Cruiser Jimmy's FJ45 Restoration

[cruiser jimmy 0]

Hey fellow Landcruiser enthusiastic! I posting up my restoration of my FJ45 petrol engine in L-C.ru forum. This will be simultaneously posted up on IH8MUD.COM in the FJ45 Owners Club section of the forums.

I will do the best job I can to utilize this forum the best I can but it's working through Google Chrome and it's translating the forum so I might need some help, if so I will post up a screenshot of the issue and ask for some help.

Here is the story:

I bought this 45 from my buddy who got it from another club member who got it from some guy in Canada many years back. The project came with two rear beds, one tub and two firewalls.

The tub and firewall was bastardized with the wrong firewall, so I'm mating the correct years firewall/tub. Both need a lot of metal work to say the least.

The bed that is on now is a piece of work. It's got double skins on the outside just like the tub. The second bed is much better and I'll be putting it on instead of the current one.

The general look is going to be a matte tan or desert tan finish with black rims sitting on an SOA and 35's. Love that look!!

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In lieu of taking the rusted piece out and replacing, it the mates in Canada added a second skin to the outside back corners of the tub. From the rocker back around to the back wall of the tub.

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The drivers side of the tub has some pretty bad rust so that's going to need a lot of TLC.

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Heading to a blaster so that I can make shorter work of the needed body work.

[Odissey 17]

Hi, Jimmy!

It's very interesting, I'll go have a look

What help is needed?

[cruiser jimmy 0]

Got the 45 back from the blaster on Monday afternoon. The morning was drizzly so I relied on a friend with an enclosed trailer and kept covered until priming. Primed yesterday with it still raining so I got the parts acclimated to the garage with heat. Luckily the parts did not get rained on.

I could not believe the transition from old parts > blasted part > primed. After the parts were all primed you could really see what the elements have done to the metal over the years.

Since I have limited sheet metal working skills I'm relying Buckroseau's LV and 45 threads to see the tips and tricks as well as visuals on what the 45 tub should look like.

I'm going to start on some scrap pieces of sheet metal to dial in the Miller 172 that I have and practice. Then I'm start small with one little cut and weld on the firewall. Eventually moving to the bigger pieces. This will be a learning experience for me to say the least.

Any ideas, tricks or epiphanies that you'd like to share, please do.

Here are some shots so far.

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[cruiser jimmy 0]

Hi, Jimmy!

It's very interesting, I'll go have a look

What help is needed?

I would like to have pictures on the thread without having to click on an image titled "picture". I'm going to have to play with it to find out but any help will do.

Right now I'm clicking the icon next to the smiley face that is 'link +'. This is taking the picture to a new window and not making it appear on the thread.

[Odissey 17]

If I understand the problem, if you need to insert link for external storage photo use services that give type link http://io.ua/17430663i.jpg and use button numer 5 from the right side

Result will be:

if you want to load the pictures on this site, you can use your own gallery on this page http://www.land-cruiser.ru/index.php?app=core&module=usercp&tab=gallery

[cruiser jimmy 0]

Thanks Odissey. I'm going to give it a try.

[g0rik 10]

Hello Jimmy.

Welcome to Land-cruiser.ru

your works is so interesnitg, plz post more pics.

[02_Alex 29]

Hi, Jimmi! Welcome to the Russian Club Land-Cruiser. We've got a man, who also bought the TLC-40 and is now restoring it. Here is his story: http://www.land-cruiser.ru/index.php?showtopic=79891

Best regards, Alexander (02_Alex)

Изменено 4 января 2012 пользователем 02_Alex

[cruiser jimmy 0]

Hi, Jimmi! Welcome to the Russian Club Land-Cruiser. We've got a man, who also bought the TLC-40 and is now restoring it. Here is his story: http://www.land-cruiser.ru/index.php?showtopic=79891

Best regards, Alexander (02_Alex)

Thank you Alexander. It's great to meet fellow TLC lovers on the other side of the world. I like the thread so far. It's a great color also.

[cruiser jimmy 0]

Here's a picture of the tub coming off the frame.

I am currently building up my tools to work on the body. I'm waiting for body hammers and dollies to hammer out the bent metal.

But the best tool that I bought about 2 weeks ago was a welding jacket. However, since I'm so cheap and real welding jackets are expensive I went to a second hand store and picked up a leather jacket that was in fashion back in 1990.

But the jacket had to meet certain criteria.

The jacket has to meet all my criteria.

A) The jacket needed to be one size bigger than what I normally wear which is medium. Okay: it's a Large.

B) If it has a zipper there should be overlap so that when I weld sparks don't hit the zipper and I have to pull a Houdini act to get out. Okay

C) If is has a liner, it most come out. Okay

D) There should be neck protection on the jacket. Okay

Here it is. All for only $16

[pureperson 17]

Come on Jimmy, we here in the summer in shorts and t-shirts and cook or what is not burned yet.

[Odissey 17]

And how much it costs "real welding jackets" at you home?

We often use an army uniform.

[YuRock 40]

Народ, не нужно учить американцев в майке и шортах

работать со сваркой...

доллар и так растет каждый день..

всех с рождеством!!!

[cruiser jimmy 0]

Fine tuning the welder:

Well I got the first patch in last night. I think it looks bad but you tell me? This patch is not finished, I just got frustrated at the welder and stopped.

The Miller 172 @ 230V likes hot and fast, not slow and low spotting welders. Need to borrow friends 110V and get the other patches finished up.

This patch shows sights of poor penetration on the back side and I was getting a lot of porosity. Gas was on and flowing nicely.

[cruiser jimmy 0]

And how much it costs "real welding jackets" at you home?

We often use an army uniform.

Odissey,

I summer welding jacket will run around $25 but winter jacket run about $75. The summer jackets are cotton with high level of anti burn penetration designed into the material.

[cruiser jimmy 0]

Come on Jimmy, we here in the summer in shorts and t-shirts and cook or what is not burned yet.

:D We do this also. When our club gets together and goes 4 wheeling we usually travel to a small campground for the night. The night activities get pretty crazy.

[cruiser jimmy 0]

Gentleman,

I will be putting my restoration of the FJ45 on hold at this time. My work will take me away from my house for 6 months. Due to this circumstance working on the 45 will not be an option. It will be sad but you have to pay the bills some how.

However:

I would like to say that I traveled over to Kiev 12 days ago for a vacation. One of my objectives was to meet anyone from Land-cruiser.ru. Since we have the same passion for this vehicle I wanted to meet other people from another country. I contacted Odissey to let him know that I intended on coming to Kiev since he lives there. Well on 2/19 I meet up with Bogden (Odissey) and many other Landcruiser enthusiastic at Microbrew Beer maker right down the street from my hotel, Lybid hotel. I had a great time with all members and got to see the vehicles we don't have in the US. I truly enjoyed my short time with everybody that I meet and should the planning work to my favor I would like to come to one of the competitions that you have in Ukraine/Russia in 2012. I really would like to make this happen!!

Moreover, I have to thank Bogden very much!!! At dinner I told everybody that drinking Vodka is not a problem for me. Well, I think it was a problem. Vodka in the States is not that good and most of the time it gives me a headache. Well, the Vodka at dinner did not give me a headache but I really could not remember the full details of the night. It almost felt like the movie "Hangover" and I hesitated to look at my camera. But after seeing all the images I know Bogden is a good man and person. He took the pictures because he know that I was not myself: drunk, excited, happy, anxious, among every other emotions that was going through my head because I was in the mist of landcruiser people overseas. So thank you very much Bogden!!

Well, I hope to make the competition a reality in 2012. I will monitor LC.RU for the details.

Thank you and happy cruising!!

[Odissey 17]

Hi Jimmy!

I am very happy that our meeting took place.

My friends and I believe that your health is not very affected

after our meeting in the brewery "Solomenskaya."

The next time I will not stop you drink beer after vodka.

Come again.

We will be to improve my English and your Japanese.

And be sure to still offroad ride in centre of Kiev on a Land Cruiser`s

[Mr. Schmitt 166]

Jimmy, is actually in the Ukraine just forgotten how to drink vodka with beer.

Come to Russia!

Изменено 25 февраля 2012 пользователем Mr. Schmitt