Build S*** Show Sally - Toyota FJ55 by 4WD Toyota Owner Magazine

[Moranton]

4WD Toyota Owner Magazine has a new long-term project, a 1973 Toyota FJ55. The goal is to take a heavy, rusted out Land Cruiser FJ55 and build it into a lightweight, hardcore rock crawler. It will be "boat sided" up to the bottom of the door hinges, rear end cut up to the bottom of the floor boards, all glass removed besides the front windshield, and have an interior/exterior roll cage with integrated roof rack. We will be updating this thread with the progress as we go.

Spec List:
Fabrication by Jim Job Industries
FJ60 axles - with RuffStuff spring over axle conversion kit
Redline Land Cruiser front bumper
Engo EPF12000S winch
Nitro Gear and Axle 5.29 ring and pion
Nitro Gear and Axle Birfields and axles
4Runner dash

When I picked her up in Washington

RuffStuff Spring Over kit using FJ60 axles

After Spring over lift was finished

Spring over close up

Cut and Turned knuckles 10*

 

[Moranton]

Blowing out 40 years of dirt

20 lbs of bondo removed

What we found under the bond

Blue line is the "cut" line

 

[Moranton]

Rusted away inner fenders

Inner Fender rebuilt

4Runner Dash mocked up

 

[Moranton]

Stock rear bumper removed

Rust

L channel steel welded to the bottom of floor board to tie the bumper into the body.

More rust

 

[Moranton]

Rust that will be cut off

Cutting off bottom of the rear quarter panel.

Removing bottom of the rear quarter panel.

Removing all steel metal below the rear floor.

This is a temporary "V" to hold up the body while we remove the rear body mounts and steel metal.

 

[Moranton]

Cutting out front wheel well.

We remove a lot of the paint to find all the bondo and rust.

Cutting out inner fender well.

Bad rear quarter panel removed to be replace by new rear quarter panel.

Measuring how height to we are going to cut the rear quarter panel.

 

[woody]

Looks like the typical rust spots...footwell is always a pain to deal with...tub understructure still functional?

 

[Moranton]

Most all the rust is being cut out. Floor board will be replaced with aluminum. Body mounts are welded to the frame.

 

[woody]

Gota like keeping the spring over

Plan is to have 'er ready for the Rubicon this summer, right? I should check dates on that...

 

[Moranton]

Yep that is the plan. Should be weekend after fathers day. Dave should be flying down for it.