Doing up a 40 series

[searsy989]

I've seen alot of hell mad 40 series trucks bout the place and i can't ignore it anymore. I want to buy a 40 series and do it up heaps cool. Either as my first truck or a future project. Just like to know 2 things.

Are they good to work on and are they good trucks to learn on mechainical wise?

[RV80]

his 1st serious question

[searsy989]

Now i'm looking for a serious response

[RV80]

you will get a serious responce from me
when you get a 80 series

[Gonzo]

Are they good to work on and are they good trucks to learn on mechainical wise?

[bj42turbo]

I've seen alot of hell mad 40 series trucks bout the place and i can't ignore it anymore. I want to buy a 40 series and do it up heaps cool. Either as my first truck or a future project. Just like to know 2 things.

Are they good to work on and are they good trucks to learn on mechainical wise?

I would have thought you would be more suited to driving a Lada or a Kia

[RV80]

Are they good to work on and are they good trucks to learn on mechainical wise?

good one BOB'S

[+dj_hansen+]

Are they good to work on and are they good trucks to learn on mechainical wise?

good one BOB'S

err.. thats my errr... stapler.... pl pl pl please can i have it back?

Yes 40's are good trucks to learn on... but they also have their problems. What kinda money have u got, what do u wanna do with it, how far are you prepared to go.. can u afford to run it?

[Eddywelder]

well I have one and I love it...very easy to work on but getting it to where I want it has cost me more than I originally planned to spend on it but its almost there....I get my 39.5 swampers and new wheels on it this weekend so its looking sweet as...next will be 6 point cage race seats and full harness belts and tranfer gears ....may even go chev v8 but not sure yet maybe in the new year.....eventually will be entering some competitions......

[Mudrat]

I have 2 of the things. Bought the first one when i was 16 as a wreck. Took me almost a year to rebuilt and modify, but eventually built it up to a fairly tuff looking truck. I kept the basic 2F petrol engine, that came standard with this model, but basically had the internals modified ie cam, pistons etc. It thus now has a fair amount of power. ie dropping the clutch snaps my driveshaft. LOL. Apart from the engine, also did a suspension lift, and other common mods to it. But basically what what i'm trying to say is that it really gave me the chance to both learn a bit about vehicles and a great opportunity to practise some rough as guts engineering. I recently bought another Fj again to do up as a project, and with the huge availability of parts both new and 2nd hand, i think that they are a great vehicle to tinker with and modify. As you mentioned there are certainly a few getting about now both on-road and on the competition seen that look fairly smart. Anyway, that was my 2 cents worth, so have a good one.

Cheers

[the_smoo]

probably goes without saying...

but get the latest model 40 you can...

disc brakes,
power steering,

they are easy to work on. i got mine as a project 2 years or so ago and have been working on it gradually...

parts are easy to get..and even aftermarket prices are not too bad..

drive a few first, because they can be nasty animals.

[roly]

[Stackson45]

Are there any other types? (he he)

Seriously, easy to work on, can be uncomfortable, noisy, handle like a bar of soap in a wet bath tub, but i can't own anything other.
I personally prefer the 45 utes above all else.
I had one, bought when i was 16, had it for 6 years, through three paint jobs, 6 cyl to chev V8, on gas, lifted springs, truck exhausts, about six different bullbars.
I sold it due to poor time/money combination, regret it big time.
I bought a VN, after about six months couldn't handle it anymore and bought another cruiser - HJ47 troopy, which is my next project.

[dumbdunce]

they are great trucks to learn on but are not without problems, some of them serious, and some will cost you a lot of time and money to get sorted, or you will pay top dollar for one that is already sorted out.

a hilux or a zook is probably a better "first" 4WD if you are on a budget. more bolt on bits, more spare parts available, easier engines to work on, and cheaper to run. even an MQ or GQ (as much as I hate to say it) would probably be a better investment than a 40 series, especially dollar and reliability wise. Whatever you get though, decide on a path for it before you start, have a clear idea of what you want to do with it, as your final goal will have a huge influence on how you start and what order you do your modifications. If you're anything like most schoolkid dreamer wannabes though, you'll buy a truck you can't afford to start with, and spend every cent you scam out of your parents on keeping it on the road instead of building it. Sorry Stumpy, you know it's true.

[Stackson45]

Yep, i'll second that. Planning will save you time and money, and not having to do things twice. I'm planning a huge project now (huge for me), so i'm sourcing the parts i need, and once i've got them all i'll start the project and do it right first time, that's the plan anyway.....

Rob

[Reddo]

they are great trucks to learn on but are not without problems, some of them serious, and some will cost you a lot of time and money to get sorted, or you will pay top dollar for one that is already sorted out.

a hilux or a zook is probably a better "first" 4WD if you are on a budget. more bolt on bits, more spare parts available, easier engines to work on, and cheaper to run. even an MQ or GQ (as much as I hate to say it) would probably be a better investment than a 40 series, especially dollar and reliability wise. Whatever you get though, decide on a path for it before you start, have a clear idea of what you want to do with it, as your final goal will have a huge influence on how you start and what order you do your modifications. If you're anything like most schoolkid dreamer wannabes though, you'll buy a truck you can't afford to start with, and spend every cent you scam out of your parents on keeping it on the road instead of building it. Sorry Stumpy, you know it's true.

what Brian has said is correct. However, i find it important to expand on this a little more. If you do go for a 40, shop around for a while to find out what they are like. Most ppl (including myself) make the mistake of buying the first one they come across. The two thing ppl bitch about is lack of power (diesel variety) or chew to much Juice. If i was looking again, I would look for a V8 on gas, and or a half finished project that the guy before you has run out of cash on. However, its like any 4wd, your always looking for a little more height, and bigger tyres. However, I find them very easy to work on, and very reliable if you have a good one. Its horses for course, get a POS and your going to be working/fixing it all the time. Get a good one, and you’ll only be fixing the shit you smash with your boggers and 454. IMO, If you do go for one, spend the $$$$ and buy one that’s had all the work done to it. Its fare easier. My 2 cents worth.

[Reddo]

Or put it this way. I bought mine for $1300. In that space me, my father and everone else have put in a lot of $$$$, so much so that the total cost is at And have spend around the 7-8 grand mark. We did a lot of the work ourselves and its a top runner, but i want to sink another 4 g into it to get it to the stage where i want it. Now imagin if i saved up and got something better, newer, bigger

Plan and save

[+dj_hansen+]

Plan and save... 2 words that are easy to use with the benefit of heinsight.

A mate of mine waited 9 months to find the car he wanted, but he got what he wanted.. i spent 3 months looking, got something that i wanted at the time but now realise i made a slightly bad decision.

Read through all the things on here, spend hours and hours going through the members section and read about what all the guys do with their rigs and find the type of vehicle that will suit what you wanna do with it.

Personally? start with a late 80's/early 90s hilux... solid axles both ends, xtra or dual cab, 2.8 diesel.. You wont go wrong, it can be a crawler, plugger, or lets hope not a maller.

They are more comfortable that a 40, can be jsut as fun to build up, have all the mod cons like power steer, aircon, disc front, and will cost you less in fuel. There is also endless aftermarket support for them.

With about $2k extra.. youd have it on brand spankers 33's, body lifted and spring lifted ready to rock!

Im not trying to turn you away from a 40... I love them too, but unless you have a steady income, plenty of time and patience they might not be the best place to start off!

[searsy989]

Money, time and paitence ain't a problem and i'm prepared to go as far as possible to make it kick ass!

I've already planned ahead so it doesn't end up like what my brother did. Buy a car and realise that had heaps of mega problems.

And i said mabey for a future project as well. But i don't care how long it takes, i want to have my truck just how i want it.

[+dj_hansen+]

Then start hitting the trading post....

http://www.autotrader.com.au/search.asp ... &State=VIC

Heaps on there... just had a quick look myself.
Basically.. find the lastst model one you can.

[UZJ40]

I always wanted one when i left school, thought i would do one up and it would look cool

nearly 20 years later i finally got one, as a wreck, thought yep i'll have it finished in 12 months.

18 mths later i still probably have at least another 12 mths to go before its on the road, but i'm lovin every minute of the rebuild.

started off as just as a nice paint job and big wheels.

it now has a 1UZFE V8, 38" claws, doing the 4 link rear end next weekend, 5 link front next month, cut off the body behind the seats the other week, now i have to build a new rear end.

its very easy for one thing to lead to another, and before you know it you have a monster in the garage.

[DIRTY ROCK STAR]

Hes more suited to an excel or a ford festiva for sure!!!!!!

man they are fairly simple machines, im shithouse and can work some shite out so theres hope for ya.
bits are cheap!!!!!!

rust is a killer, god bless fibreglass panels!

and you can pretty much see all the components. not too much is hidden.

you thinking hardtop or soft top?

or you not really thinking and you just pulling your pud????

[shorty_f0rty]

as a first time 40 owner and auto mechanical newbie i think I did alright

found a project car that had been sitting in some dudes shed for about 2yrs in the trading post, before I got it but I reckon I had done my research:
- test drove a fj40 4spd with no p/s tuff as guts soft top just to see what it was like... it sucked as a daily driver
- found some other bj's to test drive and got a feel for the way the old diesels perform and was ok with it
- held off until the right one showed up in the trading post and then checked it out
- get a trusted mechanic to do the once over with/for you so your not buying a dud
- if you go diesel be prepared for regular maintence and to keep it truckin

a year later and still goin I think the 40 is a great rig to learn on.
- just about every panel can be unbolted and removed,
- every thing is mechanical so i find it a bit easier to understand and debug when theres issues
- its the type of vehicle thats suited to my learning curve
- it helps to always expect the worst so your kinda prepared when stuff on a 20yr old rig breaks

after paying 5k for it i think i've almost put just as much back into it with accessories and ongoing maintence but its been worth it.. i hope to get many more km's out of it yet..

As a im always thinking of the next mod I can try and save up for and how much better it would make my off roading.

anyway.. i reckon its a pretty good starting point for anyone with the time, passion and cash and wants to give it a go.

[40 lover]

i'm 17 yrs old and bought a 1982 BJ42 a short while ago for
a first car

since then i have towed it home twice because little wear and tear
and the previous owner not caring if there was something wrong with the car.

i'm very pleased with what i got though, it hasn't cost me much so far.
it has 33 mt's and i think a 2" lift. it gets me most places that ive tried and goes like a gun on the beach.

i absolutely love driving it. it never ceases to impress

[ORSM45]

40s are awesome.

i still prefer longer wheelbases tho.

i got mine when i was 17, now im 20 and its almost where i want it.

tip: get one thats pretty stock. get it on the road and registered, then do what mods you want. and sort out the engineering/legallities later.

they are a perfect first car. cheap, most of the mods you'll wanna do someone else has most likely already done, so just ask, heaps of spares around.

MaccA

[bj42turbo]

i'm 17 yrs old and bought a 1982 BJ42 a short while ago for
a first car

since then i have towed it home twice because little wear and tear
and the previous owner not caring if there was something wrong with the car.

i'm very pleased with what i got though, it hasn't cost me much so far.
it has 33 mt's and i think a 2" lift. it gets me most places that ive tried and goes like a gun on the beach.

i absolutely love driving it. it never ceases to impress

.

[Shorty40]

Money pit

[scotto]

Toolangi 2004 - 40 Reunion - PM me for a DVD



it was the first car i ever bought..the only car i ever bought..11 years ago they are a love-hate machine and if it you love it right it will take a pounding.....
A real good way to learn how EVERYTHING works andwork out why it DOES NOT WORK they come apart like lego, there's parts everywhere, there's mod bits everywhere, they'll go anywhere
Plenty of $time for fixing and yer mods is what it's all aboot man
Everyone has a 40 story and better still there's loads of decent peoples out there with ideas to keep you going.

GO THE 40

[40 lover]

Are the 33's on the split rims if so what width are they.



Cheers Dazz

33's are 33x12.5x15

rims are 15x8

they don't stick out much from the guards

but they perform great on and off the road

[bj42turbo]

Scotto stop posting those 40 pics I'm getting a hard on