Questions about a 40 I'm looking at buying... (1 Viewer)

[BlackLight]

Ok. So I was on vacation this past weekend and I found a 40 while I was on vacation. We stopped to see it and drive it. The guy says it's a 1972. After looking at the car, it didn't seem like such a bad deal. The frame was coated in POR 15 (looked like a great job). The front seats were replaced (no back seats). It has a tuffy console (with radio compartment but no radio), Chevy 350 V8, 4-wheel disc brakes, and new tires with aluminum rims. Everything on it works right except the passenger and liftgate are extremely hard to open. He is asking $5000 (me and my dad were thinking it would be worth closer to 4 grand (post opinions)).

I guess my first question is about the transmission. Why would the shifter for the transmission be so far forward (and bent like it is)? I've never seen it like that before in any 40. Is it possible that the 350 was mounted a bit far foward and caused the transmission to have to be pushed that far foward also (the owner now said that it was originally a 3sp on column so he would have had no hole in the transmission hump to go by)?

http://community.webshots.com/photo/404218046/404219035fSGDZw

http://community.webshots.com/photo/404218046/404219199tbPeOI

This situation isn't bad is it? Would I have driveshaft issues in the rear if I decided to lift it 4"?

 

[VTFJ40]

All I see is 2 red X's.

 

[BlackLight]

Edited. Need practice at posting pictures.

 

[red dirt squirt]

5000 doesn't seem bad if its already had the v8 conversion. trust your gut but, it sounds legit to me.

 

[BlackLight]

http://community.webshots.com/album/404218046

There are all of the pictures that I have of the 40

 

[red dirt squirt]

looks pretty sweet. i'd buy it!

 

[BlackLight]

Please, I need some more opinions if this will cause problems in the future.

 

[brian]

if the shifter works now.........it will work later.

if you lift it and the rear shaft is too short, an easy fix would be just to have a longer shaft made it's not a big deal.

it's better to have the v8 farther foward, than too far back. you get better air flow around the back of the engine.

my first thought/concern would be how well the swap was done.

 

[Toyo FJ40]

Looks like bondo on that rocker panel. Other than that driver fender the body looks clean. Alot of people bend the shifter for the Tuffy console so it doesn't hit but it looks too far forward and you can see he trimed the heater. see if the tranny is in it's stock mounts. What's the miles on the old drive train and new engine?

 

[StanCruiserMan]

There seems to be a lot of body rust and bondo possibilities there. I would look closely to see how bad it really is, especially for more bondo. How is the body underside, is the middle beam rotted out? It does look like a 72 with newer style doors. I can’t speak accurately to price as I haven’t been 40 shopping in the US for a long time but it seems high to me. I am also not a V8 fan.

 

[REZARF]

I dont think 5k is outrageous if everything was done well, the conversion that is. How do the frame/engine mounts look, if they look like a hack job that isnt a good sign.

The shifter thing isnt all that bad, like it is said above the tuff makes you move it, plus the engine moved forward does help cool it down.

Is it a stock radiator, you could have cooling issues.

The Gauges are not stock, that can be good if they are acurate and plumbed right. Could be bad for the same reasons if not done well.

As for your driveshaft, see if you have ANY exposed splines at rest, and if you can jack up the frame until the axle droops you can see how much wiggle room you have.

Drive shaft mods would be cheap relative to a hacked in 350... long live the 2f!

Seems like a good deal, expect more rust than you see on the surface.

Rezarf <><

 

[honk]

It looks like it's got a pretty rusty rear door sill as well as a lot of bad body work and spraycan coverup.

The shifter is up so far because of the Chevy conversion. It's a stock 3 speed with an Advanced adapters plate from the GM bellhousing to the trans. With the engine mounted as much as 6" back of the radiator the shifter still ends up under the heater so it has to be bent a lot.

I'd pass on this one at the price because of the body and the overall rough condition of most everything. That's my opinion, of course, but to me that cruiser looks like the kind that make you crazy trying for safe roadworthiness and good looks.
$5000. will buy better ones.

 

[Josie'sLandCruiser]

Hi All:

What year is this FJ40 - a '73 or 74? You need to go back with your Dad and take a good, long test drive. Heck, you don't even have any photos of the engine compartment!

I'd tend to agree with "Honk" on this one - I'd say it is a $3k FJ40 at best.

Why?

1) suspected bondo on body tub (side and rear sill);
2) unanswerd questions regarding quality of SBC conversion;
3) no spare tire carrier;

For $5K with a suspect body tub I'd expect at least disc brakes on the front axle, and a power steering conversion of some sort. Does this rig have either?

Note that the truck is a factory soft top model, and that the hard top on it is from a later model (1978??)

Not trying to be a pooper on this one, but when I bought my FJ40 back in 1997 I did not know much about 40 Series trucks, and thus bought a rig with a fair amount of bondo in it!

Good luck!

-Alan
Seattle

 

[john0089]

I love Bondo

 

[BlackLight]

For $5K with a suspect body tub I'd expect at least disc brakes on the front axle, and a power steering conversion of some sort. Does this rig have either?

Yes. It has 4-wheel disc brakes and power steering. I don't know why I left out power steering.

 

[MDH33]

5 grand is too high IMO for a 40 with so many mismatched parts and non-stock drive train that you know little about. body looks like there is a lot of cover-ups and probably rotten, and in general it looks very neglected. 3 grand if the engine and trans run smooth and it doesn't need a brake overhaul. Think of it this way - you can get a rust free mechanically perfect FJ60 for under 5 grand, why pay that much for a cobbled together heap 40?

 

[trucruiser]

Id say wait. Its a mut, the Hard top is from 77 and up, the frame is 74 and up and the body maybe the only part that is 72, and then its got a V8 conversion.

 

[BlackLight]

Id say wait. Its a mut, the Hard top is from 77 and up, the frame is 74 and up and the body maybe the only part that is 72, and then its got a V8 conversion.

Just curious, how can you tell the frame is a 74 and up?

 

[Yoda]

Tail lights? I thought 72 had the lollypop lights....my 71 did

 

[BlackLight]

Not trying to make an argument, but couldn't it just be a different bumper and not the whole frame?