Michael B
SILVER Star
My worst mod was an Aussie locker in my front axle and no power steering. That makes for some tough trailing. Especially in rocks!
Worst Mod you have every done: (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter TexomaFJ40
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Great thread. I just read the whole thing. I think the only thing mentioned that I bought were the CCOT hoses. I will add a couple of things to the list.
Mentioned before, but worthy of another mention is any rubber aftermarket part that is still available from Toyota.
Solenoids for my Warn 8274 winch for $80 from Herm the 4wd guy. He said they were identical to the original ones. Well they are close, but you have to redrill mounting holes. Oh, and the best part.....they didn't work. Cheap chinese crap. To top it off I sent them back about a month ago and he is still checking them out. I dont think I will ever get my money back. I sent him a check, so no recourse. Bit the bullet and ordered a kit from Warn.
Most of my build has been stock.
Mentioned before, but worthy of another mention is any rubber aftermarket part that is still available from Toyota.
Solenoids for my Warn 8274 winch for $80 from Herm the 4wd guy. He said they were identical to the original ones. Well they are close, but you have to redrill mounting holes. Oh, and the best part.....they didn't work. Cheap chinese crap. To top it off I sent them back about a month ago and he is still checking them out. I dont think I will ever get my money back. I sent him a check, so no recourse. Bit the bullet and ordered a kit from Warn.
Most of my build has been stock.
My biggest regret has gotta be installing the el cheapo CCOT roof gasket 10 years ago, which they have now apparently stopped selling. It's not moulded and does not seal. Water gets under it and rots the gutter from inside out.
Ten tears later I'm still laughing. Sorry but the punch line is classic.
CCOT Front Seat Belts
They lock up on every bump and get tighter the more you drive.
Every couple of bumps in the road I need to loosen them so I do not look like a tied of salami
They lock up on every bump and get tighter the more you drive.
Every couple of bumps in the road I need to loosen them so I do not look like a tied of salami
This happened to me on three different EBAY HEI's built for cruisers. I noticed the bushing that the shaft rides in was a soft bronze while my
OEM GM HEI from a 70's 350 was a cast steel of some sort. The bronze wore down, in each case, after about 17~20,000 miles until the stator
contacted the coil. At that point the inside of the cap looked like a copper cobweb. A DUI version didn't last much longer but the failure was
a different type. Just over 25,000 the weights and springs decided to leave the shaft. Stock HEI's use E-clips to retain the weights and the weights are bushed for a snug fit. The DUI weights are sloppy fit. As per my aggravated phone call to DUI, they decided clips and bushings weren't needed so they were left off the build list. When the weights came off the shaft was damaged. DUI wouldn't send replacement parts since the dizzy was beyond warranty limitations ( manufacturing defects ). Luckily Man-a-fre had several warranty cores laying about and sent a new shaft for free. I bought a Spectre weight kit from Autozone which included both e-clips and bushings. I rebuilt the dizzy properly
and it served me well until the V-8 swap. I haven't bought another DUI since so I don't know if they are still cutting those corners. Since the pins for the weights were already grooved for the e-clips I couldn't understand why they would leave them off. It's an expensive part and the e-clips are about a penny a piece. The bushings can't be much more. and the fit difference is significant..
Here's a proper weight kit and an HEI breakdown showing the e-clips , top left . All of you with one of the HEI's should inspect under the cap for both bushings and e-clips
Mine is the same as D'Animal. Added a front roll cage to my roll bar without having my doors on. I assumed the hoop was correct for my 40 but alas a little too wide... I mostly run with no doors of with soft doors so not a great travesty. Plus a have a stock roll bar (no front hoop) I can swap if I ever desire to put my hard top back on.
front hoop if made with 2" should be ~49" OD for '75 and later and ~52" for the '74 and earlier
Bump...
In 96 I bought a $300 runner 350 with plans to rebuild/replace it in the future. It needed a cam and a chain so I bought a basic stock chain. It's now 21 years in the future... the motor is strong as ever, the chain is done. Even though it only has about 50k miles on it, it's knocking on the timing cover. A few bucks more, and I could be driving it rather than waiting for money to get it fixed. Or, it's not the chain, and I need to find a new engine... perhaps it's time for a Diesel swap... nah, haven't won the lottery
In 96 I bought a $300 runner 350 with plans to rebuild/replace it in the future. It needed a cam and a chain so I bought a basic stock chain. It's now 21 years in the future... the motor is strong as ever, the chain is done. Even though it only has about 50k miles on it, it's knocking on the timing cover. A few bucks more, and I could be driving it rather than waiting for money to get it fixed. Or, it's not the chain, and I need to find a new engine... perhaps it's time for a Diesel swap... nah, haven't won the lottery
My worst "mod" that can't be changed is not being the 1st owner PO myself, because I didn't buy a 40 new when they were still available.
Didn't recognise then the fun of driving a 40 as I was too much with my head in big comfortable "fast" driving cars and restoring French classic cars.
Didn't recognise then the fun of driving a 40 as I was too much with my head in big comfortable "fast" driving cars and restoring French classic cars.
I really wanted a four speed (the three speed with nonsychronized 1st was a pain) led me to a complete frame off, SBC, disc front, aqualu 3/4 tub, power steering.... 16 years later it's still not there, but one day... Maybe then it won't be my worst mod...
spotcruiser
Geezer
Would have to be the POS Downey "performance" kit (Holley carb, points distributor, headers, and exhaust) I installed on my '78 back in '82 or so. Pulling it off several months later was the real performance improvement. 
POTATO LAUNCHER
TLCA #6928
Would have to be the POS Downey "performance" kit (Holley carb, points distributor, headers, and exhaust) I installed on my '78 back in '82 or so. Pulling it off several months later was the real performance improvement.
I did the MAF Rochester/ Delco distributer swap in the mid 80's. Never did get the stupid carb to run efficiently and the air cleaner adapter was a joke, distributor worked ok. Mind you, this was way before the interwebs. You had to call and place an order from a printed catalog. That was probably the biggest waste of money and time I can think of.
Building a roll cage without having a top
It's too tall and wide at the main hoop
But I can run a bestop without needing any top bows
It's too tall and wide at the main hoop
But I can run a bestop without needing any top bows
Fuse panel in the glove box. Don't do it.
Where would you recommend for the fuse box with an aftermarket harness?
I am currently relocating the painless panel and relays beneath the glove box. I no longer have a stock heater, so the large duct has been removed. The wires are pretty much the right length for relocation, I think. I am still in tear down/ mock up.
TTT......
