Rig of the Month-April 2008-65swb45

[fjwagon]

Well done

 

[Mikesta]

Wow, nice truck and nice writeup. How can anyone follow that!

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Excellent read Mark, your seriously are one of a kind

I'll be calling you in the next day or two for some of those parts we chatted about awhile back. You coming to CM08?

 

[highlandcruzer]

Outstanding Mark! Just beautiful, and great write-up.


[FJ45's haunt my dreams./ ]

 

[65swb45]

One of the things that I thought was cool when I was doing this, and I don't know if it really makes a difference [since I don't run with the resto crowd] but I didn't bother to replate anything.

At the time I started the assembly process I had already collected so many landcruiser parts that I was able to pick out things like the vacuum 4wd shifter box and metal tubes that still had good ORIGINAL zinc plating. Pretty much all the replating that I've seen is much to bright and brash compared to the stock colors, so I am happy to have taken the time with that.

That is one of the details that only really shows up when you're standing with the truck. I've looked under the hood of a truck with replated parts and the plating is just LOUD for lack of a better word. Does that make sense to y'all?

Another one of the details that took my a long time to hunt down were the original cloth wrapped hoses for the PCV system and the 4wd. I did not even own one full set when I started on this truck. Now thru diligent efforts [and a little hording] I have spares for both the 45s. I think those are way cool.

Just like the NOS cloth wrapped fan belts!

Story. I was visiting my buddy colangut yesterday and the 50th Anniversary event at the Toyota museum came up in discussion. That is the one and only time the swb has ever been out in the rain! If you look closely at the car show pics, you'll notice that I don't bother mounting wipers on the truck, I am that determined to keep it out of the elements! A far cry from the torture I subjected it to the first two years after I built it. But that's another story.

 

[legion]

Beautiful truck, Mark.

 

[Ming89FJ62]

Very nice truck and great write up.

 

[Dusty 66]

Another Good Read Mark

WOW ! NOS wiring, NOS fuel pump with hand primer, NOS vacuum lines , original factory stickers. etc.


I did not see the SWB at the shop,

I got IT ! ​

You must keep It hidden is a secret mine shaft somewhere in Death Valley....



Dusty 66​

 

[65swb45]

Well, I've been talking about it for a few years now, but I've finally started down the slow road to selling the truck. It has not left the garage since the 50th anniversary gig, and I just think it's time to move on.

I am currently overhauling the brake system with no definite timetable on finishing. I am doing some more things that I did not have the time or $$ to do the first time around simply because I can, and it gives me pleasure to do so.

First up, I had a leaking wheel cylinder and rear axle seal. So I stripped everything down, had the backing plates powder painted, rebuilt all the 1971 spec wheel cylinders and cleaned up another set of used hardware.

 

[65swb45]

After an hour's worth of cleaning, I still wasn't happy with the looks of the axleshaft. Luckily for me, I had a donor axle in my stash from another 45 owner, Dave Berry [66LV] that was worthy. Thanks Dave.

 

[47coeman]

Like parting with one of your kids know the feeling. Just parted with one of my cars I built 20+ years ago took a few days to get over it still have feelings, however must move on like you.

 

[65swb45]

Got the swb out of the garage finally and down to the body shop to get a quote on some touch up work. After looking at me and the rig, the owner, who had never seen the truck before, simply said "I'm surprised you weren't carjacked on the way here." I guess that was a compliment.

It's gonna be a while until he can work on it, so I'm gonna keep moving forward without that for now.

One of the things that's really satisfying about version 2.0 is that I had very few choices of parts to work with in 1993. A lot of the parts that went on the truck were the only ones I could drum up. Things have changed for the better since then.

Late yesterday I started on the front of the truck, stripping down the bumper and bib to refinish. Pulled off the 1993 version of the front licence holder

 

[65swb45]

Now I have a good selection of these to choose from:

Next to redo the tow hooks. The bezel and NOS clear marker lights cleaned up fine. No need to pull more of those off the shelf.

 

[65swb45]

Time for an update.

I discovered that my water pump was starting to leak, so I started tearing into things. Of course once I had the pump out, I could see what the minerals had done to the timing cover. Not to mention that the timing cover was leaking too.. So the teardown began.

However many months later, I had the fan shroud, core support, splash shield, battery tray, battery stray support and the passenger side engine shield powdercoated. Then I looked at the motor mounts.

Got a set of OE hardware replated, mounts powderpainted, and replaced the painfully obvious 3/8" bolt in frame mounts with less obtrusive button-head bolts, thanks to a tip from @DSB345. Started some of the reassembly a few hours ago.

This is an in-between bolt. The older ones have a simple raised number. The slightly newer ones have a raised ring and a double ring that crowds the number. Then they went to Grade 6 and on to unmarked hardware.

 

[65swb45]

Splash pan and battery tray support in place:

 

[65swb45]

Period correct coarse-thread motor mount insulator:

 

[DSB345]

Great read Mark! good to see you actually working on your rig. those button head bolts look great!

 

[65swb45]

Oh yeah. I got my first batch of yellow zinc parts back from the plater Friday. i still have a round of 'clear' parts to run, and then a second round of yellow.

I was planning on just putting an NOS set of valve cover nuts on to finish off the refresh. But I can already see that the replated ones are gonna have more continuity with the rest of the hardware. It's nice to have choices.

 

[65swb45]

Got the battery back in this morning with ground strap. Now it's time to make the center arm bolts disappear. Before:

 

[65swb45]

Note to self: brave new world: first post from my iPhone!