Builds Salt wagon My first fj40 (build) (7 Viewers)

[KennyBob]

My 86 4runner was the car that got away! I wish I had kept it. I was a little too broke and too inexperienced when my 350,000 mile 22re spun a bearing (I think) it just started knocking real bad.. I wish I had just taken the time and saved money and fixed it myself. I would love to find another one! I was more into off roading back then. I installed 529s in this one and a super stiff ome 2 inch lift.

Funny enough as I am typing a notification lit up on my phone saying my Top Shipped! wahoo!!

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My first and second 87 4Runners. Thought I had more pictures of the first one. It’s was stupid big. 7” total lift and 38s when I bought it.
This is the one I swapped the long block in. This was the result of my inexperience and boneheadedness. Long story.

Second one, almost stock w/ 33s. Wish I had one or both of them still. Feel that way about most cars I’ve had.

Also had this 82 pickup that was badass. Rode like a tank on the road but damn it was good.

Those were my gateway drugs to cruisers.

 

[RevISK]

My first 40 in high school is the only vehicle I regret selling. However, I used the proceeds to travel all over Europe and Northern Africa which led to 3 more years traveling all over the world working for club med of all places. So in the end, that 40 actually took me everywhere.

 

[Roastchestnuts]

My first 40 in high school is the only vehicle I regret selling. However, I used the proceeds to travel all over Europe and Northern Africa which led to 3 more years traveling all over the world working for club med of all places. So in the end, that 40 actually took me everywhere.

so I have a similar experience with my 4runner. when I sold it I used the money to buy some art supplys to have an art show. witch led to many other art shows and a art teaching career. So in a way I owe that old 4runner and it took me far.

My first and second 87 4Runners. Thought I had more pictures of the first one. It’s was stupid big. 7” total lift and 38s when I bought it.
This is the one I swapped the long block in. This was the result of my inexperience and boneheadedness. Long story.
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Second one, almost stock w/ 33s. Wish I had one or both of them still. Feel that way about most cars I’ve had.
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Also had this 82 pickup that was badass. Rode like a tank on the road but damn it was good.

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Those were my gateway drugs to cruisers.

Those are beautful! I always wanted a 1978 /79 toyota truck with 4x4!

Yeah my first gen tacoma brought me to my 1st gen 4runner to witch eventually led to two land cruisers then the salt wagon.

 

[KennyBob]

Its funny. I love round eye trucks better too. Some jerk pulled out in front of me so I took the insurance money and bought 78/79 stuff to put on my 82.

 

[Roastchestnuts]

Its funny. I love round eye trucks better too. Some jerk pulled out in front of me so I took the insurance money and bought 78/79 stuff to put on my 82.

I love the round headlights and kinda wish it stuck around longer. The toyota trecker would be a cool one to own too.

 

[Roastchestnuts]

Cant beleive this crusty but trusty 2f is powering the salt wagon fj40 now!

That broken water pump bolt/stud took my 3 days to remove.

Photo above was pulling the engine out of a fj40 in Roanoke VA. I think the engine came from a fj55.

Some Updates: still waiting on the soft top. I am actually unsure it actually shipped yet. I think They just made a shipping label for it and Fedex has not picked it up yet. to say the least I am annoyed and I think I am going to have to email them for like the 8th time to get it flipping on the road. Troa loves to say tomorrow when It wont be tomorrow.

Some happy news - I should get a radiator fan shroud in today and some quick release hinges from @Dallas Todd I am hoping to install at least the quick hinges this weekend. Possibly the radiator fan shroud as well depending on fit. it is 100% a 2f fj40 fan shroud though.

 

[Roastchestnuts]

Got my fan shroud and quick release doors from @Dallas Todd yesterday. I cleaned and painted the shroud. looks like it was galvanized gold/bronze plated from factory? I hated painting over that but It would dissolve if I did not treat and prep for rust where I live. I also Primed and painted the hinges yesterday. I think I will wet sand them and paint them again today. Hopfully Ill get this shroud installed before the weekend is over. Looks Like I will have to shim up the radiator some more but I am not sure. Ill report back on that. Ill get some pictures posted as well.

 

[KennyBob]

Cant beleive this crusty but trusty 2f is powering the salt wagon fj40 now!
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That broken water pump bolt/stud took my 3 days to remove.
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Photo above was pulling the engine out of a fj40 in Roanoke VA. I think the engine came from a fj55.
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Some Updates: still waiting on the soft top. I am actually unsure it actually shipped yet. I think They just made a shipping label for it and Fedex has not picked it up yet. to say the least I am annoyed and I think I am going to have to email them for like the 8th time to get it flipping on the road. Troa loves to say tomorrow when It wont be tomorrow.

Some happy news - I should get a radiator fan shroud in today and some quick release hinges from @Dallas Todd I am hoping to install at least the quick hinges this weekend. Possibly the radiator fan shroud as well depending on fit. it is 100% a 2f fj40 fan shroud though.

Interesting how different our experience on the delivery is. Mine was ready to be delivered as soon as Monday but I had to divert it to my cousin's house due to how tight a fit it would've been for FedEx in my neighborhood. It was delivered yesterday morning finally. Hope yours is sooner rather than later. Maybe the digital record is lagging reality.

 

[Roastchestnuts]

Interesting how different our experience on the delivery is. Mine was ready to be delivered as soon as Monday but I had to divert it to my cousin's house due to how tight a fit it would've been for FedEx in my neighborhood. It was delivered yesterday morning finally. Hope yours is sooner rather than later. Maybe the digital record is lagging reality.

One can hope the digital record is behind. I actually got a scary email yesterday from Troa. it was a DIAN invoice for 1800$ I thought it was something I owed. And I actually PMED another mud member to see if they got one of these emails.


I think it has something to do with Taxes that the company has to pay to the columbian government. They emailed me back and said not to worry about it and I was sent that by mistake. My wife and I looked at it and I think they totaled everything up and put a wholesale price on everything at 1800$. Scared me though as that would have brought what I payed over 5000$ On a teacher salary thats not great.

I also read they need to send this invoice to the government before the ship out. Witch also means it may take some more time to ship out. I have a tracking number at least. but its still sitting in Columbia according to tracking.

 

[Roastchestnuts]

spent the afternoon yesterday in the auto shed(what I call it) painting hinges and finishing up painting a fan shroud.

Some flat black rostolium paint below.

I should have taken a picture of before. but the picture below is what @Dallas Todd sent me before it was painted.

 

[Roastchestnuts]

Frustrating news on the radiator shroud. a simple job snowballed as they all do. So I spent about 4 hours yesterday trying to install it. and for the life of me I could not figure out why it would not fit. Then I figured out why....

DARN THAT SBC! a previous owner cut out the factory radiator mount location and welded in new ones. I dont know how I didnt see that when I had everything out. I think the mounts are off a little over half an inch to the drivers side and about an inch too low. Ill post some pictures this evening.

I am going to ask around in the classifieds but does anybody have these mounts for sale - Replacement Radiator Support Mounts for 1958-1984 4x-Series Toyota Land Cruisers - BTB Products - Land Cruiser Restoration and Parts - https://btbprod.com/product/radiator-support-mounts-oem-fj40-early-thru-1983/#

I can buy for 100$ but seems a little steep for them. I am not sure what my plan of attack is yet. the welded on mounts look difficult to remove. I am going to pull the radiator and everything again today.

Edit: Bought the BTB ones above. Just figured I should just do it.

Picture below when I thought I was close and before I figured out that I was in for more. I had to trim a spot for the crank pulley. at least I hope that I needed to. This is trimmed on a f155 shroud I have too. Kept the peices in case I have to weld them back haha.

Some other downers - Over the weekend I asked about shipping again and they said it shipped on the 10th. to witch I responded a shipping label was made but it looks like to me it has not shipped according to tracking. Albert at troa finally admitted there is an issue with shipping. I got an email this morning saying he is going to look into it. I am kinda pissed about it. he offered 100$ compensation but honestly I would pay 100$ to get the darn thing to ship.

Upside! I got a few quich hinges installed.
I think I am going to wet sand again to get that patina look. I got the drivers side almost done on the car. those upper bolts are a pain!

 

[Green Bean]

Congrats on getting the upper hinge bolts out. I think that referring to them as "a pain" is a gross understatement. I hazard to guess that there was some scraped knuckles and lots of cursing along the way.

 

[Roastchestnuts]

Congrats on getting the upper hinge bolts out. I think that referring to them as "a pain" is a gross understatement. I hazard to guess that there was some scraped knuckles and lots of cursing along the way.

Honestly it was not so bad especially that this is what I pivoted to after the very frusterating and physically taxing shroud debacle. The annoying part with the hinges is actually getting the new ones installed. The bolt holes move I think for adjustability making lining everything up not fun.

 

[FJBen]

@Roastchestnuts I’ve got a quick question…or maybe not quick. Anyone else feel free to chime in.

My friend is wanting a softtop for his 1980 fj40. Is Troa the only game left for an OEM style? I know you are on the waiting game, which he doesn’t care about the wait if it’s decent. Any other options?

Real steel bows - can’t find if they even exist
SOR only seems to do the fabric part
Julie/dirt road is only fabric and sounds like she’s not been great at responding

Relikgarage is just Troa correct?


He doesn’t want a besttop or non oem top.

 

[Roastchestnuts]

@Roastchestnuts I’ve got a quick question…or maybe not quick. Anyone else feel free to chime in.

My friend is wanting a softtop for his 1980 fj40. Is Troa the only game left for an OEM style? I know you are on the waiting game, which he doesn’t care about the wait if it’s decent. Any other options?

Real steel bows - can’t find if they even exist
SOR only seems to do the fabric part
Julie/dirt road is only fabric and sounds like she’s not been great at responding

Relikgarage is just Troa correct?


He doesn’t want a besttop or non oem top.

Last time i looked real steel does not have the tube parts of the frame, So I would not buy that. somthing about not having a tube bender. SOR is really pricy but at least they have the top in the states. And I would not ever go the rout of Julie. I saw some people were waiting over a year for tops from her. 14 months or somthing crazy like that.

Relik is just Troa and I feel like if you are going to buy Troa through another vender the ebay way is better just for the security of ebay. and you can offer a lower price. I can at least file a claim through ebay if the top never shows up. I believe it will though. Not worried just annoyed.

From the other mud guys I have talked to they have said the quality is good coming from troa.

Best top sucks and I also didn't want to go that way. But really I think bestop is really the only option other than troa if you need the frame.

 

[FJBen]

Last time i looked real steel does not have the tube parts of the frame, So I would not buy that. somthing about not having a tube bender. SOR is really pricy but at least they have the top in the states. And I would not ever go the rout of Julie. I saw some people were waiting over a year for tops from her. 14 months or somthing crazy like that.

Relik is just Troa and I feel like if you are going to buy Troa through another vender the ebay way is better just for the security of ebay. and you can offer a lower price. I can at least file a claim through ebay if the top never shows up. I believe it will though. Not worried just annoyed.

From the other mud guys I have talked to they have said the quality is good coming from troa.

Best top sucks and I also didn't want to go that way. But really I think bestop is really the only option other than troa if you need the frame.

Great thanks for the detailed answer!

It seems there aren’t very many options all, basically only Troa. SOR says they don’t have the bows so that takes them out. I had an old Kaymar or besttop on my 67 fj40 but never really like it. I almost always just ran with the sides off.



Ps…I found our old Nikon dslr cheapie we bought from a niece who needed money like 10 years ago your thread reminded me we even had one lol, it’s a beginner, Nikon d3000 with a couple of lens’
Going to see if it’s even any better than my phone

 

[Roastchestnuts]

Great thanks for the detailed answer!

It seems there aren’t very many options all, basically only Troa. SOR says they don’t have the bows so that takes them out. I had an old Kaymar or besttop on my 67 fj40 but never really like it. I almost always just ran with the sides off.



Ps…I found our old Nikon dslr cheapie we bought from a niece who needed money like 10 years ago your thread reminded me we even had one lol, it’s a beginner, Nikon d3000 with a couple of lens’
Going to see if it’s even any better than my phone

Yeah I honestly think the SOR bows are real steel ones. around the same time real steel ran out of the tube part SOR stopped having them in stock. I could be wrong on this. I like the way their top looks though. I always figured i would get a SOR top if the troa got messed up over time I would have a template for sombody to make me another one.

Ohh nikons are my favorite. should do a pretty good job!

 

[Roastchestnuts]

An update on the soft top: after a few back and forth emails with Albert, we figured out that Fedex was to blame. Although I am not so sure something that Troa was not providing could have been to blame. It was sitting in Fedex's hands since the 10th without moving. Either way I am glad I am relentless when it comes to that kind of thing because I dont think it would have started moving in the shipment process. It is on the move now though. Still in Colombia but Fedex tracking now says it has the package in hand and its not in Bogata anymore.

Other updates - almost all done with the hinges the passengerside top hinge is proving to be difficult because of the glove box. I am thinking about bending a wrench to make life easier. but the hinges look at home on the cruiser!

 

[Roastchestnuts]

I should have said that I did end up ordering new radiator mounts from BTB. I think I will be able to cut the welded on crap out and put back original mounts with a die grinder. I might find a temporary solution so I can drive it some memorial day weekend. dare I say zip ties... haha actually I may just take the shroud out and run like that untill I can tackle the mounts. It was not over heating so I am not too worried about it now but in peak summer I feel that heat from the sand and beach driving wont be great.

additionally I actually found out that when I pulled my SBC never had a thermostat in it. Never bothered to look until the engine swap. but the temp was always allover the place at the beach and now it makes sense.

 

[middlecalf]

This works really good for the passenger side hinge bolts behind the glove box. Also, remove the kickout vent, there’s some better access through that opening.

Amazon.com