Okay a little history on how this started. Last year I went to the Yankee Toys Fall Gathering for the first time with my Tacoma and saw all the Cruisers and was hooked. With in a month I ended up purchasing a 74 FJ40 off eBay which was out near Buffalo New York. It was about 600 miles round trip and I based my decision on pictures rather than driving all the way out there. It wasn’t running, had what was supposed to be a 327 mated to the factory 3spd and the body appeared to be in decent shape. I rented full trailer and took off to get it with my neighbor. After about 6 hours of driving we got there and loaded it up. Then the torrential rains started and we ended up making it back at about 11pm. I get it into my driveway and we start to unload with the help of my girl. It was dark, I was tired and it almost rolled into the corner of my garage. Luckily my neighbor John was able to stop it by using a strap which was attached.
So in the next couple of weeks I start to evaluate my new project. I was poking around the missing tranny cover and all of a sudden I see a blur of something moving around. Turns out my new toy came complete with mice. Eventually I find that the frame had been repaired by some hack who I believe was trying to build a model of the Brookline Bridge rather than doing a frame repair. It was also severely tweaked off to the driver’s side. The tub also had some hack repairs including welding it to the hacked frame rather than using body mounts. The body was cracked on one side where it met the cowl. Needless to say I was very disappointed.
Later that month I figured that it was mostly junk and got a couple of friends together to tear it apart and salvage what I could sell and crap what was junk. I was rather disappointed. We pulled the bib, aprons, fender, roll bar, seats and cowl but had trouble getting the tub off because it was welded and I didn’t have torch. And that’s how it sat over the winter as I was pretty bummed that I had a pile of junk sitting in the garage.
Then I met Pete (Old Iron on Mud) who posted with Yankee Toys that he had some FJ40 parts and found out that he had a frame. That still didn’t solve the body issue. After multiple calls to Cruiser Solutions Ted the owner said that he did have a body that he was saving for a customer but that the customer hadn’t told him he really wanted it or not. It was a little more than what I wanted to spend but it was really solid so I went with it. I took the trip off to pick the frame and body up at the same time.
Lessons Learned:
Build Plan:
I am going try to keep it as cheap as possible but well see what happens. The following list is not set in stone but it’s a plan
Chevy 350 to replace the 305 (which was supposed to be a 327)
SM465 with Classic Cruiser Adapter for the factory 3 spd T-Case
Factory Axles with disk brake conversion from some FJ62 axles, and GM disks out back
Aussie locker in the rear with 4:10 gears
Saginaw P/S Conversion
HFS 4” lift with some body trimming
35” Tires either some sort of Interco tire or Wrangler MTRs
I will try to fabricate my own bumpers, tire carrier, sliders and who know what ever else. Don’t have a whole lot of fab experience so we shall see how that works out. I will do my best to get pics up ASAP however progress will probably only go as fast as money will allow. I apoligise for the long winded intro but here starts “Project Indian Outlaw”
So in the next couple of weeks I start to evaluate my new project. I was poking around the missing tranny cover and all of a sudden I see a blur of something moving around. Turns out my new toy came complete with mice. Eventually I find that the frame had been repaired by some hack who I believe was trying to build a model of the Brookline Bridge rather than doing a frame repair. It was also severely tweaked off to the driver’s side. The tub also had some hack repairs including welding it to the hacked frame rather than using body mounts. The body was cracked on one side where it met the cowl. Needless to say I was very disappointed.
Later that month I figured that it was mostly junk and got a couple of friends together to tear it apart and salvage what I could sell and crap what was junk. I was rather disappointed. We pulled the bib, aprons, fender, roll bar, seats and cowl but had trouble getting the tub off because it was welded and I didn’t have torch. And that’s how it sat over the winter as I was pretty bummed that I had a pile of junk sitting in the garage.
Then I met Pete (Old Iron on Mud) who posted with Yankee Toys that he had some FJ40 parts and found out that he had a frame. That still didn’t solve the body issue. After multiple calls to Cruiser Solutions Ted the owner said that he did have a body that he was saving for a customer but that the customer hadn’t told him he really wanted it or not. It was a little more than what I wanted to spend but it was really solid so I went with it. I took the trip off to pick the frame and body up at the same time.
Lessons Learned:
- Don’t buy a Land Cruiser off eBay with you looking at it first. (I normally have better judgment than this…….really I do)
- Next time buy a Land Cruiser which is more complete.
- Wait it out because there is probably a better deal around the corner.
Build Plan:
I am going try to keep it as cheap as possible but well see what happens. The following list is not set in stone but it’s a plan
Chevy 350 to replace the 305 (which was supposed to be a 327)
SM465 with Classic Cruiser Adapter for the factory 3 spd T-Case
Factory Axles with disk brake conversion from some FJ62 axles, and GM disks out back
Aussie locker in the rear with 4:10 gears
Saginaw P/S Conversion
HFS 4” lift with some body trimming
35” Tires either some sort of Interco tire or Wrangler MTRs
I will try to fabricate my own bumpers, tire carrier, sliders and who know what ever else. Don’t have a whole lot of fab experience so we shall see how that works out. I will do my best to get pics up ASAP however progress will probably only go as fast as money will allow. I apoligise for the long winded intro but here starts “Project Indian Outlaw”
