My Dads FJ40

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Nathaniel Williams

Joined
Aug 14, 2015
Threads
1
Messages
11
Location
Massachusetts
Hi guys hope everyones doing well! This is my first post to the forum and club house alike, so i have no idea how any of this works haha. I saw something to do with dues so please let me know if this post requires any sort of payment to the club house. If so, not a problem ill make it right away.

So long story short,
About a month or so ago my father and I tried to start restoring his old 73 fj40. He wanted to fix it up so he could pass it on down to me; I wanted a jeep but he schooled me on that real quick. I say tried because unfortunately the day we where suppose to start the restoration I found him dead of a heart attack. Even before he passed this project meant a lot, we weren't always the closest, but obviously now its become very sentimental. I really would like to see this thing through, but it is quite the project. I’m sure people have brought back worse, but I barely know how to check my oil haha (part of the reason of the restoration in the first place was to learn about cars) so when I say its a project, for me it most certainly is. It need a tremendous amount of body work, an engine, a roof, brakes, transmission, tires, etc. it basically needs everything. My intent is to make it a daily driver, possibly do a biodiesel conversion.

Simply put I need help, lots of it. So i figure id reach out to the community for some.

here are some pictures

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I have more pictures if you guys want them but i figured this covered the bases.

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated!!


Thank you guys for your time,
Nathaniel

p.s.
sorry for the long post.
 
Wow. Sorry to hear about your dad. Where in Ma are you. If you are close I'd be happy to swing by and help you come up with a plan. That tub is toast going to want to check the frame. What is your budget like? Unfortunately it will take some money to bring her back.
 
Im in Ma as well, Plymouth area North of cape cod. The car is still at my grandma's in Raynham. Im a broke college student so cheap as possible. I was toying around with the idea of a go fund me, but never got around to it- It just felt tacky. The frame is decent, definitely better then the tub. Theres a few weak spots from the looks of it, and one of the suspension springs is broken off. other than that just surface rust. As for the tub I was looking at replacements and I simply just don't have the money. so I'm thinking of just cutting, welding, and grinding her back together. I took some welding lessons from a buddy, I still suck but I'm sure ill figure it out haha
 
Honestly my first thought get it to a place where it's covered and off the dirt. Even if it's out in the open on the black top and a tarp. If it has the sentimental value you say, get a beater Toyota mini truck. Learn how to wrench on it. Finish college and get good grades. And do the 40 justice don't just pile on booger welds and hackery. Once out of college and some wrench time under your belt go after it. It is cheaper to go out and buy one in good condition long run and saving your pennies now will go a long way. But I understand the value since it's your fathers.

If the frame is in good shape I would blast it, repair if needed and find a decent tub. Poor Wally's could rebuild it but even then new parts would have to be sourced like the area around the doors.

From my experience save your money and don't keep buying parts unless you get a killer deal and can easily sell them for a profit if you change direction. Buy parts as you need them.

I'm 37 and finally getting my first nice Cruiser finished.
 
I think I have a pair of seats out of a 74 you could have,(there not perfect) gotta pick up in CT though,
 
Krazyfj Thank you so much for the offer! its really generous of you. Luckily though my dad did have some car seats laying around that seem better than the stock seats ill probably just throw in. Ill let you know if anything changes though. Although, what I would be interested in is the seat mounts. Do you have those or just the seats? The mounts I pulled out are barely intact.

Leaping Deer, I love your advice, I really do. Honestly most of me wants to do it that way, its practical and smart. However, my father and I always have a funny way of not getting things done, where lazy in that way. Ironically fixing up this cruiser seemed like the first thing he was going to follow through with in a while, funny how things work. I just don't want this to be another undone thing. There has been plenty of things I have wanted to get done that i haven't because I have waited. In this vain I have taken it upon myself as a personal challenge of sorts to get it done as a lesson in work ethic haha i could use it. Moreover the car is sentimental but the work to me is more so. He went to sleep that night thinking of working on the car with me; so i gotta work on it you know.

Either way I'm only in community college and don't have a crazy work load. Just recently I contacted a metal shop, my boss knows the owner of, thats giving me free run off metal and selling big stuff at price. He also offered to fold and shape stuff for free as well, so thats a big help.

As for finding a place for it, great idea! Ill get right on that. Also who's this poor wally's, i looked it up and couldn't find to much aside for a cool video of jeeps and cruisers and a thread from the forum. I read through It so I know a little but nothing about prices ect.







 
I get where you are coming from. Don't knock community college. I wasn't ready for a 4 year school when I got out of high school. I started at a community college got my AS degree and started working then decided I wanted more and went back.

The reason I said to hold off is because it's expensive to do these trucks. Parts are less and less available and in the past 10 years the prices have skyrocketed. It's going to cost some money for the right parts.

Poor Wally is a club members and does a lot of work on Cruisers. He rebuilt my tub from the cowl back. Only original pieces are the door surrounds and the top rail. He does great work at a very fair price but it's still a lot of money but cheaper and stronger than other options.
 
I hear yea on price. I have been looking at parts and stuff and it'll be tough no doubt; but I feel like I'm securely at a good place in my life to make a dumb decision haha. Worse case I can always stop and pick it back up. Also does the fact it doesnt have the original engine in it help with price? The previous owner converted it to a chevy v8 or v6. My dad has 2 or so of them kicking around his house I just gotta buy the parts to get one of them running. I figure the parts for those engines are cheaper. Defiantly down the line I'm really interested in a biodiesel conversion though, but thats a bit pricey off the batt.

but if you don't mind me asking what did you pay for all that work at poor wally's? Whats his prices normally like? How much do you think a restore of my body would be? Does he sell parts- whats he all about? Im interested from the forum and what your saying it sounds like he does good work.

Also does any one know of a good place to find a cheap roof. A while ago, when It was moved to be stored, the tow guy knocked it off and its been lost ever since. I just need the top white fiberglass piece. Or a whole new roof will do if it is cheap enough, but I'm missing the white top... so I'm looking for a white top haha
 
There's a mechanic who owns a shop in Kingston, MA named Denzil Desouza. He is a cruiser nut as well. His shop was on 3A in Plymouth. Not sure what his new address in Kingston is. Track him down and pick his brain.

It is going to cost you a ton of money to fix that. You can do it and should do it but don't be discouraged if it takes you 10 years to make it happen. Stick with it. Sorry about your Dad, I joined that club last year and it's terrible. Fixing the FJ will keep his memory going for a long time
 
Thank you, it is a sucky club... we should make sad jackets. Hopefully I can get it done sooner than 10 years, id go insane. I'm shooting for next summer which means the summer after haha, but you gotta set deadlines or nothing gets done. I did some investigating on the interwebs and found this guy


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is this him?

its seems like it. also is he a member on the forum or just somone your aware of. Im not quite sure how to introduce myself haha
 
Definitely him. He's not a member. He's a regular mechanic and is a super nice guy. Just drive to his place and tell him you have an FJ40. Done
 
Hey guys, been a while! For those interested, I figured Id post some progress pictures, didn't want to leave any of you guys hanging.

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Unfortunately by the time I got a welder and everything squared away. I really was only able to start cracking at this thing by early September so not bad time for only a month or so. Also I'm only spot welding the galvy in place till I get a respirator.
 
Good start!
 
Here's a suggestion for you that will cut a big chunk off the amount of time and money it will take to get it running and on the road.
Take the metal top off, take the doors off, take the jump seats out, spare tire frame, bumperettes, and anything else that is not absolutely essential and leave them stored away somewhere. Figure out what you're good at and plan to do those things yourself. Things you're not good at or don't like to do (engine or electrical or ?) pay someone to do those. Just get it safe and running as a bare bones convertible.
Drive it around in the summer and enjoy it while you think of your dad. Then if you still have some energy and money left, fix the other things.
 
Thank you for the advice! Focusing my energy should help things along. Tomorrow I actually found a garage to put her into So thats good news for the winter.
 
That's great news. Keep posting here so we all know how things are going.
 
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