PTO winch that was worth more than the guys asking price. Final straw was the day a neighbor walks over uninvited, sorta chuckling and informs me his wife is wondering why I bought that eyesore and is it going to get moved. Rest of the story is similar to yours, pulled it into to garage and the engine turned “ooh la-la” now let’s get it brakes, lights, turn signals, ect...
How times have changed. When I drove my 64lwb to Katemcy in 2006, everyone kept asking me when I was going to paint my truck. they don’t ask any more
I get it every day still. Drives people nuts.
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Is there a Patina Appreciation thread? If not, I'll create one!
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- #36
Let's keep the old geezers on the road!
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Awesome story! Love it when another one "wakes up"!
Us, or our Land Cruisers?
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That’s awesome John
. Quick wit.