NEMO Expedition Vehicle 001

[hobbadehoy]

EDIT:

*I have finally gotten my 88 fj62 into a shop I started renting with some friends and began the frame-off restoration process. I'm planning this to be a long process but excited for the results!

I was originally going to do a more "traditional" frame-off resto but have since shifted to doing more of a resto-mod and making my fj62 into more of mobile studio/workshop. It's going to be a pretty big project and I'm not sure exactly how it's going to turnout, but I have a lot of ideas and I appreciate all of you who follow along and give your support, advice, etc.*


Original post:

Hi all! I have had Big Red (name changing to FJ Misty, a play on words with Father John Misty one of my favorite musicians) for just about 10 months and figured I should start a thread for it. I got it from Mike in GA through Mud last March and drove it back to Buffalo NY with a buddy, making stops in Athens, Nashville, and Cincinnati.

A bit about me:
Finishing my master's degree in architecture at the University at Buffalo.
bought Big Red sort of on a whim, but don't regret it!
Have made multiple 100+ miles trips back home to CNY on the thruway and a couple longer ones (6hrs to NYC from Rochester)
enjoy product design, fabrication, making, etc (and hoping to try out some custom stuff on Misty)

A bit about the car:
1988 62 with 375k (now over 382k) miles (i know, i know, it's a lot)
original engine
transmission 2012
transfer case 2017
a little rusty but a southern car it's whole life so pretty darn clean (frame is basically spotless!)
3" ome lift
big 33's
overall great shape for the money a something I am hoping to keep for a long time

I have big plans for it but atm it's just about maintaining it's current state until I have the time/money to do more major stuff. I've done a bit of work myself (POR 15, wiper motor, radiator, under coating for salty NY winter's) and a bit of shop work (gaskets and some other minor tune up stuff). So here is a bit of a photo dump of the last ~10 months.

Enjoy!
Lukas

 

[hobbadehoy]

First morning in Athens after purchase in Winder, Georgia. March in Georgia sure beats Buffalo, NY! Stayed at a great Airbnb "The Quiescent Nomad", highly recommended.

It was also my birthday that day so it was a fun, if expensive, birthday trip!

First morning in Buffalo is greeted with snow! Probably the first of it's life!

Finding an older brother around the city!

Over the summer near Cazenovia, NY i spied this beauty! I've always loved the round headlights of the 60's. (maybe a conversion is in Misty's future?) I've lived in CNY my whole life and have driven past this autoshop almost once a week, but never saw this guy here until now.

 

[hobbadehoy]

Boyhowdy this thing has space!!!! Some of my work over the summer involved building some benches for my university. Misty could fit all the material with space left over! I love that the rear seat goes down completely flat!!

Another project I was helping with involved handpicking pieces of dolomite from the local Lafarge Quarry. Over 1300lbs and handling it like a champ!

Finally getting some use out of these enormous tires and 3" lift. (also notice my very nice POR15 job in black, my inner designer/perfectionist was coming out!) I also have taken off the window tints and stickers/decals and contemplating if I like red....

After xmas brought my sis and her bf back to Bed-Stuy, BK. Over 6 hours of driving (the longest stretch since the ~7hrs/day on the trip back from GA). The bluetooth radio the PO installed came in handy! (I have to have my spotify) Also safe to say I probably looked very "hipster" with thing bumming around haha. Also getting to love the profile with the lift and 33's. They are just so darn wide 12.5! I may go to 33x10.5 or 31x10.5 (or the metric equivalent) to help with handling and mpg a smidge.

That's all for now!

 

[Hojack]

Your Big Red reminds me of a younger @The Phoenician Big Red Toy

 

[The Phoenician]

View attachment 2186692
Your Big Red reminds me of a younger @The Phoenician Big Red Toy
View attachment 2186691

Before steroids.

 

[hobbadehoy]

That's what it'll evolve into

 

[FJACS]

Cool truck, you don’t see many around Buffalo NY. About a decade ago there was a guy with a few 60’s and a couple of iron pigs that lived out on the 219, I don’t think any of them are still around.

 

[hobbadehoy]

Cool truck, you don’t see many around Buffalo NY. About a decade ago there was a guy with a few 60’s and a couple of iron pigs that lived out on the 219, I don’t think any of them are still around.

There's a I shop I go to east of 219. The guy there has some old land cruisers and jeeps. He's rebuilding a 40. But yeah the winters here scare me with all of the salt, but so far so good!

 

[NearJetties]

Krown and Fluid Film should be your new best friend

 

[hobbadehoy]

Krown and Fluid Film should be your new best friend

Yep fluid filmed the underside before Thanksgiving!

 

[hobbadehoy]

Getting some new shoes on FJ Misty! Decided to go with 31x10.5. I do like the look of the 33s with the height of my lift, but I prefer the thinness of the 31s. Perhaps the next set will be 33x10.5, but those are harder to find! Plus I can already feel the difference with handling on the road!

 

[hobbadehoy]

Designing my ideal rack/swingout/gear holding setup. Would love to turn FJ Misty into a mobile architecture/design studio. Taking inspiration from frontrunner, Gamiviti, and Joey Ruiter (a great industrial designer out of Michigan)!

 

[hobbadehoy]

TEAR-DOWN DAY 001

In September 2021 i started renting a workshop space with 4 of my friends. Our interests vary but we are using the space primarily as a wood shop and as a mechanical shop. I put my fj62 in there in November but hadn't really had the time or energy to devote to starting the project. Well, I started the tear down process this weekend and Saturday I got most of the interior taken out!

The next steps I believe would be to remove the front quarter panels (would have to remove the hood first and of engine bay parts attached to it?), then remove the front doors, then remove the body from the frame. I think I am missing a couple in between steps here but I think I have the gist.

Since my intended build is to make this vehicle a mobile studio/workshop I am starting to think about how I can use the internal mounting point, bolt holes, etc. to hold any new "infrastructure" as I will not be putting the rear seat, seat belts, etc back into the vehicle. Be prepared for some cool plans/sections of this project as it develops.

On that note, does anyone know if schematic drawings from Toyota are available to obtain for this vehicle? working off of those would help a lot with this project!

 

[hobbadehoy]

Hello Dolly!

It's been a bit of slow going with the tear down (work along with some much needed vacation travel have kept my plenty occupied) but I just finished making a dolly for the body and am hoping to get the body off this weekend! (excuse the poor image quality)

- Lukas

 

[hobbadehoy]

Got the body off this weekend. Used the gantry and hoist at my shop. It went *fairly* smoothly save for a few lines and a bit of gutter bending. The dolly I made was perfect. The body sits on the middle and second to back mounting points. It rolls smoothly and it's stable. On to the next.... Removing the drivetrain and starting some digital drawings of the vehicle for restomod purposes.