Advice on buying my first 40

[rsg3]

hey guys I’m a newbie looking for my first 40 and I’m stuck on deciding exactly what do to. I’ve been burning through the FAQs on how to buy a cruiser, what to look for, etc. but am having trouble applying it to my situation.
My question is would you guys spend more on the initial investment for a cruiser in better shape with some minor issues knowing the restoration will be pushed back a bit or buy a less pricey rig that will have to be torn down immediately but I’ll have more money to play with right away.
What I’m looking at is:
-$2800: solid frame and driveline, PTO winch but the back half of the tub is a home-made aluminum creation, nothing needing immediate replacement but she's not too pretty
-$1000: mostly original, ok frame, ‘running’ motor but showing a few holes in the body in the usual places and other unknown ailments.
Thanks in advance!

 

[bikersmurf]

Depends on your longterm plans.

If I were to do it again I'd buy a nicer rig that someone's put some money into for $4-5000. Building from the ground up will cost you more in the long run.

Food for thought:

1)I (personally) wouldn't shell out the coin for a restored original rig that I'd be afraid to drive.

2)Mechanical issues, at the end of the day, are easier to resolve than rust and structural issues.

3)There will always be another rig for sale... Don't be impatient.

 

[Melloj123]

My 2Cents. I would not buy anything that I knew would eventually need a new tub to be decent looking. Unless you get extremely lucky finding a donor, new half or 3/4 tub options are very costly. If your $1000 option tub could be repaired with some welding in new sheet metal and the frame was good, I would definitely go that route. As others have said, you can always keep shoping.

 

[Lulu]

what are you wanting to do? drive it or work on it? Where are you located? I have a project that has been tinkered with for three years and now I am in med school and it will not get anything done for another 3 years plus. body off frame, sand blasted and painted (frame), new 2.5" OME med kit installed, fj60 hubs and discs in front, have h42 and split case and cross member, no engine (going v8) currently cutting and patching sheet metal. Have toyed with selling, but haven't posted anything yet.

 

[taro]

well i'll just tell you what i did: i bought a 1982 that was in great mechanical condition for $5000. the body looked awful, but i didn't care (i kinda liked it). unfortunately, what i didn't take into account was that some of the body mounts were shot. new steel 3/4 tub plus front body mounts is going to cost around $5k. i bought a repaired full tub for $5500 (more than the price of the 40!!!). other things to consider: if you don't live in california, shipping costs are going to be a major factor for body pieces.

if i could start over, i would spend between $5k and $8k for a solid driver with a good frame and body (i.e., with solid body mounts and no holes in the floor, which suck the heat and exhaust fumes into the cab). but now, i've grown attached to my '82 and will put a new body on her. hth, good luck!

 

[mattcamp]

Save up more money and wait a little longer, the more you look the less you find, seriously. Keep saving and wait for one to fall in your lap that you can't live without. As soon as you buy a piece, you will start working on it digging deeper and deeper, spending a lot of money to fix it, one will come along that is sweet and all your cash will be wrapped up in a chunk of metal that won't be ready to hit the road or trails for months, and you will be bummed. by the way, thats my .02 that cost thousands!

 

[cjgoode]

Like some said what do you want to do with it, what are your skills. If you want a project to work on then the 1,000 one does not sound bad. Rusty bodies can be repaired pretty cheap if they are structurally solid and you can weld a little and grind a lot, but will take a lot of time just not money if you do it all your self. If all the top and bottom edges are solid the hole between them are easy to cut and replace with sheet metal. If you want to drive it and not work on it spend the extra money now. I have two, got them over a year ago and neither are on the road, but I get a lot of enjoyment out of working on them when I can and just knowing I own 1 again. I 100% would go for the 1,000 range, but that is me, I like tinkering with them.

 

[Michael Hanson]

2-cents. Id be looking in the 5,000 range.No mods, original, drives well,good frame. MIke

 

[apeterson]

your money will buy way more now than in mods and new tubs and what not that you need to do in the future......... trust me........ I know.... I should have bought more and then been able to drive it right away... I didnt listen to everyone and thought you could do it on the cheap.... turns out... no

 

[dx379]

your money will buy way more now than in mods and new tubs and what not that you need to do in the future......... trust me........ I know.... I should have bought more and then been able to drive it right away... I didnt listen to everyone and thought you could do it on the cheap.... turns out... no

Amen to that... I should have just bought a Porsche and been done with it!

 

[Duke]

I'm going to chime in and agree with the be patient and save your $$ and wait for the right one approach. I searched for over 3 years. Didn't get a perfect one but got a solid unmolested truck for $5k. I originally didn't intend to spend more than $2500, then upped it to &3500 and as time went and continued to save i ended up at $8k and spent $5k The frame is solid, mechanically sound (engine/tranny/driveline/axles). Body was pretty much rust free with a few minor surface blisters.

The items that need attention were easily done myself. Patience was well worth the wait. And I had $3k for wheels, tires, shocks etc right away.

Again be patient and get the one that you can't live without.

 

[Coastline]

CCOT has a page on what to look for in a 40. I used it when I selected my 77 but now that I'm a little bit experienced after a frame off resto, I know a lot more about why I won't buy another one in the condition this one was in. The price seemed good and it had lots of new parts, but after I got into it and found it was made from more than two other vehicles, the pain applified.

 

[JohnnyC]

good stuff here:
https://forum.ih8mud.com/40-55-seri...ng-fj-40-fj-40-b-u-y-e-r-s-g-u-i-d-e-f-q.html

and here:
https://forum.ih8mud.com/40-55-series-tech/132481-buying-land-cruiser.html

 

[rsg3]

Thanks for the quick responses guys! To answer some questions, I'm a junior at the University of Rhode Island finishing up a mechanical engineering degree and need something to take my mind off class when I get back home, so I am looking for a bit of a project. In the end I'd like to have a capable SOA trail rig, she doesn't need to win any beauty contests but I do want her to be somewhat of a looker. That being said I'm no expert but do have some fabrication and automotive skills I've picked up form family members over the years. So I think as hard as it is I may just have to have some patients and keep my eyes open.

 

[Bad Mojo]

As another guy in college who has a forty the first big question is this going to be your DD? If so get one that runs well, because body issues can be taken care of over breaks and the summer. I waited five years for mine, and got one that really just needed a tune-up to become DD status. Also as a college kid do you have space to be turning wrenches on it? My body looks pretty good, but I know I have some rust and bondo hiding in my quarters, but that will be taken care over the summer. Some of the best advice I got was drive it for a year before deciding on what you want to do. That advice has saved me a lot of time and money because I am not going in fixing mistakes or wishing I had done something different. The year wait period also allows you to save up some money.

I've had my forty for over a 1.5 years, and I love it, but I also know what I want to do with it. Because I have spent a lot of time reading and I have talked to my local club, which gave me an idea of what I want. My forty is my DD and will be built up as a cabin/camping vehicle.

Best of luck with finding one and having fun with it.

 

[motoloco]

Ill save you time. Go start a big fight with your wife, bruise your knuckles on a piece of rusty steel, dig a hole in you back yard and toss ALL your extra cash in it. Thats pretty much like owning a FJ40. (speaking from years of experience) LOL J/K, buy the most orig. one you can buy and have fun!

 

[zags]

Ill save you time. Go start a big fight with your wife, bruise your knuckles on a piece of rusty steel, dig a hole in you back yard and toss ALL your extra cash in it. Thats pretty much like owning a FJ40. (speaking from years of experience) LOL J/K, buy the most orig. one you can buy and have fun!

HA ha! You hit the nail on the head! It is worth taking the time to save up for a nicer vehicle. I would only build one from the the desert southwest. I have lived in Wisconsin and now in Arizona and trust me, saving a rusted hulk will cost you much more money than starting with a cleaner, un-butchered, low rust one. You can get a good builder in the 4K-6K range.

 

[Bigslug]

I would start building a clear picture in my mind and keep up the hunt.

A couple of truths about this sort of vehicle:

1. People buy them for projects that never get finished.

2. People decide that a brand new 4Runner or FJCruiser is a lot less grief.

With those considerations in mind, the trick is to toss your line in the water and keep trolling for something that is close to what you want.

 

[LCHardriver_02]

^^ Dude! You are from MoVal?? Wife went the HS there and I was stationed at March! To the OP, good luck in your search. I enjoy hearing the advice given...

 

[DSRTRDR]

Advice on buying my first 40.................



























.................enjoy