My first landcruiser was a 1977 fj/45 I bought 15 years ago, I wanted one real bad and ended up paying way too much for what I got. The frame was cracked and extremely rusty and the rest of the truck had piles of poorly applied body filler, it reminded me of the expression" lip stick on a pig". Im still embarrassed to say the purchase price.
A few months later while browsing in the local auto trader paper I saw listed in the wrong listing a 1980 fj45.
I called and it was still available and just a half hour away, I drove right over in my 1977 45
He was the original owner and he had every receipt since day one, the body had problems but the frame was in great shape, he also was throwing in a free 350 eng. Conversion adapter set up he never put in.
The truck was listed at $4000.00 cdn obo and so I offered $3600.00 he looked at me like a idiot and said that’s too much how about $2500.00 .I was ???????It took a minute to sink in.
He said he liked that I had another 45 and was wanting to restore his truck or use parts from it.
I striped it down and with what I could do back then, I Sand blasted and paint the frame added four wheel disc brakes
used the hood and roof from the 1977 45 I had most the sheet metal work completed by others painted it myself and reassembled it in about a years time.
I had some problems a few year later with the 2f motor and never felt like investing anymore time with it so I used the 3b diesel motor and also the 5spd trans from a 1984 bj/60 I acquired, It also had a power steering pump on it which later came in handy.
I have owned five landcruisers over the years and also still have a 1989 bj/70,but my 1980 bj/45 is still my all-time favorite and had been my daily driver for about 12 years until two years ago when I decided to strip it down to bare metal and restore it the best I can.
This time I used my neighbors brake and shear and my welder to do the sheet metal repairs myself, its tough finding time these days with having two kids I wanted to do it my way instead of contracting it out like before and not being happy.
Here is some of the pics
A few months later while browsing in the local auto trader paper I saw listed in the wrong listing a 1980 fj45.
I called and it was still available and just a half hour away, I drove right over in my 1977 45
He was the original owner and he had every receipt since day one, the body had problems but the frame was in great shape, he also was throwing in a free 350 eng. Conversion adapter set up he never put in.
The truck was listed at $4000.00 cdn obo and so I offered $3600.00 he looked at me like a idiot and said that’s too much how about $2500.00 .I was ???????It took a minute to sink in.
He said he liked that I had another 45 and was wanting to restore his truck or use parts from it.
I striped it down and with what I could do back then, I Sand blasted and paint the frame added four wheel disc brakes
used the hood and roof from the 1977 45 I had most the sheet metal work completed by others painted it myself and reassembled it in about a years time.
I had some problems a few year later with the 2f motor and never felt like investing anymore time with it so I used the 3b diesel motor and also the 5spd trans from a 1984 bj/60 I acquired, It also had a power steering pump on it which later came in handy.
I have owned five landcruisers over the years and also still have a 1989 bj/70,but my 1980 bj/45 is still my all-time favorite and had been my daily driver for about 12 years until two years ago when I decided to strip it down to bare metal and restore it the best I can.
This time I used my neighbors brake and shear and my welder to do the sheet metal repairs myself, its tough finding time these days with having two kids I wanted to do it my way instead of contracting it out like before and not being happy.
Here is some of the pics
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