Turtle Tractor - my new FJ40

Jacket

2008 Expedition Trophy Champion
Well, it happened. I found me a 40....:D

Picked it up in Baton Rouge last weekend, and arrived back home late Monday night.

1976 FJ40

The good: original 2F, 4spd, transfer case, axles, springs, etc. X52,000 miles (seller claims 52,000, but seems like 152000 is more likely). Very clean, minimal rust, minimal leaks. Seems pretty strong mechanically.

The bad: Couldn't get the heater working, Roof leaks above windshield, repainted (originally beige), some rust on rear quarters, fenders, and amb doors, fuel gauge doesn't work, wheels are ugly, and the damn bezel was upside down....

And worst of all, the day after I got it home, I went to turn it over, and the thing kept cranking even after I pulled the key out of the ignition. Couldn't get it to stop, and finally disconnected the battery (with smoke coming from the starter). So now its disabled pending a new ignition switch and/or starter fix.

Anyway, here's a pic from the seller's collection - it's been named Turtle Tractor by my 3 year old....

lc1.jpg


lc4.jpg


I don't have any set goals for it right now, other than to avoid molesting it as much as possible and keep it pretty close to stock. New steelies and tires are on the short list, and probably a 2" lift just to get it a bit taller and make more room for some 33's. The Tacoma will still be my main travel/off road rig for now, and the 40 will see an occasional trail and a bit of mall-wheelin on the weekends.

A Land Cruiser (FJ40 or FJ60) has always been on my list of "wants", so I guess I can check off another one of those life goals.
 

cruiseroutfit

Well-known member
Nice :cool:

(And your part is enroute :D)

The bezel is actually quite debateable... Toyota sent plenty of them out of the factory as such ;)
 

Sloan

Explorer
Check above the windshield and make sure that the screw that is supposed to be in the center of the metal valance is there. I left mine off once thinking what can that really matter? On my way to the trail it started raining and when semis pass it is amazing the amount of water that comes through without that little screw in there. :D Oh yeah, nice find.
 

p1michaud

Expedition Leader
New FJ40

Very nice find!
It just needs a little TLC, once you give it some love it will treat you good! :smiley_drive:
Cheers,
P
 

Jacket

2008 Expedition Trophy Champion
cruiseroutfit said:
Nice :cool:

(And your part is enroute :D)

The bezel is actually quite debateable... Toyota sent plenty of them out of the factory as such ;)

Thanks Kurt! I hope that little switch is the answer.

And thanks to everyone else too. It's gonna be a fun little project.
 

AndrewP

Explorer
Shameless plug:

You need a new starter. I have 2 from that era that I'll sell you for $25 each. They have the exciter wire connection required by the 74-77 ignition. Send me a PM if any interest.

Looks like a good truck. I had a 76 for many years, and my current 71 is mostly that old 76 with a 71 frame. Yours looks to be missing the air injection stuff. Was it partially desmogged at some point? You do have that VSV box on the driver side fender which most others seem to be missing.

Also the firewall is the wrong color for the body.

Regarding the leak, I'm guessing you are missing the rubber seal at the top of the wind shield. They get old and rotten and thrown away. With that in place it should be pretty leak proof as long as you are not expecting absolutely leak proof!

There are lots of cool things you can do to make the 76 run better. The distributor bushings wear and make for inconsistant timing. It is a very nice swap to run an FJ60 distributor with the appropriate coil and ignitor. It uses ball bearings instead of bushings, has vac advance, is basically water proof, and has a much better tie down.

Anyway, congrats, very nice raw material. What are you going to do with it? I can recommend power steering as your first step!
 

Jacket

2008 Expedition Trophy Champion
Yea - a "sticky" starter is also a very plausible theory. I've been talking to a few of the local cruiser nuts, and the newer FJ60 starters (gear reduction) are getting some plugs so we'll see.

The body and interior was repainted green. The original color was beige (which I'd like to get it back to someday). Fortunately, that's one of the few major changes this thing has undergone.
 
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kcowyo

ExPo Original
Score!

I'm with you on having a 40 in the driveway as a life goal. I've had a 62, but never a 40. I hope when I'm able to remedy that, I'll find as nice a specimen as you have.

No sense telling you to enjoy it. I'm sure you already are - :smiley_drive:
 

Hltoppr

El Gringo Spectacular!
Looks like an excellent purchase! Pretty much all there, and other than the standard issues present in these older rigs, it's a great start!

BTW....rid yourself of those awful wheels asap....:violent-smiley-031: I bet you can sell 'em for more than a set of steelies will run you!

...and, I was going to recommend Kurt for the guage and seals...but it looks like you found him already...

As for springs....just go OME and be done with it. Plenty of room for 33s and a great ride!

Congrats again!!! :smiley_drive:

-H-
 

DaveInDenver

Middle Income Semi-Redneck
Congrats! How cool. How long did it take you, can't be more than 4 months?

I had a FJ40 (the elusive '78 even) and had to sell it because it was no-op more than it was running. No garage and needed to get us to work! Some day again, some day... :-/
 

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