1979 - 1984 Purchase Recommendations (1 Viewer)

[JuanJ]

Thanks Juan,

The motor on the Popayan vehicle is the original 3B (which is super rare in Colombia, they are much more common in Costa Rica). 3B Diesels are so rare here that they probably don't have a selection for their displacement when registering them (1FZs are common). I saw the actual plates on the vehicle but the picture was not as good or as easy to upload as the copy of the owners drivers license which had the relevant serial numbers. I can attest that it is a BJ43.

The owner of vehicle number one has decided not to sell right now, so I'm back to looking for a vehicle. They are so common here that it is just a matter of looking through all of them to find the one you like.

The life of the vehicle depends a lot on where it is located. For instance, if you buy something from Norte de Santander department there is a good chance that it is either Venezuelan (less desirable) or was used to "mochiliar por las trochas" (go mudding through the trails). If you buy something from Barranquilla on the other hand, it spent all it's life exposed to salt air. Find something that has lived it's life in Bogota or Medellin and you have a city car that wasn't used for mudding. Most of the vehicles I've found have been in Bogota (or the surrounding area), Villavicencia or the eje cafetero near Armenia.

When I get a chance I'll post some pictures of some of the awesome preservation and restoration jobs I've seen here. However, these jobs usually have taken the owner 3 to 5 years and he has sunken $70k - $80k into the vehicles. One friend has a 1983 with an original Toyota tarp that he bought for $20k that is so low mileage it still has the original tires on it (he trailers it to shows). He has zero interest in selling though, and I have zero interest in buying a trailer queen that I would never take out on the road.

Hello,

Notice that BJ43s had the B engine, not the 3B. The BJ46, sold only in selected markets outside Japan, had the 3B.

Short and long wheel base 40 Series were assembled in Venezuela. A few were exported to Colombia. They have a Dana 60 rear axle instead of the Toyota one; other than that, they are the same (and as good) as their Japanese cousins. If you find one in good shape, it is worth a try.

You are right on the money spent on preservation/restoration jobs. That is why I suggested finding an un-restored 40 Series in good condition.






Juan

 

[JuanJ]

Look closely at my front bumper decals , This was a shop / vehical sales outfit that fixed them up then sold them , i have seen

several 4#'s with this exact decals on the front bumper


purchased 9 years ago , it lacks any major Gerry-Rig issues past or present , got lucky

Hello,

Distoyota is one of the two Toyota dealers in Colombia. If I remember correctly, Toyota de Colombia is the other. However, Distoyota was there first; I understand it is a traditional dealer of sorts.

Interestingly, both dealers have coexisted to this day. Usually, in that part of the world, there is only one dealer in country.

Back in the day, Distoyota had "vendio Distoyota," Spanish for "sold by Distoyota" painted on the bumper in order to distinguish its trucks from those sold by Toyota de Colombia.





Juan

 

[Economist LC76]

My 2 cents. I had several old land cruisers and can share several ideas:
1. It's useful to drive several fj40/bj40 before you make your decision regarding the car (even as a passenger). We do like the look of J40, we are the travel romantics, but such car is definitely the suboptimal solution for every day car! For me J4 is the weekend & vocation car.
2. Upgrade or not upgrade? It's impossible to achieve the level of comfort of the modern cars! It's like cosmetic surgery- hard to stop and impossible to return your investments. Engine, transmission, suspension, brakes, noise, seats, AC, music etc. It goes into circles... Final result is unfortunately doubtful. For me J4 is a mechanical and historical hobby. I like the puristic approach - either original or only with Toyota J4 spare parts (disk brakes, power steering, 5 gears, AC etc). I believe such upgrades keep the best value of your investments.
3. What wheel base? From the riding comfort J43/46 (mid size wheelbase) is better than the short J40. From the investment prospective - J43/46 are also more attractive as well as they are very rare. Proper restoration costs for FJ40 and FJ43 are almost the same, but the value of FJ43 is higher. For me the midsize wheelbase is the favorable.
4. What engine? I am a fan of diesel, but compare to petrol B/3B diesel is much more complicated engine. I've restored BJ43 and went through all obstacles in the spare parts searching process. Other minuses: Diesel requires the special service (not very common); Diesel is about 2 times noisier; Diesel is slower (80 km/h is the cruising speed); Diesel lacks hp above 2000m. For the hobby car the quiet and easy drive is more valuable than 30% fuel saving. Taking into consideration the South American market (petrol engines are much more common) I would go for FJ43.
5. What year and what car? You are in the Mecca of the land cruisers. Fully equipped, clear history and title (frame&engine numbers are in a good shape), uncrashed frame are good for the start. Don't rush, meet with the enthusiasts, search for your car! 6-12 months should be expected. I would buy the best quality FJ43 any year within your period.
6. Restored or not restored? I believe that you can get good and bad quality of restoration in any market around the world. Bad is much more common! I would not trust any restoration without clear documentation of the process (spare parts and service bills; very detailed photo for each part of restoration before and after frame/ body/ engine/ transmission/ electric; reputation of the restoration company). It's hard to achieve quality after a bad restoration. I would go for unrestored car and would do my own control over the restoration process (it's also very difficult !!!). During this restoration you can upgrade your car with the disk brakes and other options.

I believe that the soft top FJ43 restored to the factory level would be the great fun car (and also safe investment). Disk brakes, power steering, reliable suspension and new tires would add the comfort for your rides. 5 gears transmission is nice to have but not so critical for the short weekends trips. OEM AC might be expensive and not so important if you drive topless
All IMHO. Best to your casting project