Builds "WY-REE-KA" A Ground Up 45LPB Restoration (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

ClemsonCruiser

Supporting Vendor
Joined
Feb 17, 2004
Threads
379
Messages
9,413
Location
North Augusta, South Carolina
Hey gang bought this 1965 FJ45LPB out of Yreka, CA some years back now. She's been patiently waiting in a dark quiet and somber corner of my shop for her turn under the wrench, and that time has finally come! So follow along as I do my best to bring this old girl back to her factory fresh glory. My goal is for this build to be a nut and bolt restoration packed with OEM goodness and strict adherence to factory correctness, so purists rejoice :cheers:
45trip.jpg
 
Let's start with some pictures of how she currently stands. This is by far the cleanest, straightest, and most rust free 45 I've ever owned. Let's just hope it remains that way after I strip all the paint off :D I don't have much back story on her as I bought it from some flipper on eBay, but I have tracked down the owner prior to the flipper. He lived in Yreka and is who I believe started the restoration of it and owned it for roughly 30 years prior to my purchase of the truck. I am going to reach out to him and see if I can get some history on this old girl. Though I'm not overly optimistic as a quick google search tells me he is now 86 years old :doh:

IMG_2273.JPG
IMG_2301.JPG
IMG_2300.JPG
IMG_2302.JPG
IMG_2306.JPG
 
Last edited:
One of the main reasons I love working on 40/45s especially these early models is their admirable simplicity. With 4 hours time this afternoon and 10,12,14, and 17mm wrenches at my side I was able to go from complete vehicle to essentially a rolling chassis.

IMG_2319.JPG

IMG_2324.JPG

IMG_2328.JPG


Time to put in a call to Coolerman!!!

IMG_2321.JPG

IMG_2323.JPG



That's all the progress for today. Hope to be down to a bare frame tomorrow :beer:
 
Last edited:
JP, looking forward to your build. That thing lived 1 hour from my house. I'll be watching........
 
JP, looking forward to your build. That thing lived 1 hour from my house. I'll be watching........
Honestly between you and Whitey's strangle hold on pristine West Coast 45s I'm amazed I got this thing to the East Coast before one of you scooped it up :grinpimp: All kidding aside if my resto. turns out anything like your Sage I will be a very happy Cruiserhead!
 
JP, Yours will be fantastic and Top Notch...I have no doubt!!!!!

I'm convinced that the areas of Northern California and Southern Oregon were true Mecca's for FJ45's. Fred Wheeler at Wheeler Motors "later Wheeler Toyota" of Grants Pass Oregon sold a lot of 45's back in the day.


image.jpeg
image.jpeg
 
Jp, look foward to your 100% correct restoration, if anyone can do it, I’m sure you can. I have been chasing a 1 owner 45 for 20 years with the intent on doing a total factory correct off the showroom floor fj45 lpb. No mods, totally correct from the factory! Don’t think I have ever seen one done to factory spec? If I end up aquiring said 45, it is 100% original down to the coral seats and paint! Curious what the original color is on your rig? Horizontal blue?
 
JP, Yours will be fantastic and Top Notch...I have no doubt!!!!!

I'm convinced that the areas of Northern California and Southern Oregon were true Mecca's for FJ45's. Fred Wheeler at Wheeler Motors "later Wheeler Toyota" of Grants Pass Oregon sold a lot of 45's back in the day.


View attachment 1562159 View attachment 1562160

Always great these vintage pics thanks Sir :)

" clemson...
My goal is for this build to be a nut and bolt restoration packed with OEM goodness and strict adherence to factory correctness, so purists rejoice... "

Fine :)

Cheers
Peter
 
JP, Yours will be fantastic and Top Notch...I have no doubt!!!!!

I'm convinced that the areas of Northern California and Southern Oregon were true Mecca's for FJ45's. Fred Wheeler at Wheeler Motors "later Wheeler Toyota" of Grants Pass Oregon sold a lot of 45's back in the day.

Cool info on Wheeler's Toyota Mark. If I can get a hold of the prior owner in Yreka maybe he can confirm where the 45 was originally sold. Mine had this cool Toyota license plate on the back that I haven't seen before. Anyone know if is period correct for a '65 or if it was a later Toyota slogan?

IMG_2293.JPG
 
Sick horn!

Looking forward to following this thread.


:beer:

Thanks Dom... maybe the horn is the one non factory item that makes the resto. :grinpimp:
 
Jp, look foward to your 100% correct restoration, if anyone can do it, I’m sure you can. I have been chasing a 1 owner 45 for 20 years with the intent on doing a total factory correct off the showroom floor fj45 lpb. No mods, totally correct from the factory! Don’t think I have ever seen one done to factory spec? If I end up aquiring said 45, it is 100% original down to the coral seats and paint! Curious what the original color is on your rig? Horizontal blue?

Not sure I've seen an uber factory restoration either, but there lots of beautiful restos on mud with tasteful mods. Mark's certainly comes to mind. I'm gonna need gurus like yourself to keep me on the straight and narrow!

First question for my fellow 45 owners, does anybody know a source for stock height springs? I don't want to do OME on this one but my factory springs have too much sag to give it the correct stock stance. I could do add-a-leafs but I don't think they have any business being on a restoration. That leaves custom springs from some where like Alcan, but I'm not sure how visually close they will match the stock springs. There is also re-arching the stock springs but I've heard no so good things about that. So I'm looking for opinions and options if anyone has them :cheers:
 
Not sure on the date for the license plate frame, but I did have a similar one that stated" Do it in the Dirt" and looked the same. It was from the early Seventies.
 
A Clemson that's not getting Clemson'd! Will still be epic!
 
Small up date. Did a preliminary compression check of the engine and got so, so results. roughly 120-140 psi across the board. I was planning on doing a head job as a minimum but after seeing the numbers I'm now leaning towards doing a full rebuild. This is the first F engine I've had that was on the low end of the spec.... guess I've been lucky up until now with these old girls.

IMG_2341.JPG
IMG_2334.JPG
IMG_2335.JPG
IMG_2336.JPG
IMG_2337.JPG
 
Last edited:
last compression number
IMG_2340.JPG




After the compression check I pulled the cab off the frame and left just the bare rolling chassis and drive-train. Then I spent a good hour with the ole pressure washer knocking off all the loose grease, grim, and dirt. The frame rails were particularly clogged up with years of dirt but I was able to blast most of it out. Overall the frame is in fantastic shape hardly even any surface rust... God Bless California :D
IMG_2351.JPG

IMG_2354.JPG



Finally I liberated the bare frame to ready it for some sandblasting tomorrow. I have to say the best part about leaving the city behind and moving out to the country is I now get to have a tractor and what a useful tool it is :beer:

IMG_2371.JPG

IMG_2372.JPG


That is it for now.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom