NEED HELP.

[fjfjfj]

Thanks Living in the Past for your efforts and information. I really appreciate it. I did notice a BLACK speedo face plate with IDIOT LIGHTS on a 1963 FJ45. You can see that link on my above entry #12. Besides mine that is the only other one I have ever seen. My mechanic and I looked at mine again today very closely and it really does not looked like any changes were made under there. Everything seems to match regarding wear and tear, age looking stuff, all that stuff. Anyway, check out that link above. Interesting to see another one like mine. FJFJFJ

 

[bj40green]

FJ,

OK, you found this 1963 FJ45 with a black speedo face plate and lights.


You can see in my thread that there is a 1964 FJ45 with a black speedo face plate and lights.


But both are black/black and not black/silver as yours is.


So what are we trying to find out now?

Rudi

 

[Living in the Past]

Here is a couple of mud links to that FJ45. https://forum.ih8mud.com/fj45-owners-club/246134-1963-fj45l-found-restoration-info-thread.html https://forum.ih8mud.com/fj45-owners-club/280911-after-much-debate-i-do-need-let-her-go.html It was bought in 10/08. Restored later after owner couldn't sell it in 09. It did have the black speedo in 08.

Do we know the from the newest youngest VIN of the 40/45 with a silver speedo on Mud? Depending how close yours it to that would probably say if it's original or not. Seems it was pretty common for Toyota to use up old parts on next model year. My 68 FJ40 had four grey wheel and one black when I bought it in 74. Have never figured what was the first 68 but have a feeling my 9/67 was one of he first 68 models. I believe when in production the rolling chassis had the new grey color but when the spare was installed it had one of the old black ones installed. Few other things are 67 like smaller bolts on driveline and ball and claw front axle. Having something newer show up on a older cruiser not sure I have seen that. In the 39 years I've own my 68 I have replaced many parts from junk yard cruisers. I doubt anyone could tell which were original and which were replaced off of junk yard cruiser at this point. If a new speedo was purchased in 65 for some reason doubt anyone could say if it was 51 or 48 years old now. Don't know if it was poor record keeping or Toyota not sharing info but finding a 100% sure answer to your black speedo will impossible. Bottom line it really just depends what you want. Market value it really doesn't matter. Chances the person willing to pay the most wouldn't know the difference.

 

[fjfjfj]

bj40green,,,,,,,,,,thanks for posting those pics. I noticed if I strip away the outer Lily White Cruiser Color GAUGE face plate, the one with the little green bright light indicator in it,,,,,,,,,, and then strip away the inner Silver colored plate that has Oil, Temp, Fuel and Charge written on it in black I am left with the Black Speedo Face plate combined with the oil and charge lamps and the temp and fuel gauges. It is that set up, especially showing the oil and charge lamps that I have been trying to find and thanks for providing 2 very early examples, 1963 and 1964. My cruiser is a 1962. The PO said the miles on the cruiser were original ( around 44k miles ) and that his dad bought the cruiser in 1965 from the original owner and did not make any changes to the cruiser before it was put away in the barn in 1968 until 2012 when I purchased it. So,,,,,,,,,,,perhaps the PO was being untruthful? Perhaps he simply does not remember the change of the gauge cluster. I just know that I am satisfied with seeing other early examples of Black Speedo Faces with Oil and Charge lights, satisfied enough to where I will not go and seek out a white Speedo face in my pursuit to keep my restoration as close to period correct as possible. I think my gauge cluster could very likely be original to the cruiser as it came off the factory line in 1962. I am open of course to all you folks and certainly appreciate everyone's comments. I agree with Living in the Past and many others who have been kind enough to make constructive comments. I think it might be impossible to ever know the truth UNLESS,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,more evidence happens to appear, one way or another. For now, I am satisfied with my gauge cluster and Hey, isn't there a Japanese guy in a back room somewhere in Japan Toyota Headquarters who has been sitting there since 1959 that I can simply call and ask all these questions to??? LOL> Please post his phone number!!!! lol. I will learn Japanese if it will get me my answers. Hey, I already know 2 Japanese words,,,,,,,,," California Roll ".

 

[peteinjp]

Showa year 37 is 1962.

 

[JohnnyC]

Showa year 37 is 1962.

Well .... That's a great piece of information! Thanks Pete ... It maybe a date code after all

 

[fjfjfj]

Yes pete,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,that is great information!!! Thanks

 

[Living in the Past]

I am back up noth again and was going to put my 62 speedo I took off a 62 soft top in a yard Back in a box. Number on the back is 35.12.? Can't make out the last number or numbers. Afraid to rub them off. So 37 was a 62 and 38 was off a 65 what is my 35. Speed goes up to 100 not 80 So couldn't come off a FJ25. The cruiser was a 62, When Ehsan was still around I was willing to get the rocker section up including the door opening. This was before the OCD and Badger tops. Cruiser didn't have the 25 carry over the 61s had.

 

[fjfjfj]

Showa 34 = 1959
Showa 35 = 1960
Showa 36 = 1961
Showa 37 = 1962
Showa 38 = 1963
Showa 39 = 1964
Showa 40 = 1965
Showa 41 = 1966
Showa 42 = 1967
Showa 43 = 1968
Showa 44 = 1969
Showa 45 = 1970
Showa 46 = 1971
Showa 47 = 1972
Showa 48 = 1973 Showa 49 = 1974
Showa 50 = 1975
Showa 51 = 1976
Showa 52 = 1977
Showa 53 = 1978
Showa 54 = 1979
Showa 55 = 1980
Showa 56 = 1981
Showa 57 = 1982
Showa 58 = 1983
Showa 59 = 1984

 

[fjfjfj]

I thought the other gauge I had in my garage came off a 1965 Land Cruiser but perhaps it did not as SHOWA 38 = 1963 as you can see in the chart above. Maybe Toyota had extra parts though, stamped earlier and used later? fjfjfj

 

[Living in the Past]

Okay did a little more checking. I have the complete speedo cluster from a 71 I parted out. On the back it has 38.9.29. No way it is from a 63. Are we sure that these numbers are date code? Plus the numbers on the back are part of the housing not the speedometer. Just removed six screws and had the speedometer loose. I bought a speedo years ago off Ebay and that is the way it came. My guess when you could buy a speedo if ever from Toyota that is they way it came. I also could not find any numbers at all on the speedo out of the 62.

 

[fjfjfj]

I am afraid we are back to the drawing board unless those plate parts that you see the stamp on were made in bulk several years earlier and just pieced together with all the updated guts as they changed over the years. But,,,,,,,,,,,,, I agree with you. Something is fishy. Peteinjp is the one who mentioned the Showa Dates and my date matched my 1962. So,,,,,,,,,,I was happy. But,,,,,,,I guess it is still a mystery? fjfjfj

 

[Living in the Past]

I was searching thru some boxes yesterday and found another cluster that had the black speedometer face and silver color for the gauges. Because one of the screws that hold the speedometer in the cluster was missing and by the connectors on some of the wires were newer I believe that cluster is no longer stock. Also had the pewter on the cluster face. Which doesn't make sense. Should of been body color. No sign of a repaint. The back has a rectangle sticker which I think had 9 11 on it.