Builds My Hawaiian 1975 Fj40 Resto-resurrection

[White Stripe]

I would offer them 1500 bucks for that fj62. Then you have good axles with modern brakes, tires and wheels, split case tcase, and automatic transmission if you want, and all the parts to make a 2fe for the fj40. Part out the rest and make your money back.

 

[Bludozer]

I wonder what color the PO was going for with that paint job...swamp monster?

 

[GA Architect]

.......and making the interior pretty again!

Only you, and maybe a few others could make that statement and get away with it in here......

Congrats for you on acquiring the 40. It's in good hands, now!

 

[tweek99]

The interior was in the same sad condition as the exterior. But there is plenty to work with inside with a little elbow grease and rust repair. I think the disco blue rear drop down seats will have to go. Cushions seem to be ok, so may just need to get some new covers for them.
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It will be a ton of work, but really looking forward to digging in to it and making the interior pretty again!

That looks like a good start. Good luck

 

[Aloha Jen]

Need some pics of the cancerous spots on the tub to see how bad it is and how much work it would be to save the tub. Does the cowl area have any cancer? I have a feeling their are some bondo surprises under the peeling paint.

I will try and get some photos of the worst areas on the tub, but yes, most of the body is one big bondo surprise! There will be a lot of cutting out rusty sections and replacing.
Luckily, the PO included a bunch of patch panels with the sale. He ordered them from a company on the mainland called Real Steel. Here is what was inside the packages that came with the 40:

Looks like some good panels and the rear sill feels very heavy duty. Mr AlohaJen is pretty determined to do all the metalwork on this project ourselves. He wants to learn how to weld and the this project should give more then enough practice! I'm interested in learning to melt a little metal myself, so we are currently shopping for welding equipment.

seeing jens other builds i don’t think she’s end up parting it out. she’s end up having another awesome 60 series when all is said and done with!

You are right about that, I could never part it out, it would definitely become another member of our growing land cruiser family.
For those that do not know, we fixed up a couple of cruisers over the last few years. If you are interested, you can check out the build threads I have in my signature. This is my first one, the Fzj80 is built for exploring remote beaches and trails in the mountains:

And this is my show pony Hj60! We recently finished this windows out rolling resto. It's a beauty inside and out (and took a ton of work to get it there)!

 

[White Stripe]

Real steel makes pretty good stuff. As far as welding goes, its really good if you can find a local tech school or something to give 5 or 6 classes on it. But you can learn using the internet and some junk steel/sheet metal for practice welding. A mig welder with a tank of argon that uses 110v wall outlet would probably be adequate. At my old work we had a little miller that was 110 that worked great. Auto darkening helmets are also nice.

 

[Doctor do Little]

Real nice part of the world where you live Aloha Jen
We did some island hopping (six weeks overall) years ago.
First Big Island, then Maui and then your island Oáhu
In Lahaina I saw a FJ40 parking in front of a house stopped made some photos and talked with
the owner ( he came out of the house when he saw me) Told him that I own a Land Cruiser too a 43
was a olive green like mine I bought in 1980 and sold 2014.
Nice olive green 40 and a pleasent Gentleman

Cheers
Peter

... drove different US convertible on the islands. Chrysler LeBaron and Mustang

 

[Aloha Jen]

Had a couple questions/need some clarification on a few things that were done by PO's. First is the front brakes:

From what I've read, this front disc conversion is a good thing. But for future maintenance, is it easy to figure which brake pads to get or rotors/calipers to replace? Is there only one way to do this conversion, as in you can mostly only do it with 60 or 80 series parts? If I get the wheel off and take a picture, would you guys be able to tell what parts were used in the conversion?

The rear brakes are the drum variety, but not sure if they are the originals. Hopefully the red paint on them is an indicator of some recent maintenance on them.

What's the scoop on the Selectro hubs. I'm certainly no locking hub expert, but I've only ever seen Aisin and Warns. Are they worth keeping/refurbishing? Or just replace with better quality ones?

It has this old Selectro sticker on the dash, so maybe they were they were the original ones?

How about these mirrors? Are they the correct ones for my 1975 year? Are they the original ones or an aftermarket replacement?

Because this 40 bounced around to 3 different owners over the last couple years, and who knows how many before that, little is known about what has been done with it. It's really unfortunate that the history of this awesome old rusty 40 has been lost....who knows how it came to Hawaii or if it had always been here. Sadly, I don't think it's backstory will ever be known. But....hopefully new memories and a new history can be created through this restoration process for me and my family.

 

[Michael B]

If the brakes had been converted I would have expected to see the hubs replaced with something more contemporary like Asins. It may be that your truck was a very late production unit and got factory 40 disc brakes like all 76' US models. The rear drums appear stock from your picture. The mirror is aftermarket. You may be able to research the VIN number for some history on your 40.

 

[SteveH]

Selectros aren't the strongest hubs ever made, but they should be serviceable. They were likely dealer-installed, along with the sticker, but who knows. I would clean them up, paint them and run them. I did read that you should not excessively disassemble the working parts of a Selectro, as they can be difficult to reassemble. The big knob is darn easy to use, compared to some others.

 

[thebigredrocker]

I think Selectro’s are going to be like a shackle reversal debate. Following are two quotes from Land Cruiser mechanics in the same thread. You do have the “Heavy Duty” selectro’s.

Your mirror arms are good. They are called “aussie” style. The mirror heads are aftermarket. PO installed those for a larger mirror. The OEM mirror heads are small compaired to modern mirrors. There is a thread in which @beno is involved discussing all the mirror heads

 

[thebigredrocker]

With all the money you saved, you can buy some 'real' locking hubs. Selectros are junk.

I like selectros because they are easy to grab & engage, even wearing mittens. Plus, it's easy to swap a busted lockout vs a busted birf.

Sweet deal on that frt bumper. It would cost almost that much in materials alone.

 

[ginmtb]

The arm on the mirror looks OEM but the mirror head does not. You can probably salvage the arms and mirror heads are still available. I think normally that arm though is mounted on the windshield hinges. So it might be a combination of the different arm/door hinge mount.

 

[dlzadl]

Selectro are on my 12/68 40 with I think over 100K on the clock and still click in and out like they are supposed to. If they work and unless you plan on hard core off road I would focus on more immediate needed fixes.

 

[tucker74]

I owned a '9/75 40 that had factory disc brakes and the earlier (thin) brake booster like the drum trucks, so could be a factory disk rig. You should be able to tell when you start taking it apart, it will be 40/60 calipers or mini-truck -

Tucker

 

[120mm]

My FJ55 is a June 1975 manufacture! They're brothers! (Unless, of course, your FJ40 is a girl, of course, then they'd be brother and sister).

I'm so glad you got this rig. FJ40s need to be brought back from the dead to loving families who will care for them and drive them like they should be.

I hope you are going for stock steel wheels with skinny tires. I really think the 40 shines in that configuration.

 

[Pierps]

Mr AlohaJen is pretty determined to do all the metalwork on this project ourselves. He wants to learn how to weld and the this project should give more then enough practice! I'm interested in learning to melt a little metal myself, so we are currently shopping for welding equipment.

Go for it! MIG welding sheet metal is surprisingly easy. .025 wire with 75% Argon/25% CO2 gas with a 120 volt MIG welder is perfect for body work. Just look up the settings for the gauge of steel/gas/wire size on the inside of the machine, test a few welds on scrap, and have at it. It's just all about not putting down too much heat and warping the panels. Tack weld in one spot, move to the other end of the patch panel, tack it there, etc. An air nozzle from your compressor is a good way to cool down the welding site periodically. Honestly it's hard to screw up.

The harder part is being accurate about cutting out the rusty bits, cutting accurate patch panels, and holding the patch panels accurately while you weld. And expect to spend TONS of time grinding down the welds. You need to control the heat while grinding too.

Anyway, restoring a rusty FJ40 without doing the metalwork yourself is a great way to burn lots and lots of money. I was apprehensive about welding before I learned it, and now that I look back, I'm not sure why I was so worried about it.

Now if you're talking about doing structural work, like welding on spring mounts or fixing a rusty frame, or welding up a roll cage, that's where you need to know what you're doing... lives depend on good welds in those cases. I leave that stuff to the pros.

Good luck!! and I freaking love your 60 btw.

 

[bikersmurf]

I'd say go for it... great way to learn to weld. I patched up my hardtop using a stick welder. Mig welders are way easier.

Perhaps you could save on shipping by mud shipping parts to Hawaii when members come from the mainland to visit Hawaii. Most have extra space in their luggage on the way to Hawaii so they'll have space on the way home.

 

[brian]

Had a couple questions/need some clarification on a few things that were done by PO's.

How about these mirrors? Are they the correct ones for my 1975 year? Are they the original ones or an aftermarket replacement?
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[Aloha Jen]

Real nice part of the world where you live Aloha Jen.

I agree with you 100%! I've been all over the world, and still think Hawaii is one of the most beautiful and special places.

Selectro are on my 12/68 40 with I think over 100K on the clock and still click in and out like they are supposed to. If they work and unless you plan on hard core off road I would focus on more immediate needed fixes.

I agree. First bit of work will be removing and controlling the rust problem areas. If the Selectro hubs work, they will most likely stay.

I hope you are going for stock steel wheels with skinny tires. I really think the 40 shines in that configuration.

Yes, most likely going in the direction of a stock wheel setup. But may look into those 16' steel wheels that look stock, but stay with a skinnier tire. Haven't seen you post anything about your 80 lately, did you sell it to get the fj55?

Good luck!! and I freaking love your 60 btw.

Thanks! The 60 really is something special.

Perhaps you could save on shipping by mud shipping parts to Hawaii when members come from the mainland to visit Hawaii. Most have extra space in their luggage on the way to Hawaii so they'll have space on the way home.

Sounds like a great plan, let me know when you are coming out! Can a 40 front fender fit in a suitcase?!