Builds Salt wagon My first fj40 (build)

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I’m coming to your place for some remedial metal replacement instruction! Nice work.
Thanks! I feel like I get better at this every time I dive into a project. I gotta wait for a non rainy day to finish the other side up now.
 
Alrighty, I have been in talks about trading the saltwagon for a 1971 fj55. Comes with new rockers to weld in and a spare 2f engine and possibly the 4speed transmission. The Saltwagon fj40 build may come to an end for me on page 100. I am still working out a date with the owners to make the swap happen. Thinking somtime after the 4th week. But I hope you guys are not mad! Ill probably take some flack for it moving on from the 40 but the fj55 is the DREAM land cruiser for me. I have wanted one ever since watching the movie 50 first dates when I was younger. (although it crashes in that movie if I remember right). Ill post some more pictures soon. It does have some of the typical rust. but its not terrible. Some bondo thats not ideal. Has what looks to be original interior and the bench seat witch in my opinion is the best. and even better I can put a roof rack on this to carry a surfboard easier! I am so tired of shoving a 9 foot longboard in the back of the fj40. Ill post more once it happens but this is the cruiser below. they have the front grill. I love the fact that the suspension has not been monkeyed with on this. Pretty original.
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The biggest tip of the scales for making moves on the 55 trade is the fact that my wife and I are expecting a child in January! and If I can be land cruiser picky we want and old one that is better for a bigger fam. I am super stoked as I have always wanted to be a father. I just hope they love old cars haha.

If for whatever reason It does not work out Ill keep on posting!

also you guys know I get bored if I have nothing to fix!
 
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Yes! Congrats on the growing family
Thanks man! I am mostly excited about the new family member. And the fact that my wife wanted this trade to happen. Not much convincing necessary. I was talking with @svsisu about the name of the new fj55 somthing like salt wagoneer or saltier wagon. I gotta work on the name. They are all salty!
 
Alrighty, I have been in talks about trading the saltwagon for a 1971 fj55. Comes with new rockers to weld in and a spare 2f engine and possibly the 4speed transmission. The Saltwagon fj40 build may come to an end for me on page 100. I am still working out a date with the owners to make the swap happen. Thinking somtime after the 4th week. But I hope you guys are not mad! Ill probably take some flack for it moving on from the 40 but the fj55 is the DREAM land cruiser for me. I have wanted one ever since watching the movie 50 first dates when I was younger. (although it crashes in that movie if I remember right). Ill post some more pictures soon. It does have some of the typical rust. but its not terrible. Some bondo thats not ideal. Has what looks to be original interior and the bench seat witch in my opinion is the best. and even better I can put a roof rack on this to carry a surfboard easier! I am so tired of shoving a 9 foot longboard in the back of the fj40. Ill post more once it happens but this is the cruiser below. they have the front grill. I love the fact that the suspension has not been monkeyed with on this. Pretty original.
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The biggest tip of the scales for making moves on the 55 trade is the fact that my wife and I are expecting a child in January! and If I can be land cruiser picky we want and old one that is better for a bigger fam. I am super stoked as I have always wanted to be a father. I just hope they love old cars haha.

If for whatever reason It does not work out Ill keep on posting!

also you guys know I get bored if I have nothing to fix!

"Make my sister clean your hotel room!!!" as Rob Schneider wails on Adam Sandler with a bat 😅. Hilarious movie!

My first time seeing one of these was in The Lost Boys and I've wanted one ever since. "One thing about living in Santa Carla I never could stomach; all the damn vampires"
 
"Make my sister clean your hotel room!!!" as Rob Schneider wails on Adam Sandler with a bat 😅. Hilarious movie!

My first time seeing one of these was in The Lost Boys and I've wanted one ever since. "One thing about living in Santa Carla I never could stomach; all the damn vampires"
one of Adam Sandlers best! apparently this fj55 was in one of the Halloween movies. What the owner told me! Its funny how movies make an impression on you.
 
Alrighty, I have been in talks about trading the saltwagon for a 1971 fj55. Comes with new rockers to weld in and a spare 2f engine and possibly the 4speed transmission. The Saltwagon fj40 build may come to an end for me on page 100. I am still working out a date with the owners to make the swap happen. Thinking somtime after the 4th week. But I hope you guys are not mad! Ill probably take some flack for it moving on from the 40 but the fj55 is the DREAM land cruiser for me. I have wanted one ever since watching the movie 50 first dates when I was younger. (although it crashes in that movie if I remember right). Ill post some more pictures soon. It does have some of the typical rust. but its not terrible. Some bondo thats not ideal. Has what looks to be original interior and the bench seat witch in my opinion is the best. and even better I can put a roof rack on this to carry a surfboard easier! I am so tired of shoving a 9 foot longboard in the back of the fj40. Ill post more once it happens but this is the cruiser below. they have the front grill. I love the fact that the suspension has not been monkeyed with on this. Pretty original.
View attachment 3934786
The biggest tip of the scales for making moves on the 55 trade is the fact that my wife and I are expecting a child in January! and If I can be land cruiser picky we want and old one that is better for a bigger fam. I am super stoked as I have always wanted to be a father. I just hope they love old cars haha.

If for whatever reason It does not work out Ill keep on posting!

also you guys know I get bored if I have nothing to fix!
Congrats on the growing family.
Looking forward to seeing what you do with the FJ55

My suggestion for the name: Salted Pork
 
Congrats on the growing family.
Looking forward to seeing what you do with the FJ55

My suggestion for the name: Salted Pork
Thanks man! we are very excited. Salted Pork!!!!!! Thats a good one! I can work with that name.
 
Thanks man! we are very excited. Salted Pork!!!!!! Thats a good one! I can work with that name.
Look forward to celebrating the pig and the addition to the family in September!
 
Alright questions for the engine masters. Non land cruiser related. the isuzu pup blew the head gasket (very mildly) on the way back from naggs head a few weeks ago. It spiked in temp and got hot quicker than usual. Did the exhaust gas in the coolant test and it took a few minutes but it did indicate that It did have exhaust in the coolant.

I pulled the head and found a few suspect areas. the most concerning is a spot between 3 and 4. its almost like somebody dropped the head installing it. I did find that the head was defiantly replaced/ machined. found one of those over heat tag things on the rear freeze plugs. it also was super clean underneath the valve cover. Jonathan says he drove it for at least 20,000 miles without issue in his ownership.

my question is: what do yall think of this.. its not a crack but kinda like a casting issue or a ding. it pressed into the head gasket. or the head gasket was kinked there when they installed it. not sure if it was the failure point. Do you all think the head needsmachining? its not warped.
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This below in several spots I see cracks near coolant passages in a couple of areas.
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very clean rockers! before I took it off.
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What's the deck/block look like? I'd probably machine the head if the block is ok. You can use a flat edge and a feeler gauge to check flatness.
Theres probably a go, no go spec that Isuzu has for the engine.
 
What's the deck/block look like? I'd probably machine the head if the block is ok. You can use a flat edge and a feeler gauge to check flatness.
Theres probably a go, no go spec that Isuzu has for the engine.
Block looked fine. There is I cant remember what it is but I did what the haynes manual I have says on the specs. I checked the head for flatness with my machinist strait edge. The head checked out for flatness and no cracks other than that weird spot. really just worried about that odd spot on the head. Ill check the block after I scrape the old material off. More investigation tomorow.
 
You might get away without machining. Usually the protocol is to deck the head after a blown gasket. Be sure the block and head is ok between the cylinders.
 
You might get away without machining. Usually the protocol is to deck the head after a blown gasket. Be sure the block and head is ok between the cylinders.
The curse of living on an island only accessible by car ferry boat or plane is that for things like machining its a pain in the ass. I think I am going to get it done right though. I don't trust that weird spot. it may have been the cause of the failure too. its weird because the head is new. I think that gasket was toast when they put it on. I know its a common stop to fail between the 3 and 4th cylinder on the isuzu 1.9 engines. or at least I read that. I even found another new head that I could buy for 500$ thats alot though.

The pup will just be down for longer than id like.
 
Figured you’d get a kick out of this lil guy.
Wife got it for me for Father’s Day.
Chuzhao is Chinese for Rolleiflex… probably.

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Is that 120, maybe 110, or whatever the equivalent would be in Chinese?
 
Is that 120, maybe 110, or whatever the equivalent would be in Chinese?
The camera it mimics is 120 format. This is a small digital sensor.
 
Figured you’d get a kick out of this lil guy.
Wife got it for me for Father’s Day.
Chuzhao is Chinese for Rolleiflex… probably.

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I have seen these before! thats cool you got one! and I bet its fun to use! My wife does not get me cameras for my birthday she says I have too many. I always wished a high end digital tlr would come out but I dont think that will ever happen. The Rolleiflex 3.5f is in my top 3 favorite cameras ever made! along with the nikon f2 and leica m3. I have been shooting my old point and shoot ricoh gr1s film camera alot this summer. I thought it said Chorizo at first haha.
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