The Tom Fjuckery Project (1 Viewer)

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Skidmarkroyalty

Joined
May 16, 2019
Threads
2
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46
Location
Clarksville tn
I don't know when it started. To say "since before I can remember" would be an overstatement, but not a large one (though I have an pretty short memory). I don't know the first time I saw an fj40; don't remember the first time I found out it was called an fj40; don't remember the moment it became part of my "things to own" list. Now I have one.

I am very budget minded, me and my wife are on a five year plan to pay off our mortgage (before I turn 35). I put an fj40 on the list of thing to buy in SIX years: the first big purchase after becoming debt free. Unfortunately, fate and my addiction to Facebook marketplace (side hustle) had other plans.

While mindlessly scrolling through Facebook I saw an ad titled "chevy square body wrecker and toyota" with a low res picture of a chevy wrecker and a very fuzzy fj40 in the background. I msg the person and say "I'll give you a grand for the toyota". He responded "could you do 1800?".
 
After a little bit of bugging him (he seemed a little reluctant to schedule a meet up) I got out to the place to check it out. I brought 1800 with me and after a little bit i bought a "rusty piece of junk" (my wife's words).

Said junk came with a 350 swap, 2 tops, a set of hard doors, a big aluminum boat gas tank, no title, 10 years of mouse nests, and a thick coating of good ol' Tennessee pollen.

I have not yet determined the year, but it had a vin tag for a 76 in the glove box. I am aware it is definitely an earlier model because of the brake system (among a list of other obvious things). All of my research kept bringing me back to this forum so I became a member and here I am! I'm slowly but surely getting into it. Along with the forum I made a hashtag for it on Instagram. #thetomfjuckeryproject where I try to vicariously include my good friend Dan in the project because he is in full time dad mode so we never get to hang out anymore
 
1978466
 
Welcome to Mud, and congratulations on your find.

Don't get side tracked on paying off your mortgage - one of the best things you can ever do financially. We have been debt-free for a long time, and it feels good!
 
Assuming all the sheet metal is original...
1. No marker lights in the bib make it newer than 9/69
2. Seam in the middle of the hood make it older than 9/71

Since the brake booster came online in 7/70, that would be a good indicator of which side of the 70/71 fence it fell on.

Or you could look at the passenger side frame rail behind the front bumper for the VIN number and do it that way. :meh:
 
Well I have had it for about 2 weeks now and have gotten quite a bit done! While getting towed home the fiberglass top came unglued from the metal raingutter parts and flew off! I was a couple minutes behind the tow truck (with the other top on a trailer) and found it in the road. luckily it did not cause a wreck, it was still in one piece but did end up with a couple cracks from the incident. I am confident it is repairable.

I took it all apart the night it got home, cleaned all the junk out of it and found a plethora of badges and the previously mentioned vin plate in the glove box. The glove box was literally full of dirt. I think a mouse made a home in there and the refuse from it life decomposed and created it's own glove box ecosystem.

The day after I got it home I started in on the engine. I hot wired it and hooked it to a five gallon gas can and, amazingly, it fired up on THE FIRST TURN (I primed the fuel line). That got my blood pumping. The brakes were essentially non existant, but because I'm an overexcited 12 year old in a man's body, I jumped in it, put it in gear, and it MOVED. So, after 10 years of sitting under a tree, the day after I brought it home, I pulled it into the garage under it's own power.

I work night shift so I've got to do my chores and go to bed right now. There more of the story to come later tonight on my various work breaks! As I said, I have gotten quite a bit done in the last couple weeks (including a couple of gafs!)

20190502_185117.jpg
 
1911 said:
Welcome to Mud, and congratulations on your find.

Don't get side tracked on paying off your mortgage - one of the best things you can ever do financially. We have been debt-free for a long time, and it feels good!
Click to expand...

Our 5 year plan is based on a budget that does not include any of my side hustles (ebay, craigslist, and facebook marketplace, and overtime at my work). So as long as I keep making cheddar outside of the budget, I can keep making grilled cheeses in the garage. I didn't actually plan on doing much with this other than sitting it in the garage until we paid that mortgage off. That all changed when it fired up on the first crank though...
 
Yep, you got the 40 fever - suckah! :flipoff2: (friendly Mud salute). Welcome.
 
BTW, you should find the VIN just behind that hole in your frame rail, probably covered up in paint.
 
Skidmarkroyalty said:
Our 5 year plan is based on a budget that does not include any of my side hustles (ebay, craigslist, and facebook marketplace, and overtime at my work). So as long as I keep making cheddar outside of the budget, I can keep making grilled cheeses in the garage. I didn't actually plan on doing much with this other than sitting it in the garage until we paid that mortgage off. That all changed when it fired up on the first crank though...
Click to expand...

Similar story. I got my first 40 a year after we got our first house and the same month our daughter was born. Definitely not in the financial cards.

ALSO being a kid trapped in a 24 year old body I knew da-n well that as soon as I made the motor go vroom vroom I was going to want to drive it, even if I had to throw a milk crate behind the steering wheel.

So I forced myself to rebuild the steering and brake systems first. Which just made my wife incredulous that the diaper fund was competing with tie rod ends and wheel cylinder kits on a truck that didn’t run!

That was 34 years ago, and now that baby is due to have her own. And my wife is sure I could expedite the labor by taking my daughter for a ride in that same 40!

Welcome to the madness!
 
Skidmarkroyalty said:
While getting towed home the fiberglass top came unglued from the metal raingutter parts and flew off!
Click to expand...

You are NOT the first this has happened to lol

welcome to Mud!!

from what i can tell... it's a 71'

padded dash
screw on vent
one piece hood


but.... could be a mix of parts as well
 
Nice looking 40. I started with one in similar to worse condition 4 weeks ago. Mine was sitting for 25 years and had water in the transmission and transfer case. But as soon as i drug it in the shop, it basically fired up first crank. My wallet has been crying ever since.
 
What tranny is in it?

Looks like a good starting point. $1800 doesn't get you much in the Land Cruiser lineup these days. Ya did good son especially since you got it to move on it's own power. Just got to work on the stopping part now. Post more pics please.
 
Looking at the OPs pic has the frame been shortened up front?

I love these "poured gas in and it started right up" stories.
 
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