Ok here is my intro.
I am 30 years old I live in New Mexico And love FJ40s I just found this site 2 weeks ago (can't believe I never knew about it)
So I just picked up a 63 FJ40 Remember this thread?
https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=104102&highlight=bagage
It is my fifth Cruiser and the #4 in my drive way. My first cruiser 74 FJ40 had to be put down and I still shed a tear about it every now and then. Some a**hole pulled in front of me and it was broad side him or try to really hard to miss him. I missed him went in to a sideways slide, hit a curb and rolled on to the side. Bent the frame roll bar and cowl. His insurance called it totaled and gave me $5000. They wanted it in exchange for the money so I sent them the title, They sent the check. The wrecker never came to pick it up and for 4 years it sat on the street in front of my house. One day the city put a sticker on it telling me to move it because they were going to re-do the pavement I felt like it was not mine and I did'nt have a place for it so let them tow it away. But not before I grabbed some good parts off of it. Anyway 2 months later I got a court summons from the insurance co. Stating I never surrendered the title or cruiser. I called them and asked why this took 4 years for them to figure out and told them it was in a junk yard if they wanted it. I offered to go get it pay someone to take it to there junk yard and they started complaining about the title so after insisting they had it I offered to get a new copy. The junk yard had a lien on it so at this point with the lien and the price of hauling it 60 miles I gave up and said I'll see you in court. I did'nt win but it'll be a cold day in hell before I give the $5000 back. I just have bad credit now. I now wished I just hit the guy so he could of had some of the misery I went through.
I bet you guys love me now.
Any way my story goes on to my 69 FJ40. I was in california, visiting my family and had been looking for a new cruiser, had the $5000 and found a sweet 69. So I jumped on it canceled my flight home and started to drive. Drove 14 hours to Flagstaff Stayed at a hotel, got up and went to the gas station checked my fluids and tires. Got on the road and drove for 1/2 hour and out of the blue in a matter of seconds I went from 65 miles an hour to 45 and then 35. I pulled off the road immediately Looked under the hood, the whole passenger side of the engine compartment was covered with oil. About five minutes later a Arizona state trooper pulled up and told me I could'nt park there (temporary cross over in the middle of highway used for road workers) I told him I'd love to move it but it threw half of its oil and I did'nt want to start it. He asked if i had AAA and I gave him my card. Triple A came and took me 20 miles down the road to my now least favorite city in the U.S. Winslow. Had Him drop me off at the typical local dumb and dumber gas station/repair shop. After steam cleaning the engine and topping it off with oil I started it up and with dumb in the passenger seat (dumber stayed at the station) we drove it down the side street. Two blocks away he pointed out what I already was hearing a knocking rod!! Man was I sad I knew I was stuck in dirt town Arizona. Paid dumb for the oil and steam and drove the knocker to the local U-haul to see about a truck and trailer to tow it home. This was a dreadful place it was an old run down house with a 400 pound guy that smelt like rotten eggs and tuna fish, he got on the phone and called around to every U-haul in northern Arizona and nada no trailer to tow my cruiser. Then he called his friend and told him my plight. He got off the phone and told me his buddy had a trailer and could take me for $500 bucks, but we had to listen to his music. Envisioning his 400 pound friend who probably smelt just as bad or worse, I declined his offer. So I walked to the pay phone dialed every Buget, Ryder la la la in the book and still nothing, the whole northern half of arizona had jack s**t for me. Standing on a corner in Winslow Arizona sucks so to hell with the with The Eagles. Discouraged and sun burnt from standing in the sun all day and it being after five o'clock I tucked my tail and drove the knocker to a decent looking hotel up the street. Checked in and hungry I walked over to the Taco Bell across the street, grabbed my tacos. I was walking back and low and behold in the parking lot was a big rig car hauler with zero cars on it and two not so rugged guys climbing out of it. Told myself what the hell and shot them the question "You guys are'nt traveling cross country are you?" And the response was "no man we're only going to Albuquerque." WOW I thought and replied with "How much would you want to take me and my knocking rod cruiser with you to Albuquerque?" They said "well meet us here at 6 in the morning and we'll talk." Man did I luck out I woke up went out and they had me drive it up on the rig, they strapped it down and told me when I asked a third time about how much "Aww just buy us lunch or something." "Sure thing" I said and we hopped in the rig, the guy who was not driving insisted I sit in his seat and he took his bottom bunk bed. They had like 50 VHS movies and a TV VCR combo and told me to pick out a movie and we were on our way.About 100 miles down the road we stopped for gas and food I offered to pay for gas, the reply was "You don't want to touch this tank." I offered to pay for food and the again they declined. We drove on. They were really cool guys told me about how they knew they could get fired for helping me but they felt that every month at least they had to help out someone. They told me they were picking up police sized cars to take to Utah. And were really excited to go to some strip club in Albuquerque. I again offered to pay for the strip clubbing but again was nicely declined. Such a stroke of luck after a miserable set of down falls. Got the cruiser home and about a month later found a guy in Albuquerque who was putting a V8 in his FJ60 and was selling his 2F. Picked that up and together with my old 74's 4 speed tranny went to work. Now when I called Specter and ordered a bell housing they told me it could'nt be done, due to the cross member I could'nt put the 4 speed and 2F in the 69. I respect specter and value their great wealth of cruiser knowledge but it can be done, and I did it. I simply used the engine lift to lift the front of the engine about 15 degrees leaving the rear engine mount bolts in but as loose as they would go. The 4 speed went on and when I let the engine down the tranny had a good 1 1/2 -2" clearance from the cross member. Drove that for about 3 years and the engine started to smoke not bad but some. I was looking at the classified one day and saw an ad for a re-built F called they guy "$500 and it comes with a FJ55 body"
That leads in to my 3rd cruiser I grabbed the deal. The Guys son had started the project of rebuilding to drive train and had re-built the engine first. The son had gotten in to drugs and crime landed himself in prison so his pops wanted the FJ55 off his hands. So I got a FJ55 along with what I would have paid $500 for alone A re-built engine. Now I'm a FJ40 guy and don't have any plans on doing anything with it but It has given me some parts and makes a good storage for some of the various FJ40 parts I want to keep. But would be glad to sell it off as parts but ever better a whole as the body and frame are great. The inside needs new seats and dash. Also some rats moved in I see the droppings and the front seat underneath has been torn up in to a nest. My buddy has 3 little weenier dogs and they caught one rat and left it for dead in my yard but I can't say if any more are in there. I have traps set and the droppings don't seem to increase but who knows.
Back to the 69 I drove it about another year and the clutch gave out. I figured it was time to put the rebuilt F in. Pulled the smokey 2F and went to work. I was in the middle of realizing that some of my old F parts had gone missing (stolen) from my last rental house in the busy part of the city. When I stumbled on a 78 FJ40 for $2000 bucks
The 78..... it's a good cruiser for every day driving if you don't mind the loud rattling windows and hard top. It's been worth the $2000 and as I needed an way to get to work, it was a good thing. The bad: it has a different tub (yellow) while the front end is blue. Some a**hole cut the cross member out of it. The windows need new felt but the driver door is bent on the rail so in my mind not my first priority. The engine now smokes and burns the oil like it wants another middle east war. (I don't) The fenders are shot so bad that the turn signals just hang on the rusted bolts. The body has more rust than my 3 other cruisers combined. The charging system leaves my battery weak and the starter does'nt want to turn. The starter is new (8 months old) but its sounds like something is holding it back. The windshield rail on the hard top came off at the rivets and when i pulled the top off to try and fix it the driver door rail fell off of the fiberglass. Luckily I had the top from my old 74. It went on but after a winter of snow the fiberglass around the (worst thing to put on a top) sunroof, started to sag and leak. And on and on.
With the 78 rusty, smokey and needy daily driver I decided to put the money in to my 69 and do it right as every day I get in to the 78 and see so much wrong. I have decided to rebuild the tranny (someone told me the 74 tranny is special, is that true?) I have the rebuild kit from specter (pretty penny) and just need to get it down to the shop because I'm not to sure I know what I'm doing when it come to rebuilding. The rebuilt engine did not come with a rocker arm assy. I grabbed a used one and went to put it on and the oil tube was not bent in as should be. Too long and not lining up to the rocker arm assy. and not sure I wanted to bend it myself I got a used one, pulled off the side cove and slapped the new used one in. Good thing I did though because a spider had made a web inside of the side cove and that needed some cleaning. God I hope this re-built engine starts. All I have to do now is put everything back on and cross my fingers. Any tips on starting a re-build that has sat for maybe 3 years?
So being an E-bay window shopper and some times buyer, I ran across the above mentioned 63 FJ40. Now I know a nice cruiser when I see one and this just happened to be 400 miles away. On a impulse I jumped on it and clicked the buy it now for $1600. It has no engine or tranny but man it is in awesome condition. It's going to need some T.L.C but I'm ready to build it up as stock as I can. Keep an eye on the wanted section here, as I will be posting what I need for it soon. I plan to keep the 3 on the tree, because the first cruiser I drove when I was 16 was 3 on the tree and I loved it. I want to spend the time and money as it comes to me but I am not rich and don't have a whole lot of time (geee but you sure can write a book on the internet) I am sorry to the guys who tried to get the 63 after me because I was told there was quite a few. I am putting the E-bay photos of the 63 up for you all to see. I plan to barrow a friends digital cam to take more and take pictures of the other 3 cruisers I have. I am not a know it all with cruisers more like a need to know a whole lot more! That's why I am glad to be a new member of this fine site with you all who can hopefully help me learn. I love FJ40s I want to own one at least for the rest of my days as a monkey. I am very interested in doing a diesel swap but that has equated with lots of money in my research. So that'll be down the rocky but cruiser-able road. I can't believe you read this whole thing, your sick and I guess I am too. once again keep an eye out for my "I need" postings, as I need help.
more pics:
http://home.comcast.net/~joshell2674/c3e7_12.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~joshell2674/c445_12.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~joshell2674/c31c_12.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~joshell2674/c171_12.jpg
I am 30 years old I live in New Mexico And love FJ40s I just found this site 2 weeks ago (can't believe I never knew about it)
So I just picked up a 63 FJ40 Remember this thread?
https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=104102&highlight=bagage
It is my fifth Cruiser and the #4 in my drive way. My first cruiser 74 FJ40 had to be put down and I still shed a tear about it every now and then. Some a**hole pulled in front of me and it was broad side him or try to really hard to miss him. I missed him went in to a sideways slide, hit a curb and rolled on to the side. Bent the frame roll bar and cowl. His insurance called it totaled and gave me $5000. They wanted it in exchange for the money so I sent them the title, They sent the check. The wrecker never came to pick it up and for 4 years it sat on the street in front of my house. One day the city put a sticker on it telling me to move it because they were going to re-do the pavement I felt like it was not mine and I did'nt have a place for it so let them tow it away. But not before I grabbed some good parts off of it. Anyway 2 months later I got a court summons from the insurance co. Stating I never surrendered the title or cruiser. I called them and asked why this took 4 years for them to figure out and told them it was in a junk yard if they wanted it. I offered to go get it pay someone to take it to there junk yard and they started complaining about the title so after insisting they had it I offered to get a new copy. The junk yard had a lien on it so at this point with the lien and the price of hauling it 60 miles I gave up and said I'll see you in court. I did'nt win but it'll be a cold day in hell before I give the $5000 back. I just have bad credit now. I now wished I just hit the guy so he could of had some of the misery I went through.
I bet you guys love me now.
Any way my story goes on to my 69 FJ40. I was in california, visiting my family and had been looking for a new cruiser, had the $5000 and found a sweet 69. So I jumped on it canceled my flight home and started to drive. Drove 14 hours to Flagstaff Stayed at a hotel, got up and went to the gas station checked my fluids and tires. Got on the road and drove for 1/2 hour and out of the blue in a matter of seconds I went from 65 miles an hour to 45 and then 35. I pulled off the road immediately Looked under the hood, the whole passenger side of the engine compartment was covered with oil. About five minutes later a Arizona state trooper pulled up and told me I could'nt park there (temporary cross over in the middle of highway used for road workers) I told him I'd love to move it but it threw half of its oil and I did'nt want to start it. He asked if i had AAA and I gave him my card. Triple A came and took me 20 miles down the road to my now least favorite city in the U.S. Winslow. Had Him drop me off at the typical local dumb and dumber gas station/repair shop. After steam cleaning the engine and topping it off with oil I started it up and with dumb in the passenger seat (dumber stayed at the station) we drove it down the side street. Two blocks away he pointed out what I already was hearing a knocking rod!! Man was I sad I knew I was stuck in dirt town Arizona. Paid dumb for the oil and steam and drove the knocker to the local U-haul to see about a truck and trailer to tow it home. This was a dreadful place it was an old run down house with a 400 pound guy that smelt like rotten eggs and tuna fish, he got on the phone and called around to every U-haul in northern Arizona and nada no trailer to tow my cruiser. Then he called his friend and told him my plight. He got off the phone and told me his buddy had a trailer and could take me for $500 bucks, but we had to listen to his music. Envisioning his 400 pound friend who probably smelt just as bad or worse, I declined his offer. So I walked to the pay phone dialed every Buget, Ryder la la la in the book and still nothing, the whole northern half of arizona had jack s**t for me. Standing on a corner in Winslow Arizona sucks so to hell with the with The Eagles. Discouraged and sun burnt from standing in the sun all day and it being after five o'clock I tucked my tail and drove the knocker to a decent looking hotel up the street. Checked in and hungry I walked over to the Taco Bell across the street, grabbed my tacos. I was walking back and low and behold in the parking lot was a big rig car hauler with zero cars on it and two not so rugged guys climbing out of it. Told myself what the hell and shot them the question "You guys are'nt traveling cross country are you?" And the response was "no man we're only going to Albuquerque." WOW I thought and replied with "How much would you want to take me and my knocking rod cruiser with you to Albuquerque?" They said "well meet us here at 6 in the morning and we'll talk." Man did I luck out I woke up went out and they had me drive it up on the rig, they strapped it down and told me when I asked a third time about how much "Aww just buy us lunch or something." "Sure thing" I said and we hopped in the rig, the guy who was not driving insisted I sit in his seat and he took his bottom bunk bed. They had like 50 VHS movies and a TV VCR combo and told me to pick out a movie and we were on our way.About 100 miles down the road we stopped for gas and food I offered to pay for gas, the reply was "You don't want to touch this tank." I offered to pay for food and the again they declined. We drove on. They were really cool guys told me about how they knew they could get fired for helping me but they felt that every month at least they had to help out someone. They told me they were picking up police sized cars to take to Utah. And were really excited to go to some strip club in Albuquerque. I again offered to pay for the strip clubbing but again was nicely declined. Such a stroke of luck after a miserable set of down falls. Got the cruiser home and about a month later found a guy in Albuquerque who was putting a V8 in his FJ60 and was selling his 2F. Picked that up and together with my old 74's 4 speed tranny went to work. Now when I called Specter and ordered a bell housing they told me it could'nt be done, due to the cross member I could'nt put the 4 speed and 2F in the 69. I respect specter and value their great wealth of cruiser knowledge but it can be done, and I did it. I simply used the engine lift to lift the front of the engine about 15 degrees leaving the rear engine mount bolts in but as loose as they would go. The 4 speed went on and when I let the engine down the tranny had a good 1 1/2 -2" clearance from the cross member. Drove that for about 3 years and the engine started to smoke not bad but some. I was looking at the classified one day and saw an ad for a re-built F called they guy "$500 and it comes with a FJ55 body"
That leads in to my 3rd cruiser I grabbed the deal. The Guys son had started the project of rebuilding to drive train and had re-built the engine first. The son had gotten in to drugs and crime landed himself in prison so his pops wanted the FJ55 off his hands. So I got a FJ55 along with what I would have paid $500 for alone A re-built engine. Now I'm a FJ40 guy and don't have any plans on doing anything with it but It has given me some parts and makes a good storage for some of the various FJ40 parts I want to keep. But would be glad to sell it off as parts but ever better a whole as the body and frame are great. The inside needs new seats and dash. Also some rats moved in I see the droppings and the front seat underneath has been torn up in to a nest. My buddy has 3 little weenier dogs and they caught one rat and left it for dead in my yard but I can't say if any more are in there. I have traps set and the droppings don't seem to increase but who knows.
Back to the 69 I drove it about another year and the clutch gave out. I figured it was time to put the rebuilt F in. Pulled the smokey 2F and went to work. I was in the middle of realizing that some of my old F parts had gone missing (stolen) from my last rental house in the busy part of the city. When I stumbled on a 78 FJ40 for $2000 bucks
The 78..... it's a good cruiser for every day driving if you don't mind the loud rattling windows and hard top. It's been worth the $2000 and as I needed an way to get to work, it was a good thing. The bad: it has a different tub (yellow) while the front end is blue. Some a**hole cut the cross member out of it. The windows need new felt but the driver door is bent on the rail so in my mind not my first priority. The engine now smokes and burns the oil like it wants another middle east war. (I don't) The fenders are shot so bad that the turn signals just hang on the rusted bolts. The body has more rust than my 3 other cruisers combined. The charging system leaves my battery weak and the starter does'nt want to turn. The starter is new (8 months old) but its sounds like something is holding it back. The windshield rail on the hard top came off at the rivets and when i pulled the top off to try and fix it the driver door rail fell off of the fiberglass. Luckily I had the top from my old 74. It went on but after a winter of snow the fiberglass around the (worst thing to put on a top) sunroof, started to sag and leak. And on and on.
With the 78 rusty, smokey and needy daily driver I decided to put the money in to my 69 and do it right as every day I get in to the 78 and see so much wrong. I have decided to rebuild the tranny (someone told me the 74 tranny is special, is that true?) I have the rebuild kit from specter (pretty penny) and just need to get it down to the shop because I'm not to sure I know what I'm doing when it come to rebuilding. The rebuilt engine did not come with a rocker arm assy. I grabbed a used one and went to put it on and the oil tube was not bent in as should be. Too long and not lining up to the rocker arm assy. and not sure I wanted to bend it myself I got a used one, pulled off the side cove and slapped the new used one in. Good thing I did though because a spider had made a web inside of the side cove and that needed some cleaning. God I hope this re-built engine starts. All I have to do now is put everything back on and cross my fingers. Any tips on starting a re-build that has sat for maybe 3 years?
So being an E-bay window shopper and some times buyer, I ran across the above mentioned 63 FJ40. Now I know a nice cruiser when I see one and this just happened to be 400 miles away. On a impulse I jumped on it and clicked the buy it now for $1600. It has no engine or tranny but man it is in awesome condition. It's going to need some T.L.C but I'm ready to build it up as stock as I can. Keep an eye on the wanted section here, as I will be posting what I need for it soon. I plan to keep the 3 on the tree, because the first cruiser I drove when I was 16 was 3 on the tree and I loved it. I want to spend the time and money as it comes to me but I am not rich and don't have a whole lot of time (geee but you sure can write a book on the internet) I am sorry to the guys who tried to get the 63 after me because I was told there was quite a few. I am putting the E-bay photos of the 63 up for you all to see. I plan to barrow a friends digital cam to take more and take pictures of the other 3 cruisers I have. I am not a know it all with cruisers more like a need to know a whole lot more! That's why I am glad to be a new member of this fine site with you all who can hopefully help me learn. I love FJ40s I want to own one at least for the rest of my days as a monkey. I am very interested in doing a diesel swap but that has equated with lots of money in my research. So that'll be down the rocky but cruiser-able road. I can't believe you read this whole thing, your sick and I guess I am too. once again keep an eye out for my "I need" postings, as I need help.
more pics:
http://home.comcast.net/~joshell2674/c3e7_12.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~joshell2674/c445_12.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~joshell2674/c31c_12.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~joshell2674/c171_12.jpg
get a diesle
