Dash controls for 1978 FJ40 (1 Viewer)

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Which FJ is consider more desirable? One imported to the states or South America?


That is kind of a loaded question. One restored by the FJ Company is very desirable but comes with a price to match. Most consider those imported to the states to be more desirable because generally SA 40s were work vehicles and repairs were make shift to keep keep them running. But many US ports spent time in the rust belt and a lot of times rust repairs were not top quality. Personal choice is one with original paint. Less chance of hiding anything.
 
As a teenager back in the 70s I had a clipping of a FJ ad up on my corkboard, it took me 40+ years to get one. I had several friends in the Air Force who had FJs, one put a V8 in it the other keep it stock. Mine feels and runs just like the one I drove back in the 70s. I just have a few things I want to fix like putting a heater back it, getting the speedometer to work, and understanding how it all works. Thanks for the education today...
 
Good morning. Have you had any experience with installing or removing an aftermarket AC? I know I have to have the Freon removed from the system.
 
Need pictures. Especially of the compressor mount. Would probably buy your compressor bracket if they used the stock style. Removing the under the dash evaporator/fan should be straight forward. You will probably end up with a few holes in the firewall for the refrigerant hoses and the condensate drain. Drain they may have tied into right cowl vent drain. If a OEM heater was removed adding the heater should be just a matter of bolting it in. If not will be a lot more work. Most like the opening for the blower which mounts in the engine compartment will not be there. Fix nuts to bolt the heater and blower will not be there. Even before Toyota offered a factory installed heater in the early sixties they installed windshield defrost duct so hopefully that is all there. As for your cowl vent I would clear out the area then sand and paint it. Otherwise might end up rusting out. Need to keep the area clean of debris like leafs and drains clear. With an operating vent you will end up with leaks inside where wiring and switches are. Plus more like to rust in the vent area if it stays wet because of debris.
 
I would love to opine on the South American cruisers. I'm sure people will hate me, flame me and even FJCo as well, but a SA cruiser will never be a NA cruiser. They are subpar on many levels and require a lot of grafting and parts and pieces to make them even close to a NA spec cruiser.

Even when that is all done, the VIN plates/stamps/etc.. will never be correct or OEM, but a replica. This is why I call them "Imposter Cruisers". They are all over ebay, and flooding the market. Most of the time creeping into the market via Miami, they are usually lip sticked on the SA side due to cheaper labor costs and products, and then imported here and tripled in price.

Don't get me wrong, capitalism is great, and people making money is wonderful, but there is a dishonesty to buyers going on. Enough people have complained, that even BaT now has to state the origin of them, and then others chiming in on what it means to have a SA cruiser, with a front drum axle, no dash pads, no vin tag on the A pillar, no heater, strange seats, older random parts (like the air cleaner) and other pieces that don't add up.

It sucks for the guy that drops 40k on one, and then orders from SOR or a supporting vendor here a tune-up kit or other parts and then:

1. Wonder WTF air filter is this? Its oval and flat?? Why did I receive disc pads when my front axle is drum?
2. Have to return it to the place they ordered it, wasting time and money on both sides.

The list goes on. I even mentioned these things to FJCo to which they replied that they "sell an FJ experience". While beautiful and stunning, as a purist I can say that there is a difference between a 1968 911S Porsche and a 1968 912 clone that has a little more hp that gives you an experience of a 911S.

This SHOULD be frustrating to supporting vendors and cruiser shops, along with uneducated buyers alike. Both assume the expense of dealing with these cruisers. Vendors have to assume the overhead of educating their staff, updating web forms and order forms to ENSURE the year/market/item number is correct, and then deal with returns when it isn't. New owners that may not be educated on the differences will need to spend more time researching, taking notes, returning items.....

Queue the OP, you just bought this cruiser....none of the FSM's will be correct, unless you have about 3 or 4 of them, with a legend/notes on where to find various systems on your cruiser.

Back to the US Market cruiser owners/modders/restorers. Heaters, disc axles, seats, and all of the late 70's gear is a premium and the pre 75 parts on them are cheaper and readily available, not to mention wonky things that are not on ANY US market cruiser (windows, sliding bits, etc..).

The economic impact of these imposter cruisers screws up quite a bit of things other than the people importing them for a total COGS (cost of goods sold) at 15K, and they just reeled in some dude for 40K. Good for them, and good luck to the rest of us.

Done venting.
 
I would argue that the "bones" are still pure FJ. Toyota didn't have an assembly line that produced sub-standard FJ for the SA market. Just as here in the USA, General Motors produces the Chevrolet Silverado one shift and the next the GMC Denali. One selling for $10 - $15K more than the other yet the only real difference is just on the surface.
 
Venezuela had their own manufacturing plant, "Toyota de Venezuela, C.A (TDV), Cumana, Sucre State", fed parts from Japan, etc.. Visible quality differences. Not trying to fact check or argue, just call a spade a spade. Most if not all (some directly imported to Columbia) CA FJ's came from this plant, with subpar manufacturing standards, inconsistent parts, and pre 1975 parts used up into the 80's.

Now, I'm not saying they can't be made great. Here is a beautiful imposter cruiser: 1980 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40

But again, see all of the above issues this buyer is going to have - even ordering seals for what would normally be ambulance doors. Venezuelan cruisers are also having their vin tags drilled out and US market vin tags made and installed.

Let me also add I'm restoring what I now have to call a "US Market" - and I've put up want ads in classified section needing some '78 parts, only to go through the hassle of not only finding the seller does, in fact NOT have a 78 part, but a South American part that came off of their 78 cruiser.
 
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