Craigslist in Charlotte - Have any of you been to see any of these?

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JohnnyBighead

JohnnyBighead

Joined
Jun 2, 2008
Threads
24
Messages
142
Location
Greenville, SC
Welcome to the addiction.

Have you already read through the FAQ? *** Purchasing an FJ-40 / FJ-40 B U Y E R S G U I D E *** (f A Q )

I suggest you read up on the differences between the model years on the FJ40s so you can decide what you want, can live with or have an idea of what you'll be spending time and or money to swap out (i.e. drum vs. disc brakes, 3 speed vs. 4 speed).

Also, as you aren't all that far from Trollhole, I suggest you visit his shop and offer to treat him to lunch or dinner both (plus beers) and pick his brain for an hour or so.

Best wishes on your search!
 
JohnnyBighead said:
I am looking to get into my first FJ (40 or 60/62), and have just started looking. I am in Greenville, SC and have seen a few things on Charlotte craigslist.

Have any of you been out to see any of these?

1973 Toyota fj40 Fj 40
1972 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER FJ40
1980 Toyota Landcruiser FJ40
1982 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40-BJ42
75' Toyota Landcrusier FJ40
1990 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ62

Would love to hear any input!

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Out of all of those, the first and the 62 would be the only I would be interested in seeing.

The others are either rusty or RHD (not what I am looking for). Don't be afraid to expand your search. Shipping isn't too expensive. Check out Aaron at Summit Auto Transport. He has a thread here
 
FJinTegaCay said:
Welcome to the addiction.

Have you already read through the FAQ? *** Purchasing an FJ-40 / FJ-40 B U Y E R S G U I D E *** (f A Q )

I suggest you read up on the differences between the model years on the FJ40s so you can decide what you want, can live with or have an idea of what you'll be spending time and or money to swap out (i.e. drum vs. disc brakes, 3 speed vs. 4 speed).

Also, as you aren't all that far from Trollhole, I suggest you visit his shop and offer to treat him to lunch or dinner both (plus beers) and pick his brain for an hour or so.

Best wishes on your search!
Click to expand...

Thanks so much for the response. I have read the FAQ, but I need to go back through and understand it a lot better.

I have a visit planned to stop by Trollhole pretty soon.

Thanks so much!
 
tgadd said:
Out of all of those, the first and the 62 would be the only I would be interested in seeing.

The others are either rusty or RHD (not what I am looking for). Don't be afraid to expand your search. Shipping isn't too expensive. Check out Aaron at Summit Auto Transport. He has a thread here
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info on the transport option. How do people go about buying cruisers that they havent seen themselves?
 
JohnnyBighead said:
Thanks for the info on the transport option. How do people go about buying cruisers that they havent seen themselves?
Click to expand...

The 60 I bought was sight unseen. The seller (on MUD) had a bunch of pictures for me and some videos. I sent a bank wire and coordinated shipping. He overnighted the signed title and bill of sale.

Ebay would be good since they will supposedly help out vehicle purchases.

@jamesurq just bought a 60 online. I think he might have used Craigslist and can give you some better ideas about that.
 
I bought from landcruisersdirect.com sight unseen and had shipped from Ozark, MO to Hickory, NC for $600. A lot of times there are mudders in other locales that might kick the tires for you. Also, many US trucks may have a story or pedigree somewhere on the board. Hit up the local clubhouses in those areas.
For me, condition (not cosmetically) was #1, since I bought a "southern survivor" with a Cinderella story before that turned out to have considerable body and frame rust and liberal application of the Krylon touch.
 
I think @roadstr6 just checked out the first one, and put up some details on the 4 sale thread.

The listings you've highlighted are all over the map.
What are you looking for? Do you want to bang it down the toughest trails or wax it in the garage and drive it on Sunday?
The answer here will really dictate what you can accept (and how much you'll need to pay). The Cruiser market is pretty hot right now, so nothing is cheap.

Don't disregard right-hand drive. Really, it's not that complicated, though it will thin out your resale market since so many people seem freaked out by it.
The diesels are great little motors (I have one), but they are designed for a 55mph world, so unless you are willing to turbo, you'll need to get used to planning your entries into traffic and hanging out in the slow lane. Some parts can be a little tougher to find, but the 3B is plentiful enough in Canadia that used parts aren't too hard, and with sources like @beno you can get everything need.
If you are looking at RHD (or any import for that matter) DO NOT BUY IT SIGHT UNSEEN. There are some good importers and there are some very shady importers. Lots of oversees-half-assed-paint-over-rust-duct-tape-and-bubble-gum cruisers being brought in since the market has gone up and the dollar is in a relatively strong position these days. It's not that hard to make pictures look decent. Have SOMEBODY take a peek. There are many people on Mud that will be glad to look for you just because it's a chance to get out and see and talk about another Cruiser.

Good Luck!
 
Yeah - I bought all 3 of my cruisers through ebay. One in CT (40), I drove up and towed it home myself since my parents live nearby. One in NJ, I flew up and drove it home, the last one I had shipped from Arizona.

I've had 3 cars shipped in my time:

One from south Florida - quick and easy. (Suburban)
One from CT - also quick and easy (Del Sol)
One from Arizona - MASSIVE FxxxING HEADACHE. (60)

My advice: Don't buy from someone that lives way off an established route. The first two were on common routes (both just off 95) so they were picked up almost immediately by the carriers, the last one was about an hour south of Phoenix so anyone that went to get it had to go out of their way.... Took OVER A MONTH to get it here.
 
I gotta echo what has already been said here. If you plan to take it on the trails, I'd take a look at the 1975 FJ40. If you plan to work on it and make it a nice reliable driver, I'd start with the 1973. Foremost, if you are tall, you have to look at the 1982 - it will have more legroom than the earlier years. Unless you have patience and mad bodywork skills and money, I'd pass on the 1972. Id also pass on the 1980 for multiple reasons, but I will start with 3-Speeds weren't offered that year, it's pricey for a RHD (although I think they're fun to drive), and I'm skeptical of foreign restorations (I have one and it has door locks from Home Depot). I bought 2 of my cruisers from previous Mud owners that I knew and trusted. The 4th, which was the foreign restoration, was checked out extensively by TrollHole before I bought it. He gave it an enthusiastic endorsement along with a list of things that absolutely HAD to be done (and it was supposedly restored).

Good luck!
 
CharlestonG8R said:
I gotta echo what has already been said here. If you plan to take it on the trails, I'd take a look at the 1975 FJ40. If you plan to work on it and make it a nice reliable driver, I'd start with the 1973. Foremost, if you are tall, you have to look at the 1982 - it will have more legroom than the earlier years. Unless you have patience and mad bodywork skills and money, I'd pass on the 1972. Id also pass on the 1980 for multiple reasons, but I will start with 3-Speeds weren't offered that year, it's pricey for a RHD (although I think they're fun to drive), and I'm skeptical of foreign restorations (I have one and it has door locks from Home Depot). I bought 2 of my cruisers from previous Mud owners that I knew and trusted. The 4th, which was the foreign restoration, was checked out extensively by TrollHole before I bought it. He gave it an enthusiastic endorsement along with a list of things that absolutely HAD to be done (and it was supposedly restored).

Good luck!
Click to expand...
I am looking for a reliable driver. It looks like one that I may need to take a closer look at.
 
JohnnyBighead said:
I am looking for a reliable driver. It looks like one that I may need to take a closer look at.
Click to expand...
Cool! I just got off the phone with Marshall at TrollHole. He's a super nice guy. As David mentioned, it wouldn't hurt to just drop by there first and see what you think of the different years. Several of us have trucks up there, many of us don't mind if you climb in and out of them. I've even taken naughty pictures with Eric's. He saves them.
 
Looks obvious that the '75 is driven by a person who likes the bottle and parks oddly. See if anyone in the area can help you put eyes on it if that is a possibility. Taking some Jack with you might help. It has it's issues, but could get you in a 40 pretty good, if all else looks reasonable. All of them need work, all the time. Well except mine. It hasn't seen the light of day in 4 years. Soon to change.
A friend of mine saw a 40 in Catawba a while back that I am hoping he can check on. Square bezel, so that puts it 80 and up.
Good luck.
 
I believe the 62 is owned by a builder named Jack. It's in really good shape. I also believe Josh is a good friend of his.
 
JohnnyBighead said:
I like that 62 alot, but dont know if I can pony up 15.5k for it.
Click to expand...

The 75 looks like a good price considering the current 40 market(can't believe Im saying that). I can go with you to look at it if you want since I had my tetanus booster this spring.
 
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