Builds My '78 FJ40 "44" (1 Viewer)

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At least exploding ammunition isn't something I'd normally have to worry about if I were to come to the assistance of someone whose vehicle was on fire Danny...

You sure are leading an interesting life in your retirement over there..

That land looks so parched, lonely and expansive.... A great place to give Daboise some exercise..

Keep those pictures coming.. And there's nothing at all wrong with your photography skills (in contrast to what you said earlier in this thread).

By the way, I used to have the date etc printed on all my snaps too until I thought about it after my brother told me off for doing so. (He correctly informed me this info is always accessible when you right click "properties" on your stored original copy.) But of course you may still prefer to have it there on the image to save you the trouble so I'm just saying this in case you're not aware of that..

:beer:
 
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At least exploding ammunition isn't something I'd normally have to worry about if I were to come to the assistance of someone whose vehicle was on fire Danny...

You sure are leading an interesting life in your retirement over there..

That land looks so parched, lonely and expansive.... A great place to give Daboise some exercise..

Keep those pictures coming.. And there's nothing at all wrong with your photography skills (in contrast to what you said earlier in this thread).

By the way, I used to have the date etc printed on all my snaps too until I thought about it after my brother told me off for doing so. (He correctly informed me this info is always accessible when you right click "properties" on your stored original copy.) But of course you may still prefer to have it there on the image to save you the trouble so I'm just saying this in case you're not aware of that..

:beer:


I like having the date imprinted on the photos Tom... it's the only thing I've really intentionally succeeded at with this camera...

If I had arrived 5 minutes earlier, I could have extinguished the fire... assuming we could open the hood. But, the engine would have been destroyed anyway.

The area we cruised yesterday is some of the most parched looking out there... the next turnoff, after Cow Camp Road, is Hidden Forest Road... it looks even more parched... but the trail head at the top is a 5.3 mile (10.6 round trip) hike up a Deadman Canyon. The trail head is at about 5800' and the cabin at Hidden Springs is just under 8k'. With the loose "stuff" (gravel, talus, etc.) on the trail, it's a bit uncomfortable hiking, for a while. After a mile or so, it gets better. This canyon is one of the greenest places I've seen around here... it goes thru various types of trees, as the altitude increases. We hiked it two Christmases ago... there was snow in the canyon... we had to quit a couple of miles out because of my back issues... it took me longer to hike back to the truck than it did to hike up the canyon... the downhill was excruciating!!

I'm hoping to do this hike yet... THIS shows information and pictures... you can see the extreme difference in appearance at the bottom and the top.

Its a great place (nearby) to exercise daBoise, when it's too cool for rattlesnakes (now)... if only I can teach Chester to come back when I call him. Gunner's getting tired of being tethered to Chester. Chester is smaller, but MUCH stronger.

Thanks for your kind words Tom! I just point and click... my Son-in-Law has the same camera and his pictures are outstanding... mostly birds.

I'm hoping the weather holds... next Wed, I want to take daBoise to Mt Irish Wilderness... I've never been there and it's VERY remote... should get some good pictures... especially if we spend 2-3 days there!

Here are 5 filler pictures, to fill out this post - hopefully none are pics I posted yesterday - the road in the third picture goes up to Mt Charleston, in the Spring Mountains, over 13k', with a ski resort. That road is about 15-20 miles west of where I stood as I snapped the pic. The road, in the distant mountains, in the 5th picture, is the same road as in pic 3... just taken from further away and a slightly different angle.

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It just seems intuitive to carry at least one... Especially when you are going into remote, unforgiving areas... It took at least an hour for LVFD to reach the scene.



I don't know whether they shut the engine or ignition off, but it started under the hood and the hood remained closed... No attempt to knock it down early.

I'm not trying to be judgmental, I wasn't there when it started... I'm just shocked that people expect others will take care of them... Or, maybe they simply don't think...

Danny, I totally agree some people "don't think" and are clueless as to what could happen with vehicles due to lack of proper maintenance.

I'm sure this fire was related to a fuel leak and possibly due to a deteriorated fuel line that went unnoticed by the owner mainly because they never look in the engine bay. The most common vehicle fires are due to fuel leaks.

The most disturbing fact about this incident was the loose ammo in the cab that's just irresponsible, this could have turned deadly.

I truly believe that all vehicle owners should be required to carry fire extinguishers, I use a Halon extinguisher in each of my vehicles.
 
Danny, I totally agree some people "don't think" and are clueless as to what could happen with vehicles due to lack of proper maintenance.

I'm sure this fire was related to a fuel leak and possibly due to a deteriorated fuel line that went unnoticed by the owner mainly because they never look in the engine bay. The most common vehicle fires are due to fuel leaks.

The most disturbing fact about this incident was the loose ammo in the cab that's just irresponsible, this could have turned deadly.

I truly believe that all vehicle owners should be required to carry fire extinguishers, I use a Halon extinguisher in each of my vehicles.


Nothing could back off those people in front of it!! One pickup took off as soon as the first round exploded... the rest just stood around. I was quite a ways off when I zoomed it in.
 
Any fire can get "exciting", in many different ways. About a month ago our neighbors house burned, at 2 AM. I got woke up by our Boxers going crazy with barking. Since we live in the country, and back in between a country road and the freeway, I was concerned and started fumbling for my pistol since I wasn't sure what would meet me, two or four legged varmint, as I went out to see what was causing the barking. Then, our son came barreling down the stairs, yelling "call 911, the neighbors house is on fire". As it turned out, there was a motor home parked less than 10 feet away from the house. Due to an electrical short the motor home caught fire, went up like a torch, and caught the house on fire. Fortunately everybody got out safely, except a dog that was in a kennel, and a cat.

We share the same driveway, about 600 feet long. The emergency vehicles (volunteer fire dept) totally plugged the driveway for several hours, making it impossible for my wife, or our son, to be able to go to work. I've always known that a fire can be devastating, but until you are this close it is impossible to fully understand. Their house is less than 200 feet from ours, with a row of fir trees between, and within 10 feet of the motor home. Fortunately, Oregon's rainy weather had just finally returned, keeping the trees from igniting. Those trees, cover about two of our three acres, and extend on back and connect with trees that go on clear to the freeway, and also connect to a 65 acre brush patch.

Danny, being that close to a house fire for us, and you a vehicle fire can sure get the adrenaline flowing. I know this isn't Toyota tech, but I just realized that my 40 was parked under the trees about 150 feet behind the two houses. Too close!!, to our house, and the 40.

Don

ps--I've had fire extinguishers in vehicles in the past, but not currently. Also in the house, but it's been moved and not sure where it is at currently. Time to look carefully at the fire extinguisher situation, and bring up to date.
 
Going to make a second post as I had something else to add, but not going to add to my previous post. The sound of ammunition exploding in a fire can cause some real concerns, but it is not as dangerous as it sounds. Many years ago I read in Outdoor Life about a test that was done with ammo. Ammo was placed on a hot plate, and the heat turned up hot enough to make the ammo explode. A cardboard box was placed over everything, and a cellophane window was placed into one side of the box.

Once the ammo got hot enough to explode, the cardboard box (including the cellophane) was able to contain all the flying pieces. A tightly enclosed area around the cartridge, like a gun chamber, is required for the bullet to do any appreciable acceleration. Without the "chamber" the soft brass of the cartridge case will disintegrate before any serious damage can occur. The biggest concern would be, is there anything around the cartridge that can act like a chamber. That is always the unknown when in a situation like you came across Danny.

Don
 
Going to make a second post as I had something else to add, but not going to add to my previous post. The sound of ammunition exploding in a fire can cause some real concerns, but it is not as dangerous as it sounds. Many years ago I read in Outdoor Life about a test that was done with ammo. Ammo was placed on a hot plate, and the heat turned up hot enough to make the ammo explode. A cardboard box was placed over everything, and a cellophane window was placed into one side of the box.

Once the ammo got hot enough to explode, the cardboard box (including the cellophane) was able to contain all the flying pieces. A tightly enclosed area around the cartridge, like a gun chamber, is required for the bullet to do any appreciable acceleration. Without the "chamber" the soft brass of the cartridge case will disintegrate before any serious damage can occur. The biggest concern would be, is there anything around the cartridge that can act like a chamber. That is always the unknown when in a situation like you came across Danny.

Don

Sounds plausible, Don... But I stayed back nonetheless!!
 
Going to make a second post as I had something else to add, but not going to add to my previous post. The sound of ammunition exploding in a fire can cause some real concerns, but it is not as dangerous as it sounds. Many years ago I read in Outdoor Life about a test that was done with ammo. Ammo was placed on a hot plate, and the heat turned up hot enough to make the ammo explode. A cardboard box was placed over everything, and a cellophane window was placed into one side of the box.

Once the ammo got hot enough to explode, the cardboard box (including the cellophane) was able to contain all the flying pieces. A tightly enclosed area around the cartridge, like a gun chamber, is required for the bullet to do any appreciable acceleration. Without the "chamber" the soft brass of the cartridge case will disintegrate before any serious damage can occur. The biggest concern would be, is there anything around the cartridge that can act like a chamber. That is always the unknown when in a situation like you came across Danny.

Don

Nice to know Don.

I knew the bullet's power would be weak but I didn't know it would be that weak!

It still pays to avoid exposing yourself to the potential danger though.

When you're in the bush in this country and staying in remote huts it pays to be on the lookout for the idiot hunters who think it's funny to leave some live ammo in the unburnt remains of their fire in fireplace.

I learnt many many years ago to check for that before lighting the fire..

:beer:
 
Yup, the exploding casing is very weak, UNTIL it is encased in some kind of "chamber". But, I'm in agreement with both of you. Why take unnecessary chances?

Don
 
When I first saw Mike (@78fj40mg ) working on his overhead console, I knew I needed to emulate him, to a degree!!

44 has no headliner and I thought that installing a headliner would be one of my first chores. But, when I found that the fiberglass cap doesn't bake my bald head, a headliner became 'something I may do, but probably not'. Since I use 44 as a rolling dog house, I have no real need for a headliner.

Edit: I should mention... I got tired of the cargo netting hanging down around my ears. So, the cabinet is a better solution for me.

But, what I do need is locking storage... So, I built an overhead storage cabinet that measures 13.5" deep (back to front) and 4.5"-6.75" high (following the compound (side-to-side and back-to-front) curvature of the roof. It has a drop down piano-hinged door, with a handle and a lock, above the driver's side. I made the door about 4" narrower than the back of the cabinet (e.g. The door side), by adding rails to the sides. The rails serve two purposes: 1. The driver's-side rail serves as a 'striker' for the lock; 2. Shortening the door allows it to miss the grab bars, when it's opened.

I've been pondering how I want to finish this and my eldest daughter and her boyfriend have convinced me that I should let them wrap it in carbon fiber (he does a lot of auto interior work out of carbon fiber). So, we are going to go with black carbon fiber. I may also have them do the rest of the ceiling in carbon fiber, but a lighter color... Probably.

Anyway, here it is in raw form... Not my best work, but I'm satisfied... And daBoise can no longer get to their chews and treats... No opposable thumbs... No unlock the door...

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When I first saw Mike (@78fj40mg ) working on his overhead console, I knew I needed to emulate him, to a degree!!

44 has no headliner and I thought that installing a headliner would be one of my first chores. But, when I found that the fiberglass cap doesn't bake my bald head, a headliner became 'something I may do, but probably not'. Since I use 44 as a rolling dog house, I have no real need for a headliner.

Edit: I should mention... I got tired of the cargo netting hanging down around my ears. So, the cabinet is a better solution for me.

But, what I do need is locking storage... So, I built an overhead storage cabinet that measures 13.5" deep (back to front) and 4.5"-6.75" high (following the compound (side-to-side and back-to-front) curvature of the roof. It has a drop down piano-hinged door, with a handle and a lock, above the driver's side. I made the door about 4" narrower than the back of the cabinet (e.g. The door side), by adding rails to the sides. The rails serve two purposes: 1. The driver's-side rail serves as a 'striker' for the lock; 2. Shortening the door allows it to miss the grab bars, when it's opened.

I've been pondering how I want to finish this and my eldest daughter and her boyfriend have convinced me that I should let them wrap it in carbon fiber (he does a lot of auto interior work out of carbon fiber). So, we are going to go with black carbon fiber. I may also have them do the rest of the ceiling in carbon fiber, but a lighter color... Probably.

Anyway, here it is in raw form... Not my best work, but I'm satisfied... And daBoise can no longer get to their chews and treats... No opposable thumbs... No unlock the door...

View attachment 1171720


Danny, it’s very impressive and functional looking, I particularly like how well the door is scribed to the roof contour, amazing wood working skill my friend. You may want to utilize the fascia of the door to mount a clinometer, temp gauge, or even mount speakers on the underside, map lights, etc.

Great work!
 
Danny, it’s very impressive and functional looking, I particularly like how well the door is scribed to the roof contour, amazing wood working skill my friend. You may want to utilize the fascia of the door to mount a clinometer, temp gauge, or even mount speakers on the underside, map lights, etc.

Great work!

Thanks Mike! I think my scribe and compass are in Texas... I drilled a hole in a piece of dowel, using a step bit. Then stuck a pencil in the hole and scribed the ceiling.
 
Hi Danny
So I can compare with were I live .
How far would you travel from door to door on one of your daily adventures?
Cheers Peter


...via IH8MUD app
 
Hi Danny
So I can compare with were I live .
How far would you travel from door to door on one of your daily adventures?
Cheers Peter


...via IH8MUD app

Hey Peter,

Hope you get home long enough to have a relaxing adventure with Nat and Brandi!!

We did 70 miles this last trip and about 130 the trip before. We've done the 130 mile trip twice. I think it's about the longest we've done in a single day.

The highway to/from is easy... The weally wuff woads wear me out... But we love our drives!!

How far do you have to go to get to the Gunbarrel?

When you heading home again?

Cheers!
 
Hi Danny
Hi All
A 100 mile round trip.
This would take me on a tour of the Glass House Mountains . Level of difficulty easy to impossible. Once you have tamed the tracks of the mountain one is treated with views of Pineapple plantations and rolling green farmland.
Nothing not even similar to your outings.
Any Forty owners with photos of the Glass House Mountains please post for Danny.

The Gun Barrel
Gee I have not even thought how to get there from Brisbane. There is the direct route that would take you over the Simpson Dessert traveling from East to West . ( most travel the desert west to east ) now that would be a trip in it self as you are crossing the sand dunes against there flow . (Think of a saw tooth ) and there are lots of sand dunes to cross.
Once you cross the Simpson you are sort of on the right track to find the Gun Barrel.
Basically you are crossing Australia from East to West and that's a long long long way.
But no problem for you and Tom in the Suzuki LJ50.
Some info for you.
The first man to cross Australia buy car from the most eastern point ( Byron Bay ) to the most western point Cape ?? No idea was adventure Denise Bartell and he was driving a Suzuki LJ50 4WD powered by a 539cc two stroke 3 cylinder motor.
Now that's comforting to know.
In China till this Thursday and then done traveling for the year.
Cheers Peter


...via IH8MUD app
 
Hi Danny
Hi All
A 100 mile round trip.
This would take me on a tour of the Glass House Mountains . Level of difficulty easy to impossible. Once you have tamed the tracks of the mountain one is treated with views of Pineapple plantations and rolling green farmland.
Nothing not even similar to your outings.
Any Forty owners with photos of the Glass House Mountains please post for Danny.

The Gun Barrel
Gee I have not even thought how to get there from Brisbane. There is the direct route that would take you over the Simpson Dessert traveling from East to West . ( most travel the desert west to east ) now that would be a trip in it self as you are crossing the sand dunes against there flow . (Think of a saw tooth ) and there are lots of sand dunes to cross.
Once you cross the Simpson you are sort of on the right track to find the Gun Barrel.
Basically you are crossing Australia from East to West and that's a long long long way.
But no problem for you and Tom in the Suzuki LJ50.
Some info for you.
The first man to cross Australia buy car from the most eastern point ( Byron Bay ) to the most western point Cape ?? No idea was adventure Denise Bartell and he was driving a Suzuki LJ50 4WD powered by a 539cc two stroke 3 cylinder motor.
Now that's comforting to know.
In China till this Thursday and then done traveling for the year.
Cheers Peter


...via IH8MUD app

Hi Peter,

I see photos of the Glass House Mountains and plantations on the Internet. Impressive!! That would be a good day trip for y'all.

The Gun Barrel:
So, while the Gun Barrel is a long, difficult trip, you also have a long(er), difficult trip just to get to the Gun Barrel. So, the Gun Barrel is a VERY long trip... And double that for a round trip... Whew!! That Suzuki better have a HUGE interior, to accommodate supplies!! Maybe as big as a large bus/coach inside...

Hope your China week passes fast! I'll bet it will be good to stay in Oz for a while!

Cheers and Cheers to Nat!
 

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