- Thread starter
- #41
Seems pretty solid and I haven't seen any holes. I'll take, and post, more pictures of the backend when I get the chance.
Thanks for the tip on the Clubhouse, I'll check it out.
Rustoration Advice (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter BBradford
- Start date
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Thanks for the tip on the Clubhouse, I'll check it out.
pb4ugo
SILVER Star
I think some elbow grease might go a long way.
- Thread starter
- #43
^^^ This is what I was hoping to hear. I'll start with a heavy clean up and some Fluid Film, and see where that gets me.
Thanks to all for the input. Incredibly helpful.
Well… you are in New Hampshire… I had a brand new FJ40 in 1974…51 years ago. I lived in North Troy Vermont…literally a border crossing to Canada. The winter salt for 6 years was a monster. There wasn’t anything like fluid film or corrosion x back then….And , by 1980, that FJ40 was a rust bucket, we moved to NJ and I had to eventually sell the truck in favor of a more family friendly vehicle and,….the fact it was see thru.
I believe you will have a more practical use by trying to get into some of the repairs on your own. Becoming intimate with a Land Cruiser is an ethereal experience. You will build incredible confidence and experience… all that 1974 stuff was 51 years ago…today I am 72… digging the s#!t out of my FJ40. It’s the confidence of trying it that will show you that you can really do it and do it well. Granted, the investment in startup is a bit of cash but way way less expensive than $50,000.
Guys here will guide you thru ANYTHING!
All the luck in the world to you but… give it a try to make it work
Old joke: Murray prays to God to win the lottery over and over and over… God sends him a message…’Geez, Murray, first you gotta buy the damn ticket!”
Take the first steps and see if it’s for you
I believe you will have a more practical use by trying to get into some of the repairs on your own. Becoming intimate with a Land Cruiser is an ethereal experience. You will build incredible confidence and experience… all that 1974 stuff was 51 years ago…today I am 72… digging the s#!t out of my FJ40. It’s the confidence of trying it that will show you that you can really do it and do it well. Granted, the investment in startup is a bit of cash but way way less expensive than $50,000.
Guys here will guide you thru ANYTHING!
All the luck in the world to you but… give it a try to make it work
Old joke: Murray prays to God to win the lottery over and over and over… God sends him a message…’Geez, Murray, first you gotta buy the damn ticket!”
Take the first steps and see if it’s for you
RevISK
SILVER Star
Fluid film is awesome for maintaining but do check out corrosion x and for that matter, Ospho
Is Corrosion X now preferred over Ospho?
I’ve successfully used Ospho over the past 25 years and I’ve been extremely pleased with the results. I would literally pour the Ospho directly into the rear seal letting it soak as much as possible. Then repeat several more times of the next several weeks doing the same process with the doors after taking them off. The rust on the doors is on the inside where the window track runs as well. I’d think you could pour some Ospho into the door and lay it paint side down on a blanket in the garage and shake it around to let it do its thing. Repeating several times over several weeks to make sure you got a good coating on the inside of the door.
Then I would just drive it and treat it every 6-12 months with Ospho and call it good!
Unless you have deep pockets or the desire to learn to do the work yourself you’ll never recoup the cash you throw at a LC. There’s countless examples on here of people spending ridiculous amounts of money on a LC and getting sub 50% returns on their dollar. I’ve seen it to many times to count where someone starts doing a frame off and gets burnt out and discouraged and they end up selling essentially a pile of parts and a body separated from the frame.
With you living in NH I would seriously consider just getting an Aqualu tub if this 40 is going to see winter duty. There’s generally several for sale at any time due to people abandoning their projects.
Here’s a Aqualu tub for sale:
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I’ve successfully used Ospho over the past 25 years and I’ve been extremely pleased with the results. I would literally pour the Ospho directly into the rear seal letting it soak as much as possible. Then repeat several more times of the next several weeks doing the same process with the doors after taking them off. The rust on the doors is on the inside where the window track runs as well. I’d think you could pour some Ospho into the door and lay it paint side down on a blanket in the garage and shake it around to let it do its thing. Repeating several times over several weeks to make sure you got a good coating on the inside of the door.
Then I would just drive it and treat it every 6-12 months with Ospho and call it good!
Unless you have deep pockets or the desire to learn to do the work yourself you’ll never recoup the cash you throw at a LC. There’s countless examples on here of people spending ridiculous amounts of money on a LC and getting sub 50% returns on their dollar. I’ve seen it to many times to count where someone starts doing a frame off and gets burnt out and discouraged and they end up selling essentially a pile of parts and a body separated from the frame.
With you living in NH I would seriously consider just getting an Aqualu tub if this 40 is going to see winter duty. There’s generally several for sale at any time due to people abandoning their projects.
Here’s a Aqualu tub for sale:
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Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #48
Good advise. Thanks.
RevISK
SILVER Star
Two different applications
- Thread starter
- #50
This is a dilema. I love driving my FJ40 in crappy conditions, but with the salt, I garage this truck for the winter.
- Thread starter
- #51
Pulled this from Google: "Fluid Film is a penetrating lubricant that prevents rust by creating a protective barrier, while Ospho is a rust converter that chemically changes existing rust into a stable compound, and Corrosion X is a heavier-duty, long-lasting anti-corrosion coating that can be used on both clean and lightly rusted surfaces; making Fluid Film ideal for preventative maintenance, Ospho for treating existing rust, and Corrosion X for harsh environments requiring robust protection."
Not to hijack his post but what are the downsides to Aqualu tubs besides upfront cost? Just curious as I’ve seen a lot of positive posts, just wondering if there’s any downside to think through.Is Corrosion X now preferred over Ospho?
I’ve successfully used Ospho over the past 25 years and I’ve been extremely pleased with the results. I would literally pour the Ospho directly into the rear seal letting it soak as much as possible. Then repeat several more times of the next several weeks doing the same process with the doors after taking them off. The rust on the doors is on the inside where the window track runs as well. I’d think you could pour some Ospho into the door and lay it paint side down on a blanket in the garage and shake it around to let it do its thing. Repeating several times over several weeks to make sure you got a good coating on the inside of the door.
Then I would just drive it and treat it every 6-12 months with Ospho and call it good!
Unless you have deep pockets or the desire to learn to do the work yourself you’ll never recoup the cash you throw at a LC. There’s countless examples on here of people spending ridiculous amounts of money on a LC and getting sub 50% returns on their dollar. I’ve seen it to many times to count where someone starts doing a frame off and gets burnt out and discouraged and they end up selling essentially a pile of parts and a body separated from the frame.
With you living in NH I would seriously consider just getting an Aqualu tub if this 40 is going to see winter duty. There’s generally several for sale at any time due to people abandoning their projects.
Here’s a Aqualu tub for sale:
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RevISK
SILVER Star
Mostly originality I would guess. No ribs in the bed for one. For me it boils down to not being able to stick my magnetic koozie on my truck…
Downside is the end product can vary a huge amount in how it looks depending on how and who installs it. If some extra effort is put in it can look factory. If the install is botched it can look poor.
Fixing dents/ welding is much more effort. Need TIG. Also need to galvanically isolate where two different metals meet.
I debated doing an Aqualu tub for a long time on my old 40. I ultimately sold the truck but I did see one in person and I remember getting the hard top to fit took some custom work due to the rear bracing in the corners. Your truck looks pretty good, you can definitely see the paint line on the rocker panel where it some rust repair was made. I would assume that is full of bondo. If it was mine I would get to work on preserving it and enjoy it for what it is, after you get to know the 40 you can decide on a long term plan.
This right here is the most informative post I've read in a while! Thanks BB!
My opinion only:
I think you should really consider exactly what your intentions are for the vehicle, and use that to formulate a strategy to get there.
If you want a really nice vehicle that literally anyone admires, I strongly suggest you take it to a shop the specializes in FJ40s. That may mean sending it across the country. I've heard way too many horror stories of people using local shops with no specific expertise that go way over budget, take way longer, and the end result is a solid "meh". You look at the vehicle afterward, and instead of happy thoughts and pride in how it turned out, bad memories come to mind. Nobody wants that experience.
The FJ40 specialists will not be cheap, but you have a darn good idea of how it will turn out. They have the experience, they have the skills, and they have trusted vendors to get parts from. They can probably give you a much more accurate idea of the cost as well.
Two people I would suggest reaching out to as potential shops are Scott Gesek in Oregon and Jeremiah Proffitt in Colorado. It won't be cheap, it won't be fast, but it will be done right.
If you've ever had a project go sideways after selecting a lower cost sub contractor, you'll know that sometimes paying more is worth it in the long run.
Good Luck!
I think you should really consider exactly what your intentions are for the vehicle, and use that to formulate a strategy to get there.
If you want a really nice vehicle that literally anyone admires, I strongly suggest you take it to a shop the specializes in FJ40s. That may mean sending it across the country. I've heard way too many horror stories of people using local shops with no specific expertise that go way over budget, take way longer, and the end result is a solid "meh". You look at the vehicle afterward, and instead of happy thoughts and pride in how it turned out, bad memories come to mind. Nobody wants that experience.
The FJ40 specialists will not be cheap, but you have a darn good idea of how it will turn out. They have the experience, they have the skills, and they have trusted vendors to get parts from. They can probably give you a much more accurate idea of the cost as well.
Two people I would suggest reaching out to as potential shops are Scott Gesek in Oregon and Jeremiah Proffitt in Colorado. It won't be cheap, it won't be fast, but it will be done right.
If you've ever had a project go sideways after selecting a lower cost sub contractor, you'll know that sometimes paying more is worth it in the long run.
Good Luck!
- Thread starter
- #59
Happy to share.
- Thread starter
- #60
I started this tread to learn more about how to attack the rust on my rig. I'm learning that how I size up the project, and how I chose to go about it, needs to be driven by my intentions for the truck ... Which is starting to come into focus. I appreciate the feedback.
