Newb looking to buy 74 fj

[BDSeff1fitty]

i have found a fj40 i like for sale. the buyer is asking $2500, might be able to get it for a few hundred less.

problems:
1) both rear quarters rusted
i was going to buy new panels and weld them in place. how hard is this? only welded about twice.
2) rockers rusted
planning on replacements as well
3) engine has been cleaned up. 119-120psi on all cylinders. said it runs well
how long would you expect till it would need a rebuild

have not looked to much into it, he said it will be sold by thanksgiving (he's hoping), if not i plan on getting it if all goes to plan.

heres what my plan for it would/will be:
1) fix rust spots
2) SOA lift
3) 35's and rims
4) possibly power steering (wasn't 75 or 76 first year for PS?)
5) line-x, paint

any advice will be great. this would be my first vehicle to work on in this depth but i want a vehicle so i dont mess up my daily driver

 

[alkarich]

Welcome to mud.

Pics would help in regards to the rust. Check the faq section for body info.

Engine question is hard to say. Depends how it has been treated and maintenance done. Also how you do the prior. Also if you are a hard driver or not?

As for power steering 1979 was the first year offered as an option. Again check faq's for ps options. As well as SOA ideas.

Good luck, Alan.

 

[BDSeff1fitty]

was on ebay last week. guy lives about 45 minutes from me.

rear quarter

rocker

engine

whole vehicle

the big thing i like about it is how clean the engine is. he just cleaned it up. looks like new lines and what not. i'm not looking for a perfect vehicle or anything, this is more of a learning experience more than anything. hoping this could be a father /son project with my dad funded by me (how often does that happen?)

 

[alkarich]

That rust looks pretty extensive. The rear quarter rust involves the lip of the tub where the hard top sits. How is the floor, front and back? How's the frame? Don't rush into something others will show up. Unless he drops the price. Those are my thoughts.

 

[BDSeff1fitty]

floors

front shot

do you think it would be wise to hold off and find a better 40?

my goal was to pull body off the vehicle and just clean up some of the surface rust, and paint stuff. not a restoration, but just a good needed clean up

texas seems to be very limited on 40's from what i can tell. can you recommend any sites/places to check for a 40?

 

[SHREG]

If you plan on building a rig and piss pounding it then offer the guy 1800 bucks. That body is a disaster and i dont think there are any quick fixes there. Once you pull the body on that thing you will find a 2 year project. Unless you want to cage it and make a crawler out of it... I see whats been covered and made up, what would scare me is what lies underneath that nice two tone paint job.

Again, decide what you want to use the truck for....if its a full on resto then this would be a rough start...

 

[alkarich]

Floor doesn't look too bad. Nor does the frame. How much money after purchase would you like to put into this rig? Replacing panels and painting can get expensive. Or you could quickly cover it for now with diamond plate. Still think it is too much moola.

 

[apeterson]

yup... what Shreg said... check out my build... mine was in alot better shape than that and I put a whole new 1/2 tub on it... which is what you will need to do............. if you want a nice truck and not a beater, pass on it and wait for better one.

 

[apeterson]

Floor doesn't look too bad. Nor does the frame. How much money after purchase would you like to put into this rig? Replacing panels and painting can get expensive. Or you could quickly cover it for now with diamond plate. Still think it is too much moola.

that is behond diamond plate I think!

 

[BDSeff1fitty]

my goal is kinda a resto/trail rig. don't think there are any spots in east texas for rock climbing
heres what i would like to do:
1)Fix rust (want body to look good)
2) SOA lift
3)tires/wheels
4) paint/ line x

the big goal is getting the 40. really the budget is not set. its just when i have money i put into it. probly 4k max tho to start with. and remember that includes buying tools. hopefully getting a welder for free this weekend from my uncle. so that would take the most expensive tool cost out of the way. i really just wanna get it cleaned up first, then start my mods. i hate the diamond plate look, thats just my opinion never liked the look of it on any vehicle. won't be able to paint it myself sadly, my parents live in an expensive neighborhood so they would flip if they saw me doing that and probly get someone called on me and they would come with a nice big ticket

my 2 main reasons for wanting to buy a 40 are:
1) want to buy a vehicle on my own (parents have already given me a very nice truck)
2) learn alot of new things

 

[alkarich]

If you "want the body to look good" I would pass. You also mentioned "resto". That is a big undertaking with that rig for that budget. If I were in Texas I would keep looking.

 

[apeterson]

keep looking........... you will spend wayyyyyyyyyyy more than 4 K just to get it ok...

 

[BDSeff1fitty]

i don't mean a full resto. just clean up parts as i pull them off. by no means do i want it to be perfect, but i do want it decently clean.

my budget is 4k to start, and once i have a part time job the budget will grow. ok i guess i will pass on this one. can you recommend a place to search for a better vehicle around the same price?

 

[alkarich]

Still find another base than this one. Tools, parts, paint, etc.

 

[apeterson]

take a look at all the build threads out there................ most of us got 10-20K into the truck... and yes.. most of that is "cleaning it up" and they are not perfect... look at what I started with..... way nicer than that.... someone tried to tell me to pass and wait for a better one... I did not... I have owned my truck for 3 years and never drove it and got 15-20K into it... you can do it cheaper, but you will get what you pay for... trust me.......... pass on it and take your 4 grand and save till you got 7-8 and you will be able to still do stuff to it but be alot farther ahead... wish I would have done that..


oh yea.. mine only cost 1200 also

 

[Southeast Overland]

Find another truck - the rust will be twice as bad as you think it is. I would buy that 40 for $1500 - chop the rust out wheel the fool out of it. If you "want for it to look good" then walk away and find another.

 

[BDSeff1fitty]

ok thanks for all the help i guess ill pass this one up.

how do yal have that much into it just for clean up? are yal buying alot of parts?

heres a "rough" guess on the basics in my mind. yal know much more than i do so this is what i was imagining

car $2500
lift $500
wheels/tires $400
paint/line-x $2500
metal work $ 600
miscellaneous $700

total: $7100

im just wondering what yal do to put THAT much money into it? i don't want to ever spend that much. i was really just wanting a learning experience and something to do with my dad. if its 15-20k i might have to consider a different idea

 

[MtnTrucker]

Let me ask a few questions first: What do you like more or are better at? Mechanical work or body work? If you want a vehicle that has a good motor and is probably in fair mechanical condition and driveable daily then this might be a good vehicle for you for the right price. You can patch over the rust spots and make it more presentable but you aren't going to be fixing the rust problem permanently. I wouldn't spend the money on a nice paint job or Line-X now, since this body will need major replacement/refurbishing work before it would be worth spending the money on those items.

If you're a really good mechanic and you prefer doing that type work to major body work, then pass on this rig and find one with a much better body but maybe has a bad engine.

If you want this to be a learning experience both mechanical and doing body work, you want to make it more presentable but aren't concerned with restoring it to collector car condition, then this might still be a good choice for you for the right price.

Whether you buy this rig or another one you will quickly learn there is no such thing as just fixing one thing. You pull one thing apart and then you find another problem and another one and then you wake up one day 3 years later and realize it is still a work in progress. But that is why you buy these things, so you can enjoy fixing them up.

 

[SHREG]

im just wondering what yal do to put THAT much money into it?

Oh man....talk about a can of worms...... It can add up VERY fast. The "Build" seems to have a life of its own. There really is no "finishing" these things

Know what you want, what your willing to pay.....be patient. Your Cruiser is out there.......


I waited and found my truck, it was worth the wait....I saved allot of $$ and time

 

[alkarich]

Second what SHREG posted. I waited some time before finding the rig I restored. Also with you in Texas the likelihood of you finding a truck locally that is a good base is much higher than up here in Minnesota.