Newbe with a 1961 FJ25 HT (1 Viewer)

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Joined
May 24, 2005
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I have a FJ25 Hardtop cruiser that I am thinking of restoring. I was just wondering what you guys thought about the project. It is actually not in to bad of shape, surface rust and a few dents but most things present. I will try to post pictures later, after I get them scanned. I guess I would like to know how hard it is to do the restore, or if I should sell it instead. It has 37,361 miles on it, all engine, tranny and body parts original and working. It hasn't been started for a number of years (ref missing gas cap), but the engine turns free when it was pulled.

Let me know what you think and I'll try to get the pictures scanned.
 
I think if its mostly there, solid, patience, and with the help of this board it should be a good candidate for a restoration. Just be prepared to spend $$$ and have fun finding unobtanium and when you can't find it, make it or have it made. I seem to be doing a lot if this these days :)

Where ya from also helps :)
 
Tough to tell without pictures. And we like pictures of 25's. :D

Parts are hard but not impossible. It's not like a later cruiser where you have a choice of vendors supplying different grades of the same parts.

Also depends on what you mean by "restoration", cleaning everything up and making substitutions is fairly easy.......finding or making the exact original parts and returning it to factory new condition is very tough. That's why I haven't started mine yet. :crybaby:
 
Sorry about that, I am just north of Houston, TX. The Toyer is in North Dakota, but I am thinking about bringing it down this summer. Here are a couple of pics, what do you think?


Vickie
 
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Lets try that again

One more time
toyer1.jpg
toyer2.jpg
toyer4.jpg
 
That truck looks WAY SOLID and WAY WORTHY! Like cruisernerd said, it's really all about the patience.

Looks like the two biggest problems are really not that big. Dented fender looks like it's still solid metal, so reshaping it is just a matter of time and patience. The other is the missing headlight parts. LCJ is working on some good substitutes, and I have hope that he will have a good source for all of us soon. He still owes me a pair for my repro bib.

Welcome and good luck.

:)
 
I am always amazed that for a "rare" vehicle so many new ones pop up everyday. :eek: Looks pretty complete and solid!

Definately a worthy candidate. Even if you do nothing with it soon, have someone get the wheels out of the earth. I had a complete set on my first......they were only missing the bottoms. The hardtops seem to be more rare.........nothing impossible.
 
Heater knob

As I remember - the door flaps that are on the firewall. Wish heating is what we called it. Yes, it is very complete and solid. It is at my dad's right now, he is the 3rd owner - Dealership bought it, sold it to my second cousin and then my dad bought it from him. We have owned it since mid 70's - we used to drive it to school.

The headlight got broken out at the farm, the missing ring may be inside the vehicle. I really have to get up there and finish checking out the vehicle, but everything is there and complete. Dad was thinking about selling it as is, but is not sure what to ask for it. I really don't know either. But I thought that I might try a restore instead - I just really don't have the time!
 
If it's been in the family that long, I'd want to keep it that way. I know of a couple that have been in one family since day one. :cool:

If you do decide to sell it, let us know here first........ ;)
 
Welcome to your new family, Vickie!!

I see much potential there. You've come to the right place for both technical advice and parts sources. And most importantly, emotional support for your new-found addiction (for which there in no known cure). These guys in this forum are great!!

Half the fun will be watching your FJ25 progress through its various stages of refurbishing/restoration. Like the rest of the gang said, the other half of the fun will be tracking down the parts. Since your T-bird hood emblem is still intact, that's an omen that you're well on your way.

I'm also a newbie, and a fellow hard-topper. (Anybody know what the ratio of soft-tops versus hard-tops were during production?)

Let us know how we can help in any way. And, keep a running photographic diary of your progress so we all can watch it come together.

Steve
 
Just talked to Dad, the headlight ring is inside the vehicle - someone stole the lamp but left the ring. The heater was actually installed prior to delivery - something to do with the fact that it was shipped to North Dakota! I think there is a small blower under the hood. He was going to check, but he thinks the tail lights are still there and intact, but I might be missing the outside mirror.

Vickie
 
Vickie, the FJ25 your father owns looks like a prime restoration candidate. You might want to check and see if you can locate the original hubcaps also, assuming they came with them. Keep us posted if you start the restoration process.
 
Hi Vickie
Some cruisers are good parts vehicle this one looks like a vehicle looking for some parts. Nice looking hard top 25. With all original running gear could be good canidate for original restore.
Move it south and get it out of the rust belt. Wash all the dirt from the under side as some as you can including inside the frame and move it to a hard dry surface. By the time you see rust coming thru the body of a cruiser it's to late.

John
 
Check the surrounding area for the gas cap. Seriously........root around........use a metal detector. I haven't found anything else the gas cap will fit....so it might not have gone too far. :D
 
I am going to bring it down this summer, but unfortunately the gas cap is long gone. It was lost in about 1979 or so. We hunted then and couldn't find it. The only other thing that I know that I will need is the window mechs, they were never in the vehicle since we bought it. The windows are there, but we just propped them up into place with a stick. Not sure what happened to the mechs. I don't think the hubcaps were ever on the vehicle, at least they weren't since we bought it. But all in all, I don't have to many parts that I will have to find. I'll let you know when I bring it down, will be dragging it on a trailer sometime this summer.

Thanks for all your support!

Vickie
 

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