Fully restored FJ40 Resto-mod. Meticulous 10yr restoration. Magazine cover car!

Description

1966 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40. This vehicle graced the cover of 4WD Toyota Owner Magazine in May/June 2014. Inside that issue there is a 9-page feature with detailed photos, descriptions, and praise of the design and quality of the build. Two mint condition copies of the magazine are included in the sale. Serious buyers should provide their email address so I can send them additional photos and PDF files of the magazine.

I boughtthis FJ40used in 2001 and I'm the third owner. It was in desperate need of a restoration. The original F motor was seized and rust had eaten through the rear sill and rockers. I began a slow, meticulous restoration, that took me 10 years to complete. I did all the work except for powder-coating and painting. Below is a Reader's Digest version of the build.More details are available.

The frame was fully boxed and common weak points were reinforced to withstand extreme off-road use. It was sandblasted to bare metal, then coated with POR15, an extremely tough and rust resistant coating. Coats of Rustoleum semi-gloss black were applied over the POR15 because POR15 will degrade when subjected to UV rays.
During the body restoration I was particularly careful to maintain the classic cruiser look, while making necessary repairs and improvements. I replaced the rear sill using Cool Cruisers of Texas steel reproduction pieces. The rockers were repaired and the cowl vent (another common rust area) was eliminated completely. The rear wheel well size was increased to fit the larger tires, however the stock radius' were retained to keep that classic FJ40 look. I replaced the front fenders with Metal Tech tube fenders which are many times stronger than the original sheet metal fenders. The rusted rear tailgate was replaced with an Aqualu aluminum tailgate with built-in locking storage compartment. Unused factory body holes were eliminated and the firewall was smoothed. After metal work the body was sandblasted and powder-primered. This is a powder-coat primer designed to be applied to bare metal. It is MUCH tougher than even an epoxy primer and will ensure the body stays rust free. The body was professionally painted. I used Herculiner to coat the interior floor and sides of the tub. The underside the truck is just as pretty as the top. The bottom of the tub was painted in Night Tide, just like the top-side.
For the interior I built a family roll cage using a front kit from Metal Tech. The cage is tied into the body at 6 points and tied into the frame at 4 points, making it very strong. I built sheet metal enclosures into the cage to house 6" x 9" speakers and LED dome lights. Since they're built into the cage it's got dome lights no matter which top is on... or no top at all. The Kenwood stereo and CB radio are also built into the cage and all wiring is run through the tubes so its hidden. The stereo has AM/FM/CD/Bluetooth (phone calls and music streaming). There are also two removable racks built into the roll cage. One is on top of the cage above where the rear passengers sit. The other can be used only when the rear seat is removed for additional packing options. Both racks have attachment points for cargo nets or ratchet straps and are powder coated to match the cage.
I filled unused holes in the dash and created a custom aluminum dash panel to house Autometer gauges and Contura rocker switches. A Flex-a-lite Mojave heater was installed under the dash. I installed seat heaters into ProComp sport seats for the front. In the rear I used a bench seat from Tom's Broncos. I used a Bestop center console and wired a 3-port 12-volt outlet inside of it. The front seats are mounted directly into the roll cage. I replaced the small factory gas tank which was below the passenger seat with a 28-gallon cell imported from Australia. The doors were fully restored like the body and reassembled with new interior handles, gaskets, window channels, and replica wing window seals.
The engine I chose was a new factory GM crate motor with zero hours. 4.8L Chevrolet Vortec V8 with about 300 HP and 300 FT-LB. Exhaust flows through Hooker block-hugger, ceramic coated headers. into a mandrel bent exhaust, and out through a MagnaFlow muffler. Behind the crate engine I put a Chevy SM420 4-speed transmission. The original transmission I used developed problems, so last winter I rebuilt a replacement and installed it. You will not find a smoother shifting SM420. Behind that I'm using dual Marlin Crawler transfer cases which allows it to move very slowly when needed. The crawl ratio is 290:1.
The front axle is a custom axle made by Marlin Crawler. It uses a Toyota housing, Dana 60 knuckles, a Toyota high-pinion differential with ARB air locker, and Warn hubs. The front brakes are Chevy 3/4 ton disc brakes. The rear axle is also custom. It uses a Toyota IFS (wide) housing, Front Range Off Road Full float kit, chromoly axle flanges with 6 dowels and ARP studs, Toyota Supra disc brakes, V6 Toyota differential with ARB air locker. Both front and rear axles use Moser Engineering chromoly axle shafts and 5.29 gears.
Suspension is sprung over using Alcan leaf springs. Alcans are the best leaf springs money can buy. They are extremely flexible and use Delrin pads at the end of each leaf to ensure quiet and smooth operation. Shocks are Rancho adjustable 9012 shocks and Fox bump shocks. Front suspension is also shackle reversed for better performance. Rear suspension also uses Orbit Eyes for improved flexibility. The rear suspension also has a heavy duty traction bar to handle the increased power from the V8 and was carefully designed to be able to handle the large amount of wheel travel this vehicle has.
I used a 1970's era GM tilt steering column with a Forever Sharp billet steering wheel. I've upgraded the steering with a PSC high-flow pump with remote reservoir and large power steering cooler. Steering is a high-steer setup using a Saginaw Power steering box. I also added a PSC hydro-assist ram which does a great job maintaining the road feel through the steering wheel, but giving you powerful steering when you need it off road. Power brakes are accomplished using a Hydro-boost setup like you'll find on modern diesel pickup trucks. It uses hydraulic pressure from the PSC pump for power brakes. This truck has extremely powerful brakes.
I upgraded the alternator to a 145 amp GM model. Dual Yellow top Optima Batteries are mounted in Blue Torch Fab mounts, integrated into each front fender. The batteries are controlled by a T-Max dual battery isolator. One battery handles all typical car functions, like engine starting, headlights, etc. The other battery handles the winch, stereo, CB radio, and LED lighting. That way you can leave the camp light on all night, listen to the radio for your buddy who is arriving at camp late, orkeep the stereo on at a car showand not have to worry about draining your starting battery. The engine will start up every time using the other fully charged battery and the T-max controller will then begin charging up the low battery.
The headlights, brake lights, turn signals, and dash lights all use the original style incandescent bulbs because, like with the body, I really wanted to maintain that classic look (especially on the road or in a classic car parade). I used LED lights for the rock-lights, dome lights, and telescoping camp light so they can be left on indefinitely without putting a serious drain on the battery. The rock light controller, dual battery controller, and Howell Engineering ECM (for the Vortec motor) are all mounted near the bottom of the glove box to keep them away from water. The engine wiring harness is from Howell Engineering. The chassis harness is from Painless Performance. The chassis wiring was run inside the passenger side frame rail to keep it safe and for an extremely clean look.
I was unwilling to put an exterior stinger or roll bar in front of the grill because they're hideous and ruin the classic FJ40 look. Instead I created an roll bar under the hood that would protect the radiator in the event of a roll over. It is tied into the Metal Tech front fenders and also serves at the radiator support. For a radiator I used a Griffin aluminum radiator with dual Derale electric fans. No chance of over-heating even 4wheeling through the desert.
For body protection off road I custom fitted steel diamond plate to the rear corners. For rocker protection I fabricated 1/4" thick steel rocker protectors that are contoured to the shape of the body. Both are color matched to the body. I fabricated a front bumper to house the new Warn 8274-50 winch. For the rear I fabricated a 1/4" wall bumper with integrated brake/turn/backup lights, an integrated box hitch, recovery points, as well as dual swing away racks. The racks were designed to hold a pair of Coleman steel belted coolers (they are included in the sale) and four small Rubbermaid Action Packer boxes. The rack also will store a full size shovel, Hi-Lift jack, and has an integrated, telescoping, LED camp light. Both bumpers are powder coated to match the roll cage. The rear is also wired to accept both a 4-pin and 7-pin trailer wiring connector.
On-board air is obtained from a Viair 100% duty cycle, electric air compressor. This provides air needed to operate the ARB air lockers as well as air to fill tires.
Tires are Super Swamper TSL SX 38.5x14.5R15. Wheels are TrailReady 15" x 9" beadlock wheels. The overall condition of this vehicle is excellent and shows like a recently completed restoration. The only parts that show wear are the tires and the beadlock rings on the wheels. If you're looking for a show vehicle they can easily be replaced, or leave them as they are to prove the vehicle is no trailer queen.
The soft top is areplica of an OEM top,made of canvas. The bows that support it are very rare Toyota OEM soft top bows, not replicas. The bikini top seen in the off road photos is also included in the sale. The vehicle also has an on board hot water shower that cannot be seen in the photos. If you're camped near a freshwater stream or lake you can drop a hose into the water. An on-board pump will pull the water into a heat exchanger, where it will be heated by the engine coolant. Two valves allow you to set the perfect temperature and enjoy a hot shower anywhere you have a water source. All the pieces you need for the shower are included in the sale.
The photos of the vehicle off-road are 6 months or older. The photos of the vehicle with the doors and soft top on, parked in front of the school house, were taken on 3/20/16, and accurately represent the condition of the vehicle I'm offering for sale. The entire restoration and build is well documented. I have hundreds of photos taken during all stages of the build. I have receipts for nearly every part. Upon request they will be included with the sale. I also have receipts to document routine maintenance and repairs. Windshield wipers were not on the vehicle when the photos were taken, but also included and are functional.
Should you need additional photos, let me know. If you want to have an independent mechanic shop inspect the vehicle I'll do my best to accommodate a local inspection. If you need to have the vehicle shipped to you, I am willing to to accommodate your shipper, AFTER the funds have been received, in full, by my credit union.
The personalized California license plates are not included in the sale.
The vehicle has 4,054 miles since the restoration was completed, but I will continue to drive it occasionally on a sunny day. The vehicle is a real head turner. Driving it is a strange experience with strangers constantly giving you 'thumbs up' or taking photos of it. On the freeway other drivers often are taking photos of it as they pass by. Many times I've parked it and gone into a store and found people literally underneath it, admiring it when I return. You'll have lots of great fun in this truck, whether you're driving across a famous off-road trail or just taking it to town for groceries.