ROTM Sept 08

[green40]

The first Cruiser I ever saw was a 76 FJ40 that one of the officers in my Army unit had.
We were stationed in Panama at the time and something about that blue truck really seemed
cool to me.
Fast forward 24 years and I'm back in NH. I've owned a 79 Toyota mini which I got for free and drove for
4 years. I had bought a 91 mini two years earlier and liked this truck also. But I still wanted a 4x4. Everytime I saw a 40 in any of the magazines I would read the articles over and over. Some day!

We were on a trip to a canoe and kayak show over near the coast and were passing through Hillsboro
NH and saw this pretty ratty looking 40 on the side of the road, didn't look to good. On our way home
I stopped to take a look. The sign on it just said "74 Toyota $3600" and a phone #.

I walked around it, duct tape covering the holes in the front fenders, lots of rust on the hardtop, 4 different colors of paint. I crawled under to take a look, all new metal! The tub had been rebuilt and there wasn't a spot of rust from the cowl back.

I didn't know a thing about Cruisers at the time but I new a new tub was a good thing! When I got home I called the guy up and he told me he had someone coming over the next morning at 11 to look at it. I told him I'd be there at 9:30. Called in sick the next day, went to the CU to get cash and drove up to see him.
The truck fired tight up and we went for a ride, ran great and I bought it on the spot.

So now I have a 40! What next? Get online and try to learn something about it. I find the Cool Cruisers forum and start learning.
First thing I did was new front fenders and a Mels ignition to replace the points. Started faster and ran better. Went on vacation and had the guy down the street paint it for me. I should have been a bit more specific when we talked. I just said paint it green. So when I get home I have this nice metalflake paint job. It looks good, but now that the truck is older and has many dents I find that they did a bondo skim job to even things up before they painted, wish it was just painted steel This is what it looked like at my first FG (at F&F) 31 MT's on stock springs with coilover shocks.

 

[green40]

The plan was to just keep it stock. Sometimes plans change, so over the years I've run
different sized tires, 31 MT's 33x9.50 MT's 33x12.50 MT's 33x10.50 AT's and now the 34 LTB Swampers.
Next set of tires will either be Q78's or 36x13.50 Swampers, haven't really decided yet.
Sometime along the line, i think it was 2002 I added a 4" BDS lift that I got from CCOT. Price was a big factor in buying that kit, Just over $700 shipped and I had it in less than a week.
I've replace all the seals in both axles, rebuilt the knuckles. replaced the seals in the t-case.
So now I have a lifted rig and I'm having fun. A trip to Cemetary Hill and I turn the tie-rod into a big u and bust a TRE. The Jeep guys and Stew help me out, and I get it home. (steering was pretty loose on the 50 mile ride home!)
Add BudBuilt Tierods and 80 series TRE's to the list.
My neighbor (the painter/shadetree) has some 40's rusting away out back and I've been pulling stuff off them for awhile. He also has mini with power steering! Take whatever you want he says! So now I have parts for the power steering I need. Bought the pedestal and pump brackets fro JTO. The same winter I put a lockrite in the rear. Now I'm going further before getting stuck!

 

[green40]

The year we had the FG at MT Madness the frame cracked near one of the rear spring perches.
I ended up ordering a kit from BTB to box in the rear frame. Welder Bob who lives down the road put it in for me, welded up the cracked frame and built gussets for the spring perch.
My rear crossmember was braced by the PO.

 

[green40]

Other things that have evolved.
I didn't like the drum brakes so I change to disc's when I did the mini steering.
I have since added discs to the rear axle.
After bending over the rockers some sliders were built. Randy offered up some rectangular
tube and Kina added some tube and welded them on.
A couple of close calls convinced me to add a cage. Kina had one sitting at his shop and that was loaded into the back of my truck. I made up a console of stainless and added some LED's and the CB to the cage

 

[green40]

Picked up a skid plate from Stew.
Bette gave me the MT nose guard and stinger and Wally made up a bumper for me and welded
it all together.
Forgot the winch, After running the FG a few years back in the pouring rain, breaking a drive shaft and having Chris pull us out of the woods in the dark with his 80 Bette said we really did need a winch.
I didn't argue and the home repair account bought the winch.

 

[green40]

So I've learned a few things along the way.
Mud in starters, alternators and clutches is a bad thing.
Jim C is a carb God.
Just get the biggest tires that will fit your lift the first time.
A HiLift will pull a dented rear fender out with no problem.
YT'ers will find the rest of your drive shaft in the 2' of mud where you broke it.
Future plans,
60 series powersteering box this winter
3 speed transfer case this winter
flip the front springs this winter for a 5" wheelbase gain
4:88's someday
ARB front someday

Been thinking about a 45 tub, tubed rear bed and a little wheelbase stretch
in the back but thats just a wild thought.

 

[rapovt]

Nice writeup Lane! nice to see it evolve into a good wheeling rig

 

[rabid]

Truck looks great. Look forward to watching it in action at the gathering.

 

[Sporin]

great rig Lane... and stickied.

 

[82cruiser]

Sweet 40 Lane and nice build. Let's go bang'em up at the FG!

 

[cruiserland]

wild thoughts are good
nice write up Lane

 

[nat88toy]

always wondered about the history of your 40, great write up Lane