Well, I bought my first FJ40 project. I've been planning to do this for years now. Luckily, a guy in my area (about 2 miles from me!! ) is an expert, so I will hopefully get some great direction this next year or so. The truck ran when it was last parked, but I've got gas tank and electrical repairs to make. Once it's safe, I will drive it until Winter, then begin tearing it down for a 100% full restoration. I'll post pics and hope to get community advice/suggestions as I go - I've got a long road ahead of me - much of the truck is stock, and there's not a ton of body work, but like everyone else I've read - there's a lot to be done to get back to original.
My 1962 FJ40 Project
- Thread starter HuntFishHuntFish
- Start date
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Please post your VIN NUMBER. Thanks. Looks like a fun summer time cruiser. Good your getting it safe to drive. You might think about just keeping this one for good fun, banging around town and restoring a newer year FJ40 sometime in the future. Original Parts for a 1962 are extremely hard to find and then buy and unless your hiding them somewhere out of the sight of the photo it appears you have a bunch to round up. You could do a modified build of course but going bone stock on an fj40 is a pretty cool way to go. Welcome to the party and go to the Fj25 section. Those guru's really helped me out a lot.
looks like a heck of a nice project, coming from another 62 owner 
Welcome to the 1962 club. Be sure to Che k out the FJ25 section for lots of info on these early cruisers.
Looks familiar 
Hope you have fun with it!
Hope you have fun with it!
Sweet! Love the old soft top door 40 series. Looks like a great resto candidate. Not the original F engine, but amazing she still has the 6!
Nice KC lights....
Nice KC lights....
- Thread starter
- #8
FJ - this was Alex's 1962 FJ40 (KY Longhunter). Found out he lives about 2 miles from me !!!! Pretty amazing to have an "expert" here this close - so I'll some help tackling this one. I'm more convinced now than ever this this is the right project. Not too many of the old ones around. Anyhow - he posted my VIN number in another thread, so you have it.
- Thread starter
- #9
Slow start ...
Took the gas tank out to clean and re-line it. I figured removal was a 10 minute job
2 hours later, I was able to remove the last two rusted-in bolts that secure the sending unit. Not sure this qualifies as record time, but I'm learning. Pretty cool that the sending unit is in perfect shape and the interior of the tank was not too bad. Have decided to use the Volcanic Beige paint code, and fit it with the brown SoftTop (some day). For now, it's a small win not having to re-tap holes for broken-off sending unit bolts. Was going to post a pic, but I'm limited to like almost NOTHING for attachments (Rookie). UPDATE: bought the Silver-Star thingie just now .... BOOM all kinds of pics coming. Ahahahahah.
Took the gas tank out to clean and re-line it. I figured removal was a 10 minute job
2 hours later, I was able to remove the last two rusted-in bolts that secure the sending unit. Not sure this qualifies as record time, but I'm learning. Pretty cool that the sending unit is in perfect shape and the interior of the tank was not too bad. Have decided to use the Volcanic Beige paint code, and fit it with the brown SoftTop (some day). For now, it's a small win not having to re-tap holes for broken-off sending unit bolts. Was going to post a pic, but I'm limited to like almost NOTHING for attachments (Rookie). UPDATE: bought the Silver-Star thingie just now .... BOOM all kinds of pics coming. Ahahahahah.
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My 1962 tank was the same, sending unit and inside the tank looked brand new, out side rusted and pitted but nothing about to leak.
Go for it. Glad your pushing along to restore another old beauty and hope I didn't rain on your parade earlier. Sounds like you know what your challenges are. Good on ya.
Mike. I've got the best seat in the house, or neighborhood. : )
Plenty of sheet metal vendors, mostly quality stuff. But we might wait for somebody parting a 60's tub and get some Toyota steel. Or pay the money and buy the aftermarket stuff.
Pacol has some good stuff and even CCOT sheet metal is good stuff. I haven't heard from Pilgrim in a very longtime but his panels are excellent.
You can bend your own too.
Plenty of sheet metal vendors, mostly quality stuff. But we might wait for somebody parting a 60's tub and get some Toyota steel. Or pay the money and buy the aftermarket stuff.
Pacol has some good stuff and even CCOT sheet metal is good stuff. I haven't heard from Pilgrim in a very longtime but his panels are excellent.
You can bend your own too.
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- #13
Has anyone ever kept track of how many bolts they twisted off in a 2 hour stint? I just counted 8, and I was being careful. Got the entire front clip off today - my first good look at the engine compartment. PO had a funky coolant setup and some brackets welded to the radiator core - not sure why. I'll be cutting those off and will prepare the way for a shroud. Lots of wires that don't belong. Otherwise, the truck is really solid. Not a bad spot on the bib, fenders or skirt pieces. Will blast and prime the correct '62 windshield frame when I do the rest of the front clip. Anyone know if the later model rubber w/s mold will work if I use it on the '62 model w/s frame? It's in good shape - I might use it if I can.
- Thread starter
- #14
Trying to move this thread over to the FJ25 owner's section - seems most the information I'm getting is from that group of crazies, as opposed to the FJ40 group of crazies ... ahahahah.
HuntFishHuntFish said:
Unless your grill has been swapped, yours is an fj40 soft top, not an fj25. What does your vin say?
The 25 guys spend a lot of time in the 40 section but not that many 40 guys hang out there. Seems like you're more likely to get answers here.
might just be missing bars and headlight rings. hard to tell in the pic. the rear quarter cut is correct for an fj25. is the fuel filler before or after the seam (no passenger side pics)
as for your bolts, get a couple cans of loctite freeze and release and lots cans of pb blaster or kroil.
Most of the owners of really early 40's hang out in the 25 section. It's really the best place to get information on the early 40's.
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Read the first sentence in post #8 and you will see this is not a new cruiser to mud.
Because it has wheel wells that are not round and a vacuum shifter on the dash with a vacuum control on the firewall it is a FJ40 not a FJ25.
Because it has wheel wells that are not round and a vacuum shifter on the dash with a vacuum control on the firewall it is a FJ40 not a FJ25.
This was my 1962 FJ40 FST. i sold it to HuntFishHuntFish who was looking for a project for which I obviously didn't have time (hope I not stepping on toes!).
The good news was I had accumulated quite a few parts for the new owner. I also live very close so get to watch it get transformed into something cool. : )
https://forum.ih8mud.com/fj25-owners-group/568943-1962-fj40-fst-refresh-new-post.html
The good news was I had accumulated quite a few parts for the new owner. I also live very close so get to watch it get transformed into something cool. : )
https://forum.ih8mud.com/fj25-owners-group/568943-1962-fj40-fst-refresh-new-post.html
- Thread starter
- #20
Yeah - I asked the MODS to move my thread to this section. Although mine is a '62 FJ40 FST, every bit of help I was getting was from the guys here in the 25 thread ... so they moved it for me. Between Alex and about 10 of you lifers, I figure I'll get more air-time over here. Ahaahah. The task is daunting, but I'm up to it.