A full blown restoration is a fine thing and I admire those vehicles.
But there is something special about one that appears to have been "rode hard and put away wet" but has all the mechanicals and electricals in good shape.
Builds Mississippi Delta Beast - 1974 FJ-40 Rescue and Rehabilitation (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter wngrog
- Start date
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A full blown restoration is a fine thing and I admire those vehicles.
But there is something special about one that appears to have been "rode hard and put away wet" but has all the mechanicals and electricals in good shape.
- Thread starter
- #182
I agree. My Patina project is like that. Looks like a pile of crap but every thing is new. Drives and runs like Mr Toyota designed it to with 48 years of aging.
Nice rabbits foot!!! hahaha The 40 is great too..
Excellent work, man! Seriously.
I like it.
- Thread starter
- #186
A rabbits foot is needed with my skill set
Nicely done driver. Speaking of patina, that old log structure is something special, preserve that baby.
- Thread starter
- #188
That building was in the opening scenes of O Brother Where Art Tho
Check out Tilda Bogue on Facebook for more
One of my favorite movies and now after seeing the facebook photos, one of my favorite properties. Some real Americana right there, yes sir.
- Thread starter
- #190
Well the day has finally arrived that I am calling my part of the new life of this Land Cruiser complete. After morning meetings at work I gathered some of the final parts and buried myself in the final push.
Since I was waiting for UPS to drop my tail lights, I had some time to do a couple of neat touches.
First, a friend made fun of the cheapo license plate holder that was on it so I located an OEM plate holder. I had to do a little work to make it work but finally I got the thing to glow.
I asked around town and found a set of steel caster shims. This thing has 1.5" over stock shackles so it was out of caster and therefore it darted around on the road pretty badly. I grabbed a couple grade 8 bolts for new spring pins and dove in.
Steel is the only way to go on this mod. The aluminum ones always pound flat over time.
You might need longer Ubolts. I had one in my stash.....
Passenger side went quick but the drivers side threw me a curve. The fixed end of the spring had no bushings. Again, I have a stash so all that did was add time to my job.
Since I was waiting for UPS to drop my tail lights, I had some time to do a couple of neat touches.
First, a friend made fun of the cheapo license plate holder that was on it so I located an OEM plate holder. I had to do a little work to make it work but finally I got the thing to glow.
I asked around town and found a set of steel caster shims. This thing has 1.5" over stock shackles so it was out of caster and therefore it darted around on the road pretty badly. I grabbed a couple grade 8 bolts for new spring pins and dove in.
Steel is the only way to go on this mod. The aluminum ones always pound flat over time.
You might need longer Ubolts. I had one in my stash.....
Passenger side went quick but the drivers side threw me a curve. The fixed end of the spring had no bushings. Again, I have a stash so all that did was add time to my job.
- Thread starter
- #191
After the install I took it for a spin. It's truly amazing that little bit of caster correction makes.
- Thread starter
- #192
The tail lights hit about 2 and I dove in.
Everything in the rear of this truck was hacked into. Everything. I pulled back all the tape and tube and got down to bare wires on both sides and spliced in the new lights.
I used heat shrink butt connectors and really took my time. Running. Brake. Reverse. All good.
No blinkers. Remember a few pages back when I cut out that non-OEM blinker relay? I guess the one in the truck is bad. Who knows. I'll find one and see if that is it. When I pull the hazard switch I get one click and the front right blinker comes on solid.
I called it quits at 7 pm. The shop is a wreck but I'll tend to that tomorrow after work.
$8500 in parts.
108 hours of labor (not including the weekend I spent fixing my throwout bearing mistake)
So you want to build an FJ-40? Better bring your wallet. Nothing on these things is cheap but they are 100% worth it.
The new owner comes and gets it Friday. It's ready.
Everything in the rear of this truck was hacked into. Everything. I pulled back all the tape and tube and got down to bare wires on both sides and spliced in the new lights.
I used heat shrink butt connectors and really took my time. Running. Brake. Reverse. All good.
No blinkers. Remember a few pages back when I cut out that non-OEM blinker relay? I guess the one in the truck is bad. Who knows. I'll find one and see if that is it. When I pull the hazard switch I get one click and the front right blinker comes on solid.
I called it quits at 7 pm. The shop is a wreck but I'll tend to that tomorrow after work.
$8500 in parts.
108 hours of labor (not including the weekend I spent fixing my throwout bearing mistake)
So you want to build an FJ-40? Better bring your wallet. Nothing on these things is cheap but they are 100% worth it.
The new owner comes and gets it Friday. It's ready.
Last edited:
JohnnyC
Long ago TLCA# 2231
Looking great!!!
Use it... it's a cruiser
I love the rabbits foot... that is Soooo 80's ... I had one (late 80's) ... replaced it with a blue one to match my 73' Triumph
Until the blue was rubbing off on my hand and in my pocket after it got wet one day ... thus ended the rabbits foot LOL
tucker74
Moderator
Passenger side went quick but the drivers side threw me a curve. The fixed end of the spring had no bushings. Again, I have a stash so all that did was add time to my job.
I bet that was your wander
Not that the shims didn't help too -tucker
- Thread starter
- #196
Man, yours is another rescued Mississippi FJ40. Who would have ever guessed you could have brought that pile I winched on the trailer into what you made.
@ducksntrout check this save out.....
Project Pikachu: 1977 FJ40
Yeah, Pikachu has been a fun build. I definitely did some cosmetic stuff, but mainly a complete mechanical overhaul. Money, time, and money are the three things they take.
Before and after, with photography credits to Nolen and his crew:
Before and after, with photography credits to Nolen and his crew:
...".ran through the bushes where a rabbitt couldn't go" Just had to finish that song, you know, like when someone does the "shave and a haircut"........without the six bits. I can see the whipper snappers scratchin' their noggins now!
Johnny Horton....
Enjoyed following this.... Thank you sir - you have 'inspired' me to NOT pursue painting my '82 
- Thread starter
- #200
Enjoyed following this.... Thank you sir - you have 'inspired' me to NOT pursue painting my '82
Good deal! My Project Patina......I'm telling you. People will walk around a $50,000 Cruiser to get a look at it.......
Mechanically sound rough Cruisers are cool.
