Fair Price for a '76 FJ-40? (1 Viewer)

[oukami]

Hey all,

Just joined this forum. Looking at buying a 76 FJ-40 and wanted to find out a reasonable price for it. Here's what I know about it:

Entire drive train is stock. Has 127K miles on it. Nothing on it has been rebuilt yet. 4WD system works great, rear shackles have been replaced due to owner "being stupid". Stock suspension. Needs a muffler and the rings need to be replaced. Starts on first crank about 90% of the time, never been able to not get it started. Brakes will need to be replaced near future and the tires are brand new "Wild Country".

Body is rusting on the fenders, rocker panels and both rear quarters. Rear doors look pretty solid. The rust on the rear quarters is covered with diamond plate currently. Claims to have no Bondo on it. The hard top looks to be in good shape except the window in one of the rear doors is badly cracked.

Any ballpark price ideas that the seller should be asking?

Thanks in advance,
Bob

 

[Landpimp]

you say it needs "rings" as in piston rings? or what?

sound like a $2500 rig or so.......depending

 

[oukami]

Yeah, piston rings. Sorry for the lack of clarity.

 

[tucker74]

the rings need to be replaced.

This statement would worry me - not job for the novice Cruiserhead. I'd say $1-2k based on this, prolly $2.5-$4k otherwise based on the year and amount of body work it needs.

Just my $.02 -

Tucker

 

[Landpimp]

OK, so it needs a rebuild, $1500-2000k then......

got any pics?

 

[red dirt squirt]

i bought mine w/ no rust, no hard top, 100k, running kind of, fairly similar to what you have described except 1975 for 2500.

 

[oukami]

Lets see if this works...

 

[Steve C]

So basically it's a fixer upper.

If it weren't a fixer upper, all of those things would have already been fixed. The cost of bringing this car back into good shape will be greater than the purchase price.

I would offer no more than maybe 1,000 dollars, and if the seller dosent accept, be prepared to walk away. There are lots of used cars out there, and you shouldn't buy one with strong negatives without a serious discount.

All just my opinions.

 

[WES1977]

I like it

 

[oukami]

I'm completely prepared to walk away. I'm not afraid of a fixer upper, helped a friend restore one several years ago. I'm finally to the point where I've got the disposable income to have one as a toy. Just don't want to pay way more than I should. All the money I can save up front means more stuff gets fixed right away when I finally find one.

Appreciate all the feedback from everyone.

 

[sine80]

sooooo whats he asking fer it?

 

[arcteryx]

I just looked at this tonight. Where are you located oukami? It is more of a project than I wanted, as I already have one with my '81. As stated before, rings are big deal and can be pricey. I know the seller wants 4900 obo, but I seriously doubt anyone on this board will pay near that for this rig- I know I will not. I think he should take it to Atlanta with him and try there as the market may be better. I asked his timeframe for selling- he would like it ASAP, but would let it sit for a while if he does not get what he wants.

Knight- the rack is pretty cool. He is not sure where he got it from. I almost asked if he would sell that. THe gutter mounts are bent in 2 places to wrap around the gutter. It looked pretty sturdy and I believe him when he said he had 6 peeps on it before.

 

[Dragon158]

I recently bought my 71 for 2k, needed no major engine work. All I needed was an exaust & rubber, meaning brake hoses, belt and radiator hoses. I'm guessing prices are regional, I'm in the north east... 4,900 seems steep, but I'm still new to 40's...

 

[HawkDriver]

Cool and ya it looks super tough. Mostly curious to see how he clamped it to the gutter up close.

4500 seems a bit steep to me, but in the ballpark. Would have to see it up close.

 

[HawkDriver]

I recently bought my 71 for 2k, needed no major engine work. All I needed was an exaust & rubber, meaning brake hoses, belt and radiator hoses. I'm guessing prices are regional, I'm in the north east... 4,900 seems steep, but I'm still new to 40's...

I don't know if it was just me or what, but it seems like some folks are luckier than they realize to find a good deal. Again it prolly depends on your location. Maybe I was dumb with my first, but I guess it made me really appreciate the value of a good deal when I found it. I mean 2k is nothing man for a decent body and no major probs, that's what I had in my tires and a few other things.

In my opinion a stock complete (top and doors) cruiser in need of marginal rust repair and paint, having mostly worn everything, but not at it's end-- should run around 3-4k. If you can find any cruiser for less than that that runs and isn't a pile of rust you've found a deal. Then again if you add some mods and upgrades and good body and mechanicals it would be a steal for 3-4k. A clean one that's reliable, has most mods (steering and brakes, maybe v8) and needs only minor maint should run for 6-8k. A super clean turnkey preserved one around 12-13k. A low mileage original paint late model around 15-18k. And so on.

There ya have it, the Hawk's laydown on cruiser values, what are your questions?

 

[risingsunfj40]

It's hard for me to get used to the idea of newer versions of a classic being worth more then older ones. I obviously understand the reasoning, but being that I've been into hot rods and choppers for a lot longer then 4x4's, it's still weird to me. I thought having a 68 cruiser was the poop, cause it's old. Then I found out about 2f's, 4 speed tranny's, and stronger axles, and I can see why a newer one makes more sense. Now I'm looking at the cost of upgrading everything, which in my experience, is always more expensive then buying something already dialed in. My FJ was free, so I can't complain about dropping a few G's and having a bad ass trial rig. I'm into it for about 300 dollars right now (new clutch and a few bits and bobs) and a couple of weekends of labor, and it's my daily driver. But it's not as capable on the trials. Being that every off roader has a differant idea of what is the hot set up you may not be able to find the vehicle you want already hooked up the way you want it. I would guestimate it probably getting about 3,000 to 5,000 here in So Cal, especially if you didn't know it needed rings Pulling an FJ drivetrain isn't really that bad, it's putting it back in that's tricky. Especially if you disregard the books advice and leave the tranny and transfer case strapped to your frame with some ratcheting tie down straps! But projects are fun, and if you want something to wrench on, you like the vehicle, and it's the only one available in your neighborhood go for it. A vehicle is only worth what you're willing to pay for it. Ussually if you're willing to wait a guy out he'll drop his price when he wants that money for soemthing else. And nothing motivated a seller like a big wad of cash. Just amke sure you stay in his back pocket so he thinks about you first when he gets motivated to sell

 

[Trollhole]

I know I overpaid for mine. But It had most of the stuff I wanted to do to it already done. Plus it was local. Without the winch, rollbars, bumbers, sliders, softtop, SOA, rims and all the original parts that came with it I wouldn't have paid 7k for it. But sometimes you just fall in love with a certain 40 and there is nothing you can do about it.

7k

And I'll never regret it. In 30years I'll be telling my grandkids that.

 

[HawkDriver]

I'd agree that the older an antique is the cooler it is, but unless you soop it up with all the creature comforts and make it a hot rod it's just a better deal to have the same basic vehicle with all the later model goodies like you said.

Hey Trollhole, that is a smooth rig and I'm sure it's worth 7k without the mods. That rear bumper is extra nice, like how you see the lights over it. How do the hypershackles work out? How much lift did it give?

 

[Trollhole]

I'd agree that the older an antique is the cooler it is, but unless you soop it up with all the creature comforts and make it a hot rod it's just a better deal to have the same basic vehicle with all the later model goodies like you said.

Hey Trollhole, that is a smooth rig and I'm sure it's worth 7k without the mods. That rear bumper is extra nice, like how you see the lights over it. How do the hypershackles work out? How much lift did it give?

Don't mean to hyjack the thread

Can see lights fine.

Shackles work great.

Not much over stock. I didn't need much since I have SOA. Unloaded about 8 to 10 inches.

 

[dgangle]

There are all kindsa people out there. Anything is only worth what someone would pay. At different times in my life, depending on what bug I had up my ass at the time, have been willing to pay more or less for something because it's what I was into at the time. If I really wanted that Cruiser and had no other options and I was unwilling to travel far to find others $5k doesn't sound too bad. But if I already had 2-3 in various stages of emptying my pockets that truck is a $1500 money pit. I paid $1500 for my 75 5 years ago with no engine and a butchered Lincoln locker rear axle. Besides needing paint, the body was clean and straight and quite honestly most of what's out there is 30+ years old and rusted to death. The term 'restoration' makes me laugh when someone says their baby has been through. I saw a '80 FJ40 at a Toy dealership next to the Knoxville airport in Alcoa, TN that had been 'restored'. It was recently painted but this brain surgeon didn't even open the hood or doors or remove the windows when painted. Horific tape lines and overspray on anything and everything. That tire shine sure looked good though. And the new carpet in the rear shure hid those rust craters, holes and malignant cancer. Hey but it was a claimed 2 owner and 'restored' for a cool $13,999.99. Had patches in the body in all the typical places. The guy was a fawking moron. $6K tops and thta's only because it did shine and I have always wanted a later model 40 with a square bezel. But this is only my opinion and YMMV. Buy it, spend another $15K and you too can get your post count up to 1000 'cause you'le be asking every question again that has already been rehashed 150 times. but that is the fun of it, agree?