Officially addicted... my FJ40 story begins

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I just purchased a 40 a couple of weeks ago, after finishing my 60 over the last few years. I took my 5 year old son out for a spin and he asked me if I was going to buy another land cruiser? I told him if I did, his mother would probably move out of the house. So that night at dinner, he looked to his mom and asked if she is moving away if Dad buys another land cruiser? Her reply, don't worry you will always live with me. She must since a troopie in my future.

Yes, I am addicted too.
 
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Made it home with the truck tonight. It ran great. I was amazed at how "quick" it was especially in 3rd gear in comparison to the 60. Sorry for lack of photos and quality... It was late so I'll take some better photos this weekend.

The paint has already cleaned up well (the close up of the hood, side by side comparison doesn't do it justice). It may be more patina than some would prefer, but I'm just amazed it has gone this long with the original paint. Has anyone ever seen this pin-striping before? It looks factory, but maybe a dealer option?

I've ordered some new hardware to brighten up the exterior- and to help balance that patina out.

It needs some TLC... But it's all there.

The previous owner sure had a thing for pennies...

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Understanding wife is important, I figure I don't drink what my friends spend on beer I spend on cruisers...
 
PO was a cheapskate. My PO at least left quarters and dimes with the pennies.
 
And the spending spree begins...

Ordered this week:
-5BFG 33x10.50 MT KM2's from
4wheelparts
-2.5" medium OME Dakar lift from Crusier Solutions (Bryce was a huge help, great service)
-4 OEM wheels, OEM hubcap set, and lug nuts (and a few extra parts.... Pedal pads, shift knob, etc) from Cruiser Corps
-Hood/windshield hardware, new exterior bolts/screws from SOR

Game on! Can't wait for the UPS trucks to start showing up.
 
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It was a busy weekend. Soccer games, school play, and in laws visiting. I still found some time to work on the cruiser... And take it for a lap around the neighborhood.

A bottle of 3M Rubbing Compound later... The paint actually shines pretty good. Good enough for me to keep thinking this "patina" is something I could live with... For now. I removed all of the old grommet snaps, radio antenna, and any other junk remaining. Made good use of my father in law being here and dismantled and stored the top- you can see it half removed above. It may be a while before that ever goes back on...

A handful of new parts have arrived- wheels, hub caps, door pulls, jump seat straps, tow hook, bezel (installed properly by the way), and I've made a few trips to the fastener aisle at Home Depot. Less than a week in- I'm optimistic and feel like progress is being made. How long does that feeling last?

I have a question on the dash where it meets the windshield frame (found all kinds of junk in the lower channel of the windshield frame... Remnants of a mud wasp nest). Is the black "rail" supposed to go into the perforated holes, rest on top, in front? I've searched and can't find a photo. Thanks!

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The 33's arrived.... Dropped wheels off at powder coater today as well. They'll be a few shades darker than the stock color, but are going to look great. Also picked up some titanium silver spray paint at HD for the rear bumpers- will get a couple of coats on those tonight....
 
Okay... So I'm laying out all the parts and planning the start of my OME install. First question... The greasable pin will not fit into the shackle... What am I doing wrong here? Seems like it should be pretty straight forward?...
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The truck is cleaning up nicely. In the past couple of weeks I've installed or replaced a bunch of hardware.... Screws, bolts, latches, gaskets, etc. Nothing big on their own, but it's all adding up to something that looks a little less neglected than what I picked up a few weeks ago. It's easy to understand how this can go to from refurb to frame off restoration. I'm sticking to my plan for now... Get this thing freshened up, lifted, and then get it dirty.

I installed the footman loops for a new SOR soft top using existing M6 screw holes on the interior of the tub. Waiting on a pack of nutserts from Fastenal to arrive this week and the top should be done. And the SOR tailgate is a great fit. Can't wait to get my hands on the tire carrier...

The paint came out good on the rear bumpers... I went with the OEM wheel color grey. I liked the darker color on them.

I should have the wheels back this week and mounted on the new tires soon after.

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can't say I've seen that black rail before. Any better pictures of it?

Where did you buy the OME kit from? I would think you could call them back to work out whatever the issue may be.
 
Chris8760 said:
+1 on the clay bar... Unfortunately there are quite a few holes from former fender flares, side view mirrors, roof rack, etc. I'm in no rush thanks to the fact that it's rust free.

Good to see I'm not the only one with the addiction... Maybe this site is group therapy... I tried convincing myself I would be satisfied with the 60 and 40... I'll let you know if I get back online and start searching again tonight!

I'll post up again later today with pics of it in the driveway.
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What part of Georgia?
 
after 40 + years and 65 fj40s and some 45s ,and some 55s and some 60s the addiction is gone for me .still enjoy seeing what other folks are bringing home .working on the 40s was much easier than working on all the 6x6 trucks i now own though
 
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