Look what my daddy got for me...

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Someone asked about taking down to frame / sandblasting and rebuilding. YES, that is the best case if you want this to be a pristine FJ, however it will take a LONG time to do by yourselves.

My dad is doing exactly that with his 46 Willys, he has been working on it 9 months and is about to put the body back on. Mechanicals have all been 100% redone, frame was sandblasted, painted, etc. [Cost was $100 per hour for mediablast the frame, cost about $250]

All told, I believe it is a 1 year process for most folks working on the rig part time. Dad is prob putting 2-4 hours per day, 3-4 days a week on the rebuild and it is still taking that long.

To be perfectly honest, I would go spend 10-15k on one someone has already rebuilt unless there is a real NEED to rebuilt this one.

I think you can make this one look fantastic without doing a frame off restoration. I guess it depends on how quickly you want to be driving it, if you have a full year before ready to hit the roads, go for it!

[Some of the other guys who have done frame off restos, post up your times? We did a resto on my 72 GMC Jimmy and left the body on, removed the "doghouse/fenders/hood etc" and that one took us about 4-5 months]

Paying a shop to do this..will be $$$$$, MUCH MUCH MUCH better off to look on ebay and find one finished, and have it shipped in or fly out and drive it home.
 
Congrats on getting a GREAT first vehicle. No need to go hog wild with tearing the whole thing down just yet. From the looks of it, it's in pretty good shape already. Just address the issues one at a time and enjoy driving it. Body-off restos take a lot longer than just a couple months unless you have a lot of time/money to devote to it.
 
Congrats on the purchase and project! You're going to have a blast with it and it will be fun to watch.

Jerry, if you want to send me pictures and text I can keep a running article/log on the club website for this project.
 
swim_n_set congrats on the new 40, now I just need to get you together with my oldest daughter and let you talk some since into her :D

mtbcoach, good job here, great memories to come.

Brad
 
Great first ride and in pretty good condition and pictures don't do it justice.

I met you dad yesterday, very cool guy. Your a lucky girl!

Let me know when you need those door locks for your doors!
 
The cool thing is that, here is a father and a daughter able to share enthusiasm for something. after 13, its hard to get a daughter to talk to ya, let alone jump head first into something you share intrest in!

And, its cool to have a dad support you in such a great hobby.

both of you are very lucky.

Good luck with the resto.
 
Congrats on the new cruiser. I saw that rig when I bought some parts from R.K. Not a bad ride to begin the cruiser fetish:grinpimp:
 
Wow what a dad.
I say spend the time until October getting everything there in good shape; brakes (always first), motor, electrics, suspension, seats, radio (yeah, last).
Then come wheeling.

Your dad was there when I wheeled my FJC for the first time, might have been his 2nd or 3rd. If you become hooked like I did you aren't going to want that Land Cruiser sitting in a garage for the next year.

Then you can decided how much time and money and vehicle down time you want to spend to fix up the cosmetics.

If you like bumping around in the woods and learning to put your 40 through its paces . . . see you at URE, Tellico and The Holy Land.
I didn't have any idea I'd be putting my FJC through the rocks and mud like I have but it just takes to it. Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly, Land Cruisers like it in the woods my oh my.
b
 
Thanks for all of the feedback, my dad and I decided that we aren't going to take the body off and sandblast it because I want to be able to drive it to school as soon as I get my license.

So far we have bought new wheels and tires, fixed most of the electrical problems (only the driver side blinkers aren't working), and bought seatbelts. We are looking into getting a front axle to do a disc brake conversion.

Flounder, thanks for the offer for the door locks, I was talking to my dad earlier about how I will be able to lock the doors while I am at school.

We still need to fix the hole in the exhaust pipe and work out a few kinks in the electrical system before my dad will let me start to drive it around. After those repairs are done we will start to focus on the cosmetic problems.

Thanks again for all of the support and advice.
 
That is great of your dad!!! I just hope I can get my 6 year old in my cruiser in 10 years...hopefully I will have her properly brainwashed by then.........
 
I also recommend Henry's on Capital Blvd. Very good work for a great price and they always make sure you are happy before you leave. Be sure to make an appointment and set aside some time because they are always pretty busy. I have had luck seeing them on a Tues. or Wed.
 
Thanks for all the referrals to Henry's. I did give them a call and will be getting the work done there. It has to wait until next week since the wife is out of town and it would make getting the FJ-40 there and back kind of a pain without a backup ride.

I took her out for her first driving lesson in it on her B-day (Sunday) and she did great. That thing is almost impossible to stall in 1st gear. She has some learning to do with all the new stuff to remember...clutch, shift, steer, watch the road, etc. But, overall, she did a very good job with her first lesson on driving a stick shift.

We also drove it up to Southpoint for the meeting with the ONSC members. It drove great with the new tires/wheels. The big order from Cool Cruisers arrives today or tomorrow so now it will be time for the new wiring harness so we can get all the electricals working correctly...
 
Bump for a progress report.
You bringing her to N meets S?
b
 
Congratulations on your new ride! My daddy bought me my cruiser as a first car and I have been hooked ever since. You will learn so much and meet wonderful friends along the way.

Enjoy!

Kelly
 
BillWright said:
Bump for a progress report.
You bringing her to N meets S?
b
Click to expand...

Not ready for 5+ hours on the freeway, the FJC will be much more enjoyable, this time.

We have the wiring harness laid out to replace so that I can get all the electricals working right. And, we still have to replace the exhaust.

But, she has been getting some seat time in it, learning how to shift the 3 speed. She is doing very well but is still nervous when having to cross traffic. I've got the body panels ready to go on to replace the rusted spots and the parts coming at the end of the month to covert to disc brakes on the front.

Mikaela has been busy with school, making sure her grades stay up to par so we've been just driving it around town and not spending too much time getting it restored. However, that will change in the coming months I'm sure...
 
Actually I guess I was talking about the daughter. Set the hook.
b
 
Gotcha. You're a cool dad, she's lucky.
You deserve some guy time.

When Daisy was sixteen she learned to drive in my old Chevy Silverado. She was a natural. I've since learned that girls learn stuff like this easier than boys. Shooting is the same. Carpentry. Etc.
They listen better, they don't assume they know how already. No macho. Daisy got her license on her birthday in a stick Z3 Roadster I was leasing at the time. I don't think the female examiner even watched her drive. Too busy checking out the car lol. Parallel parking was a cinch, she could have parked in half the distance.
Liam's mother didn't let him get his until almost 18. He just wouldn't drive like she wanted him to.
But he's never wrecked. Daisy wrecked her first car, an old 318 bimmer, while reaching for a cellphone.

b
 
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