For Sale 1981 BJ40 12k original miles $34,500 NOT MINE

Location

United States

Good morning y’all! New to the forum and trying to figure out what this thing is worth! Could somebody provide some pointers as to what are some of the more intricate things I should look for in this model, outside of rust etc.? How does it being JDM impact the price? What about being a diesel? What about the aftermarket aluminum tub?

Toyota Land Cruiser BJ40 Diesel

1981 BJ40 Toyota Diesel Landcruiser , $34,500 obo Right Hand Drive, imported from Japan Factory AC, blows cold Very low original mileage, currently 32,000 Kilometers = 19,000 Miles By Toyota...

honolulu.craigslist.org

Any help is much appreciated!

Thanks y’all!

 

[YoYoHo]

I wouldn't touch that truck at that price as it is more than double what it should be and with teh mods etc it has had I would consider it a $10 - $15k truck max.
Being a RHD JDM truck is a love hate thing but most will agree it reduces the value over a LHD version

 

[overton]

I have spoken with the owner. It looks like a nice example. Aluminum solves many of the rust issues obviously. Having been in Japan and now on Kauai, the low miles are not surprising.

 

[YoYoHo]

I have spoken with the owner. It looks like a nice example. Aluminum solves many of the rust issues obviously. Having been in Japan and now on Kauai, the low miles are not surprising.

Aluminum may solve issues but it also drops the resale from a Factory Resto to a resto Mod and leaves ones like this in no man's land. The Front fenders are just plan ugly.

I could be wrong but I don't see many Aluminum tub 40's on your site or any others pulling close to what he is asking and low miles on a diesel are not always a great thing. Being it has such low miles yet a rear tub and lots of other "changes" it is fair to say it has lived far from a loving well maintained life.

 

[overton]

In my experience, aluminum tubs can impact value but much depends on the quality of the work. I don't currently have any rigs with Aqualu tubs but I have had a few along the way that brought pretty respectable money. This truck is not in my wheelhouse. JDM, RHD, etc, I've never even seen one of these first hand. This truck has had a lot of money poured into it but it's only worth what a buyer is willing to pay.

 

[Bear]

I don't know if the Seller realizes that referring Buyers to Volcan4x4 isn't the best idea.

 

[40amateur]

In my experience, aluminum tubs can impact value but much depends on the quality of the work. I don't currently have any rigs with Aqualu tubs but I have had a few along the way that brought pretty respectable money. This truck is not in my wheelhouse. JDM, RHD, etc, I've never even seen one of these first hand. This truck has had a lot of money poured into it but it's only worth what a buyer is willing to pay.

So I assume you are saying that the aluminum tub, if done right, is not necessarily a knock on it? What would be considered respectable money? Lastly, any pointers as things to look for that are UNIQUE to this rig. There are obviously the things that every “car guy” knows to check but trying to pin down the problem areas so to speak, as I have limited experience with 40’s.

 

[dubestoy]

I don't know if the Seller realizes that referring Buyers to Volcan4x4 isn't the best idea.

thanks, its been deleted. At one time long ago it had pristine rigs selling in the $40K ranges. Actually did not check it recently.

 

[mudpaws]

Aluminum is for LAND ROVERS.

 

[White Stripe]

Aluminum tubs don't decrease value. Nut n bolt restored steel body Fj40s sell for less than restomod Fj40s. Aluminum or steel does not seem to matter.

 

[WarDamnEagle]

Nut and bolt restorations sell for less than restomods? I would say that is subjective at best. All the $50k+ rigs I see selling are all nut and bolt restorations.

 

[dubestoy]

Several divisions , You can divide the steel purists from the aluminum folks by local: those of us that live close to sea water and might engage in activities such as surfing , fishing, boat launching, etc favor aluminum. ITs just a practicality here . Not every Japanese car owner is a welder, and needs to be to keep them on the road longer than 15-20 years, They just disintegrate. There are no old pristine toyota vehicles in service in wet, tropical, coastal areas. There are some old trucks, all with major body swaps, surgeries, transplants and grafts. When it gets boring here, we just go out and watch our Japanese cars rust. This aluminum body/tub rig is more valuable in a climate such as Hawaii , Puerto Rico, Florida or one of the Gulf states closer to the Coast. Thanks for the discussion folks, it gets better everyday!

 

[Bear]

That's thoughtful, dubestoy. Probably could add in those who live in snowy climates where various salts are put on roadways for the ice. Those of us basically away from water and snow learned long ago that those areas are not the best places to look for old vehicles to restore.

But an aluminum body tub is not a complete vehicle--lots of other steel pieces remain to rust away. Maybe that's part of the planned obsolesence scheme--cars aren't supposed to last 50 plus years. We all need to do our part and throw away old used things and keep buying more and more of the newest cars with the latest gadgets and gismos.

Not to worry--soon automotive rust will be a thing of the past--we'll have self driving cars totally made of plastic. And then will come the complaints about plastic and the environment and the polar ice caps and the volcanoes and the bumblebees and the passenger pigeons and (insert your latest idea here).

I sure am glad that living here in Kalifornia we know it all and have solved every issue. And yes, we here have told you all that "items known by the State of California have determined that everything causes cancer and birth defects. Everything." !!

 

[HelloKitty65]

...... And then will come the complaints about plastic and the environment and the polar ice caps and the volcanoes and the bumblebees and the passenger pigeons and (insert your latest idea here).

I sure am glad that living here in Kalifornia we know it all and have solved every issue...

You must be from the nonflammable part of California where nobody gets cancer, listening to Fox.

 

[Bear]

All of California is flammable, sad to say. But we cured cancer by putting warning labels on literally every nut and bolt sold here. And we solved air pollution for the entire country by forcing everyone to have catalytic converters and special diesel fluid. Our politicians are big loud-mouths telling everyone else what to do. It truly is a huge embarrassment.

 

[HelloKitty65]

Nope, labels aren't helping the 60,590 folks expected to die of cancer in Sunny California this year (no surprise, labels never made cigaretes safer for smokers either).

 

[YoYoHo]

Aluminum tubs don't decrease value. Nut n bolt restored steel body Fj40s sell for less than restomod Fj40s. Aluminum or steel does not seem to matter.

I would have to disagree ... at the price point this truck is trying to attain you would want to see detailed pics of the work being undertaken as the reality is most "Resto's" that are driven by need such as a tub swap cut a lot of corners and often end up with a miss match of factory and aftermarket parts and some questionable quality of work.

For a $35k "Resto Mod" from some one that is telling us that he is getting better fuel economy due to his aluminum body I would be very cautious. It is interesting that he states "Frame and Body in excellent shape , no rust " yes he has replaced most of the body and no details on chassis work or refresh.

I am not saying it isn't a cool truck but it is a long way short of a $35k truck with the current supplied details and pictures

 

[White Stripe]

Nut and bolt restorations sell for less than restomods? I would say that is subjective at best. All the $50k+ rigs I see selling are all nut and bolt restorations.

Fjcompany sells nut n bolt restored cruisers for 85k. Their restomod cruisers sell for far more. Icon sells only restomod cruisers, and they sell for far north of 100k.

I would have to disagree ... at the price point this truck is trying to attain you would want to see detailed pics of the work being undertaken as the reality is most "Resto's" that are driven by need such as a tub swap cut a lot of corners and often end up with a miss match of factory and aftermarket parts and some questionable quality of work.

For a $35k "Resto Mod" from some one that is telling us that he is getting better fuel economy due to his aluminum body I would be very cautious. It is interesting that he states "Frame and Body in excellent shape , no rust " yes he has replaced most of the body and no details on chassis work or refresh.

I am not saying it isn't a cool truck but it is a long way short of a $35k truck with the current supplied details and pictures

But basically your argument is that a poor restomod restoration is worth less than a nut n bolt restoration. Not that a good restomod is worth more than a nut n bolt restoration. And I agree, aluminum tub won't increase fuel mileage.

 

[WarDamnEagle]

LOL. So you consider an Icon a restomod? Isn't the only thing they use that is original is the one section of frame with the frame number? If those are restomods then I fully agree with you; they sell for more than a nut and bolt restoration. My definition of a restomod is a 350 conversion with non-OEM seats.