1968 Fj40 ???

[Brian McVickers]

Ok, first off I call dibs!

Found a 1968 Land Cruiser FJ40 in Phoenix
ODO reads 48,600
Asking $3,900

Owner says it runs but steering wobbles a bit.
Stock, no lift or significan mods

My Brother-in-law found it and is looking at it and we may look at going in on it together.

What should we look for when inspecting?

 

[Pskhaat]

What should we look for when inspecting?

Leaking front joints, no biggy though, easily done, but can help your $. Check the 90wt in the diffs, tc & tranny, should be level, if not you have leaking seals. The biggest thing however to check on these IMO is: frame rust, 4WD engages easily, and engine compression. You got a frame, and the compression's above 80psi or so in all cyls (which it should be by all means) it'll get you where you need to go.

 

[Desertdude]

yeah check out the looseness of the steering by having someone under looking and the other person turning the steering wheel slowly back and forth - see what is loose - look at the suspension for cracked leaves - loose wheel bearings in the front ( grab the top of the wheels and rock it) - check the radiator water - check the color of the engine oil ( black is good - gray is well not so good ) - Body mount area rust - motor mount area rust -

send me the address of where it is - I promise I will just look...:elkgrin:


sounds like a good one - :victory:

 

[Jonathan Hanson]

Cool, Brian!

Yes, those old five-digit odometers are a mystery. Is it 48,000 miles, or 348,000 miles? Probably somewhere in between.

Good thing about loose steering is that it's almost always easily repairable. New center arm kit (where most FJs loosen first), maybe a rebuilt steering box. But both of those have adjustment, and some owners just let them go and you can tighten everything up in ten minutes. Wheel bearings are easy to diagnose and fix.

Not sure, but that year F engine might still have a one-barrel carburetor and siamesed intake and exhaust manifolds. They'll look like they should go on a four-cylinder engine - just four branches each. I can't remember when they changed.

Still a three-on-the-tree, or converted to floor shift?

Not sure again, but it might have a vacuum shift for the transfer case (something on the dash instead of a lever on the floor)?

The best thing about a rust-free, solid FJ like this might be is that you can upgrade forever if and when you want to: four speed, disk brakes (the drums are a pain and expensive to maintain), 2F engine, etc. Or you can keep it in its pristine 1968 shape.

I'd check for brake cylinder leaks and straight braking, make sure it shifts into and out of low range, and has even compression. A little surface frame rust is to be expected and shouldn't be a problem unless it spent years on the coast.

Keep us informed! And take Pasquale up on his offer. I'm dogsitting this week or I'd drive up myself.

 

[AndrewP]

A '68 is a problem unless you want to completely rebuild and update it. The sheet metal is the best that ever happened for an FJ40, but everything else-engine, tranny, transfer case, axles and differentials should be replaced with more modern equivalents.

Engine-The 2F ('75-87) is just a better motor.

Tranny-the 3 speed is a boat anchor-a later H42 (starting '75) 4 speed is good, an H41 (from Australia) is better and an H55-5 speed is the MacDaddy.

Transfer-the earlier 3 speed cases have a bad reputation for having a brittle case. Either use a '70 and up, or get an Orion. A swap with a Muncie SM420, plus a later 3 speed t-case is tough to beat for the $$.

Axles-the ball and claw in the front end just won't cut it. Swap the front end parts from an FJ60. They will work, and are better in every way.

Diffs-You want fine spline pinions which started in '78.

Brakes-No booster in a '68. You'll want disc brakes, a booster and the adapter that Mark's Offroad sells.

Bottom line-unless this is a great '68, you would be better off with a '76 and up.

Have fun. FJ40's are amazing.

 

[Scott Brady]

It would make for a fun resto project, but there are better (and more capable) trail solutions IMHO (having owned a 40 for many years)

 

[Jonathan Hanson]

Depends on what you want, and what you want to do with it, I think. Yes, on one hand the later FJs, with disk brakes, stronger birfields, four-speeds (not to mention power steering and AC), etc., benefited from a lot of running improvements. On the other hand the 2F engine got pretty choked with pollution control devices - a move I fully support, but I also support keeping vintage models alive. A '68 would be simple to maintain. You could just toodle around in it for a while, then start upgrading with a used disk brake front end, H41 transmission, etc. This is exactly what I've done with mine, and I now have most of the benefits of the later models, with '73 simplicity. And you learn a lot along the way, such as how to singlehandedly deal with a 700-pound F engine . . .

Finding period parts would be more difficult than for later models. And if you just want a fully capable trail rig out of the 30-year-old box, then I too would wait for a later model.

Let's not forget this era of Land Cruiser and, even more so, Land Rover, conquered Africa and Australia with their underpowered drivetrains and undersized axles! Reference Scott's photo of the 88 diesel in Moab on ShearPin's introductory post in the General Discussion section.

 

[Brian McVickers]

Thanks for all the amazine info!!
My B- in law has passed on it and if I participate in an FJ40 I would rather it be '76 or later.

Now he is looking at a 1979 International Scout II

We shall see!

 

[Scenic WonderRunner]

Thanks for all the amazine info!!
My B- in law has passed on it and if I participate in an FJ40 I would rather it be '76 or later.

Now he is looking at a 1979 International Scout II

We shall see!

Oh No!.....

I think I need to sit down!

Honey bring me my meds!......

Wait!....I don't have a Honey!......LOL

 

[Jonathan Hanson]

Hmm. . . watch those Scouts. Many of that era had chronic overheating problems with the, um, 360 V8, was it?

 

[Brian McVickers]

I'm not sure what he is looking for exactly.
Need to discuss further with him.

I think he needs to find himself a nice Jeep wrangler or a CJ-7.

 

[OverlandZJ]

I had a 76 Scout II, was my first 4WD. Drove it to Northern Maine for my first big camping trip.

Mine had the IH 345 V8, 727 Torqueflight, D300 and 44's front and rear. I'd still own it if the body hadnt rotted off the frame.

 

[OverlandZJ]

Oh, and you mentioned a Nice CJ-7? I'd grab this tomorrow if i didnt have other issues eating up funds at the moment.

http://www.bmja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=14214

 

[Jonathan Hanson]

Yep; Brian, I think a CJ-7 would be a much better choice for your brother-in-law, if only for the availability of parts and accessories.

John, it was the 345 I was thinking of. Here in the southwest anyway they were known for too-small water passages in the block that made them hard to keep cool in summer. Did you have any such issues? I always liked the size of the Scout II - not too small, not too big.

 

[OverlandZJ]

John, it was the 345 I was thinking of. Here in the southwest anyway they were known for too-small water passages in the block that made them hard to keep cool in summer. Did you have any such issues? I always liked the size of the Scout II - not too small, not too big.

None.... Was one of the best running engine's i'v ever owned. Only thing i remember having issues with was the rear main seal once.

My favorite part was the option of a full convertible, but boy was that top heavy!!