My 1976 FJ40 "Kit Car" (1 Viewer)

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I talked to todd at aqualu. His frame jig cannot do the mandrel bend so the stock bib hinge is NG. I am mounting with no hinge. Looks good
 
Wish I didn't buy that bib hinge now:( I know the fenders don't bolt on like stock ones do, what supports the front clip on the frame?
 
It's drilled, but it doesn't work well in stock form. Todd told me you HAVE to modify the stock hinge to even get close. For me, adding some rubber mounts was good enough. I don't need a hinge, as it's never going to swing out withy winch and accessories.

He knows this is a problem and is working on a countermeasure.
 
It is now time for my nightly update. (I took the week off to work with my FIL up from OR on the project)

First up, fitment issues with the Aqualu frame and stock hinge.
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Here it is all the way forward on the drilled out holes, but still way to far high on the cowl...
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And here you can see the the overbite from the hood.
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Now no hinge, just body mounts. All better
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Doors up
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All fixed on the passenger side
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AQ door hings bolted on...
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Poly tank all ready to get plumbed from the engine.
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Roof fits perfectly on the AQ windshield frame
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The deer is staring at me lol
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Ordered all new SS metric hardware from mcmaster (great site btw, has everything), and some POR 15 for miscellaneous rust issues.

Tomorrows task list:
Finish doors (weld on new door stop attachment on the driver side)
Fabricate and install radiator mount
Attach rear hatch and air shocks.
Prep hard top for paint

Trying to get done with body stuff by thursday, then plumb fuel and fluids to start the thing by the weekend.

Not gonna lie, I am starting to get excited....
 
I am getting excited and I'm all the way in aus great build I will have to do similar when I get a bigger shed
 
i get this far into the thread (post 23) thinking this is going to be an interesting read and come across this BS.
PROPER prep and applied powder coating DOES NOT chip, not does it rust (as stated earlier).
problem has been that powder coating is a sales gimmick, assembly line process to speed up production and to sound great to the customer.
the cut, fit, weld and (sometimes) whip with thinner and send for spray and bake. the original rust preventative application is still on the steel.
the idea of powder coating is to BOND to raw steel, it is baked onto the steel so prep is important.
think of painting a piece without prepping it properly. looks decent enough but it doesn't last.

to judge powder coating by a s*** job on an assembly line is ignorant of the facts.

experience:
i bought bumpers from Manafree, when they were delivered i could pick the "powder coating" off the bumper with my finger nail. i called them up to complain and the response was "this bumper is for a bush truck, we don't prep the metal"
i took the bumpers to my local powder coaters, told them i wanted a proper job done and they sand blasted the old powder off down to bare metal, sprayed and baked in the oven. i could take a ballpeen hammer to the finished product with ZERO chipping.

that is difference between "claimed" poorly applied PC and properly prepped and applied PC.

now to finish catching up on the thread.
Tell that to my ARB bumper that has chipped and is now starting to rust. The only way to fix it is sandblast it and start over. Powder coat is great if you never drive it.
 
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when i was doing my research a few years back i came across an industrial site talking about Gal and PC and the claim was 100 year life span ...
this truck is going to last forever, good choice.
Picked up the frame from Ace Galvanizing in Seattle. Drove it straight to Powder Vision for powder coating. Thanks for the tip boys.

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My buddy is an electical engineer at Boeing, I am gonna see what he says.
 
it does make a difference as AC can cause metal to sweat from the inside out. ever see a vehicle where the gutters are rotted out?
fiberglass is also quieter.

now, i didn't see the options he has for the top. i don't know of anyone making a top for a 40 that isn't fiberglass (factory or aftermarket). enlighten me.
What does body material have to do with a/c? Curious.
 
brake lines, there are different grades of brake lines ... i use the bronze colored, they are supposed to resist rust better than the cheaper version
i also bend up the lines but before i flare them i run dual wall heat shrink over the lines. once it is done then the moisture and salt can not get to the lines. at the ends stay back about an inch so you can flare. if you want you can run short sections of heat shrink, once the flaring is done you slide the short section out and heat it.
just a suggestion

for fuel lines i run SS hard line, you can couple the rubber line onto it, looks good and won't rust either.

nice build, congrats
 
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Radiator mount is all finished up. I ended up bolting it to the frame as I didn't want to grind the frame down to bare at the front of the rig (gets the most weather). I actually like the flexibility of taking it out when servicing the rig.

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Put the lift hatch on.
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Does anyone know a good way to test suspension travel when its not driving? I want to test bump stop and rear body clearance at full articulation....


Today's action item list:
Finish up the doors (bondo)
Fabricate new drivers side panel footing (rust), bond
Drill hard top to AQ body pieces (W/S from SOR arrived)
Cut out dash for gauges and fuel filler

Left to do this week:
Throttle cable
fuel lines
brake lines
power steering lines
radiator hoses
bumperettes for ARB bumper (winch comes today)
drill knick knacks (fuel hatch, latches, etc.)

Wife gave us until Monday to get as much as we can done. Its been nice having another set of hands around and extended garage hours. Doing everything by yourself, and waiting for approved loud time makes for slow progress.
 
Ordered a bunch of stainless steel hardware from McMaster:
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Installed the air shocks. Had to grind the truss braces for the hatch to fit (eliminate the use of the fourth bolt)
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The FIL bonding the door with the skin work
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Had to deal with some random rust cancer here and there. Side panels took all afternoon to fix.
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Put some Zero Rust on the inside of the doors:
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Randomly ordered the wrong fuel filler hose, it cut to work for the K&N filter I bought on one of the many Amazon purchases. I also grabbed a random hose off the rack at Napa for the radiator. Works great.
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Stock Radiator braces work well enough.
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Cut the center transom
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The aftermarket master takes 3/8-24 fittings FYI)
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Cutting AL is always scary, seem to always procrastinate this job.
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Power steering reservoir
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Found this cool little fuel pump from Napa to act as a lift pump for the injectors (plumb next to the gas tank). Solid state, check valve, 50 inch dry lift, 20 gallons per hour
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Mico electronic trail lock
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UPS guy loves me now. This thing is heavy.
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Tomorrow....

We will finish up the body work, bolt it all together with the weatherstripping now here from SOR. Then cut out the dash and fuel tank, install some random stuff (radiator mesh, headlight buckets), then get some pizza and beer with the fam.

Alex from Torfab.com came over and measured for drivelines on Monday, so those will be ready next week. Those guys rock.

Brian from BTB sent over my go pedal, so I just need to cut my Lokar throttle cable and connect it to the engine.

Saturday morning we will have a light work day and just mount the bumper for fun (drill out the bumperettes). That reminds me, I need to buy some longer bolts for that task....back to shopping!
 
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In the aerospace world CRES (aka stainless steel) in contact with AL is a major issue. Galvanic corrosion can eat holes in the AL. I think they have the same problem on boats.

Are you using anything to isolate the 2 material?
http://www.tefgel.com/contain.php?param=tefgel_infor
 
In the aerospace world CRES (aka stainless steel) in contact with AL is a major issue. Galvanic corrosion can eat holes in the AL. I think they have the same problem on boats.

Are you using anything to isolate the 2 material?
http://www.tefgel.com/contain.php?param=tefgel_infor

I am doing most of the drilling now, so a coat of paint should be there to protect the hole. But that is a good idea for any holes made after the fact.
 
also use lots of anti seize on those bolts. and dont you hate how those bolts are odd head sizes? lol
 
i use AntiOx on all SS bolts and it seems to work very well. (think a more liquid Anti Seize)
downside of SS bolts, they have no strength rating, they are weaker than a grade 5 so NEVER use them where strength is needed.
 

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