Please allow me to introduce...

[cruiserloser]

Hello All -

New FJ25 owner. I have owned a few of the other years/models, but this is the earliest. I bought Bob Messer's truck a few weeks back.

First - Thanks to Jim (Cruiser_Nerd) for the orientation around availability of parts and some lessons learned when restoring this model. I really appreciate the time and insight.

Second - Thanks to Bob Messer for keeping this truck nearly 100% complete. It will make the resto process much less complex.

I have attached a few pics. Feel free to fire away with questions or observations. All welcome.

Dave

 

[Punani]

Congrads with your purchase, She's a lovely machine

 

[JohnnyC]

X2 congrats

Original bumper... Big bonus... Do you have the other bits and pieces?

What is it you are missing ?

Jim is this truck on the "list"?

 

[cruiserloser]

Thanks. Yes, the bits and pieces are there. Turn signal lever/switch assembly,rear license plate light, dash light, even the tool roll is mostly intact.

I believe I do need one vacuum powered wiper assembly.

Should be fun.

Dave

 

[Cruiser_Nerd]

Almost doesn't look like the same truck without the spring green, have you found the original color yet?

I updated in the count and registry, #77. Another consecutive number, a little more unusual because it also has consecutive engine numbers!

This is a FJ25LA with an english vin plate, Dave tells me it looks factory set up to use either the "B" or "A" type bows.

 

[cruiserloser]

Jim- I will post pics of the vin plate and slanted bow brackets in the next couple of days.

This was originally a Gray truck. Have a pic of an original gray with factory soft top?

Thanks.

Dave

 

[RLMS]

Sweet cruiser. Very nice and straight body


Justin

 

[cruiserloser]

Pics of parts

As Jim referenced: here is the "slanted" bow bracket or A type, as well as a shot of the factory placed rear quarter panel bow attachment. Truck appears provisioned for both bow types.

 

[JohnnyC]

looks like somebody added the 'B' type bow bracket to the rear... you have the older clip style (single bolt) added to your truck.... there are two types.... one with one bolt w/clip .... and ... the newer ones use two bolts

looks like it was made to work... the oem ones are now that thick welded on

yours is 'A' type truck IMHO

 

[Living in the Past]

I agree with you Johnny. I may be wrong but the rear bow looks a little tall. Later FJ40 bows were taller. The rear jump seats have lower arms. FJ25s they were as high as the back. Because of the location of the A style bows the back would have the forward facing bench not jump seats. From what I can tell 59 had two styles of bows. By 1960 Toyota started limiting what US got and all were B style bows with jump seats. Do you have the A style rear bows? I checked and the canvas part numbers were different on the two styles. The later B style carried on to the fj40. Might explain the change since Iguessing parts for those last longer.

 

[cruiserloser]

I agree with you Johnny. I may be wrong but the rear bow looks a little tall. Later FJ40 bows were taller. The rear jump seats have lower arms. FJ25s they were as high as the back. Because of the location of the A style bows the back would have the forward facing bench not jump seats. From what I can tell 59 had two styles of bows. By 1960 Toyota started limiting what US got and all were B style bows with jump seats. Do you have the A style rear bows? I checked and the canvas part numbers were different on the two styles. The later B style carried on to the fj40. Might explain the change since Iguessing parts for those last longer.

Hmmm...so this 1960 has the A (as well as B) bow set-up, but should have only the B set-up. Am I tracking you correctly? I do not have the A-bows. Have a picture?

I also have the "ears" for the jump seats that are factory attached to the slope side of the wheel well? Should those be there with the factory front facing seat set-up?

 

[cruiserloser]

VIN plate

 

[Living in the Past]

Clearly I was wrong about the A style not coming here in 1960. I was going by the only two I seen, Mike Fox's and Proffitts, plus that was what is shown in the parts catalog. Your VIN says it's A style. I believe that is correct. Those were rare here in the US. From the pictures in the front of the parts catalog those would only work with the rear bench seat. The angle bows in the back would interfere with the jump seat. I believe someone tried to make a C style out of a A style. Looking at parts book it was C not B that was common here. Difference was B had barn doors and C had a tail gate. FJnotCJ (Phil) has or had a B style that the VIN was in Spanish so it probably came from south of the US border. As for the brackets on the front of the wheel wells that not hard to do. I have a 62 soft top tub I will probably install 61 jump seats. All I have to do is weld on the OEM brackets I already have. As for the bows, we had a thread years ago about getting replace top made. I posted the difference between the later FJ40 bows and the early soft top bows. Because the later bows were taller and wider in spots that can be cut down. If you have any questions I have set loose right not I could take any measurement you want.

Here are the best pictures I could find of rear jump seats and only one of the bows without some over them.

 

[cruiserloser]

Thanks for the post and pics. I will check on the jump seat brackets and the rear bow bracket that Johnny referenced for evidence of post production modification. It very well could be that this truck was fitted with both (A and now C) bow-to-tub attachment points (one being unutilized) The jump seat brackets are more of a curve ball - they appeared to be factory fitted when I was examining this, but I will double check.

Like many other transition year FJs, this one may have been a little confused coming down the factory line.

Great stuff!

Dave

 

[cruiserloser]

A type bows

For reference

 

[JohnnyC]

remember also... in usa trucks sat at port... when they sat... FST's had no tops on till they were sent to dealers

they were added either at port before shipping to dealers or at the dealer themselves... if all they had were B bows and jump seats

Q what does the bed floor look like? any holes/bolts

i met a guy once who worked at the same shipping port that toyota used in NJ during the 60's if i ever see him again... i need to ask a few more questions

 

[JohnnyC]

pics ... we love pics ... here are some of the lonley cruiser waiting ... either at toyota or at port w/no tops... most are from Landpimp

 

[cruiserloser]

Johnny - Great question. I will recheck the floor.

Thanks a ton for the pictures. The sea of mid/late model 4X series vehicles is breathtaking. Those pictures always floor me.

If only that third picture with the late 45s could have been, or at least bound for, a stateside port...if only.

 

[Living in the Past]

remember also... in usa trucks sat at port... when they sat... FST's had no tops on till they were sent to dealers

they were added either at port before shipping to dealers or at the dealer themselves... if all they had were B bows and jump seats

Curious Johnny where you found the information about no top came with them until there were sent to dealers. I figured if anything the doors. bows and canvas may have been in the back like the knock down caps in the picture of the FJ45. They were paint to match the body. Bows could be painted easy enough but door would have to have been torn down to paint. If in fact it happen like you thing I would have thought they would have used the correct FJ25 to convert to C style. I still think the rear bow is to high and off a later FJ40 soft top. Not sure what those jump seats are off of.

Here is the break down on the FJ25 and FJ40 early soft tops

FJ25
A = angle bows with forward facing bench seat
B = straight bows jump seats and barn doors
C = straight bows jump seats and tailgate

Early FJ40

Std = straight bows jump seats and tailgate
B = straight bows jumps seats and barn doors
C = straight bows jump seats barn doors set of as two piece ambulance doors. Hard on the bottom, soft on the removable top.

As far as I know the US only received Std and a few B style early FJ40s. Still not sure of we received any of the no top models but I have technical bulletin with the price for Husky for both replacement and cruisers imported with no top. The no top I believe was no letter. How Toyota stamped the Std soft top is unclear. I didn't get the VIN on my 62 soft top tub (it has barn doors = B any way) and my next soft top is a 73.

 

[JohnnyC]

by no top... i mean not on the truck... i believe the bows were boxed w/doors

i did hear there were each shipped over with 'extra' stuff to inventory as parts within crates shipped over with each rig... think maybe it was on lcml or a toy website in the past... because parts supplies were scarse they shipped essentials over with each truck is more like the reasoning...

the canvas themselves is a different story (from reading and researching)... early they were shipping over with the truck till about 59... 60 they were shipped crated together till about 64... 65 they were being sorced outside toyota (local suppliers)

non of this is 100% confermed... been a quest to find out 100% if the local suppliers is fact or not