Project Ugly Duckling: 4WD Toyota Owner Magazine's 1970 FJ40 build/3B swap (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Apr 12, 2005
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212
Messages
1,707
Location
Seattle, WA
Website
www.4wdtoyotaowner.com
Hello all,

Like to introduce you to Project Ugly Duckling. She's an August 1969 originally factory soft top FJ40 that we picked up for $1800 in Portland, Oregon. Thanks to Mark Hawley at Metal Tech who let the PO drop and store it until we got down there.

Literally, the PO did just about everything bad one can do to a Land Cruiser, from the jacked propane system to the trashed V8 to, well, everything.

We are building it to be an expeditioner. It's planned to be on display at SEMA this year. Can't wait to take it on our yearly expedition, this year to see the total solar eclipse in August.

What's going in or is already on:
--3B diesel from a Canadian BJ70
--H55F from Australia
--Axles from the BJ70
--A/C from Nostalgic Air
--SCAT ProCar seats
--DEI Boom Mat sound and heat proofing
--4Plus front bumper and sliders
--4X4 Labs rear bumper
--Energy Suspension body mount kit
--Toyo Tires
--Stealth Custom Series F5 wheels
--Hell Creek springs
--Bilstein shocks
--Cool Cruisers of Texas shackles
--Ironman U-bolts
--Warrior U-bolt skid plates
--Superwinch Talon
--Dakota Digital main gauge cluster
--American Autowire Highway 22 wiring harness
--Nostalgic A/C system
--Turbo for the 3B
--Electric power steering
--RTT

Here's how she came to us.

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What jack wagon butchered the beautiful split hood and then tried to weld it up? Ditto for the windshield pads and hooks. Not to mention no attempt at primering and painting the scars. Idiot! Grille emblem is missing. Bizarre, weak lights mounted above the turn signals, bezel is upside down (of course) and how about that hillbilly front bumper? Wood wings, with an offset tow hook bolted to it. The only cool thing here is the original PTO winch and cable. We have a hood rebuild package from Cruiser Corps for the hood, and new emblems, pads and hooks on order.

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We love the PTO winch. Too bad it’s frozen solid. That tow hook just boggles the mind, though. A Superwinch Talon will be going on a 4+Plus front bumper here.

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Amazingly, the floors are pretty solid—no holes. And yes, it has a roll cage. Of course, if it were to roll, the weight would probably push the mounts right through the floorboards. More importantly, soon new seats from Scat ProCar will be in here!

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That’s some weird unit which was part of the propane system. Oh...yeah—the truck was plumbed to run on propane. More on that later. We really like the big reading light bolted to the glove box door.

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As promised...propane tank in rear, bench seat mounted over it...wow. Just wow.

But scope that uber-rare drop down tailgate—these came on factory soft top equipped trucks. Very cool. We asked the seller about it. "Yeah, I had that soft top for years in the garage. Finally just took it to the dump. Weren't never going to use it anyway."

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No rear emblems, big backup light added below factory light, lockable access doors (keys long lost), and home made roof rack. Hell Creek lift springs paired to Bilstein shocks and CCOT shackles will soon lift the Cruiser.

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The dash is actually pretty good, if you can ignore that PO’s have installed a hodge-podge of dials, switches and gauges. We will rewire the whole truck with an American Autowire Highway 22 kit, and add a super trick Dakota Digital gauge cluster.

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We soon had a killer 4x4 Labs double swing out rear bumper on the old girl. Spare on one side, cooler or fuel cans on other side.

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Getting the OEM off was a fun session of endless rust and frozen bolts.

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Detail shot, cooler holder side.

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Found a couple oldie but goody pics of the truck when we got it....

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Love those shaved front fenders and Jeep rear wheel well flares.

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HOW could I leave out the photo of the original engine bay and motor? We tried some engine start sprayed in the intake, but alas, no joy.

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This is going to be a good build to watch. Love the rare factory options on it. It is amazing how much carnage a dumbass can do when he puts his mind to it. It really would be so cool to see that PTO winch back in working order.
 

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