Builds Tucker and Roma's 75 FJ40 Restore

[roma042987]

pace has slowed since the truck is running but did manage to get some work done on the hard top. also had a custom pulley machined for the a/c compressor so we could run a factory sized belt.







hard top sides finished up with new Toyota seals for the corner windows and spector sliding windows









new foam and clips for the rear header

 

[roma042987]

had to semi install the hard top so i could test fit the rain gutter for welding.

 

[roma042987]

new rain gutter welded up. it came in 9 pieces so i was like putting together a puzzle without much room for error



gutter powder coated



Next i made a handy rivet tool out of some bolt cutters so i could get nice uniform rivets.













here it is holding a rivet with the bottom jaw finished up.

 

[roma042987]

rivet tool made quick work of the 72 rivets.

 

[Gun Runner 5]

Man, this thread is enjoyable to read through.

 

[1Fine40]

Was that a sunroof?? Looks like a nice patch job, and I love the "tool abuse" 101 method of making what you need from something else....Actually, that is upper division classwork, maybe even at the "Masters" level!! Very inspirational stuff, we mere mortals are in awe

Cheers!

 

[roma042987]

ha ha thanks everyone. yep it had a sunroof from a previous owner. tucker had it patched at a boat repair shop.

 

[gcrump01]

I see one side of the rivet tool fits the shape of the rivet, is the other side just flat? Or concave also?

Also, from which direction did you insert the rivets?

 

[roma042987]

both sides are concave the rivet head side is much larger. the bottom side has a considerably smaller indention. I installed the rivet head on top. i'll get some more pictures from the top side. also the rivets we got from cool cruisers were to short so we ordered these from McMaster carr. they were 7 bucks for a box of 100

 

[SSCR]

As always fantastic work!

 

[DPV7070]

As I lay here healing up, I firmly believe some people were just made to do this work. You, sir, are one of them.

I might be up your way visiting my uncle when home on Christmas leave. I'd love to admire these works of art if possible.

 

[roma042987]

As I lay here healing up, I firmly believe some people were just made to do this work. You, sir, are one of them.

I might be up your way visiting my uncle when home on Christmas leave. I'd love to admire these works of art if possible.

As always fantastic work!

thank you

Stop by anytime. Id be happy to show all my unfinished projects as well and talk cruisers. ive enjoyed your thread as well!

 

[roma042987]

tucker had a few more pictures on his phone of the rain gutter dry fit as well as the removal of the old rain gutter and the....sunroof

 

[Anvil]

both sides are concave the rivet head side is much larger. the bottom side has a considerably smaller indention. I installed the rivet head on top. i'll get some more pictures from the top side. also the rivets we got from cool cruisers were to short so we ordered these from McMaster carr. they were 7 bucks for a box of 100

Beautiful work!
Do you have a part number for the McMaster Carr rivets? I'll be doing this process over the holidays.

 

[roma042987]

i'll have to check for a part number when I get back over to tuckers but they are aluminum 3/16 wide oval head (.048) 1/2''long rivets. the ones from cool cruiser were exactly the same just a hair too short. The boat repair shop tucker had the fiberglass repaired at had reinforced the sides so the edges were possibly a little thicker than factory. also the rain gutter was possibly a litter thicker steel than factory as well. That could be why the cool cruise rivets didn't work.

 

[cruiserfj08]

McMasters. 97484A245

Aluminum Low-Profile Wide Domed Head Solid Rivet, 3/16" Diameter, 1/2" Length, Packs of 100 at 5.31.

 

[dad4x4]

like everyone else said, always like seeing the work you two are doing. glad you posted this as i too will be doing this at very soon. great work, those 40's look great.

 

[roma042987]

since installing 3.70 diffs in the truck and running the 33'' tires the speedo has been significantly off. close to 25%. After doing some homework we ordered a 6x16 driven gear and a 6x17 drive gear for the transfer case. This is what 3.70 gear trucks had in them from the factory I believe. We also replaced the rear out put seal as a preventative measure. Now the speedo is only off by 10%.

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

there are companies (still) who make gear boxes for the speedometer cable that will get you to the correct speedometer reading. It is good that you swapped the gears, though, because iirc, the greatest change they can make is 17%

 

[roma042987]

tucker purchased a speedo correction gear box from marks of Australia for the 10% correction so the speedo would be spot on. I was surprised to see "made in usa" stamped on the unit considering we had it shipped half way around the world its installed and works great.
We also picked up a rear heater for the fj40 from shmukter (gary) then disassembled it for pewter powder from metric tlc. Tucker had to repair the magnets in the electric motor since they had become unglued from the housing. In the mean time we ordered some copper rear heater lines from cruiser parts. the first ones arrived damaged but, the second set they sent is salveagable so we will get to work on them and put the rear heater together in the mean time. (I threw some parts off of my 40 (second rear heater, rear door latch and door cover) into the batch of parts getting the pewter powder coating so they are pictured as well)