Meet La Cuchara Roja aka "The Red Spoon" (1 Viewer)

[OGBeno]

You nailed it Jack! After doing some research and digging around I found an old thread where some one else had one and was looking for info. In that thread MOT was able to translate the Japanese characters and essentially what it says is these were firetruck engines F130s to be exact. I believe Marv Spector imported a bunch of them in the late 80s or early 90s and they made their way into 40s and 45s like this one and Whiteys rigs. I believe they originally would have come with the DD40 the SD40s big brother. I actually have an air filter from one of these that I'll post picture of later, it's pretty neat.

Decal all cleaned up.
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Other decals on the valve cover.

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FJ24 fire truck they came out of
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Also of interest the valve cover has no vent hose nipple to connect to the air filter housing. Just has these little vents to off gas into the air.
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Spectacular, JP.

You and Dad must be totally stoked man.

And glad that Dad is keeping busy in retirement.

Congrats on the upcoming build.

 

[ClemsonCruiser]

Looks fantastic so far. Truck will be fun as hell to drive. I look forward to the rest.

Thanks Jack! Yes coming from a world of most old Fs and single barrel carbs this LS3 is going to be a shock to the system for me I'm honestly concerned about getting all that power to the ground with how light the rear of a SWB is. Hoping the Auburn LSD and track bar will help.

JP is that a NOS early horn ring? Amazing the stuff you guys have.

And that passenger seat, cool transformation to fit the new purpose of this rig, and your “help” did a great job. But I do have to say I was looking for that exact seat for my early ‘63 as original.

Sorry about the seat Paul, just pretend you didn't see that On a good note that isn't a NOS horn button its one of City Racers reproductions and it is superb!

Love it JP. Great work as always. I'll need to get together with this new owner for a red 45 reunion. NO drag races for sure, but I'll keep my 2F.

Thanks Steve! But I think you and the new owner owe Mud at least one little drag race video just for scientific purposes of course

I like what you are doing with this 45. I appreciate the modernization of these old rigs while keeping the original look intact. Subscribed!

Thanks Tank. It's a big departure from my past builds but it's exciting to have a new challenge and do something different. With 430 horses it might be the quickest vehicle I've ever driven

 

[ClemsonCruiser]

I'll jump in here as JP is too much of a southern gentleman

@redfj45can you're not friendly. JP gently tried to let you know a few posts back. You get "No likes" because your posts are cryptic, odd, bordering on nonsense and in this case rude. Take a swing back through JP's Wy-reek-a nut and bolt restoration and then realize he needs no lectures on how to do a perfect restoration. Then look back through this thread and note that this is a customer's build. A customer with obvious tastes toward the modern but also IMO reasonable taste and the money to do it right. The cost of that vent retrofit alone shows that the buyer, and builder, are serious. Don't like his tastes? Start a thread on the merits of resto-mod vs original and see who joins you. Stop it here.

Your periodic posts in other's threads with a goofy photoshop or a stray comment are tolerable and once in awhile amusing. We know you have your own "Can-do" thread, and I even open it occasionally to check on a mind that appears to work just a bit differently. Post away there. Stop hijacking this one.

JP, your work is great, and I love to see you document it here. You've just started posting again, and I don't want to see you stop. Keep it up and carry on.

Can't thank you enough for that post Steve! Your response was much more articulate and pointed than I could be, and it seems to have gotten the job done

 

[ClemsonCruiser]

Thread clean up on isle 4.....

Not sure if that was you or not Nolen but thanks to whoever for tidying things up in here

 

[ClemsonCruiser]

What a great project! By the way, you want to rethink the name, though, the proper translation for "Red Spoon" from Spanish is "Cuchara Roja". In this case, a spoon, like your FJ45, uses the feminine tense: (i.e. "la cuchara" vs. "el cuchara")!

Thanks for the correction there Exlied! I admittedly know no Spanish my 8 year old son is on his 3rd year already I should have asked him

 

[navydivedoc]

Alright JP, one drag race couldn't hurt. Research and proof of concept.

 

[wngrog]

Not sure if that was you or not Nolen but thanks to whoever for tidying things up in here

Yepper. I gotcha

 

[ClemsonCruiser]

Spectacular, JP.

You and Dad must be totally stoked man.

And glad that Dad is keeping busy in retirement.

Congrats on the upcoming build.

@Onur Thanks man. We’re having a blast living the Cruiser dream! I heard you were back in the game too

 

[ClemsonCruiser]

Alright back on point here. The drivetrain is now sitting by its own accord in the frame!

We used The Airraid U- build-it kit for the intake. Very nice kit comes wit y’all the bends and angles you need.

Even with block hugging headers it’s a really tight fit getting the exhaust inside the frame rails.

 

[wngrog]

What did you do for a rear crossmember/mount?

 

[ClemsonCruiser]

We started a basic mock up of the “cold air intake” box. Once we pull the drivetrain I’ll be able to get under the hood and use a contour gauge to get the exact profile we need to make it follow the underside of the hood for a tight seal.

 

[ClemsonCruiser]

What did you do for a rear crossmember/mount?

Good question. We used an early “short” FJ60 crossmember. Tried to keep the tcase tucked up as high as we possibly could.

 

[Lifelong40Fan]

Looks really nice. So, I'm curious, what is the advantage of an H55 over a GM NV4500 behind a vortec? I've got a 55 that I'm planning to put a 5.3L/NV4500 in and was curious why forgo the NV for the Toyota 5 speed. Perhaps, this has been discussed before and someone can just point me to the page.

Cheers,
Mike

 

[ClemsonCruiser]

So the H55 and splitcase are just a little bit bigger than the stock 3spd and tcase We had to do some serious work on the stock trans tunnel and passenger floor to get everything to fit in a tidy and stock looking manner. I’ll be honest doing mostly stock restorations in the past means my metal fabrication skills are still developing so please forgive my less than perfect work.

We ended up cutting the top off the trans tunnel and adding a 2.5” strip of metal all the way around along with enlarging and expanding the bump in the passenger floor board.

 

[wngrog]

Good question. We used an early “short” FJ60 crossmember. Tried to keep the tcase tucked up as high as we possibly could.

View attachment 2632997

I see you bolted the side pieces into the frame. I’ve been welding mine. Wondering how you did the bolts

 

[ClemsonCruiser]

In the end I’m happy with the results it still needs cleaning up and massaging but I feel we were able to retain the stock look of the trans tunnel.

We went with a twin stick set-up and 80 series parking brake that will actuate the drum on the back of our splitcase similar to a late model 40.

 

[ClemsonCruiser]

I see you bolted the side pieces into the frame. I’ve been welding mine. Wondering how you did the bolts

I’m probably using the wrong term here but I put “captive nuts” on the back side of the scab plates. I didn’t want to weld the side pieces for easy of removal going forward .

 

[wngrog]

I’m probably using the wrong term here but I put “captive nuts” on the back side of the scab plates. I didn’t want to weld the side pieces for easy of removal going forward .

Yep. Proper term.

I let mine hang down a bit so I can jack it up enough to remove the center piece. Your way, I’m sure, is the best. Was just wondering. When you pull it all out again shoot me a pic

 

[ClemsonCruiser]

Looks really nice. So, I'm curious, what is the advantage of an H55 over a GM NV4500 behind a vortec? I've got a 55 that I'm planning to put a 5.3L/NV4500 in and was curious why forgo the NV for the Toyota 5 speed. Perhaps, this has been discussed before and someone can just point me to the page.

Cheers,
Mike

Mike my only experience is with H55s so my knowledge on the NV4500 is lacking but I read on Mud that the two are pretty much interchangeable though the H55 may be a little more “street friendly”? Maybe some one here can provide a more in depth comparison of the two.

 

[ceylonfj40nut]

Can you please share specs on the hand brake? Great project!!