My New FJ-55 Project

[kissmyaxle]

for $340 canadian i purchased a 1980 FJ-55 with a friend of mine, he will soon be removing the 2F engine which is in very good shape, and i will be left with an unmovable FJ-55 with a perfect frame and a really bad body.

this body is terrible..the whole front clip is ruined, the grill and bezels are fine, but the fenders are toast..i don' care much about the hood it's just a hood, but the idea of the fenders is to stay on..

the doors aren't too bad, typical cancer on the bottoms, but the door pillars and hinges suck. the roof sucks, the floor is non-existant. the center tunnel and rear cargo area is all that's really salvageable..

even the tailgate isn't too hot. maybe it's salvageable, i don't know.

basically i think my plan for this is to sell all the glass or trade for fenders so i can cut the roof behind the windshield..i know it might be a bit blasphemus to some, but believe me it's quite bad. i'll try and get some pics of this little piggy for all of you.

the previous owners were hippies. the whole truck was full of CRAP. candy wrappers, home stereo speakers etc. i even found a million year old bag of mary jo wanna inside! i didn't know bud turned that colour when it rots..


through all of this, certain body parts are fine but above all the frame is beautiful.

the original baby blue/turqoise paint has been painted over with a thick housepaint green and a green racing stripe..i'll probably end up spraying it the babyblue and fixing the white areas..lots of overspray green on parts.

basically this truck will be a true FJ55 buggy, no roof, full cage, steel floor, dana 60 front 14 bolt ff rear, a cheap 350/400/np205 combination (nothing built up at all..can't afford performance stuff at this stage) but i know i can buy these parts for cheap..i even found a 455 buick motor in the local buy&sell rebuilt for 600 bucks! it was an interesting thought but then i beamed down to earth <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

anyways it'll be sprung over with the largest, cheapest used tires i can find..(anyone got any 35-39" swampers around 30-50%? <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">)

it's going to replace my 85 4Runner which has too much money in it to risk rolling again, and also is my daily driver to get to work. this is all very far down the road..we've already stripped the interior and i'll be taking the body off soon. the hippy electric wiring is particularly bad. the steering column ignition broke and it has some goofy secret ignition now..it's very strange. can't wait to fix it.

any thoughts? i've seen two very well down convertible FJ-55s and i'd like to do the same. obviously i'd prefer to keep the roof, but it's quite badly rotted in some areas and has a few small holes..also i'm sure people need glass out there..

[fc187]

Do it! do it! <IMG SRC="smilies/bounce.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/bounce.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/bounce.gif" border="0"> there is nothing wrong with that. that would rock! <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

keep us up to date with your progress <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

BTW,....would the color of that rotten 420 be yellow/white? <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

[fc187]

I still say we need a pig smilie<IMG width=15 height=15 SRC="http://www.pirate4x4.com/ubb/uploads/oink33.JPG">

cmon Lance <IMG SRC="smilies/beer.gif" border="0">

[crawlin cruiser]

I was a prowd owner of a 55 <IMG SRC="smilies/frown.gif" border="0"> then I gave it to Kissmyaxle for $340 canadian <IMG SRC="smilies/crybaby2.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/crybaby2.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/crybaby2.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/crybaby2.gif" border="0">

[kissmyaxle]

Originally posted by crawlin cruiser:
<STRONG>I was a prowd owner of a 55 <IMG SRC="smilies/frown.gif" border="0"> then I gave it to Kissmyaxle for $340 canadian <IMG SRC="smilies/crybaby2.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/crybaby2.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/crybaby2.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/crybaby2.gif" border="0"></STRONG>

ahh it's not that great <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

[nuclearlemon]

pics?

[pigjockey]

I'm in the middle of my own 55 project and I've considered going convertable. I'll probbley wait untill i roll it. Untill then, if your really going to sell the glass i'd like in on that. My email is adspohn@jps.net
If really want to go convertable contact crawltech.com These guys resonable and good. Don't let their looks scare you.
<IMG SRC="smilies/laughing.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/wink.gif" border="0">

[kissmyaxle]

i am going convertible as we speak..the doors are off and the windows are out, the front clip and body tub are coming off sometime this week and we'll be cutting off the floor, rockers and roof.

as for crawltech.com i've seen the spider before and that is what i'm aspiring to.

the spider is my windows wallpaper <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

anyways i e-mailed you about the glass

[Uncle Bulldog]

what is crawltec and what do they do? <IMG SRC="smilies/question.gif" border="0">

[cornerman]

The do flawless fabrication...creators of Big Stinky, my custom rocker protection, and many other killer creations. They have somewhat of a website www.crawltec.com.