FJ40 vs GX470 (1 Viewer)

[BTG88]

I've owned both. The 40 definitely is cooler and a tough vehicle, but it is crude - one step above a tractor. You have to be willing to accept that every day of your ownership. If you are not, then don't go down that route. The GX is refined, and as long as it is maintained, reliable. If you really want to off road it, putting on the appropriate tires and perhaps beefing up the suspension will get you most of the way there. Be prepared to get it banged up a bit, especially on the bottom of the body panels and bumpers.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

I will mention that the GX I went wheeling with, I believe, had long-travel suspension installed it was pretty cool watching it flex.

 

[billmc]

I also have both and drive both off-road (meaning trail blazing in the woods, not logging roads, which I could do in my old VW Beetle). The GX goes just fine, it's main impediment being that no one want trail rash on their GX.

 

[DSRTRDR]

Just asking for opinions and what others have seen on the trail. I have a 1972 FJ40 that is mine for the taking if I want it but it's not running. It was my first car and I learned to drive on it. When I was 18 I bought low mileage YJ Jeep Wrangler and my dad lost interest in the FJ40 when I was no longer at home to work on it with him and I was off being a teenager. It's been setting since 2000 and has no rust but I'm going to need to get it running again and my son is the same age I was when he bought it and we worked on it. On the other hand for around $8-9k I can buy a clean used LX470. I had a 460 and we traded it off for something else for my wife earlier this year. Do you think the GX470/LC120 is as capable as a stock FJ40? I know it's safer, more comfortable, and will probably be cheaper.

what means "capable" to you ?

I have a 40, and we have two GXs - we drive the Arizona GX on dirt roads no problem, but it won't ever match the performance of my 40 in Moab

 

[DSRTRDR]

I was out on the trail with one a few weekends ago - we didn’t do anything particularly difficult but it held its own just fine. The GX went everywhere my 40 went and vice versa.

If you’re not planning on making a hardcore rock crawler out of it I think either one of them is pretty capable off-road. The GX is a heck of a lot more comfortable (I would have killed for AC on this trip) but the 40 is a heck of a lot cooler

View attachment 2394894

View attachment 2394902

see, there's the problem: you were following a GX, when they should be following you

you need more challenging terrain, obviously

 

[rudyred]

I live in OKC and I would love the opportunity to buy your 40 if you decide to sell it!

I appreciate it. It's unlikely I'll ever sell it. It's at my Dad's house in NE Oklahoma, so I'm planning on carting it down to Cruiser Corp to get it going again. But if I do, I'll PM you.

 

[bmm2k]

I own both - FJ40 and GX470. The GX is my daily driver. This is a tractor versus Lexus comparison.

First time I drove the GX was after owning a full size pickup for 10 years. I was blown away how a truck can drive and be that comfortable and still be so capable. I have driven it off-road and in the snow and the GX is super capable in stock form. The only thing I’ve done put the larger A/T tires on it. That said, absolutely nobody will look at or care about your GX. Because majority of them are used as mall crawlers.

Driving the FJ40 for the first time? It is so raw and rough, really feels like driving a tractor. It’s loud, smelly and you know in the back of your head that if you get in an accident you would be in the hospital. As for looks, every time I take my FJ out (once a week) I get comments or looks or waves etc.

Is the FJ40 more capable? My answer is no, not even close. Could you build an FJ40 to be more capable? Yes, because you can build a massive rock crawler out of it and go places no GX would go. But truth is the GX is now the more affordable truck to take out to the trails and beat up. 15 years ago it was the opposite.

 

[ceylonfj40nut]

Yup, new gigantic shop leads to hoarding. Happens every time

so true.

 

[1MOA]

I own both - FJ40 and GX470. The GX is my daily driver. This is a tractor versus Lexus comparison.

First time I drove the GX was after owning a full size pickup for 10 years. I was blown away how a truck can drive and be that comfortable and still be so capable. I have driven it off-road and in the snow and the GX is super capable in stock form. The only thing I’ve done put the larger A/T tires on it. That said, absolutely nobody will look at or care about your GX. Because majority of them are used as mall crawlers.

Driving the FJ40 for the first time? It is so raw and rough, really feels like driving a tractor. It’s loud, smelly and you know in the back of your head that if you get in an accident you would be in the hospital. As for looks, every time I take my FJ out (once a week) I get comments or looks or waves etc.

Is the FJ40 more capable? My answer is no, not even close. Could you build an FJ40 to be more capable? Yes, because you can build a massive rock crawler out of it and go places no GX would go. But truth is the GX is now the more affordable truck to take out to the trails and beat up. 15 years ago it was the opposite.

Actually every tractor I own is more refined than a FJ40.