Decided I would start a build thread because I hope to get some advice from others who have “been there and done that”, and in turn will share my experience. To start things off this is my first land cruiser - I know “gasp” - what have I been doing? Well, I have owned every generation of Toyota pickup except the most current Tacoma. It all started back in high school with a 22re and bigger tires… I’ll spare you the rest because this is a cruiser forum.
I recently purchased a 1976 FJ40 from a club member thanks to a buying advice thread that I posted. The 40 has some good, and some bad. The good is that it fits my budget and nothing has to be “undone” because it is stock and not running. The bad is the rust.
The name of my thread is “mustard with mayo” because of the paint on the 40. Mustard was how it came from the factory and it has been slathered with mayo. Hence the mustard with mayo name.
The 40 was living up Boulder canyon. Now it is hibernating in Gunnison while I make a build plan and start accumulating plans. Here is my starting point. I’ll let the pictures do some talking.
What you can’t see is an H55f transmission that is installed and a partially installed 2f replacement engine. The previous owner started replacing the engine and doing the transmission swap, but never finished. Unfortunately, I think the 2F might not be worth much now because the valve cover was not installed when the 40 was moved to outside storage where it sat for a couple years. Anyone have experience with a rusty valve train?
Luckily, I didn’t buy it for the stock engine. My plan is to swap in a modern Toyota engine to move this 40 along with the 21st century.
You might have noticed the rusty tub and the soft top bows. My other plan is to stretch the tub 14-18” behind the doors. This will allow me more interior space and also provide a longer wheelbase for a better ride. My next post will focus on my evolving plans for the tub.