New to the form, my first FJ.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Please call it a forty, or a LandCruiser.... Not an fj, trying to be a purist.
Are you up to date with the Tetanus shots?

What year is the 'better' body and frame?
Bonus to you, the bezel is correct! :clap:
 
Well to adress you guys on the whole compression test, I already tested it! The compression is great. And it runs. The whole drivetrain is in good restorable/rebuildable condition. If I can upload videos I have one of it running. When I first got it I did all
The checking and testing on it, then changed the oil and fluids and fired her up and ran her for almost 3 hours filling up that little IV can. So the running gear is really the least of my worries. I'm
More worried about trying to get her to come apart with the body basically "rust welded" together. I'm
Going to be relying on you guys to help me when I start disassembling her with pictures I provide on my next move! So I hope I don't get too annoying !
 
Solace in Solitude said:
Hopefully, your second frame/chassis is really in good condition.. Your first one is not serviceable.

Before you do anything else, you should do dry and wet compression tests on your engine... Find out just what you have. Try to discern the state of the tranny and tcase as well

Evaluate the second frame/body... If it's really serviceable, I'd pull the powertrain from the first one and install it in the second one and go from there.

You may find other components in the first one that can be transplanted to the second one, but the body/frame is honestly looking pretty dismal.

If you can take the second as your build and use the first as your donor, you have a good start.

But, since you will be pulling and installing a powertrain, now is a good time to make sure it's serviceable... So you don't have to pull it again to rebuild it.

HTH
Click to expand...
This is great advice here. Do this and make sure your motor and trans and tcase work ok. Maybe put the rear axle on stands and get the wheels spinning and take it through its gears. Once thats confirmed, work on removing the engine and mechanicals. You will need a torch, if a bolt seems stubborn, get it blazing red with a torch, then before it cools take and impact to the bolt and remove it. Rust penetrant will have difficulty helping rust thats so severe. Once out, replace all the seals and gaskets on the motor, trans, and tcase while its all out. Maybe you can put some sort of rust eater on the engine block to get it to bare metal to paint it.
 
A good pair of gloves and safety glasses. A battery operated sawzall, and impact driver may be your best friend. I think i would start removing anything you can remove from the old 40. Get a shelving unit and ziplocs. Label every bag put broken bolts fasteners, etc in the bags.
 
This truck looks like it sat on a concrete in an unheated space through several winters. The oxidation on the gauges (under the glass) tell the tale. If you move forward with this project and want to save some of these lightly oxidized parts (like the gauge face) I would recommend the use of a rust remover (Griots carries a good one but I am sure you can get cheaper). I have completed 3 restorations in the past (non FJ40) and have had good success with it when trying to save parts without damaging the substrate.
 
Well before it was sat outside in a pasture, it sat inside an old barn with "concrete floors" and the barn was used as a mineral shed at one point, so substances like salt/lime/etc. so to me that makes since you said that @Disasterman
 
image.webp
I have pictures of the other body/frame!

As you can tell, it's not beautiful. But I have the enough parts I believe to make one good one right ?
 
What would I be missing then ? I mean it has no drivetrain/running gear, The body is decent. I have a terrible body and a good running gear/drivetrain...

Or am I just a rookie ? Please elaborate.
 
The body on that one looks pretty rough also, no windshield frame, doors, top, fenders, bib, all look rough. Then there are all the little things that add up.

You could make it a straight up heavy modded trail rig easier than a clean FJ40.

I have been banging out work on my 40 for about 18 months now, all I was doing when it started was adjusting valves.

I give you a ton of credit, you have determination, and hope. Like I said earlier, I have a parts rig in better condition than both of those.
 
Frame looks good.

Edit. If both frames and both bodies are the same year, you might have a chance at piecing something together here. Example, the windshield frame on your original purchase didn't look too horrible from the exterior. Perhaps scrap the hardtop completely (maybe save the cap to sell) and go softtop. You might have some options here,

But I don't have a ton of restoration experience. I'd heed the advice from these other guys first.;)
 
Last edited:
For a trail rig the "new" body frame will probably work. Your getting what you pay for and unfortunately, this is not a cheap car to get in to pristine condition. The "rust in pieces" truck was also worth what you paid. It just depends on what you want out of the truck?
Beater- your on the right track- soa, cut off any unwanted parts of the body and enjoy.
Restoration- shelve both of these and save yourself some hassles. Save some cash for a road trip out of the rust belt. I saw a great looking starter rig on the Phoenix craigslist today.
If you have the space, don't throw anything away. You can probably find a something of value on both trucks.
 
It's you're time and gas. Pulling a drivetrain isn't that hard. If it's gotta decent frame and title, I'd be a good start. The tub looks better than yours, plus some extra parts. Take a sawall and a small angle grinder with cutting wheels.
 
Here's my plan. By any means, I have no intentions on a pristine cruiser, I don't have use for one. I want to be able to take off to the trails and beat around a little bit, do exactly what it's built for. Maybe down the road when I settle down I will make her a show vehicle. But for now I'm looking for something to drive around Indiana in the back woods beating on all my buddies jeeps. When I took this project on I knew it wasn't going to be a show car, I didn't want it be, I wanted a rugged off-road machine that will take on anything you throw at it. But your right, I know for a fact my front bib/fenders/panels are all rusty, buts its surface rust though. And the window frame is good, and the whole top is good. Like on the inside you can see brand new paint still on there. So even the "rust in piece" cruiser has some life left to give to another. Then hopefully I can Frankenstein something together between the too, I'm too young to own something to nice, I'd dent it up or break it. That's why I'm doing this just on low funds and what I got laying around and what I can find.
 
I disagree... I don't think the second tub is good... Maybe it's the picture, but this 'good' one looks like it's been rolled... Or wrecked... The DS rear fender looks pushed in... The roll cage looks bent.

Helping the IL guy pull the powertrain is good practice and the frame may be worth your time, if it's not too warped/twisted... Or, the old gent could be taking advantage of your eagerness... Regardless, it could be good experience for you.

Since it's missing the axles and who knows what else and he's pulling the powertrain, he's probably hoping to let you Dispose of it for him.

I'm not trying to curb your enthusiasm... Just trying to say what I said earlier... Don't let your eagerness lead you astray.

As said above, save the parts, or sell the parts... Save your money, look for a good prospect outside the rust belt and you'll be ahead of the game.

This is a very expensive hobby and you can save yourself a lot of money/effort by starting with a better candidate.

Rwgardless, good luck whichever way you go!!
 
Let me tell you guys what I know...

The body pictured above lived it's life as a rock crawler, it was rolled snapped a rear axle and left to sit. The roll cage is bent and there is body damage, nothing major though. Except what you guys pointed out. The frame is NOT twisted, I had him send thorough photos of the underbody. But other then that it's clean, he claims no rust through in the floors that would cause me issues such having to replace it before use. So from what info I gathered on talking on the phone it seems legit. Like an opportunity. I guess once I get it home I'll update you guys on if I got screwed over or it was a fair deal.

Thanks again for the feedback, it really helps. Nice to know I got the pros watching out for me.:)
 
Real steel land cruiser sells patch parts.... Google them.
Floor panels, side panels, run a soft top, no top, no doors.
Keep it simple for now, runs, steers, stops.
Then consider adding the rest of the skin.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom