After searching for more than 6 months I found a 74 Fj40:bounce2:

I hope to go inspect it this weekend and need advice what to check for.

Here's some specs till I get some pics...

1974 FJ40
Crate Gm 350
Crate GM 4wd auto Tranny
originally Freeborn Red :D currently in PRIMER :skull:
GM alt,carb, intake,radiator (Corvette type??)
custom Stainless shroud
soft top and custom rear tool box

the guy said the Tranny fits directly into the transfer case housing without a second drive shaft - what does this mean to a NON motorhead:rasta:

things left to confirm...

stock diffs 3.71 (right???)
stock t/case (2spd or 3 in the 74???)

Originally posted by FJ60

the guy said the Tranny fits directly into the transfer case housing without a second drive shaft - what does this mean to a NON motorhead:rasta:

things left to confirm...

stock diffs 3.71 (right???)
stock t/case (2spd or 3 in the 74???)

that means the guy is smoking crack and you should be able to get a good deal on it.

stock gears are 4.11 . it should be a 4 spd t-case (back me up here)

BAAAHAHAH TRD:smokin: your killin me ova heyah:D

he claimed that there was $14,000 in the conversion alone (crate motor and tranny) me thinks he might be HI

get this, GM full time 4wd Tranny, What the hell???

anybody ever seen or done this??? your thoughts...

Full time 4wd tranny? same thing as a 2wd tranny with different tail shaft. the full time part comes from the transfercase not tranny. I think i would avoid this rig (sorry) buy things from people who are

(1) actually this stupid, or
(2) willing to think you are this stupid

can never be trusted. The ehole thing sounds pretty shady to me. Go look at it but take a REALLY GOOD look at it. test drive it (without him) put it in 4 wheel drive on the test drive and make sure it works.

Just to give you some prices

i paid 4500 for my cruiser with 300 mi on rebuilt F engine, all original, no rust, minor scratches/bondo (look really hard to see it)

I then paid 4500 for 350 conversion (i had the 350 but paid to have install done) with H55F 4 core rad. 3in single exhaust with flowmaster.

a 14000 conversion is complete BS

he goes on to say...

It will cruise along at 70 mph., but it is more comfortable at 55-60. The engine/trans still looks clean as new, so it couldn't have had many miles on it when I got it. We drove it a hundred miles or less. As far as I know, the differentials are stock gearing, whatever that would have been. The engineering is different than most conversions. This is a full time 4wd set up as found on GM trucks in the 1970's. The transfer case is engaged by the automatic set up, and you have the option of locking out the front axle by the locking hubs. No shift levers except the Hurst floor shift automatic. It works great. I've had the truck about 3 years. Full roll cage.

I don't know man

:mad:

Now I'm getting edgy :rasta:

Originally posted by FJ60
No shift levers except the Hurst floor shift automatic. It works great. I've had the truck about 3 years. Full roll cage.


and you get low range how??????


Skip it.

that doesn't sound at all right. In the 70's full time four wheel drive my ass. that shit wasn't popular in chevys ever much less in the 70's.

don't rush into buy in a truck, wait till the right one comes along, it will save you alot of time and money in the long run.

Originally posted by Jason M


and you get low range how??????


Skip it.


AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I'm dying over here!

what if I could get it for $5,000 & drop the tranny for a more conventional setup??? you guys are pissin on my parade:(

BRUTAL HONESTY APPRECIATED :D

i don't really think the guy knows what he has, someone must have told him that so he believes it. The tranny is not going to be our only problem. you will all the other problems that go along with buying a car from a complete idiot.

go look at it and if it looks "right" and drives "right" make a really low ball offer and he might take it. if not you loose nothing

Originally posted by FJ60
what if I could get it for $5,000 & drop the tranny for a more conventional setup???

Doesn't sound like a good deal.

Consider that many modified FJ40s weren't well-modified.

I'd think you'd be better off waiting for a modified rig that's a better deal and comes with a better description of mods and better engineering.

They show up, I've bitten my knuckle a couple times, reading the for sale board here.

Keep looking,

Morgan

Hell for 6k buy cruisergreg's rig. It is STILL for sale.
Not exactly stock but a hell of a rig!!

Unless you count on replacing everything he did to that rig I would not buy it.

Originally posted by Jason M
Hell for 6k buy cruisergreg's rig. It is STILL for sale.
Not exactly stock but a hell of a rig!!

Unless you count on replacing everything he did to that rig I would not buy it.

and i was just about to post a link to it.

If he had BTB do the conversion then, yes, he probably spent that much$$$:D
74's had a 4 speed tranny and xfer case.
Not to sure what he's getting at with the tranny driveshaft thing:confused:
I would go look at it for the hell of it. Sounds as if the guy had someone else do all the work, cause he didn't have any mechanical abilities. Never know it might be a decent rig. Definetlely look it over and do a good test drive.:skull:

If you say as in your own words " I'm not a motor head" then one, stay away form this bride of frankenstein or if you do buy it, at the end of 6 months you will have to be!

It sounds like you already have your mind made up though... there are a lot of FJ40's around, at least where I live, just be patient. If I were you I would buy a fairly stock rig, nice and straight forward to get started with. If you are planning on doing any wheeling you will need to know the mechanics of your rig. Trust me. A buddy and I had to rebuild a computer on the trail this weekend in his 92 Nissan P/U, after the truck was swallowed whole in a "mud puddle".

after quizzing him about the tranny, he said this...

There IS a transfer case. The power of the 350 is so great there is no need for low range, so the low selector is removed and it's left in high. The output shaft of the transmission that would fit into the GM transfer case is fitted directly into the Toyota transfer case. It is an amazing feat of engineering, as it all looks like it was made together. You just use 1 on the automatic, for low speed. This work was done by an engineer who worked for Martin-Marietta and had a cabin on the lake here. He died and his family sold the property and the truck was sold by a car dealership in Dadeville, to me. That is as much of the history as I know.

By the way, I have not made my mind up!

I am more of a cruiser purist (2F / 4speed / stockers) but this was a TOY for muddin and it was local, affordable and rust free @ $5500.

so I am continuing to check it out with ALL of the expert knowledge on this board to guide me.

Please continue to speak your mind.

Originally posted by FJ60
The power of the 350 is so great there is no need for low range, so the low selector is removed and it's left in high.


YIKES!:eek: :eek:

Regardless of what this guy says...you DO need low range.
Otherwise you have a honda CRV with landcruiser emblems.

$5500 should get you a decent skeleton-free cruiser "stocker" no problem. I'd wait.

Sounds to me like he has the NP203, with the shifter cut off. The t-case is junk, however you can pick up a T-case from pic n pul for pretty damn cheap. I just purchased a 78 Chevy 3/4 ton with full time. So yeah full time was quite popular in the farm implement type trucks, and work trucks

-This weekend when you check it out, ask for receipts on the motor, tranny and everything else.

-Check for rust in the usually spots

-Check the motor oil, tranny fluid and t-case for metal chips

He wants 5K for it?? If the mods were done in somewhat of a safe manner, and what he says it has, it actually does. Sounds like a decent deal. Not deal of the century or anything but not bad either.

If it truely is a GM Crate motor with low miles the motor alone is worth anywhere from $1500 to $3000 brand new (Depending on how bad the guy got fawked buying it)

I just read that it was a mud truck, that explains the full time 4x4 plus the removal of the "low range" stick.


And if you are a purist, and want an f motor and all that. Why look at this one?? :D:D:D

I'm looking at this one because it truly will be a toy.

The Crate motor got my attention to start with and it being local and rust free got me going for sure. Because of the way he got it (owner died / car lot sale) I don't expect any documentation.

I had a line on a 78 with 60K original miles awhile back but the deal has gone cold. Looks like the consensus would be to re-think that deal over again and see if its for real.

How close are you too look at this rig? If you are within a two hour drive, at least you have nothing to loose other than half a day of your time!

Take a digital camera, photograph the heck out of it, and post the photo's. If it turn out to have Dana 60's, and a ton of other goodies, who knows. I have seen some rigs that were well done when the owner spent $$$$ on it, only to later give up (or die.... sniff) and for them to go cheap. Pretty clear the seller is :smokin: but might be worth while to take a look. :rasta:

A cruiser buddy called me one night to look at a rig near Austin. Well, couple of hours away. Sounded too good to be true for the price, but kid selling it claimed it had only 16K miles on a '76 and was in great shape. Only clue was "transmission was rebuilt, but it was only used on the hunting lease for a number of years". One to check out. Well, the STEWART-WARNER speedometer did have only 16K miles on it. Little things like the hole for the wiper box was welded over with plate steel??? Sure enough, tranny was painted bright blue but the kid admited "the tranny still makes a noise when shifted in 4x4 low... ". Ya, spent part of a day on that wild goose chase, but nearly laughed my head off after I left. Posted the photo's back to Butch with a warning of one to stay away from!

One thing I learned... look at enough rigs, have the cash ready, and walk away from 9 out of 10 rigs! After a while you get a good idea of what is a good deal, and what is a really great deal! :D

ALWAYS try to find some dirt, or quite place, and engage front hubs and put check the transfer in 4x4 hi and 4x4 lo. Ya, and if the rear main seal is leaking... knock $1K off the price (snicker... they all leak! Need to replace the one on my FJ60 so I can sell it
for $1K more with a new seal & clutch!)

Tom :usa:

I guess at worst I could take a road trip to crawl under it :D

its a 2 hour drive and I know a few local cruiser heads that would jump at the chance to go. I'll take a digital camera and post the findings for everyone to critique

I would like to quit my job and start a cruiser registry and document all these babies by Vin# now there's a way to spend your retirement :D driving all over the U.S.A. searching for cruisers and seeing the country.

Hey, I know you could probably get a lot fo people in here to give their VIN ##'s!

Hey, could also start getting them off the pick 'n pull rigs, too.

Man, I have seen better equiped rigs advertised at that price. Modified rig sales are down. That is a MOLESTED cruiser so the value is low.

Buy Reuben's!! (no, wait, dont! I want it!!) :D

Just go down there, look at it. you cant go wrong. sounds like the guy is :smokin: wich means you might get a :smokin: deal! :D
Make sure he has some :beer: in him before you offer! :D :D
sounds a little shady, but it might be worth it!
-Max

a few things dont add up.

full time 4x4 ?

The output shaft of the transmission that would fit into the GM transfer case is fitted directly into the Toyota transfer case

IF it uses the toy case it is not full time 4x4

but If the levers are not conected who knows ?

it very well could be a chevy 350 whith a
chevy 350 trany whith the advanced adapter
convershion. to the toy transfer case.

I would go take a look it might just
need the transfer case levers reatatched.

I'm going against the grain here, I think the guy that's selling it just doesn't know much, if it has stock axles their both offset so given that the transfer case should be easy to identify if its a cruiser with a parking break on it, and while your under their glance at the transfer case. If its stock it will be either a 3 spd or 4 as this was the transition year and my guess would be toward the 3 spd in a 4 spd box. Check over all welds and for 5k it might not be a bad deal but check everything twice and take plenty of pictures.....

Originally posted by Jason M
Hell for 6k buy cruisergreg's rig. It is STILL for sale.
Not exactly stock but a hell of a rig!!

Unless you count on replacing everything he did to that rig I would not buy it.

Yeah, Yeah buy my rig! :D

Seriously though, some things he is saying don't add up. If it was a full time GM setup it would have a NP203, but if it has stock axles the driveshaft would be angled, and short (NP203is one long x-fer in stock form). Otherwise it would have different axles could be D60s might have to check it out.

I know just about everything on my rig since I built it from the ground up. I think its a great truck. Take a look at it and if you are interested let me know.
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=33837
Also since I am not local I am offering to trailer it 500 miles for free. Just had to add in some advertising!

Good luck

without seeing all the parts I can't tell you for sure but,,,,

is it all wheel drive or 4wd tranny??????

Chev 4x4's have a thicker casing then the car tranny, this would be a good thing if it is true,

but the guy is probably still smoking something
:smokin: