Take a ride. (71 FJ40)

[SFROMAN]

The top is shot. Where the top sits on the body is rusty and so is the rear seal. The engine has not ran since 1996. It is probably shot too.

My thoughts are to keep it as stock looking as possible. Basically like Joe’s 40.
Something like this:
take the body off
Sand blast the frame and drive train. Spray it. Both in my backyard.
Rebuild axles
Rebuild engine.
Sand blast part of the Body while it’s off the frame and patch it up where it needs it and do a quick back yard spray job.

Then put it all together and that’s it.

It won’t be perfect but it will be to my kids and I.

 

[SFROMAN]

 

[mtweller]

Awesome plan!

 

[custyota]

congrats!

 

[jimsmith1370]

Nice

 

[roadstr6]

Congrats, Del!

 

[SFROMAN]

Not that there will be much progress in the near future but I guess I will just post pics in this thread.
I changed the title to reflect that.

 

[SFROMAN]

Have a few minutes before my meeting and was researching soft tops since mine is bad enough I don’t feel like messing with any time soon.

There is a guy on ebay (his picture above) that sells them.

Any experience with these tops in the club?

They are pricey so I want to make sure I get some first hand knowledge before I commit to purchasing one.

 

[forrest5000]

View attachment 1657709

Have a few minutes before my meeting and was researching soft tops since mine is bad enough I don’t feel like messing with any time soon.

There is a guy on ebay (his picture above) that sells them.

Any experience with these tops in the club?

They are pricey so I want to make sure I get some first hand knowledge before I commit to purchasing one.

Get a trollhole top.

 

[S4Cruiser]

Get a trollhole top.

Agreed.

 

[onemanarmy]

.

 

[onemanarmy]

i see a 'heartbeat' sticker......chevy engine? Toyota 3 speed?

need more pics.

 

[SFROMAN]

Get a trollhole top.

Yeah. I just looked them up. A lot better priced and prefer to support a mud member and fellow cruiser head. Although I believe there is a lady that is now making them for him according to the thread I read. Either way. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[forrest5000]

Yeah. I just looked them up. A lot better priced and prefer to support a mud member and fellow cruiser head. Although I believe there is a lady that is now making them for him according to the thread I read. Either way. Thanks for the heads up.

She always made them.

 

[S4Cruiser]

She always made them.

Yep...you just now can communicate with her directly vs tracking down Marshall for him to then get in touch with her to then get back in touch with you!

I think his tops are now exclusively pvc which should require much less maintenance then fabric. But they don't look 'plastic'. If I ever need another one then I'd most definitely buy from him!

 

[SFROMAN]

So there is def going to be a change in plans for the 40. It is looking like I am going to go with the new Cummins 2.8 diesel. It is not going to happen this year. More likely next summer. But that gives me enough time to finish my other projects and prep the rest of the 40 and have it ready to go

i see a 'heartbeat' sticker......chevy engine? Toyota 3 speed?

need more pics.

The sticker says heartbeat of Japan. It is on both sides. The 40 is all original drive train. Three on the tree and vacuum actuation so no shifters on the floor. Which I don’t like.

 

[SFROMAN]

Here are a couple more pics.

 

[roadstr6]

The 3-on-the-tree can easily be changed to a floor shift and don't knock the old vacuum 4wd system until you've tried it. They are actually very robust. I've never seen one fail. Even when the lines and hoses looked like 45-year-old complete garbage, they still worked amazingly well...and you don't lose any floor space. A 2.8 Cummins sounds awesome! I've been waiting for someone in the club to do this so that I can watch and learn.

 

[little_joe]

Dibs on the 3-on-the-tree pieces parts! Del, if you can, swing by one evening or this weekend...

 

[S4Cruiser]

The 2.8 is super cool for sure but I'm going to be the skeptic...let me preface this with the fact that I've never owned or even driven a Cummings and have no experience driving a 40 with anything else other then a 2f.

With that out of the way...some negatives or cons for the 2.8
- it's made in China (typical stereotypical perspective here)
- it's fxxxing expensive as hell
- you'll need a fxxxing expensive adapter to mate it to a transmission
- not CARB approved like they initially promoted it being (aware it's not needed for your swap but...)
- if you do some research on reliability of the isf2.8 platform then you'll find that it sucks based on where it's been in service for a while. Couple that with a 90 warranty would make me cautious.
- parts availability seems scarce at best, but this is likely due to the platform being so new to the US

Touching on costs again, you'll need 10.5k for the engine and adapter to run a LS gen III or IV based trans. For 10.5k you can get this LS6 5.7L 450 HP Turn Key Engine Assembly - Off Road

My post isn't meant to steer you away from the 2.8 but provide a bit of a different perspective to what I've read everywhere else - which seems to be along the lines of this being the best engine ever and easily warrants its costs.