Pre build advice- 4 door fj-40 with truck bed. (1 Viewer)

[Captain Tabner]

First off. I don’t need advice on why I’m doing what I’m doing. I need advice on how to do it. I’d like to make a 4 door fj-40 truck. I’d really like a 24v 6bt Cummins in it. Easiest thing to me seems to be to take the body off a 2001-2006 ram and start building. The little bit of Toyota die hard in me says buy a 2007-2010 tundra and do the same thing.

My vision is start at the front. Go from bezel to tube fenders to cowl to doors to rear of tub. Use full size fiberglass hard top. Modify rear of cab hard top to include corner glass. Finish with custom bruiser style truck bed.

This will be a daily driver and not an ultimate off-road machine. But will see the dirt and snow yearly. I’ve owned a 73 fj-40 and a 2008 dodge mega cab 3500. Loved them both. Hopefully you can see why I’m leaning this direction.

My question is really. How should I do this? I’d like to spit ball ideas with people before I get neck deep in this. But I’m only catching flack from people saying. “If you want a tundra, drive a tundra” “if you want a dodge, drive a dodge.” Anyone have any real advice? This is to be a 2-3 year project. On top of wanting the finished product. I’d like the challenge of the process.

 

[A10Driver]

I had similar goals in my project. It's lots of work. See link and let me know if you have any questions. The 40 body will not fit on ram frame without significant changes (widening). The 5.9 Cummins is also about 3 inches longer so to fit I had to modify firewall.

Builds - Frog's FJ159

So I have decided to finally post up my project. I have been gathering parts for a while, and am finally getting to the fun part of putting them all together. I bought a FJ40 4 years ago, and after a lot of work decided to totally change direction. I bought a rusted out fj60, parted it out and...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[cruisermatt]

I'm going to ask the same question you never answered when you asked the same question in the 40 section in December. Why do you need a 10" tall 1-ton frame under an FJ40 for daily driving? The way you want to go about this project is the most difficult way possible. Putting a Cummins diesel and running gear into an existing FJ45 pickup would get you your pickup truck so much faster and easier, and will look better when you're done. You could use a Troopy as your base and just modify the top and build a second set of doors.

 

[J Mack]

First off.

I believe when you start off a sentence with “first off I don’t want to hear your opinion” then you go on to say what’s your opinion, you might come across a little closed minded and are just looking for someone to tell you your idea sound solid for building a Toyota looking body on a Ram truck frame.

I think it’s a great idea, I seen a Willis Jeep someone built at King of hammers on a truck frame and they did a really good job. You might want to google “Big Willy Mutant Jeep” and get some ideas for scale on your project

Good luck!

 

[Captain Tabner]

Why do they put a ten inch frame under a truck to start with. Obviously they thought it was needed and most trucks are just daily drivers. I don’t need a 10” frame. But I do want to put a truck bed behind the cab. An alternate questions is guess is what’s the best way to stretch a frame 92 inches? It would seem like starting with a longer frame to start with would be the best option. If I mount a body and can build a bed to what ever size I need.

The biggest issue I am having is finding a doner troopy or fj-45. Either of which wouldn’t be long enough for what I want anyways. But I’m certainly not paying 25-35 grand for someone’s completed project to tear it down and make my own project. What sense does that make?

I don’t understand why you have to give a guy a hard time. I just want to build what I want, but I want to make sure I have all my ducks in a row before hand. Why would it be ok with you for me to use a different frame, troopy or 45, but not any other frame than that? Your still recommending the same thing I’m already doing?

 

[J Mack]

I don’t understand why you have to give a guy a hard time. I just want to build what I want, but I want to make sure I have all my ducks in a row before hand. Why would it be ok with you for me to use a different frame, troopy or 45, but not any other frame than that?

A 2006 Ram pickup is 16" wider and 50” longer than the troopy or 45 you would like to transplant the body from. I believe the assumption is if you already possessed the skill set and equipment to widen and lengthen a body or build one from scratch the questions you are asking would be phrased differently.

I need advice on how to do it.

For example when @metalshaper started his epic build he was making comments like,

So the first step was to order some cold rolled sheet metal. I ordered some 16 and 18 ga sheet metal, about 10 sheets each. Then I went to the computer and try to draw the basic shapes. With my rough measurements I can cut some blanks to get started with.

I can’t speak for anyone else and clearly don’t know you so I can’t speak to your ability but the answers you are getting are based on an easier path (put a Cummins in an existing vehicle) rather than build a body from scratch to fit an existing frame.



Some recent projects that would be good reading material if I was going to attempt what you’re talking about by two guys with a very clear vision and the ability to see it through.

Builds - Frog's FJ159



So I want an FJ 40 but...



Again good luck and let us know if you get this off the ground.

 

[bcsteel]

Why not an troopy or 80 chassis with lockers and all the goodies? Proportionately might look a little better

Curious why you would want a 24 valve and not a 12? A pre 91.5 has nothing for electronics and can be easily intercooled and tuned to make power very cheaply.

Cool idea and Good luck with your project.

 

[pjohnson]

FJ80 frame + Cummings engine + double cab 40 body from Aqualu.

You're welcome.

 

[Captain Tabner]

My truck had a 6.7. I know I don’t want that. Don’t want to get anywhere near a DPF system. Don’t know if I’m necessarily stuck on a 24. I’m just looking at what I have readily available. My dad owns an oil field company. He’s had dodges since the first Cummins came out in 89. That’s part of what I’m trying to narrow down. I know 12 vs 24 is like the north and the south, everyone has a reason why ones better than the other. I’m trying to take about six months to plan out what im going to do before I dive in. I built a 73 fj-40 in 2001 and did it all backwards. I don’t want to make the same mistakes again

 

[White Stripe]

Aqualu FJ45 4door cab with FJ45 long bed from aqualu behind that. The Dodge frame will be too big and bulky. Aqualu could build you a nice boxed frame to use as a foundation.

 

[Mace]

Aqualu for the win. FJ40/ FJ45

 

[bcsteel]

One thing to think about is making the truck appealing to a market. What if you want to sell and build something else? I’d be more inclined to think someone’s would snatch up a crew cab 45 on 80 chassis with lockers and a mildly tuned Cummins with nv4500 and split case then a one off widened thing on a Cummins frame. Maybe I’m wrong.

Example: A guy up here a while ago put a PT cruiser on a Tacoma frame then made it be purple . Actually did a nice job with the conversion but guess how many people like it? 0! Couldn’t give it away.

Also I’d like be aqualu’s 12 customer or whatever the number is for a crewcab body rather than the first for a wider body one of. These are just opinions and not trying to be d!ck.

 

[afraptor22]

Couple thoughts since I'm building a 4-door pickup in my garage right now.

Get as many pictures of the Dodge frame as possible, especially dimensions. My guess is it's very wide and tall compared to anything Toyota. The 40 body has very little body overhang so you will see pretty much the whole side of the frame under the body. If that's cool with you then go for it. I think even short ones are over a 124" wheel base so you will have plenty of room for 4-doors, but you want to get over 130" if you don't want to angle the back of the cab to avoid hitting the wheel. I'm at 129 and angling the back of the cab and bobing the front of the bed to keep it short so I can drive it around town and not do 5 point turns to park.

An Aqualu body will save you a metric crap ton of time! I'm using their rear doors on my project. They also have some dimensioned drawings to help you figure out a wheel base. If you can weld aluminum they are a much nicer starting point than old rusty 40 metal.

@A10Driver has the best info on fitting a Cummins I6 in the front but it looks like you'll be changing the dimensions to get it to fit. You are going to need something beefy to pull that much truck around though and with full Dodge running gear you can tow, but you can't really fit a big radiator in the nose of a 40 unless you widen the whole body and that will add a ton of time, work and complexity.

I don't think you would save much time or money starting with either a 40 or 80 frame with what it sounds like your end goal is. Asthetics would be different but that's subjective so if you don't mind seeing the tall frame then go with the dodge. Just be realistic from the start that if you go with that frame you are probably going to have to modify every part on the body and even starting with the wider Aqualu body it will take lots of time and skill.