The Final Frontier-OE hardware production timeline

[rainingagain]

A few more.

There are some "later" design bolts here also, they look like this. Not many but it seems a few were replaced over the years, like this one on the rad support.

 

[65swb45]

My rig was built in May of 66. I crawled around and snapped some pics.

Door hinges, never removed.

View attachment 3973787

Front bib never removed.

View attachment 3973791

Original Drivers mirror. The mount bolts to the tub don't appear to have a stamping but I'll wire brush them an check. @65swb45 I don't see this 4 stamping style on your OG post.

View attachment 3973789

Driver's seat bolts.

View attachment 3973790

Grab bar.

View attachment 3973788

Any bolt that hasn't been paint or isn't completely rusty, is zinc(?) plated.

Thank you! THIS is what I had in mind. Those 4s that are still floating off center in May of ‘66 throws my 12/63 theory out the window!

I’m hoping a few collectors that are on here can share pics and production dates like that, especially in the cusp years, between some different rigs in their stables. @Living in the Past, @Bear , @autokalikot

As far as that mirror arm bolt, I’m not sure if I’ve seen that one before. I have a crap-ton of M10x1.5 water pump bolts with the fat ring around the number. And then there’s the M12 bellhousing bolts. But I don’t recall seeing any M8s.

@pardion ?

 

[pardion]

I can help on this research project in a few days, enjoying the outdoors right now.
Yes, let’s dig in to when Toyota stopped using Brass body and misc nuts and bolts. John

 

[vfrer]

12/66 build date drivers seat bracket. Truck is long gone but I stripped it and don't recall ever seeing any of those offset numbered bolts before.

 

[65swb45]

12/66 build date drivers seat bracket. Truck is long gone but I stripped it and don't recall ever seeing any of those offset numbered bolts before.

View attachment 3974215

That is consistent with my theory that there was a wholesale change in 6/66, concurrent with the introduction of the dashpad and the two speed wiper motor.

@rainingagain pics from six months earlier are consistent with @OGBeno point about how hardware was phased out and phased in at different points, depending on supply and usage. It’s as if different hardware may have sat in different departments, so it got used up at different rates, with something like the interior lagging behind the exterior or powertrain.

 

[Bear]

Mark,

As I was mentioned, I do have thousands of original-era take-off bolts that have been cleaned, sorted, and Mil-spec replated in various finishes-- various numbered styles and strengths, sizes, pitches, and lengths. Again, already removed from vehicles and no memory of from which vehicle. If somehow any of this aids your project, please let me know.

I would imagine that only after hearing confirmation from a wide number of responses that any semblance of era-specific dating could be established--too many owners, mechanics, rubes, in the mix to ascertain an original application without having an untouched vehicle with a trusted chain of custody. Perhaps some of those owners might chime-in. Unfortunately I am not an original sole owner of any older Land Cruiser.

Good luck with your project !

MS

 

[rainingagain]

Mark,

As I was mentioned, I do have thousands of original-era take-off bolts that have been cleaned, sorted, and Mil-spec replated in various finishes-- various numbered styles and strengths, sizes, pitches, and lengths. Again, already removed from vehicles and no memory of from which vehicle. If somehow any of this aids your project, please let me know.

I would imagine that only after hearing confirmation from a wide number of responses that any semblance of era-specific dating could be established--too many owners, mechanics, rubes, in the mix to ascertain an original application without having an untouched vehicle with a trusted chain of custody. Perhaps some of those owners might chime-in. Unfortunately I am not an original sole owner of any older Land Cruiser.

Good luck with your project !

MS

I am technically the third owner of mine - the "second" owner titled it and stored it for 22 years before I saw it. It is very, very original and came with the service history back to about 1970. Generally speaking, I am not this much of a dork and would just use a new bolt wherever, but this thing has be hunting down Toyota stampings . I bought someone's Toyota bolt collection haha! So I am interested in this topic. I hope others chime in with some more data points.

I imagine there will be a market for this type of stuff for those dorks like myself that are trying to go bone stock-ish if we all can narrow down the details. Just look at the current market for late 60s Camaros that still have all factory hardware and markings. It's bananas. Same with Mustangs. They have the data points.

 

[65swb45]

Mark,

As I was mentioned, I do have thousands of original-era take-off bolts that have been cleaned, sorted, and Mil-spec replated in various finishes-- various numbered styles and strengths, sizes, pitches, and lengths. Again, already removed from vehicles and no memory of from which vehicle. If somehow any of this aids your project, please let me know.

I would imagine that only after hearing confirmation from a wide number of responses that any semblance of era-specific dating could be established--too many owners, mechanics, rubes, in the mix to ascertain an original application without having an untouched vehicle with a trusted chain of custody. Perhaps some of those owners might chime-in. Unfortunately I am not an original sole owner of any older Land Cruiser.

Good luck with your project !

MS

There’s a principle I like to call the Principle of Inertia. In this context, it has been my observation that many parts of the vehicle can go 20, 30 and even 40 years without being touched. Just one for instance : I just sold a set of tie rod ends and the main steerer tube to a customer in San Diego that still had the tapered tie rod tube that Toyota stopped using…in 1965!
I know I harvested a good chunk of ‘64 hardware off a 40 in 1992 when I did the restoration of my shortbed. That was 28 years after production, and I knew the two previous POs, neither of which were the original owner.
All of which to say that chain of custody is not an absolute requirement.
I didn’t get a vin number with the last ‘66 I parted out (the seller grafted the first 4 feet of the frame onto a custom 4x4 Chevy panel van!) but I know it was still all raised number, no circle hardware. But it was definitely a’66: it had the windshield frame without the vent and the 3-screw holddown hooks.

 

[procomsignathid]

Mark, curious on the kind of data you are looking for. My truck could be categorized as "suspect" in the sense that it spent a good portion of its life in South America (even though it was a US truck), and although I see a lot of hardware on it that looks very similar to stuff in this thread thus far, it's origins / chain-of-custody is speculative at best. Do you want photos here and there to cross-reference with more "unspoiled" specimens, or avoid it altogether to cut down on noise?

 

[65swb45]

Mark, curious on the kind of data you are looking for. My truck could be categorized as "suspect" in the sense that it spent a good portion of its life in South America (even though it was a US truck), and although I see a lot of hardware on it that looks very similar to stuff in this thread thus far, it's origins / chain-of-custody is speculative at best. Do you want photos here and there to cross-reference with more "unspoiled" specimens, or avoid it altogether to cut down on noise?

Good question. If your hardware is like what I posted in the upper right hand corner of the first pic, what I will refer to as the recessed head, double circle (RHDC) variety, that is what we’re all used to seeing on rigs from 67-80. So data points are most useful if your rig is newer or older than that AND the hardware has enough patina to seem reasonably certain of being OE.

As I’ve been hauling boxes AND BOXES of hardware out into the light of day, I found a bag of RHDC hardware that I ordered from the dealer in 1992. So that particular iteration had a pretty long run.