- Thread starter
- #41
Thank you. Really enjoyed reading through your impressive build. Have a good one!
Events/Trails 1969 FJ40 w/ Turbo Diesel + AWD... and Other Stuff (1 Viewer)
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
Thank you. Really enjoyed reading through your impressive build. Have a good one!
Any updates?
Yeah any updates? Lol I used the search function and found this thread. I'm going to be attempting a 1kz swap
- Thread starter
- #44
Apologies to all that have asked and have been waiting for some news… I have not been on the site for just a little while. Also the 40 project fell victim to a house move + renovations, put on the back burner to me finishing up other project cars, and ultimately my laziness.
BUT GOOD NEW!! I’ve got updates and pics to entertain....
Speakers
Decided to make some speaker boxes while we’re still in metal. The idea was to make them out of the way and sort of OEM looking… I like how they turned out and I future proofed them by adding provisions for soft-top bows. Also pre-wired the speakers with some Monster wire - the rear speakers have the wire run through the quarter top rail and the fronts run through the hollow space in the doorframe.
- Thread starter
- #45
Quarter panels
This was such a big relief when they were done, got everything nice and square and all the bolt holes done. A few spots where the fitment wasn’t great and the clamps squished the panels some.
This was such a big relief when they were done, got everything nice and square and all the bolt holes done. A few spots where the fitment wasn’t great and the clamps squished the panels some.
- Thread starter
- #46
Booster brace
The big booster from the Hilux meant the firewall brace needed some tweaking. Bought a late model brace and switched up bends and straight pieces to make it navigate around the booster.
The big booster from the Hilux meant the firewall brace needed some tweaking. Bought a late model brace and switched up bends and straight pieces to make it navigate around the booster.
- Thread starter
- #47
Trans X member
I’m glad I decided to revisit my previous attempt at a transmount brace, this one turned out a 1000x better. Bought one from a ’96 Land Cruiser and narrowed the middle and lopped off the ends to fit the 40 frame. Added a spacer / shelf thing to get the correct position and angle to use the factory rubber mount. The ‘dog bones’ in the last pic go inside the frame to add extra support and align the nuts.
I’m glad I decided to revisit my previous attempt at a transmount brace, this one turned out a 1000x better. Bought one from a ’96 Land Cruiser and narrowed the middle and lopped off the ends to fit the 40 frame. Added a spacer / shelf thing to get the correct position and angle to use the factory rubber mount. The ‘dog bones’ in the last pic go inside the frame to add extra support and align the nuts.
- Thread starter
- #48
Fuse box bracket and radiator fan bars
Real quick mod to the original horn bracket with an angled extension and some vertical steel to bolt up the Hilux fuse box.
I want to use as much original Hilux electrical components as possible to make sure things will work and to keep my wallet a little thicker. Couldn’t for the life of me find an original early rad bar to use on the bottom so I just made 2 new ones (so they’d match) out of some 3/4” tube - squished the ends and drilled some holes. For some reason the fan body had mounting tabs on all different planes so I had to cut off the 2 bottom ones and match up to the top one.
Real quick mod to the original horn bracket with an angled extension and some vertical steel to bolt up the Hilux fuse box.
I want to use as much original Hilux electrical components as possible to make sure things will work and to keep my wallet a little thicker. Couldn’t for the life of me find an original early rad bar to use on the bottom so I just made 2 new ones (so they’d match) out of some 3/4” tube - squished the ends and drilled some holes. For some reason the fan body had mounting tabs on all different planes so I had to cut off the 2 bottom ones and match up to the top one.
- Thread starter
- #49
Battery mount
Just finished this sucker up tonight… super duper strong I can stand on the end with no movement. It will bolt up to the frame right behind the right engine mount and it ‘twists’ to match the angle of the fender apron. It clears the fender by 10mm and line the battery tray to fit snuggly between the OEM blower and the fender apron mounting bracket. The original 40 tray will bolt right up, but I need to shorten the ends to fit a different size battery necessary to power the diesel.
That’s it folks, you’re all caught up and I’ll be working on the truck at least every other weekend so updates will be a little more frequent.
Just finished this sucker up tonight… super duper strong I can stand on the end with no movement. It will bolt up to the frame right behind the right engine mount and it ‘twists’ to match the angle of the fender apron. It clears the fender by 10mm and line the battery tray to fit snuggly between the OEM blower and the fender apron mounting bracket. The original 40 tray will bolt right up, but I need to shorten the ends to fit a different size battery necessary to power the diesel.
That’s it folks, you’re all caught up and I’ll be working on the truck at least every other weekend so updates will be a little more frequent.
- Thread starter
- #50
Here’s another thing I checked off tonight, finished making the battery tray. I used a late model (I think?) tray I had lying around and cut down the ends to match the factory style. This will now fit a group 34 size battery.
Slight miscalculation on my part when building the battery mount, I overshot the length of the top plate which pushed the tray too far out.
Slight miscalculation on my part when building the battery mount, I overshot the length of the top plate which pushed the tray too far out.
- Thread starter
- #51
Its just been brackets and wiring lately, getting all the various engine bay components in place. So far I've found a home for the coolant tank, vacuum thingy, fuel filter and ECU. I've also stripped back the body wiring harness to just the wires and I've been planning everything out.
I do NEED some major help with the wiring for the auto transmission and transfer case (pics soon). In case anyone missed it, I'll be using a trans and t-case from a '96 Land Cruiser. But I am unsure if the '94 Hilux electrical system will talk to everything it needs to as there are more plugs coming off the LC stuff than what I have on the Hilux harness. Also are things like the 4WD controller and overdrive stuff compatible??
I do NEED some major help with the wiring for the auto transmission and transfer case (pics soon). In case anyone missed it, I'll be using a trans and t-case from a '96 Land Cruiser. But I am unsure if the '94 Hilux electrical system will talk to everything it needs to as there are more plugs coming off the LC stuff than what I have on the Hilux harness. Also are things like the 4WD controller and overdrive stuff compatible??
I like your install of the Discovery seats and the rear speaker mounts. I had a set of forward facing JDM Mitsubishi seats that fold to the side that I’d planned to use until I recently found a similar pair of seats that fit three across.
- Thread starter
- #53
Thank you. I have plans to get them to blend in a bit better to the truck. And hopefully having front facing will help justify any trips in the 40 with future kids *fingers crossed*
- Thread starter
- #54
Electric. Power. Tilt. Steering.
Total cost $45*
I’ve been modernizing the rest of the Truck and it was time to get to the steering. I’ve seen a couple good options for power steering kits to buy but this has been more about ‘built not bought’. So I went down to the local Pick N Pull and found myself a power steering column from a 2008 Nissan Versa.
I’m sure some have seen the guy on eBay selling the controller wiring for the Koyo units out of a Saturn Vue or other GM vehicles. But the Nissan unit is better in my opinion as it has a detached ECU and a fail safe function that allows the power steering motor to operate as normal without CANBUS inputs and 3rd party controllers like the GM unit. Both are made by Koyo.
I was kinda on a roll and missed some Kodak moments, but the process was this. Take original column from Hilux; shave down to the basic steering shaft and tilt mechanism; shorten the output shaft from the Versa and weld on adapter to mate with the steering gear box from a late model FJ40; fab up vertical mount for Koyo motor; shorten Koyo input shaft; shorten Hilux shaft up to lock collar; weld the 50mm of spline shaft from the Versa to adapt the Hilux column to the input shaft on motor; bolt things up and test fit.
Costs = $45
Power steering motor, mount, output shaft, ECU $37
3 cut off wheels $3
1 flap disk $3
1 coffee and a muffin $2
Total cost $45*
I’ve been modernizing the rest of the Truck and it was time to get to the steering. I’ve seen a couple good options for power steering kits to buy but this has been more about ‘built not bought’. So I went down to the local Pick N Pull and found myself a power steering column from a 2008 Nissan Versa.
I’m sure some have seen the guy on eBay selling the controller wiring for the Koyo units out of a Saturn Vue or other GM vehicles. But the Nissan unit is better in my opinion as it has a detached ECU and a fail safe function that allows the power steering motor to operate as normal without CANBUS inputs and 3rd party controllers like the GM unit. Both are made by Koyo.
I was kinda on a roll and missed some Kodak moments, but the process was this. Take original column from Hilux; shave down to the basic steering shaft and tilt mechanism; shorten the output shaft from the Versa and weld on adapter to mate with the steering gear box from a late model FJ40; fab up vertical mount for Koyo motor; shorten Koyo input shaft; shorten Hilux shaft up to lock collar; weld the 50mm of spline shaft from the Versa to adapt the Hilux column to the input shaft on motor; bolt things up and test fit.
Costs = $45
Power steering motor, mount, output shaft, ECU $37
3 cut off wheels $3
1 flap disk $3
1 coffee and a muffin $2
- Thread starter
- #55
And some more pics...
Maximum tilt shown up and down.
Maximum tilt shown up and down.
And...? Need more updates on your build.
alberta mac
addicted but not cured
- Joined
- May 21, 2009
- Threads
- 281
- Messages
- 1,324
- Location
- Paradise Calgary Alberta Canada
- Website
- forum.ih8mud.com
Great work !
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2008
- Threads
- 285
- Messages
- 3,352
- Location
- West MI near GVSU
- Website
- www.mcdesignsoffroad.com
Very nice and well thought out fab work!
Are you going to only run full doors or some half or tube doors too?
Are you going to only run full doors or some half or tube doors too?
- Thread starter
- #59
I must admit I was sucked down a rabit hole the last few months.. I started to look at some of the drivetrain wiring and other boring stuff but realized I needed some help and a harness from a '95 to '97 LC to splice into my existing harness to operate the transmission and transfer case. <--- I still need BTW if anyone has one for sale???!!
So like any sane person I bought a '97 LX450 as a map + toy + 4x4 pacifier. Then started tinkering with the misc. issues that thing has... first up building a front bumper I guess the stock one was too bent up to been seen in or something
So lets get back to the FJ40...
Interesting you ask... I bought a pallet of misc 40 parts from a guy a few months ago and included a pair of VERY poorly executed 1/2 doors (early style which was convenient).
Inspiration came from the new J*** Wrangler's "Trail window doors" I wanted these as soon as I saw them. Obviously not done yet but you get the idea.
** I should mention these 1/2 doors were terribly warped 7/16" in some places, this is what you get using a oxy torch and a stick welder on flat 16ga steel. Cutting a big-a** hole in the middle eliminated 99.9% of the warpage and stiffened the doors A LOT! Stock inner and outer handles to come when my order arrives.
Will Van
GOLD Star
Great work!
Following.
Following.
