FJ40 Nut: Frustrating body panels! But, says he, WE SHALL OVERCOME.

Fitting the remainder of the front-end body parts

The fenders were a little work and the bib (the part in front of the radiator) even more. But the small valences that sit up on either fender and complet the "box" that the hood sits on were a total nightmare.

And it was only after I tried to fit the hood that I found out why I had struggled so much. The body tub had been bumped and the projecting "wings" sticking out from the firewall were not true. Uhg!

Some pix:

Left-side valence

What?!? No holes for the badge? Paint shop thought they didn't belong?

Drill them out, then apply copious amounts of metal primer

After installing the valences to both sides, discovering and fixing the missing holes for the chrome TLC badge, I fit the hood and discovered the misshapen tub. I did sweat a bunch, but in the end it was super easy to tweak back into place, as eveidenced by the "after" photos.

Looks good up here!

But, notice how the finned part (the tub) angles "in"

ANd though it's hard to see, the hood projects right off at an angle at the front.

Before

After (odd how the lighting played with the blue!)

Windshield, bumpers and seat belts

For two+ years the windshield and its gasket (and all the other glass and gaskets) have been on the floor of our 3-season rec room off the garage, and the mice have made a party of all the nooks and crannies it formed. I think there was more insulation between those parts that was left in the walls. Jeez. Luckily they didn't chew the rubber!

So it was time to set the glass and gasket into the frame and that went off without a hitch. It was my second time and I was an expert!