74 cruiser help

[chadburgin]

i found a guy that has a 74 fj-40 for sale for $200 bucks. it has a swapped in ford 302. it runs and the running gear works but the body is haggard. i would like to buy it as a pointless side project. lift it, tube it from the dash back, 35s, etc... but i know nothing about FJs! what are the pros and cons to the 74 models over the newer ones.

[woody]

buy it

74 = 4-speed, might have rare 2.313 t-case behind it, drum axles, coarse spline birfs
plan on a disc brake swap/birf upgrade.
302 is an odd conversion, but nothing wrong with that....

[chadburgin]

Originally Posted by woody

buy it

74 = 4-speed, might have rare 2.313 t-case behind it, drum axles, coarse spline birfs
plan on a disc brake swap/birf upgrade.
302 is an odd conversion, but nothing wrong with that....

i figured it was drum all around. will the front be high pinion? and how hard is the disc brake swap? i know anything 4 whell drive that runs is worth $200 but just dont want to get something that wont stand at least 35s and solid wheeling

[jestersfj40]

Buy it, run it till it breaks. Then fix it the way you want. But for $200.oo you should'nt pass the oppertunity of owning a legend. That rig would go for atleast $2000.oo on the west coast. If it runs and drives. It will handle 35's easlly. Disc brake swap is'nt that hard, theres a few web sites that can help with that. can you send some pictures of it? If you decide not to buy it let me know. I have a good friend that lives in NC, he could pick it up for me.

[texican]

Originally Posted by jyurs

i found a guy that has a 74 fj-40 for sale for $200 bucks. it has a swapped in ford 302. it runs and the running gear works but the body is haggard. i would like to buy it as a pointless side project. lift it, tube it from the dash back, 35s, etc... but i know nothing about FJs! what are the pros and cons to the 74 models over the newer ones.

If you had to ask, on it for $200 ...........we need to educate you, unless you are a starving college kid, buy it post pic's. gloat and brag.
Butch

[Biscuit]

Nice find.

There is a chance that if it is an early '74 it may have the three speed transmission (I speak from experience). The 74's were the last years for a lot of things, the dutch doors on the back, the metal insides on the front doors, top down windshield wipers, and really good sheet metal (suppliers were changed for the '75 model year).

The 302 is a nice conversion, I almost put one in when my F motor killed itself in May.