23k mile 1980 fj40? (1 Viewer)

[rugger97]

pretty sure Ive got a 23k mile fj40. Me and my dad bought 1980 fj40 off marketplace back in October. Originally we bought it just for the body and the plan was to use the body for my dads 83 because this 80 we’ve just found is as close to rust free as you’ll find these days and we got it for dirt cheap (I don’t think the guy had any clue the value of this 40)
We finally got it home which is a wild story on its own but we’ve working on it since we got it. The speedometer reads 23k miles but it’s a 6 digit vin and I couldn’t figure how to carfax it but from what we’ve seen of this cruiser the odds point to that it’s really just a 23k mile cruiser. Just wanted to share this because I think it’s cool and I’m going to make a build thread for it since me and my dad have decide to get it going and make a sweet 40 out of it.

First pic is the pics from the ad on market place
Second pic is the day after we got it and cleaned it up and started to really realize how minty this cruiser is (things like the floor mar being in perfect condo, original weld line on the rear end, tub floor mat being perfect, etc)
Third pic is the state it’s in right now. We’ve done a lot to it and I really am so grateful for my dad who helps me and and teaches me how to work on these. Feel free to answer any questions I’d be happy to answer. Btw the original owner was an idiot and painted the perfect and classic freeborn red over with this kinda weird egg shell white and it’s a horrible paint job haha.

 

[South Texas 97]

Very Nice, get it back together and drive it!

Someone else here made an order of operations something along the lines of
1. If it could kill me, fix it (brakes, and perhaps electrical (fire will kill the truck), U joints, Steering geometry
2. if it could leave me stranded - All rubber hoses under the hood, Fuel, Water, Vacuum, Distributor/leads. I would include here changing all fluids. (Diff, transfer, gearbox, engine, brake, coolant)
3. Nice to have. everything else

 

[Sky King]

23K FJ40, you may have found the holy grail of Land Cruisers.

 

[405]

Nice find! Any chance of removing the repaint and saving the Freeborn Red underneath? Looks like a really nice truck.

 

[asu4runner]

hard to believe someone would repaint a truck that was 20k miles on it. looks like someone oufitted it back in the day with a second fuel tank and a family cage?

 

[rugger97]

hard to believe someone would repaint a truck that was 20k miles on it. looks like someone oufitted it back in the day with a second fuel tank and a family cage?

ya it has a second fuel tank and it had a jeep roll cage in it super ugly. The guy was definitely into this cruiser as when we bought it there was a giant bag of old Spector and man a fre magazines from the 80s. The paint is still a question to me and my dad, maybe he just hated the red and they didn’t have any white ones? Maybe his son or somone he bought it for didn’t like the white which would explain the cheapness of the paint job? Who knows really

 

[peesalot]

The windshield will tell the story.

 

[rugger97]

Nice find! Any chance of removing the repaint and saving the Freeborn Red underneath? Looks like a really nice truck.

I wish man, me and my dad got curious with the side wall part on top of the fender and we coated it in jasco since we’re getting it sand blasted anyways for his 83 resto and the jasco kinda removed the white and left the red but not really. we’re gonna go back to freeborn red eventually but for now we’re just gonna make it a fun runner and get it mechanically sound.

 

[rugger97]

The windshield will tell the story.

The windshield is really good it does not have the original windshield which is really one of the only things that makes me believe it has clicked over 100m

All that brown on the top is just dust/dirt the seal that goes under is in perfect condo

 

[peesalot]

So now I'm confused, you think it is a 23,000 original mile fj40 ? or you have come to realize it is more like 123,000 ? What to the pedal pads look like ?

 

[rugger97]

So now I'm confused, you think it is a 23,000 original mile fj40 ? or you have come to realize it is more like 123,000 ? What to the pedal pads look like ?

The signs of it being 23k outweigh the signs of it being 123k. For instance we pulled the oil pan yesterday and it was mint

it didn’t have pedal pads when we bought it

 

[Living in the Past]

How's the floor mat on the area around the gas pedal?

 

[peesalot]

you mean the oil pan looked mint after cleaning ?? dont they all ?

 

[rugger97]

How's the floor mat on the area around the gas pedal?

The floor Mat is really really good, I’ll post pics of it after school. The only flaw in the mat is that the PO cot holes in it for the cage.

 

[Tigerstripe40]

Nice find! I'd love to find a nice 4/80 FJ40.

 

[seventysixers]

Nice write up buddy! This is a good way to document your progress and keep motivated.
Keep up the hard work and we will get another one back on the road.

 

[sogncab]

Condo = condition?


Sorry, just busting your balls. Nice find

 

[brian]

23,000 or 123,000, mileage really doesn't play much of a role in 40plus year old vehicles

 

[77mustard40]

Agree with @brian , 23K is not broken in and 123K is barely broken in

 

[Pitter Patter]

Either way. Great find. Hopefully it sees 523k miles some day. Glad you are saving this one and getting it back on the road.