Project, 45 on the cheap.

[cruisermatt]

The frame is really toast. Fortunately I have this for a later date. Completely clean 67ish USA/California chassis I got off the 45 classifieds about two years ago. Well before I got the truck. It has since got some concrete dust, overspray, and some surface scaling. But it will all blast off really nicely. It all looks like it should be a direct swap for my 78 (was mostly just concerned about the bed which is actually in good shape). It has the earlier center arm but that will be getting replaced with an FJ80 box when we do the frame swap one day

Does anyone want the OEM rear leafs off this frame?

 

[Lifelong40Fan]

Thanks for the update Matt. $400 bucks in on a running 45 is unbelievable! Any idea when you might do the frame swap?

 

[cruisermatt]

Thanks for the update Matt. $400 bucks in on a running 45 is unbelievable! Any idea when you might do the frame swap?

After (if ) the replacement cab arrives.

Once the frame, replacement cab, new front end sheetmetal comes into play the project cost sheet is going to start going up quickly. I am still shooting to be around about $15K for the complete truck rust-free and in primer with the original 2F/H42.
I also have a future engine swap planned, and have started experimenting with the suspension on the rusty original frame, and if it works out will re do on the nice frame. Will post more on that in the next few weeks as we make progress

 

[cruisermatt]

Another note for later - this 78 has a spare tire mount under the bed like a 60 (hoist is the same part # actually), but with these funky drop bracket. The crossmember itself is in decent shape compared to the rest of the truck but the brackets are rough - will likely end up re making them and transferring all this to the new/older chassis

 

[Malleus]

I have always wanted a 45. I’ve thought a pretty painted one in a flashy color would be perfect to park in front of my shop. I also need a pickup semi-regularly, I have a F350 but obviously as we all know the combo of a 7-ft bed with narrow/short FJ40 characteristics is so much nicer to drive around town.

However I could never see myself spending “nice cruiser” money on one when I can fix things up, it is my job these days after all.

And then I found out about this truck a few hours away. I’ve actually known about it for a few years but have never had time to go actually grab it. My friend @GLTHFJ60 was in town visiting in January so we decided to go grab it.

As dragged out of the woods. It had been sitting for a lot time. I’d guess +10 years.
All four tires came off rims, but all wheels turned and steering was free.
I didn’t pay much for it. Lets say I sold the full floating rear axle that needed brakes and made the rest of the truck free.

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You two fall into more wonderful stuff than any two people I've ever heard of.

 

[Malleus]

So when I got it to the shop (this was a few months ago back in late January) one of my employees immediately fell in love with this junk pile and decided we had to see if it could run and drive off the trailer. So we quit on customer work early on a Friday and after about 45 minutes of messing around (we didn't have the key initially, so we just installed a points coil/dizzy I had), pulled plugs and turned motor over by hand with wd40 in cylinders (it was crunchy at first!), poured some brake clean in the carb and cranked it. to our surprised it fired right up into perfect 700 rpm idle after setting timing. So i have a good engine, great! (AKA, free 45 considering I paid less for the whole truck then current market value on a good running 2F, and the 2F will eventually get changed to something else away most likely)

Next up was to see if it would move, we put fluid in the clutch master and the slave cylinder blew out immediately. Threw on used slave cylinder and hose we just replaced on a customer rig the day before (working at a Cruiser shop is great!). That bled and held, next was to throw some roller tires on. Strapped a gas can to the side of the truck and then we drove it off the trailer and around the block. And then the pressure plate stuck open!

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Roadkill!

 

[cruisermatt]

Last week I decided to get weird so we took the bed off, cut off the leaf spring hangers and linked and bagged the rear suspension.
Massive improvement in ride quality vs the rusty old 45 leafs.
I used four 80 rear lower links and did a triangulated setup

 

[GLTHFJ60]

You've gotta post the stealth after pic.

 

[cruisermatt]

Just a regular old $500 FJ45.

It needs a FJ80 steering box next. The issue is in order to do that, the fender *usually* needs to come off. In this case, once that happens it’s not going back on.
Need to see if Justin (my 19 year old employee who does the power steering installs here these days) can do it without pulling the fender.

 

[archie73]

Last week I decided to get weird so we took the bed off, cut off the leaf spring hangers and linked and bagged the rear suspension.
Massive improvement in ride quality vs the rusty old 45 leafs.
I used four 80 rear lower links and did a triangulated setup
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So what’s the advantage of this setup? Obviously you get the adjustability of the bags, but what else?

 

[cruisermatt]

So what’s the advantage of this setup? Obviously you get the adjustability of the bags, but what else?

Ride quality. These trucks have pretty much a 1-ton spring pack originally

 

[Rockymtnreaper]

I love this! Keep up the fun!

 

[archie73]

Ride quality. These trucks have pretty much a 1-ton spring pack originally

Interesting. Verwy, verwy interesting

 

[JMZ400]

Great work. When finished I can see an air brushed faded shop name and logo on the doors. On a side note, did i see a set of Kosei K1's in the bed?

 

[archie73]

Ride quality. These trucks have pretty much a 1-ton spring pack originally

Are the bags actually attached on the frame side or are they allowed the drop away? (I was trying to find a web link to show this, but my google fu is failing me.) I think it’s usually used with leaf suspension, this keeps the bag in a very similar path every time. The ones I’ve seen pics of it essentially has an inverted “cup” that the bag tops out in when the suspension is compressed. In the other direction, the bag doesn’t restrict droop- kinda falls out of the cup. A link suspension should keep it coming back to the same position every time, right?

 

[cruisermatt]

Are the bags actually attached on the frame side or are they allowed the drop away? (I was trying to find a web link to show this, but my google fu is failing me.) I think it’s usually used with leaf suspension, this keeps the bag in a very similar path every time. The ones I’ve seen pics of it essentially has an inverted “cup” that the bag tops out in when the suspension is compressed. In the other direction, the bag doesn’t restrict droop- kinda falls out of the cup. A link suspension should keep it coming back to the same position every time, right?

Yes they are attached to both the brake and axle. I simply drilled a hole in the original bump stop pads and bolted the bags to those with a single 3/8" bolt

I have the disconnect baskets you're talking about on my FJ62, but the airbags are just helper's with the leaf springs on that truck

 

[archie73]

Yes they are attached to both the brake and axle. I simply drilled a hole in the original bump stop pads and bolted the bags to those with a single 3/8" bolt

I have the disconnect baskets you're talking about on my FJ62, but the airbags are just helper's with the leaf springs on that truck

Perhaps this is a stupid question- I’ve never built a link suspension. Would the bags return to the baskets in a 4 link setup? It gives me ideas, probably terrible ideas.

 

[cruisermatt]

Perhaps this is a stupid question- I’ve never built a link suspension. Would the bags return to the baskets in a 4 link setup? It gives me ideas, probably terrible ideas.

Most likely, but you wouldn’t want your spring to disconnect from the axle on a link suspension (or any suspension). No point in travel if the tire doesn’t have any force pushing it into the contact area with the ground.

 

[cruisermatt]

Drove down to Miami today and picked up the next piece of the puzzle.
Investment into this project just increased by about 1000%

Soon it will be time to build a new 45.

 

[Lifelong40Fan]

From the first couple of pics, I thought it might be a hot tub. Now that would be a cool build!