1983 FJ45 Troop Carrier Buildup

[Hltoppr]

Hmm...lemme see...about 5 months....maybe 4K miles.:yikes:

I haven't spoken with Bestop yet, but took the driver's seat out this weekend and put the old stock seat back in. Looks totally redneck now; which bugs me...but I'm searching for a right hand seat, and will get new foam and covers here soon....

I'm not really worried about Bestop; although their customer service with the rear seat was pretty poor. (Wil & Wendy with SE were fantastic though!) We'll see...It's amazing how a 30 year old OEM seat can be better than a brand new aftermarket...

I've got some free time this week, so hopefully I'll be able to update with pics here pretty soon.

-H-

 

[Grease Cruiser]

Have you looked into Corbeau seats? They are great.... very comfortable and long lasting.
They will offer you more support and have bolstered sides unlike the factory 40/60 series buckets.
We have used Corbeau exclusively in our restorations and customers are quite happy with them.
Hope that helps.

 

[Hltoppr]

I have a friend who just put the Corbeau seats in his 62 and really likes 'em. I did look, but have been having a run of issues with aftermarket parts...so I'm kinda soured right now and back on an OEM kick. I'll check 'em out a bit more though! Thanks!

-H-

 

[Pskhaat]

I know it's not exactly OEM, but supposedly the early 4Runner seats slide in (maybe that was into later-models). Anyway, how about from a 60- or 80-series at least keep it in the Cruiser family?

 

[Hltoppr]

So far I've got a couple of lines on several OEM seats, while shipping is a bit, it seems like that's the way to go.

I've gotta make the decision as to SOR, CCOT or custom upholstery/covers....

-H-

 

[Hltoppr]

Ok...found two FJ62 seats locally for FREE....now onto getting 'em to my garage and foam/covers....

I wonder if DesertRose could bring some Sandstorm covers back....:bowdown:

-H-

 

[Hltoppr]

Updates...finally!

Really, I've been working on the truck, its just at night...so pics are kinda off.

So,

Seats:

The Bestop Trailmax Pro seat on the driver's side started wearing where the metal bolster support was, which became kinda painful...getting a metal rod up my ******** upon exiting...no good.

So, I picked up a set of FJ60 seats, in good condition, and installed them with a set of Specter Off Road covers. Excellent choice so far!

Since the passenger side seat was the USDS seat, the foam is more collapsed, so a new SOR insert is ready to be installed this weekend.

The 2m/70cm Yeasu 7800 radio and Lowrance Baja480 GPS were both installed on the radio shelf, along with a set of Black Diamond headlamps to provide map lights for the driver and passenger. At $19 each, these LED lights work great, and are just velcroed to the radio shelf...simplicity at its finest.

The antenna is a Comet SBB-5NMO which is 38" tall, and a small piece of 1/8" stock was bolted to the fender apron, providing a great ground and solid mount.

The Lowrance antenna was mounted using the same idea, on the driver's (Right Hand) side. Works great in this location, and is low-key enought not to get hit by branches or make it look like the truck has some fancy electronics inside.

Both the GPS and radio are not readily seen from the outside of the rig, and the radio shelf location keeps them out of the way.

Future projects!

Rebuilding the front and rear door hinges, and putting OEM weatherstripping on the front doors;

Paint! I just picked up five more matching cans of Sherwin Williams auto paint...so the rest of the truck will get some newness!

Rear Cargo Deck....

Rear Swing Away Tire carrier...I'm thinking OEM....

:smiley_drive:

-H-

 

[crawler#976]

Looks great Andrew! I looked for a place to mount my Lowrance up high, but the Taco is spaced challenged up there as it is...

The Lowrance GPS puck is incredibly fast picking up position - it's locked on before the unit is fully functional.

 

[ntsqd]

I've also found, accidentally, that they are paintable. I don't know what Lowrance would have to say about painting them, but I think so long as metallics are avoided that they're probably OK.

BTW, keep an eye on those antennas and their wiring. Snagging a branch in my GM3000MT's antenna wire means that I get to buy another one of these $200 each antennas.

 

[Overland Hadley]

...along with a set of Black Diamond headlamps to provide map lights for the driver and passenger. At $19 each, these LED lights work great, and are just velcroed to the radio shelf...simplicity at its finest.

-H-

I just put a pair of BD Ions on the sun visors in my Tacoma. They work great!

One can never have to many headlamps around.

 

[Hltoppr]

I've found that since the rake of the lift has the rear end a bit higher, and the rear windows of the ambulance doors are up high, I can't see very well out the back. Not really that big of an issue, however; I'd sure like to see the front bumper of that Honda subcompact when I parallel park...so

The local Checker auto had a sale on a wireless rear view camera for $60, so I figured what the heck...

The camera bolts to the license plate, and is wired to the reverse lights, when the lights come on, it sends a video signal to the display, up on the radio shelf...

So far I really like it! We'll see how long it lasts....

-H-

 

[24HOURSOFNEVADA]

I'm loving the antennae mounts. Way to be different and save that body from holes. Those cameras are everywhere. Let us know how you like it.

 

[Hltoppr]

I did have to drill holes in the aprons...but the passenger side one already has a rust hole behind the emblem...so I'm not too worried about it. I figured it would be the least damage, and wouldn't be noticed.

No way was I about to drill the roof....:violent-smiley-031:

-H-

 

[24HOURSOFNEVADA]

Aprons are one thing. The roof is a whole 'nother story. Looks good.

 

[Hltoppr]

Spent the weekend doing a couple of things, one of which adds a bit of electrical upgrades to the list of...gotta get that done ASAP.

1. When I switch over from propane to gasoline, I have to crank the motor in order to have the mechanical fuel pump fill up the carburetor float bowl. If my starting battery is low, I run the risk of being left with a dead battery...as was the case on Saturday afternoon.

...Now...yes, I have dual batts, but they are not linked, so if my starting battery (hooked to the starter motor) goes deat, I can manually jump to the other battery, which still has 12V, but it's a PITA.

So...a dual battery management system is a must....

2. Finally stripped the aftermarket front door weatherstripping off and reinstalled new hinge bushings/pins and OEM Toyota weatherstripping...for anyone rebuilding a 40 series Cruiser:

DO NOT USE AFTERMARKET WEATHERSTRIPPING, BITE THE BULLET AND ORDER TOYOTA!

The aftermarket is too thick, and will cause the doors not to close properly. The extra pressure will wear out the lock regulator mechanism...this is a costly lesson to learn.

The new OEM weatherstripping fits great, and works great. Doors are finally working the way they should!



-H-