Builds The Architect's '77 FJ40

[GA Architect]

A few weeks ago, it really got cold here in GA. After looking at a few threads about heather boxes, I tried my hand at it. All the threads I read had removed the heater box and core. Well, I didn't want to drain my coolant to remove the core, so I set out to see if I could remove the heater box and leave the core.....OH my, am I glad I tried this. Yes, I was able to remove the heater box and leave the core hooked up. I cleaned the box, reapplied foam, took my air hose and blew out the heater core, and reinstalled.....Much nicer look and more heat! Well as much heat as the CCOT small hose that sits behind my rigs CCOT AC unit. Matter of fact, I'm going to address that small blower to heater box hose here soon. I've used my CAD to come up with the schematics on a new hose similar to the elusive L200 OEM piece.

Before photos:

After:

 

[GA Architect]

Alright, with this post, I have caught up with most of my modifications to my FJ40. Just a few days ago, I installed a new inner shift boot for my transfer case. After reading a thread about this subject, I purchased a used FJ60 inner boot and modified to fit my 40. Here are some photos.

Old transfer case inner boot:

Old & new, side by side:

Modifications:

Final install:

 

[GA Architect]

What's next?....I have a Toyota JDM AE86 steering wheel I'm working on. All I have to do is drill the yoke for the blinker on/off post.

Here are some up to date photos of my work. The original photo doesn't really show the wear, but I got it all cleaned up.
Original condition:

Refurbished:

I'll post more once I get this completed and installed.

 

[GA Architect]

I'm also in the middle of a '76 carb rebuild, my Trollhole back-up's - back-up. Many thanks to Pin_Head & Jim C. for the help and insight. Just waiting for some slow jets to start reassembling and finish this project. Irony right, the slow jets are slowing down my progress. I hope to finish that up in the next week or so, as soon as the parts from Kurt arrive.

Here a classic photo of what we deal with finding old cruiser stuff:

A closer look:

 

[78fj40mg]

Really nice work!
I love your Duratrac tires, are they pretty loud on the asphalt?
I got a kick out of your "Flowbee" too.

 

[GA Architect]

Really nice work!
I love your Duratrac tires, are they pretty loud on the asphalt?
I got a kick out of your "Flowbee" too.

The Goodyear's are remarkably quite for their size. I ran 33X12.50X15 BFG's AT's on my '84 K5 forever, and I'd take the Goodyear's over BFG's at this time. Also, being I have them on 9" rims, they squat a little to help with the wheel-well clearance.

As for my "Flowbee", you called me out!.....$65 bucks in 2001, and I still use it today. Yea, I can be cheep at times, but I'd rather spend my coin on other things than hair cuts. I just hook that sucker to my shop vac , 5 minutes, and I'm good for another 2 to 3 months.....Note, I thought about cropping that photo, but it's a good conversation piece. I aint ashamed to say I use one.

 

[GA Architect]

Found a few more before and after photos. This shows the replaced OEM turn signal lens, Warn winch cover and installed Buckmark tag.

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

 

[GA Architect]

Here are some photos of the new fuel line I bent back in June.

 

[GA Architect]

Back in July, here is another refurbishment I did.

"After using my windshield wipers for the first time last Friday and noticing they didn't run on high, I did a little research on MUD.....With the help of several post on here, I took my wiper motor apart, cleaned it all up, reassembled with new white lithium grease, sprayed the joints and greased the knuckle....they run just fine now."

 

[fj401978]

I've seen most all of your posts, glad you put them in a thread...great work GA, keep it up, you have really improved your '40 greatly!

 

[78fj40mg]

Found a few more before and after photos. This shows the replacef OEM turn signal lens, Warn winch cover and installed Buckmark tag.

After:

You did an excellent job mating the black steelies with the Duratracs they look awesome! Your beige 40 is one of a kind, I like beige!

 

[GA Architect]

I've seen most all of your posts, glad you put them in a thread...great work GA, keep it up, you have really improved your '40 greatly!

You did an excellent job mating the black steelies with the Duratracs they look awesome! Your beige 40 is one of a kind, I like beige!

Thanks! Messing with my 40 is like Therapy to me, sort of like sitting in a deer stand and getting high off Mother Nature. Or canning a 35 foot putt to close out a golf match against your nemesis, at 5 and 4.

 

[handcannon]

As for my "Flowbee", you called me out!.....$65 bucks in 2001, and I still use it today. Yea, I can be cheep at times, but I'd rather spend my coin on other things than hair cuts. I just hook that sucker to my shop vac , 5 minutes, and I'm good for another 2 to 3 months.....Note, I thought about cropping that photo, but it's a good conversation piece. I aint ashamed to say I use one.

I have enjoyed all your posts, and particularly this thread. I don't know what a "Flowbee" is, but from your comment I can guess. Your comment also says a lot about you. You're not cheap, thrifty is the word. That is a good way to be, make your pennies count, and put your money where it really counts. Good ol' American Ingenuity.

Don

 

[78fj40mg]

The Goodyear's are remarkably quite for their size. I ran 33X12.50X15 BFG's AT's on my '84 K5 forever, and I'd take the Goodyear's over BFG's at this time. Also, being I have them on 9" rims, they squat a little to help with the wheel-well clearance.

As for my "Flowbee", you called me out!.....$65 bucks in 2001, and I still use it today. Yea, I can be cheep at times, but I'd rather spend my coin on other things than hair cuts. I just hook that sucker to my shop vac , 5 minutes, and I'm good for another 2 to 3 months.....Note, I thought about cropping that photo, but it's a good conversation piece. I aint ashamed to say I use one.

What size tires are you running on your 40?

 

[White Stripe]

I would like to see more on the steering wheel and how it turned out. Thats a nice looking wheel.

 

[Aussie FJ40]

nice rig and a good job you're doing, I would love a set of those wheels,only ever seen one cruiser here with hubcaps and I love the look of them,we only had split rims,no hubcaps

 

[shawnfj40]

Awesome job on your rig. You should turn your bezel over so we all have something to tell you needs corrected

 

[GA Architect]

What size tires are you running on your 40?

Those are 33X12.50X15 with a 2.5" OME lift....Being that I don't wheel my rig, I have no worries about my wheel-wells & fenders taking a beating.

 

[GA Architect]

I would like to see more on the steering wheel and how it turned out. Thats a nice looking wheel.

I have some good photos on this build that shows much better before and after work I've done. I got the idea from one post here on MUD, but it didn't even have a photo. So I Googled the JDM AE86 steering wheel, and liked what I saw. Finding that sucker was not easy nor cheep. But like other rare things I've bought, not to mention my 40 itself, I wanted it, so I found one and now it's mine.

I just got my Dormer metric drill bits, so I can drill the 3MM hole for the blinker on/off spring pins. This will probably be finished up tomorrow.

 

[GA Architect]

Awesome job on your rig. You should turn your bezel over so we all have something to tell you needs corrected

Funny you said that about flipping the bezel. Being I had read many threads here on MUD addressing this, I was not going to take or post any photos with it up-side-down. Should it have been installed wrong, I would have flipped it on site.