Is your rollbar custom, or just 2 hoops connected ?
Did you have to shorten rear hoop to clear hardtop?
Did you have to shorten rear hoop to clear hardtop?
Builds Lake Norman's '79 FJ40 Rebuild
- Thread starter LakeNorman_FJ40
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- #102
Faron: Great to hear from you! Restoring your 40 with Alex would be a great Father/Son project. Hampton helped on my 40 at times...at 8 he actually bent and flared all the new fuel lines on it. Have told him he could drive the 60 but he's not excited at the thought of a 31 year old SUV. On the tub Aqualu is the way to go...lighter, stronger, no more rust...and cheaper than steel replacement tubs. Wish I would have converted my 40 into a 43 when I replaced tubs. I'm in Charlotte from time to time and will PM you before my next trip.
KYL: yes, two OEM roll bars with brackets cut off the J hoops...connected in middle with straight steel tube and all bolted together. Clears hardtop perfect too. Needed dual hoops bc my kids heads were sticking above J hoops...the rear forward facing seat is bolted to wheel wells and sits passengers up high. One of these days I'll actually paint the dual hoops the same color...lol.
KYL: yes, two OEM roll bars with brackets cut off the J hoops...connected in middle with straight steel tube and all bolted together. Clears hardtop perfect too. Needed dual hoops bc my kids heads were sticking above J hoops...the rear forward facing seat is bolted to wheel wells and sits passengers up high. One of these days I'll actually paint the dual hoops the same color...lol.
- Thread starter
- #103
Have been able to restore some of the above photos in the thread...thanks to Aqualu for storing some of my build photos on their website! I'm apparently the example for the '79-'84 tub replacement:
More photos and updates on the way.
Had to hold off on other finish work as the crank pulley had to be replaced (was elliptical and wobbling!), exhaust manifold leaking, and the radiator was toast.
More photos and updates on the way.
Had to hold off on other finish work as the crank pulley had to be replaced (was elliptical and wobbling!), exhaust manifold leaking, and the radiator was toast.
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Fantastic, this build is one of the reasons I decided to build an Aqualu 40!
- Thread starter
- #105
So for the last 10+ years a lot has changed including getting re-married, adding +3 more kids (total = 5!), and a move to California. We've used the 40 sporadically on weekends in the spring, summer, and fall. Never really finished the 40 as life got in the way. Besides my first 2 kids, this 40 is one thing that's still with me 10 years later...so I think it's time to show it some love and finish it up.
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- Thread starter
- #106
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- Thread starter
- #107
And the 40 continues to evolve.
Latest addition is LED headlights, LED driving lights, and LED rear lights.
And we finally said goodbye to the Smittybuilt '80s era bumper for a very basic SOR front bumper.
Latest addition is LED headlights, LED driving lights, and LED rear lights.
And we finally said goodbye to the Smittybuilt '80s era bumper for a very basic SOR front bumper.
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- Thread starter
- #108
Finally finished my original intent to powder coat the roll bars, install black teflon coated wheels, and getting the half doors painted.
Any resemblance to Jonathan Ward's ICONs is very deliberate. Since I couldn't afford one of his over-the-top restomods, I borrowed many design cues. When I started this truck over 10 years ago hardly anyone had heard of ICON.
The paint on the half-doors turned out good - but the wrong shade of Desert Dune Beige. Blind painter insisted it matches...he won't get to paint the passenger fender or hardtop.
Any resemblance to Jonathan Ward's ICONs is very deliberate. Since I couldn't afford one of his over-the-top restomods, I borrowed many design cues. When I started this truck over 10 years ago hardly anyone had heard of ICON.
The paint on the half-doors turned out good - but the wrong shade of Desert Dune Beige. Blind painter insisted it matches...he won't get to paint the passenger fender or hardtop.
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- Thread starter
- #109
A few more photos...what started out as a camping rig is really too nice to thrash on the trails.
Everything was blasted to bare metal. If the part was $h!t, it was replaced with a good rust free part. There's almost zero filler on this truck (only on doors where new bottoms were stitch welded and then smoothed).
Lots of powder coating.
Truck is a combination of, in my opinion, the best 40 series options: late model chassis (gas tank underneath, disc brakes, highway gearing, power steering), desmogged with early carb (no return line or charcoal canister), and a rear hatchback.
Half doors custom made in Pakistan from 40 series door skins
And its extensive Aqualu: cowl, tub, under-floor storage, tailgate with storage, windshield frame.
Hardware throughout replaced with stainless and where needed either Grade 5 or Grade 8.
Everything was blasted to bare metal. If the part was $h!t, it was replaced with a good rust free part. There's almost zero filler on this truck (only on doors where new bottoms were stitch welded and then smoothed).
Lots of powder coating.
Truck is a combination of, in my opinion, the best 40 series options: late model chassis (gas tank underneath, disc brakes, highway gearing, power steering), desmogged with early carb (no return line or charcoal canister), and a rear hatchback.
Half doors custom made in Pakistan from 40 series door skins
And its extensive Aqualu: cowl, tub, under-floor storage, tailgate with storage, windshield frame.
Hardware throughout replaced with stainless and where needed either Grade 5 or Grade 8.
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- Thread starter
- #110
This week I replaced the driver side fender with my NOS Toyota OEM passenger side fender that I've been stashing for years.
Paint is a perfect match!
Next step will be getting the entire top painted...and replacing the shocks.
Paint is a perfect match!
Next step will be getting the entire top painted...and replacing the shocks.
- Thread starter
- #111
Have always rec'd a lot of questions about my rear seat and roll bars. Most of these details are likely in an earlier post, but I'll summarize all together here for others to reference.
As much as I love the FJ40 jump seats, that wasn't going to work knowing that I'd have kids needing to be safely strapped in and comfortable riding long distances in the back seat.
To improve safety and actually gain rear storage space at the same time I did the following:
- ordered my Aqualu tub with a rear below floor storage compartment (they sell the storage compartment separate too); also installed an Aqualu storage tailgate for even more storage
- removed jump seats & installed a Man-A-Fre forward facing rear seat
- for kids too small for adult seatbelts, used booster seats with own seatbelts; these were locked in with generic black cinch-type seatbelts
- as the kids grew up, they used the 5 point rear seat racing harnesses that I installed from Crowe
- installed a dual hoop rear roll cage that bolts into OEM attachment points; mine is simply 2 stock hoops tied together with a section of straight tubing to ensure the hardtop fits over the cage
- installed padding on the roll bars; mine is actually 2 kits from SOR with some slight mods bc no one makes a kit for my custom roll bar
None of this looks "OEM Toyota". But this not about looks.
Man-A-Fre used to offer the steel frame rear seat but I think they may have discontinued it. It only required 4 holes drilled in fender well tops and had all the attachment points on it for seat belts. Frankly, it stiffens up the tub too. If they don't still offer the seat, see if they will manufacture one on a custom one-off basis. Probably was made by 4 Plus Products anyway so call them if MAF can't help you. See photos below for an idea of what it looks like installed.
This set up seats 3 older kids side by side (and did so once for a 5 hour drive) or 2 kids if in car seats or boosters or 2 adults. Should we roll over, the rear passengers are snugly strapped-in with a padded roll cage overhead.
The above is about as safe as you can make the rear of a FJ40. And gain some valuable storage space.
Here's a bunch of pictures to see how this evolved over time:
As much as I love the FJ40 jump seats, that wasn't going to work knowing that I'd have kids needing to be safely strapped in and comfortable riding long distances in the back seat.
To improve safety and actually gain rear storage space at the same time I did the following:
- ordered my Aqualu tub with a rear below floor storage compartment (they sell the storage compartment separate too); also installed an Aqualu storage tailgate for even more storage
- removed jump seats & installed a Man-A-Fre forward facing rear seat
- for kids too small for adult seatbelts, used booster seats with own seatbelts; these were locked in with generic black cinch-type seatbelts
- as the kids grew up, they used the 5 point rear seat racing harnesses that I installed from Crowe
- installed a dual hoop rear roll cage that bolts into OEM attachment points; mine is simply 2 stock hoops tied together with a section of straight tubing to ensure the hardtop fits over the cage
- installed padding on the roll bars; mine is actually 2 kits from SOR with some slight mods bc no one makes a kit for my custom roll bar
None of this looks "OEM Toyota". But this not about looks.
Man-A-Fre used to offer the steel frame rear seat but I think they may have discontinued it. It only required 4 holes drilled in fender well tops and had all the attachment points on it for seat belts. Frankly, it stiffens up the tub too. If they don't still offer the seat, see if they will manufacture one on a custom one-off basis. Probably was made by 4 Plus Products anyway so call them if MAF can't help you. See photos below for an idea of what it looks like installed.
This set up seats 3 older kids side by side (and did so once for a 5 hour drive) or 2 kids if in car seats or boosters or 2 adults. Should we roll over, the rear passengers are snugly strapped-in with a padded roll cage overhead.
The above is about as safe as you can make the rear of a FJ40. And gain some valuable storage space.
Here's a bunch of pictures to see how this evolved over time:
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Truck looks great!
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- #113
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- #114
Think I've FINALLY finished the FJ40! Started this thread back in 2007...and the FJ40 has slowly evolved over the years.
- Thread starter
- #115
Scott68FJ40
SILVER Star
Great looking rig. Love those wheels, and it might have come up in the build thread, but what are they?
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- #117
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- #118
American Racing Mojave 15" aluminum teflon coated wheels
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- #119
Scott68FJ40
SILVER Star
Thanks. Are you having to use spacers or did they have them with the correct backspacing?
