Rubbing compound...a lot of it.
What have you done to your Land Cruiser this week?
- Thread starter IH8MUD
- Start date
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The tires are Goodyear MTR 35x12.5x15s on old school Centerline Hellcat 15x10s.
Finished blasting the frame then painted it.
Put a 2F tach into the factory HJ47 bezel on my FJ40 LX using the method which Teabag in South Africa outlined in his thread. Great result.
Frame looks great Jason.
Josh
Frame looks great Jason.
Josh
Painted my cruiser today. First fine day in about 4 months! Got the whole thing primed and painted in a day so was pretty chuffed. Need to buff for a shine but happy with the outcome. Also made up custom dash yesterday. PO had hacked the dash for some gauges and what really annoyed me was the gauge holes weren't even, they were lopsided. So I had to make the sad decision to cut the dash out and replace with a timber one. Bogged and sanded sides so that it blends in nicely with the original dash. Custom gauges being shipped as we speak.
Nothing solid done on mine this week - looked at it a couple of times as I walked past though...
Seriously, I made a big list of exactly what I need to make the Gecko meet my personal Shorty Forty standards. Oh, I also made up some templates for the B Pillars for my FST as well as that bit that goes above the doors - you know the one. Templates are made and they fit. Not having ready access to get some sheet metal bent up, I'm making these components out of poly and c-channel to original dimensions. I'll post pics when they're done.
Here's the list - not too much to be done which is great:
Canvas seat covers - SuperCheap Auto in Aus stocks these now and they are cheap enough that I won't bother zipping some up on the Manly Thread Injector.
Amplifier for stereo - Yep, no amp for my stereo. I'm going to remove the radio/CD and just plug my Ipod touch directly into the amp (hot tip - turn the "shake to advance to next track" feature off if you mount your Ipod touch or iphone in a 40)
Treat running boards with bedliner - or maybe put some grip tape on em. I nearly broke my ankle when I slipped off the running board on a wet day whilst debussing. Lesson learned.
Respray jerrycan carriers black. They're looking tired.
5 x 16 inch factory split rims with BFG tyres. My rims and tyres are pretty good so I should be able to swap them for the "cheap" rims and maybe even some decent tyres at the local wreckers to get home on. Planning on all new rubber though.
Modify bikini top so it sits higher on top of the roll bar. At the moment my bikini top sits on the top of the roll bar and because it slopes downwards towards the back of the vehicle, it looks funny when the doors are on. I'm going to sew in a sleeve which will fit a length of PVC conduit with insulating foam on it which should raise the top just enough...
Source proper spring catches for sides of bonnet. I currently have rubber hood catches. They work and some say they are better than the originals, but I never liked them. The proper spring catches are cheap enough.
UHF CB. This is going where the CD/Radio now lives. I already have an old-spec 27MHz CB installed and I'll keep it where it is.
I have a line on a WWII jeep antenna mount - mounts to the rear corner of the tub, so I might try it out. I'd rather mount the UHF CB aerial that way than have another antenna on the bull bar.
Make stem for my doors-off mirrors and two sets of brackets. I have the normal factory mirrors on the doors but I also have two mirror heads off some old military vehicle. Plan is to allow them to mount in two different ways by simply changing the brackets which mount to the vehicle. First bracket will bolt to the lower windscreen hinge so the mirrors are useable when the soft doors are on and the windscreen folded. Second bracket is designed to fit into the top door hinge when the doors are off.
Second battery - No room inside the engine bay at this time due to my onboard compressor, so I am thinking of mounting it inside my non-toyota centre console. I only use the cupholders anyway and it's big enough for a basic deep cycle battery.
Snorkel and head. Found a decent source for these off ebay, so I'll pick one up at some stage.
Rear suspension - She's got a fat arse and sits relatively low on the rear springs. I'll send these in for a reset and if need be add an extra leaf.
Make overhead console - fixes to rollbar at one end and windscreen frame at the other - removeable OR make soundbar for roll bar - possibly 2 x simple rectangular boxes that attach to rollbar uprights behind seats - need to move speakers from their current location which is in front of the kick vents. Summer's coming in Aus and I don't have aircon. Kick vents are great for moving more hot air around on a hot day.
Attach brackets for Suzuki seats - and get engineered (legal requirement in Aus). I have 2 x Suzuki Sierra/Samurai fold and tumble seats and all the mounting hardware sitting in the shed. I've been looking for original FJ40 seats, but no joy, so these will have to do for now.
That's it. Everything else on the vehicle is sorted.... for now
Seriously, I made a big list of exactly what I need to make the Gecko meet my personal Shorty Forty standards. Oh, I also made up some templates for the B Pillars for my FST as well as that bit that goes above the doors - you know the one. Templates are made and they fit. Not having ready access to get some sheet metal bent up, I'm making these components out of poly and c-channel to original dimensions. I'll post pics when they're done.
Here's the list - not too much to be done which is great:
Canvas seat covers - SuperCheap Auto in Aus stocks these now and they are cheap enough that I won't bother zipping some up on the Manly Thread Injector.
Amplifier for stereo - Yep, no amp for my stereo. I'm going to remove the radio/CD and just plug my Ipod touch directly into the amp (hot tip - turn the "shake to advance to next track" feature off if you mount your Ipod touch or iphone in a 40)
Treat running boards with bedliner - or maybe put some grip tape on em. I nearly broke my ankle when I slipped off the running board on a wet day whilst debussing. Lesson learned.
Respray jerrycan carriers black. They're looking tired.
5 x 16 inch factory split rims with BFG tyres. My rims and tyres are pretty good so I should be able to swap them for the "cheap" rims and maybe even some decent tyres at the local wreckers to get home on. Planning on all new rubber though.
Modify bikini top so it sits higher on top of the roll bar. At the moment my bikini top sits on the top of the roll bar and because it slopes downwards towards the back of the vehicle, it looks funny when the doors are on. I'm going to sew in a sleeve which will fit a length of PVC conduit with insulating foam on it which should raise the top just enough...
Source proper spring catches for sides of bonnet. I currently have rubber hood catches. They work and some say they are better than the originals, but I never liked them. The proper spring catches are cheap enough.
UHF CB. This is going where the CD/Radio now lives. I already have an old-spec 27MHz CB installed and I'll keep it where it is.
I have a line on a WWII jeep antenna mount - mounts to the rear corner of the tub, so I might try it out. I'd rather mount the UHF CB aerial that way than have another antenna on the bull bar.
Make stem for my doors-off mirrors and two sets of brackets. I have the normal factory mirrors on the doors but I also have two mirror heads off some old military vehicle. Plan is to allow them to mount in two different ways by simply changing the brackets which mount to the vehicle. First bracket will bolt to the lower windscreen hinge so the mirrors are useable when the soft doors are on and the windscreen folded. Second bracket is designed to fit into the top door hinge when the doors are off.
Second battery - No room inside the engine bay at this time due to my onboard compressor, so I am thinking of mounting it inside my non-toyota centre console. I only use the cupholders anyway and it's big enough for a basic deep cycle battery.
Snorkel and head. Found a decent source for these off ebay, so I'll pick one up at some stage.
Rear suspension - She's got a fat arse and sits relatively low on the rear springs. I'll send these in for a reset and if need be add an extra leaf.
Make overhead console - fixes to rollbar at one end and windscreen frame at the other - removeable OR make soundbar for roll bar - possibly 2 x simple rectangular boxes that attach to rollbar uprights behind seats - need to move speakers from their current location which is in front of the kick vents. Summer's coming in Aus and I don't have aircon. Kick vents are great for moving more hot air around on a hot day.
Attach brackets for Suzuki seats - and get engineered (legal requirement in Aus). I have 2 x Suzuki Sierra/Samurai fold and tumble seats and all the mounting hardware sitting in the shed. I've been looking for original FJ40 seats, but no joy, so these will have to do for now.
That's it. Everything else on the vehicle is sorted.... for now
Got it out to find a mate to play with
Clean the plastic clear windows from the paki top...
Hi Eshu Elegua,
Can you please post a detailed and close-up picture of your soft doors? I'm planning to convert my hard doors to soft doors because i think it's already impractical to rebuild my hard doors considering the sourcing of door weatherstrips and bailey channel, etc. is very hard here in our place.
TIA Cheers!
gado
My disc brake conversion.
Almost done!
Almost done!
i have the old oem soft top doors, post pictures on what you have ,i believe are differents
Nice looking FJ Oregon. Where is that your parked? Is that Mount Hood?
Cheers!
Pwelco
Cheers!
Pwelco
New gauges and instrument lighting from fellow mudder amaurer:
Kickass Stuff For Your 40-Series
My crappy little point-and-shoot camera cannot do justice to the brightness of the whole instrument cluster now! It's much better and brighter than it looks in this photo. I will have to dig out the DSLR and try again.
It is so great to have functioning gauges that are actually calibrated, and that you can see at night!
Kickass Stuff For Your 40-Series
My crappy little point-and-shoot camera cannot do justice to the brightness of the whole instrument cluster now! It's much better and brighter than it looks in this photo. I will have to dig out the DSLR and try again.
It is so great to have functioning gauges that are actually calibrated, and that you can see at night!
Had it delivered. Realized it wasn't going in the garage at that height. Bought a new set of 33s. Parked it in garage. 
(and no, I didn't synch my white lettering, but it looks like I did...)
(and no, I didn't synch my white lettering, but it looks like I did...)
Installed the first part of my stereo system, a Pyle RMP1A amp with variable input sensitivity and remote volume control. I will use it with an iPod in the glovebox. Will install speakers in weatherproof pods on the rear roll bar.
Bolted it underneath the glovebox using a hole that a PO drilled.
It will be hidden behind the main air duct.
Bolted it underneath the glovebox using a hole that a PO drilled.
It will be hidden behind the main air duct.
Rebuilt my 8274 that I just bought!
Before:
After:
Nick
Before:
After:
Nick
Wow! How much do you want for it?
Knuckle Rebuild
JUSt finished a PROPER FULL knuckle rebuild with DGANGLE on my 40......mostly him and a lot of me watching and asking questions.......what a lot of work but what a LOT of difference!
replaced EVERYTHING and sandblasted and painted all parts ...new bearing and seals.....new calipers (rebuilt) etc......also a big thanks to LukeZero for loaning us the centering tool......man I love my FJ40!
got my new tag int he mail 2 days ago...an just placed it on tonight too "78FJ40"
beze and hardtop at body shot getting that last coat of toyota white.....pics to come!
JUSt finished a PROPER FULL knuckle rebuild with DGANGLE on my 40......mostly him and a lot of me watching and asking questions.......what a lot of work but what a LOT of difference!
replaced EVERYTHING and sandblasted and painted all parts ...new bearing and seals.....new calipers (rebuilt) etc......also a big thanks to LukeZero for loaning us the centering tool......man I love my FJ40!
got my new tag int he mail 2 days ago...an just placed it on tonight too "78FJ40"
beze and hardtop at body shot getting that last coat of toyota white.....pics to come!