What have you done to your Land Cruiser this week? (50 Viewers)

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Spent the afternoon working on my metal bending skills. Made up some new front corner brackets for my hood to replace the rusted out ones.
Need to do some more work on the hood before I weld them back in

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Using a bead roller or hammer?
Looks good either way.
Did it all by clamping it and hammering. I did pick up an air tool at harbor freight for the smaller flanges. My amazing daughter modeled it in CAD and a friend at work cut the brackets out for me on a water jet.

An example of my metal working methods

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My sweetheart is a keeper! Yesterday while at the shop getting new shocks and a starter installed, she was sitting in the Land Cruiser doing her nails. After she was done with her nails, she complained that the mechanics should have been finished already. She then got out of the truck and started supervising
🫡
. They finished the job successfully and quickly, then we were on our way.
🤭
🤗
It was all in good fun. The truck starts now so easily and all the bumping around has smoothed out
🤗
— in Bogotá.

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My driver door window regulator was quite worn so I changed it and the window is a breeze to operate. Changed the passenger side as well today since I had it anyway. Added some sound deadener to the outer door skin also

Here’s the twist: 3-4 years ago on a whim, I picked up a universal power window kit. It seems like the layout of the door might be ideal for this thing. It’s a little hot and humid today but the next few days are SUPPOSED to be very comfortable and more conducive to outdoor stuff.

Here’s where I am now. Just thought it could be a fun nothing project to try…in case anyone is interested. Remember, as a young man, reaching across and cranking windows up/down was nothing…as an old fart, it takes a few minutes to straighten back up and keep driving.
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This all needs to be securely attached to the door but it seems like a very easy job…


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Only took a year to get 3 bolts out of the DS windshield hinge. Tried everything. Finally took a hacksaw and sawed a groove and then used a hammer and chisel.

End result, I was able to get my DS chrome hinge on and also swap out my mirror arms. The other pair of arms were the SOR-type I believe…you can see how those mounted in the first pic.

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@sleepycruiser So know I can understand why you didn’t worry about sawing into the hinge
 
@sleepycruiser So know I can understand why you didn’t worry about sawing into the hinge
Barely had to saw the hinge, but after a year of PB blaster, Kroll, heat, impact driver, drilling and failed reverse/out kit….this was the last option before either having someone weld nuts or drilling them out and using rivnuts.

The third bolt just spun and spun. It actually had the capture nut bend the little cage that the capture nut was in behind the dash. Once I figured that out and just bent the little cage back so the bolt capture nut wouldn’t spin that one came right out.

Next project is manifold gasket….I think. Might have sons own else do that and set the timing, etc for me.
 
I have read dozens of posts like this over the decades, where even the promised color matches offered by some of the cruiser vendors as ‘exact’ matches are not. I have a can of supposedly 416 dune beige that @Biscuit left with me about 15 years that he bought from one of them. I used it to change the color of my hi lift jack handle from royal blue to something more neutral. It doesn’t look anything like the factory dune beige paint on Mike’s 74, or my ‘69. But it’s good enough for a jack handle.
l'm doing my nerdy paint search l found this.....

l've also found the following chart which gives my vin code 033 as a Saint Moritz White...Which the undercoat is, so the top beige coat has been added later.. there's 106 landcruiser paints listed... l feel like a kid in a candy shop.....
 
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Also got all four brand new shocks and installed, and almost finished painting tranny (the pic does it no justice as I spent hours chiseling and wirebrushing every speck of clay I could find). Also upgraded to bigger acid bath. More acid please.

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My driver door window regulator was quite worn so I changed it and the window is a breeze to operate. Changed the passenger side as well today since I had it anyway. Added some sound deadener to the outer door skin also

Here’s the twist: 3-4 years ago on a whim, I picked up a universal power window kit. It seems like the layout of the door might be ideal for this thing. It’s a little hot and humid today but the next few days are SUPPOSED to be very comfortable and more conducive to outdoor stuff.

Here’s where I am now. Just thought it could be a fun nothing project to try…in case anyone is interested. Remember, as a young man, reaching across and cranking windows up/down was nothing…as an old fart, it takes a few minutes to straighten back up and keep driving.
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This all needs to be securely attached to the door but it seems like a very easy job…


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Do you have a center console? Could mount the switches (not the whole housing) in the center console and leave the door panels clean. Then just a weathertight disconnect at the door for the wiring; probably in by the cowl vent so no hanging wires if you removed the doors.

There’s kits that retain the window crank as the actuator switch too (is yours one?), you just push up or down a few degrees and it runs the window, then no need for actual switches.
 
Yes, I have the stock 40 center console.. I did not yet think about the door removal disconnect. This set is not the window crank activated type. I am thinking a quick disconnect is mandatory at the jamb on the inner body of the tub. Being 4 wires and a 3/4” max hole at the A pillar probably means bullet connectors. I picked these up on Amazon so that is the 3/4” hole diameter for the door and jamb pass thru
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More lipstick on a Pig, Shiny bling that I could not resist when I saw a pic. Scuff plates.
I have not had a DS scuff plate for about 20 years. OEM were made of wafer-thin recycled beer can and I have clumsy feet. Found these from @TRAIL TAILOR and fitted one today.
Can't stop looking at it, and climbing in & out to see how it works.

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Finally got around to putting in the correct shift plate.
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And had to test it out at Cades Cove.
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FJ40 Power Window Update:

This is going well so far and looks like a simple install with no modification to the steel doorframe. Here are a few photos. This morning at 5:30 it was 60* and dry. TV says this is an anomaly for this wretched July heat and humidity so I opened up all the doors and let the cool dry air in.

Drilling the rubber wire sheath protectors is a little more of a challenge because the window channel rides right in front of any clear areas of the door if I go to the lower sides of the door, the a pillar is secured with extra steel and the lower hinge, and that will take a little bit of thinking, I may just go with a whole that is smaller that will accommodate the wires and find a piece of regular hose just to keep them from chafing.

Anyway, I am looking for thoughts on the DOOR cards. I like the reupholstery that was done before I got the truck as it matches the two front seats. But I do like the purist style of vehicle, even though I have taken some liberties with my own modifications. It still looks stock except for the wheels.

Here is a photo of both any opinions. The door crank is replaced by a plug and that plug can be removed in the event of any failures to use this giant T handle and open the window manually.

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