FJ40 Identify Model Year (1 Viewer)

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Apr 24, 2021
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Location
Birmingham, AL
I recently purchase I thought was a 1978 FJ40 that appears to have come from South America. As I am starting to replace parts I am having a difficult time identifying the month and year of my FJ. Here is the VIN plate. Can someone help me identify the month and year this was built?
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If your fixing a SA (south American) truck using the North American supply system things will look different. A 1978 SA Fj40 would not have the same parts as a North American 1978 fj40.
 
Those are not Toyota rivets either plate has been installed by somebody
Best to post up pics for better answers. It could be any year ?
You will need to some research when ordering parts also the SA ones have a lot of different variations,,


Mixed parts cruisers are common here in the US. Generally not a big deal as long as VINs have been switched around. SA think has more than their share of switched VIN cruisers. It's become big business restoring and shipping Land Cruisers to the US. Pictures would help tell how original it is. Can tell you this left the factory as a soft top with two piece ambulance doors (hard bottom vinyl covered top), H41 four speed and 4.11:1 diffs.
 
Show us pics of your 40 , from all side and engine, drivetrain and frame

The vin plate is probably not good for a 40 made with parts from mixted years
Those are not Toyota rivets either plate has been installed by somebody
Best to post up pics for better answers. It could be any year ?
You will need to some research when ordering parts also the SA ones have a lot of different variations,,
Here is the VIN stamped on the frame. You can barely see the numbers but reads FJ40-278661
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Sounds like (with evidence shown) that this truck was swapped over to a '78 frame. That could explain the replaced VIN plate. SA Cruisers came from the factory with many of the parts used as old stock and therefore originally didn't have parts that match a NA FJ40 for the same year. Such as split bench seats after '74 for years, or drum brake after '75 for years. Your parts searching may have to be based on exactly what it is, not what year and month it is.
 
Here are some more pics. As you can see the top and doors are not original. Doesn't look good and plan on replacing later. Included some pics of the engine. I am assuming it is a 2F engine but let me know if you think its not.
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As others have mentioned, you'll have a hodge podge of parts from various years on a South American cruiser. That being said the Vin plate has been re-riveted, but the number does indicate a 2nd quarter 1978 FJ40 (May to July would be my guess). My us market fj40 is 267XXX and am 01/78. You can "Americanize" the cruiser, with US parts, air cleaner, heater, front disc axle, seats, dash, hard top, and likely a lot of other minor things - or just fix it to your liking and roll with it. Welcome to the club!
 
As others have mentioned, you'll have a hodge podge of parts from various years on a South American cruiser. That being said the Vin plate has been re-riveted, but the number does indicate a 2nd quarter 1978 FJ40 (May to July would be my guess). My us market fj40 is 267XXX and am 01/78. You can "Americanize" the cruiser, with US parts, air cleaner, heater, front disc axle, seats, dash, hard top, and likely a lot of other minor things - or just fix it to your liking and roll with it. Welcome to the club!
Thats the goal! Thank you.
 
Frame matches the VIN plaque but is it the original body that was mated to the frame at the factory or tag moved to another body then mounted to the frame. That VIN was produced 5/78. Was made as a soft top with ambulance style doors according to the model number. If Toyota delivered minus and switched to the locally made hard top who knows. Columbia 40 series seem to have hard top made by a couple different vendors. Think that was a requirement a certain percent had to be locally made. Brazil was making them locally and installing a Mercedes diesel engine. The entire top and ambulance doors were locally made. Find it interesting the lower hinge on the rear door was made to match the fixed nuts for the factory made doors. The hinge that low would not work that well for a blank off plate when the hard top and doors were removed. If your going to try and Americanize would plate on a replacement Plaque, FJ40L~KC pretty much puts it as a general market soft top. My first concern would be the right rear corner body work. Maybe both sides. Think you will find it needs a rear sill and new skin for the back corners. I was already called out for saying restore. The quality of many SA 40 series body is questionable at best.
 
Can you show pictures from the inside dash and AC unit
 
Frame matches the VIN plaque but is it the original body that was mated to the frame at the factory or tag moved to another body then mounted to the frame. That VIN was produced 5/78. Was made as a soft top with ambulance style doors according to the model number. If Toyota delivered minus and switched to the locally made hard top who knows. Columbia 40 series seem to have hard top made by a couple different vendors. Think that was a requirement a certain percent had to be locally made. Brazil was making them locally and installing a Mercedes diesel engine. The entire top and ambulance doors were locally made. Find it interesting the lower hinge on the rear door was made to match the fixed nuts for the factory made doors. The hinge that low would not work that well for a blank off plate when the hard top and doors were removed. If your going to try and Americanize would plate on a replacement Plaque, FJ40L~KC pretty much puts it as a general market soft top. My first concern would be the right rear corner body work. Maybe both sides. Think you will find it needs a rear sill and new skin for the back corners. I was already called out for saying restore. The quality of many SA 40 series body is questionable at best.
Can you show pictures from the inside dash and AC unit
Here you go. The A/C unit is on the passenger side.
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