Build The Monkey is Back

[FloridaLife]

My daughter’s friends father has 1929 Packard…restored with the crystal vases on the B pillar and a back seat you could easily fit 4 people. It is low and long and deep burgundy color with camel velour interior.. those kinds of cars are so regal looking. My bib overalls don’t cut itView attachment 4211888

Look at you go Al! Rockin' those overalls! I didn't even think they sold overalls north of the Mason Dixon Line. Did you drive down here to the south to buy those?!?!

 

[FloridaLife]

Good progress today. Top back on, factory weather stripping in place (much better fit than the Paki method of double stick tape), speaker wires run under the marine carpet and seat heaters installed

After my next trip I should have the doors back on, the stereo wiring done and it should be ready for @cruisermatt.

Sadly, the side windows will just be taped-on plastic though as I continue my search for slider frames (two swings and two misses thus far). I may wind up just doing pre-'77 side glass, but I'll be quite sad to lose my sliders.



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Since you mentioned the heated seats (which will come in VERY handy where we live), did the FJ43 have the rear heater like the FJ40?

 

[FloridaLife]

Probably not idea but if you can't find the sliders I would add the vent window to the top before having a dead air space behind the front seats. Did it to my 68 over forty years ago.
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I'm curious about what audio system your putting in? How many speakers? One of the biggest questions is where to mount the amplifier. 1/79 lost the space under the driver's seat.

I caught all kinds of hell in my thread for even mentioning putting a stereo in it. I got jumped on from several directions saying that the only sound I should have and/or enjoy was the sound of the drivetrain. I even mentioned being a teenager in the '80's and really enjoying listening to Boston, ZZ Top, Journey, and others as I drive, but the haters jumped all over me. I'm curious to see if they do the same to you.

 

[FloridaLife]

Feeling a bit annoyed about my 43 still not being drivable. So I stopped by the Land Cruiser Heritage Museum for some inspiration.

On the one hand it made me wish I'd bought the red BJ46 I passed on due to some rust issues @Mike Shull , but on the other hand I was reminded why I love these vehicles so much.

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VERY cool! Where is this museum?

 

[Chamba]

Since you mentioned the heated seats (which will come in VERY handy where we live), did the FJ43 have the rear heater like the FJ40?

No rear heat. I'll probably put it in one day.... maybe after I retire back to the nice weather.

I use seat heat here almost every day: with my back, it really helps. I figure that's what air conditioning is for.

I love my radio: just gotta make sure it's loud enough to hear over the Cruiser hum.

Land Cruiser Heritage Museum in Salt Lake City.

 

[FloridaLife]

I vastly prefer the jump seats, but this was a far cheaper option for the time being. Eventually I'll recover the jump seats to match, but I'll want to find '72 or '73 fj40 jump seats so they'll fit between my roll bar. I've kept the original ones, but they are stuffed with the same blankets the front seats were.

@Living in the Past - Cruiser Corps still makes new seat covers (I clouding the jump seats) just like the originals, in gray, black, and coral. If someone would like a different color all they have to do is send them (Cruiser Corps) the material and their seamstress will make them. That's what I did. No additional charge for custom work or anything like that. And they got mine done very quickly.

However, Cruiser Corps does not carry the foam. So if someone pulls their old covers off and finds mice nests & mold like we did, or goat blankets like Chamba did, SOR has the foam. It ain't cheap, but better than a stinky goat blanket.

@Chamba - I don't know which you prefer, the shorter jump seats or the longer jump seats. "IF" you prefer the longer jump seats, here is how 1 guy did it with a roll bar. I personally would have scooted the seat back, drilled the horizontal angle iron and bolted through it, but this appears to work well:

 

[FloridaLife]

That's the source for sure: rack looks the same. I just saw this one in Cincinnati on my way to the hotel about 20 minutes ago..... seems to be a Defender theme here.

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Do you ever fly in and out of Chicago? If you do and if you have to stay there, do you wear a bulletproof vest? With 51 people shot in one weekend a couple weeks ago, a vest would be a good investment. But according to their mayor and their Governor, they don't have a crime problem, and they don't need any help.

 

[Chamba]

Chicago.

 

[FloridaLife]

No, I do still have the camper trailer but it's too big to tow with the 43 (8300 lbs). That's what the Duramax is for. Next will be an enclosed car trailer to haul the 43 out west for fun stuff.

Wait... What?!?! Haul the 43 out west... in an enclosed trailer... and deny every other person & kids on the road & at gas stations the joy of saying "Look Look! Isn't that cool!?" Even when my POS was being transported from Oklahoma, the guys said that they had Mercedes and BMW's but that every time they stopped along the way people would come up and ask about the FJ, ask if it was for sale, and take pics. Heck, the seller said one of the drivers tried to buy it from him but I had already paid and I already had the title. Knowing what I know now, I should have sold it to the driver and gotten clear of it. Ugh.

Back to my point... There would be lots of happy faces and smiles if people saw it on the road. Heading out west, and at the gas stations and rest stops.

 

[FloridaLife]

That is a bummer. Guess that explains why they are still available and so cheap. I both a set probably thirty years ago. Paid $25 a piece. But I had to take the whole doors with them.
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With $200 top and Ambulance doors still under $2,500 invested in the whole vehicle. I miss the days when this was a cheap hobby.

I do too!!!

 

[FloridaLife]

Fun fact: 3M weather strip adhesive reacts with Krylon paint and won't adhere without reacting to the paint.......

So back to the drawing board for my left slider frame. I should have powder coated it like I did with the two useless Paki ones, but i didn't feel like throwing another $200 at it. It's in, so i think I'll mask it, sand it and paint it maybe satin black instead of the factory dark pewter.

So ist das leben mit dem Dritte Welt Cruiser.

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I had to have my wife translate "So ist das leben mit dem Dritte Welt Cruiser." and it made me laugh!

 

[FloridaLife]

Where are you calling back home? New Mexico? Been cool in the desert last few days, highs around 80°. But no worries around 110 in a week. I'll still take the dry 110° with a portable evap cooler.

@Living in the Past - John, are you in Tucson? I saw you mentioned monsoon season a few pages back (I'm trying to catch up). My dad is in Tucson. Every time it's 115° and someone tells him "yeah, but it's a dry heat" he always responds with "So is a pizza oven, but you wouldn't want to live in it."

 

[FloridaLife]

I logged on today for the first time in what feels like several years. I bought my current 40 in 2012 with high expectations of rekindling my original ownership experience from 1990 while in college. I landed on Chamba's thread and have been here for over an hour. It has been a much needed boost of inspiration to get mine back on the road.
While sitting with a fellow 40 owner on Monday, enjoying a cigar, we talked at length about the joy I am missing while harboring unrealistic dreams. At ~60 years old and a meager budget, it is time to put it back together within my means and experience the joy these vehicles bring. My original 40 was a 4/70 FST (original soft-top long gone). This one is a 10/69, which I believe is also a 1970 year model? If I start a thread, the theme will be: Enough is enough, patch it together and enjoy the road with your children and grandchildren. They have looked at it sitting still long enough.

Godspeed to all,
Russ


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@Cruiserless You can do it Russ!!

 

[FloridaLife]

I’ve bought and sold 4-5 or so vehicles with BAT. Title comes within 2-3 days via overnight mail or FedEx once the funds have been received. As a buyer or seller, calls are arranged for shipping or pickup. My shipper is gold and she has been terrific… even with mid shipment delivery queries. YET, I do know of a few F’ed up deals and that part ruins a fairly good process.

My friend @Chamba results were a shock for a variety of reasons. He’s plowing thru a myriad of crap. It’s gonna be great when done. I kinda feel BAT being the middleman gets caught in that role of middleman, but then again, I’ve never been in a dispute so remain completely in the dark on the elements of resolution for a bad deal. Maybe those details are between buyer and seller?

@knuckle47 - I'm reminded of the movie The Shawshank Redemption, and what Andy had to swim through and how far he had to swim through it to come out the other side. But he came out smelling like a rose in the end! @Chamba has certainly been swimming through it. But hopefully he will soon find himself sitting on his "beach" being visited by old friends too.

 

[Living in the Past]

@Living in the Past - John, are you in Tucson? I saw you mentioned monsoon season a few pages back (I'm trying to catch up). My dad is in Tucson. Every time it's 115° and someone tells him "yeah, but it's a dry heat" he always responds with "So is a pizza oven, but you wouldn't want to live in it."

Spend more time in the oven (which is hotter than Tucson) than I like. Should be at my other home defending it from trespassers.

Camera has caught this guy a couple of times. He being a bully and hoarding all the girls.

 

[FloridaLife]

I got that water pump in Australia probably 20 years ago to install in my LX when/if it ever needed it.... and now I'm finally going to use it. It came here in the 40' container with my LX, my motorcycle and our entire household when we moved to the States in '13. I love that.

The Fumoto was on the engine originally BUT, all my cars have them and have for decades. These are one of the best additions one can make to any car in my opinion. On my Jetta TDI wagon (best car I've ever owned), I put over 200,000 miles on my Fumoto without a single issue (included driving through 2'+ snowfall numerous times without issue: which is what critics often site as the risk to Fumoto valves for causing them to open). Additionally, I never had to replace the drain plug gasket in all those miles (because you never remove it).

My '20 Silverado and '23 Tahoe both have had then since new. Neither have had a drain plug gasket since for a combined 140,000 miles.

Looking great Matt/Aiden. I'm getting excited.

The old H55 is now sold by the way, thank you to everyone who was interested in it.

I never heard of a Fumoto drain valve. I'll have to check into that and consider putting one on mine. Do you just use them on engine oil pans, or also on transmission drain plugs, T-cases, pumpkins?

 

[Chamba]

I never heard of a Fumoto drain valve. I'll have to check into that and consider putting one on mine. Do you just use them on engine oil pans, or also on transmission drain plugs, T-cases, pumpkins?

In theory you could, but those are rarely changed. Oil is changed every 3-5,000 miles, so it's nice not to have to pull the plug and replace the gasket each time.

 

[FloridaLife]

Spend more time in the oven (which is hotter than Tucson) than I like. Should be at my other home defending it from trespassers.
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Camera has caught this guy a couple of times. He being a bully and hoarding all the girls.

Sooo... Where in AZ are you located? I only ask because my dad is in Tucson, I have family in Scottsdale, and my grandfather founded a town near the Mexico border in southern AZ.

 

[FloridaLife]

Spend more time in the oven (which is hotter than Tucson) than I like. Should be at my other home defending it from trespassers.
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Camera has caught this guy a couple of times. He being a bully and hoarding all the girls.

So.... Snowbird. If you don't mind me asking, where in AZ do you stay?

That's a nice bull elk caught on cam. Where is that???

 

[knuckle47]

@Living in the Past He;s got a younger cousin on the east coast…