I know "what someone is willing to pay" is going to be advised at some point and I can definitely appreciate the meaning behind that. I also know that there is a wealth of knowledge and experience in these forums (that I have been shamelessly pirating for years), and that is what I am looking for now. Recent fj40 values seem to be on an upward trend and I am trying to decide where my fj40 fits in this market.
After shopping craigslist for what seemed like forever, I purchased my 1978 fj40 in the fall of 2009. It was listed in Fuquay Varina, right outside Raleigh, NC. I was living in Wilmington, NC at the time and eagerly made the two hr drive to go see it, in the dark, I might add. Of course I promised the wife I was just going "to look".The owner listed it as ‘rust free’ and I was eager, impatient, and gullible enough to believe it. No way all that diamond plate was hiding rust, who would stoop that low?
A new driver side quarter panel and rear sill later and I joined the ‘hate on the PO’s’ club. It did have many other redeeming qualities though, including a strong running drivetrain and was a mostly complete rig. And it was painted in camo, my kids loved it!
I had been pining for an fj for years and wanted a fun rig to tinker on with my son and do easy trails. Somewhere along the line I got a little carried away with the refurbish and painting and ended up with a super nice vehicle that I’m not too keen on taking to the trails. My great dane and his massive paws are no longer allowed in the back and my kids are a little nervous around the shiny paint. If I sell this one I will most likely be right back in the market for another fj, more of a ‘driver’ this time, instead of a ‘garage queen’. I want something that my kids can climb around in and I don’t have to worry about the dog scratching up. I also have a sickness when it comes to shopping for old vehicles, but we won’t go there…
Please share your thoughts and opinions. I do not have to sell but am strongly considering. It is mostly finished, drives great, and starts every time. No leaks (anymore) but is slightly wet around the transfer case where the speedo cable enters. I have a huge folder of receipts and records.
motor-
Original 2f motor. Odometer reads 20k, actual mileage is anybody’s guess. The previous owner claimed it had been rebuilt but unfortunately had no documentation. I replaced the oil pan gasket and the rear main seal when I had the transmission out to replace the clutch.
carburetor- Original carb I had rebuilt by Mark Algazy (marksoffroad.net) shortly after I purchased it. Thanks Mark, it’s amazing what a solid carb rebuild can do!
-desmogged shortly after I purchased it. I kept all the smog equipment though, including the original exhaust manifold and smog pump. It now has a tri-y header from marks off-road along with new exhaust. Definitely feel like this freed up a couple ponies.
-new toyota oem water pump
-new heavy duty marine grade 1awg battery cables and grounds
-stock distributor, new plugs and wires. I have the parts to do the popular dented side cover and fj60 distributor upgrade but never got around to installing as the stock setup works great.
-new aisin brake master cylinder
-stock air cleaner media blasted, primed, painted
-new oem air filter
-new radiator and radiator hose kit from CCOT
-new thermostat
-new belt
Transmission/axles-
-the entire clutch system is new, less than 500 miles on it. New master cylinder and slave cylinder. New clutch, pressure plate, throw-out bearing, and pilot bearing. All Japanese parts. Also had the flywheel resurfaced and replaced the flywheel bolts with oem hardened flywheel bolts.
-original 4 speed transmission, shifts great.
-stock transfer case, shifts great.
-front hubs/knuckles rebuilt(less than 500 miles) with kit from Marlin Crawler
-stock axles and gearing
-rear brake drums completely rebuilt with new drums, pads, and wheel cylinders.
-front stock disc brakes, po installed new pads. Brakes work great!
Fuel
-new kyosan fuel pump
-new fuel filter
- new CCOT steel gas tank and fuel lines
Steering
-just finished rebuilding the steering gear box. It worked fine before but was leaking from the sector shaft seal. It now has all new seals and I removed one shim (of the three) to tighten up the steering. Also replaced the rag joint. These parts came from CruiserParts and are all either oem or Japanese parts
-all new tie rods (kit from Cruiser Outfitters)
-tracks down the road great, also had a front end alignment less than 500 miles ago
Suspension, wheels, tires
-stock leaf springs, still holding great arch! This is one reason why I feel that there are not a ton of miles on this rig. Usually the hard ridden fj’s have quite a bit of sag to the original springs by now. I’ve been considering the ome suspension kits that everyone seems to like but see no reason to replace if the stock suspension is holding up.
-new stabilizer and shocks, stock height, from Napa
-stock wheels- media blasted, etch primed, and painted stock gray color / spare wheel is new oem
-tires- 4 31x10.5 bfg all terrains, less than 500 miles. The spare is also 31x10.5 but a different brand, still plenty of tread
Interior
-stock dash is in great condition but does have two small cracks
-new (oem replica) upholstery and door panels from Cruiser Corps. I have the original rear jump seats and new covers as well, but they have not been refurbished
-seat frames media blasted, etch primed and painted black
-roll bar media blasted, etch primed, painted black
-original seat belts, work great
-new CCOT floor liner
- heater box refurbished (from aatlas1x metricTLC, great kit)
-new headliner from Cruiser Corps
-gauge cluster, ashtray, and glove box door painted acrylic enamel to match factory color
Body and misc
-this is not a ‘frame off’ restoration. I did not feel that it needed it. Technically I did lift the body off the frame to replace all the body mounts but I did not roll the frame out. The frame is solid. It did have some surface rust that I sanded/grinded off and then treated with POR15. I’ve also used SEM Rust Seal and Fluid Film for hard to reach areas like inside the frame, doors, and channels of the tub.
-many parts media blasted including the rear doors, hardtop sides, windshield frame, all hinges, and front bib. When I first purchased it I sanded down the entire vehicle and painted with a dupont epoxy.
-driver side quarter panel and rear sill have been replaced with a CCOT panels. I also cut out some rust in the rocker panels and replaced with new sheet metal.
-any bare metal was primed with either epoxy or self-etching primer and then followed up with a 2k urethane and/or sealer.
-new mustard yellow paint (original color), looks amazing. This is Ful-thane, a single stage urethane from dupont. My original plan was to paint it with the original style enamel used from the factory but after research decided on the more durable and longer lasting urethane based paint.
-all the glass is original, except the front windshield which is new
-stainless steel hardware for fenders, hood, front and rear doors. Just about every bolt I’ve touched has been either replaced with a new zinc coated one, stainless, or oem bolt
-seals- new front door seals(from CC) rear door seals(oem) hardtop seals (oem and SOR)
-new oem hardware for rear spare tire carrier
-new oem sidesteps. I know the original fj’s had these painted to match the vehicle but I like them in black and never got around to color matching them.
-new oem rear bumpers
-front bezel media blasted and painted
-new oem Toyota emblems- grill, fender, and quarter panel
-new oem side marker lights
-new hood latches (CCOT)
-all fluids have been replaced!
-new gas cap
-windshield rest blasted and painted to match body
-new windshield rest rubber pads
-new side vent gaskets
-new hood-to-fender rubber pads
-new wiper cover gasket
-all gauges and lights work
Few things that it still needs-
-hood to windshield latches for where the windshield folds down
-install rear badges
-recover rear seats
-rear license plate lights
Happy to provide more info and photos, thanks in advance for everyone’s input!
After shopping craigslist for what seemed like forever, I purchased my 1978 fj40 in the fall of 2009. It was listed in Fuquay Varina, right outside Raleigh, NC. I was living in Wilmington, NC at the time and eagerly made the two hr drive to go see it, in the dark, I might add. Of course I promised the wife I was just going "to look".The owner listed it as ‘rust free’ and I was eager, impatient, and gullible enough to believe it. No way all that diamond plate was hiding rust, who would stoop that low?
A new driver side quarter panel and rear sill later and I joined the ‘hate on the PO’s’ club. It did have many other redeeming qualities though, including a strong running drivetrain and was a mostly complete rig. And it was painted in camo, my kids loved it!
I had been pining for an fj for years and wanted a fun rig to tinker on with my son and do easy trails. Somewhere along the line I got a little carried away with the refurbish and painting and ended up with a super nice vehicle that I’m not too keen on taking to the trails. My great dane and his massive paws are no longer allowed in the back and my kids are a little nervous around the shiny paint. If I sell this one I will most likely be right back in the market for another fj, more of a ‘driver’ this time, instead of a ‘garage queen’. I want something that my kids can climb around in and I don’t have to worry about the dog scratching up. I also have a sickness when it comes to shopping for old vehicles, but we won’t go there…
Please share your thoughts and opinions. I do not have to sell but am strongly considering. It is mostly finished, drives great, and starts every time. No leaks (anymore) but is slightly wet around the transfer case where the speedo cable enters. I have a huge folder of receipts and records.
motor-
Original 2f motor. Odometer reads 20k, actual mileage is anybody’s guess. The previous owner claimed it had been rebuilt but unfortunately had no documentation. I replaced the oil pan gasket and the rear main seal when I had the transmission out to replace the clutch.
carburetor- Original carb I had rebuilt by Mark Algazy (marksoffroad.net) shortly after I purchased it. Thanks Mark, it’s amazing what a solid carb rebuild can do!
-desmogged shortly after I purchased it. I kept all the smog equipment though, including the original exhaust manifold and smog pump. It now has a tri-y header from marks off-road along with new exhaust. Definitely feel like this freed up a couple ponies.
-new toyota oem water pump
-new heavy duty marine grade 1awg battery cables and grounds
-stock distributor, new plugs and wires. I have the parts to do the popular dented side cover and fj60 distributor upgrade but never got around to installing as the stock setup works great.
-new aisin brake master cylinder
-stock air cleaner media blasted, primed, painted
-new oem air filter
-new radiator and radiator hose kit from CCOT
-new thermostat
-new belt
Transmission/axles-
-the entire clutch system is new, less than 500 miles on it. New master cylinder and slave cylinder. New clutch, pressure plate, throw-out bearing, and pilot bearing. All Japanese parts. Also had the flywheel resurfaced and replaced the flywheel bolts with oem hardened flywheel bolts.
-original 4 speed transmission, shifts great.
-stock transfer case, shifts great.
-front hubs/knuckles rebuilt(less than 500 miles) with kit from Marlin Crawler
-stock axles and gearing
-rear brake drums completely rebuilt with new drums, pads, and wheel cylinders.
-front stock disc brakes, po installed new pads. Brakes work great!
Fuel
-new kyosan fuel pump
-new fuel filter
- new CCOT steel gas tank and fuel lines
Steering
-just finished rebuilding the steering gear box. It worked fine before but was leaking from the sector shaft seal. It now has all new seals and I removed one shim (of the three) to tighten up the steering. Also replaced the rag joint. These parts came from CruiserParts and are all either oem or Japanese parts
-all new tie rods (kit from Cruiser Outfitters)
-tracks down the road great, also had a front end alignment less than 500 miles ago
Suspension, wheels, tires
-stock leaf springs, still holding great arch! This is one reason why I feel that there are not a ton of miles on this rig. Usually the hard ridden fj’s have quite a bit of sag to the original springs by now. I’ve been considering the ome suspension kits that everyone seems to like but see no reason to replace if the stock suspension is holding up.
-new stabilizer and shocks, stock height, from Napa
-stock wheels- media blasted, etch primed, and painted stock gray color / spare wheel is new oem
-tires- 4 31x10.5 bfg all terrains, less than 500 miles. The spare is also 31x10.5 but a different brand, still plenty of tread
Interior
-stock dash is in great condition but does have two small cracks
-new (oem replica) upholstery and door panels from Cruiser Corps. I have the original rear jump seats and new covers as well, but they have not been refurbished
-seat frames media blasted, etch primed and painted black
-roll bar media blasted, etch primed, painted black
-original seat belts, work great
-new CCOT floor liner
- heater box refurbished (from aatlas1x metricTLC, great kit)
-new headliner from Cruiser Corps
-gauge cluster, ashtray, and glove box door painted acrylic enamel to match factory color
Body and misc
-this is not a ‘frame off’ restoration. I did not feel that it needed it. Technically I did lift the body off the frame to replace all the body mounts but I did not roll the frame out. The frame is solid. It did have some surface rust that I sanded/grinded off and then treated with POR15. I’ve also used SEM Rust Seal and Fluid Film for hard to reach areas like inside the frame, doors, and channels of the tub.
-many parts media blasted including the rear doors, hardtop sides, windshield frame, all hinges, and front bib. When I first purchased it I sanded down the entire vehicle and painted with a dupont epoxy.
-driver side quarter panel and rear sill have been replaced with a CCOT panels. I also cut out some rust in the rocker panels and replaced with new sheet metal.
-any bare metal was primed with either epoxy or self-etching primer and then followed up with a 2k urethane and/or sealer.
-new mustard yellow paint (original color), looks amazing. This is Ful-thane, a single stage urethane from dupont. My original plan was to paint it with the original style enamel used from the factory but after research decided on the more durable and longer lasting urethane based paint.
-all the glass is original, except the front windshield which is new
-stainless steel hardware for fenders, hood, front and rear doors. Just about every bolt I’ve touched has been either replaced with a new zinc coated one, stainless, or oem bolt
-seals- new front door seals(from CC) rear door seals(oem) hardtop seals (oem and SOR)
-new oem hardware for rear spare tire carrier
-new oem sidesteps. I know the original fj’s had these painted to match the vehicle but I like them in black and never got around to color matching them.
-new oem rear bumpers
-front bezel media blasted and painted
-new oem Toyota emblems- grill, fender, and quarter panel
-new oem side marker lights
-new hood latches (CCOT)
-all fluids have been replaced!
-new gas cap
-windshield rest blasted and painted to match body
-new windshield rest rubber pads
-new side vent gaskets
-new hood-to-fender rubber pads
-new wiper cover gasket
-all gauges and lights work
Few things that it still needs-
-hood to windshield latches for where the windshield folds down
-install rear badges
-recover rear seats
-rear license plate lights
Happy to provide more info and photos, thanks in advance for everyone’s input!
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