Builds Mississippi Delta Beast - 1974 FJ-40 Rescue and Rehabilitation (1 Viewer)

[FJ60Cam]

The Delta Beast’s owner ( @ducksntrout ) layed down a healthy application of sound deadening during hunting season, and as Nolen mentioned, a very nice top presented itself.

The next round of work is to take the edge off the driving experience, but not affect the appearance too much. The goal is to get rid of as much wind/noise/water intrusion as possible. And make it stop better. Maybe lower highway RPMs.

 

[FJ60Cam]

The first rattle to go was the factory tire carrier. The hinges had a ton of slop, and the 33x10.50 didn’t fit very well. You could barely open it enough to lift the hatch before the tire swung out and hit the body.

A one-sided 4 Plus swing out in mint condition popped up locally, and was just the solution.

 

[FJ60Cam]

Next up was dealing with the hood hinge slop. You could hear it from both hinges with every bump...

 

[FJ60Cam]

I had a specific order NOT to put on shiny new hinges.

@SMG has these sweet stainless pins kits that are perfect for tightening up the hinges and only add a minimum of bling.

 

[FJ60Cam]

I pressed the old ones out with the vice...

Popped in the new bushings...

Then assembled:

Pretend this is a video, because that is how much noise they make now...

 

[FJ60Cam]

Seriously, go buy a set. It’s a great product, and he’s got windshield and door pin kits as well:

Stainless Steel Windshield/Doors/Hood/Amby FJ40 Hinge Pins with Bronze Bushings.

Stainless Steel windshield hinge pins with oil impregnated bronze bushings. The pins are made from 304 Stainless Steel. 2 pin Windshield set with bushings , $70 shipped. 4 pin Door set with bushings , $140 shipped. Bronze Bushings are for sale too and will work with stock hinge pins. $3...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[FJ60Cam]

Next up was the top. The old one is patched with bubble gum and tape and the metal mounting frame has a pretty serious case of the cooties.

Nolen stumbled upon a very nicely redone top, and secured it for the Delta Beast.

We actually tried to replace the top gasket last year, but the bolts over the door were seized, and the heads were stripped. We decided to wait and deal with it when we had a top worthy of a new gasket and the bolt removal surgery.

Out came the sawzall to slice through all of the bolts over the rear door.

 

[FJ60Cam]

I got a few out with the welded nut technique. One had to be drilled & tapped.

 

[FJ60Cam]

I wire-wheeled the silicon the PO used for a gasket, and gave any rust a heavy rust converter treatment.

After that dried, I put down a healthy couple of coats of primer:

...followed by some Camo Khaki that seemed to be a pretty good color match:

 

[FJ60Cam]

Before tackling the top, the windshield got a new base gasket.

Out with the old...

In with the new...

 

[FJ60Cam]

Then a new gasket for the hard top...

Then the nice new top, which weighed 10X the old one.

Even though it had been left under a tree to get dirtied and seasoned, it’s still too white and clean. We may stick on some instant patina to fit in with the rest of the truck.

 

[wngrog]

It matches the corners that we uncovered from the diamond plate ....

 

[Spike Strip]

WOW. 18 pages (all while at work )

Great thread. Couple good LOLs there for the rubes to ask what I'm looking at ...

 

[wngrog]

The Rusty Relm is strong with this one. Glad you found it @Spike Strip

 

[FJ60Cam]

Next up on the list of fun chores was changing the gasket on the smoker vent windows. When I went to unbolt the window from the door frame...

(after pic for illustration)

Despite a thorough soak in penetrant, the nut was almost off, then bound up, and the stud snapped off. Fawk.

 

[FJ60Cam]

Not ready to deal with that, I put the gasket in. More fun.

Luckily, the passenger side came out intact and without too much drama.

 

[wngrog]

That job sucks so bad I only did one and called the other side good on Project Patina

 

[FJ60Cam]

After a brief panic moment where I thought SOR put a LH gasket in a RH package, I realized I had the passenger gasket in backwards.

D’oh!

Swapped it around and the glass went in no problemo, so I turned my attention to the broken stud.

I cleaned it off and ground the head off of a same-sized bolt...

Then gave it a few sticky boogers...

I filled it in a little more after that, gave it quick spray of paint, then installed into the door...

 

[middlecalf]

sticky boogers...

I’m using that one. I have a lot of sticky boogers on my build.

I guess you could have sleeved that broken stud and bolt, looks like the spring has enough ID. But good enough as is. Sticky boogers and all.

 

[FJ60Cam]

The Delta Beast was one of the first handful of 2Fs to run the new Holley Sniper self-learning EFI systems. One of the obstacles to overcome is adapting the stock air cleaner to the Sniper.

The cheap plastic Mr. Gasket intake adapter we had been using just wasn’t holding up or sealing well.

Since I needed an air cleaner adapter for the Sniper kits I sell (shameless plug: Mosley Motors Fuel Injection Kits), I used the DB to come up with a prototype.

After some high temp paint to match the Sniper: