FZJ80 vs FJ40 (1 Viewer)

[Anvil]

I love 40's and did a frame off restoration of a 1974 Fj40. I was offered more money than the 40 was worth and sold it and bought an 80. I have no regrets! I'll always miss the 40, but my 1997 Fzj80 is a superior vehicle. The 80 has taken me on several overlanding trips in comfort. The 40 simply can't do this.

I bought a 2020 Taco TRD Off Road a month ago... I found I still drive the 80 more than the new rig. Love my 80!

 

[ChaseTruck]

Bikini top 40 with tube doors = the most air conditioning you can have. You just can't set the temperature yourself...

 

[wngrog]

I own both. The 80 is the pinnacle of the Land Cruiser and as we all know, the Land Cruiser is the pinnacle of 4WD. Last cruiser with the beefy I6, SFA, factory F&R lockers, bullet proof trans/t-case all running gear, etc. Made during Toyota's golden era, it absolutely has soul, despite what @wngrog tells you The 80 is simply the last cruiser that has any character whatsoever.

Clearly you have never owned a 100 series.

 

[Bludozer]

Clearly you have never owned a 100 series.

I haven't, but have spent some time in them. Not for me. The 100 was several steps backwards for many reasons...total skip gen IMO. If you want to talk about lack of soul, the 100 is about as sterile as you can possibly imagine. If you're going to go for a V8/IFS cruiser, the 200 was a few steps back in the right direction and is 3x the truck the 100 ever was. Toyota finally came back to their senses. The 200 is what the 100 should have been.

 

[KennyBob]

As stated before, I also think the 80 is the perfect blend of new comfort and old school mechanical ruggedness. I own one because it has a solid axle, is relatively easy to work on, I can daily it, haul the family and most importantly I could afford to buy it.

I've wanted a 40 for a couple of decades now and probably always will but they are stupid expensive and may remain outside of my means indefinitely. I've had the fortune of driving one and riding in one off road. They are beasts but not nearly as point-n-shoot as an 80, imho. Moral of the story: an 80 checks all of the boxes except for fuel economy. If I could have both I would.

 

[77mustard40]

Scored my 40 right out of college just to have something to hunt and kick around in, paid less than $3K back in the day. It has taken me to a lot of cool places and is a complete smile every-time I turn the key. For an old truck it has been amazingly dependable. Short runs around town, weather permitting (bikini top) the 40 is always first on deck although my wife is rarely up for the post 40 hairdo.

As I age (and my 40 does) I have found I'm less inclined to push it as hard off road, partly because its really a pretty clean truck and the market for them has gone nuts. Now that I added an 80 to stable I see myself wheeling the 80 since I don't have as much invested in it and because it is not a looker, whats another scratch or dent?

They are totally different trucks. 40's are bare bone, comfort is in the mind of the driver. I'm always attune to the sounds and shakes of my 40, kind of like I'm listening for the feedback the truck is giving. 80's are more like a hardcore 100, comfortable point and go.

 

[White Stripe]

The nice thing about a 40 is they fit better down tight trails. Also you can take the top off which is nice. Here is a 40 and 80 offroad. The wheel base difference is significant.

 

[PIG PUNISHER]

I bought a 40 right out of high school. It was my first cruiser and I have many fond memories in it. Sadly it burned up in a shop fire in 2006. In 2012 I sold my 95 locked fzj80 to a friend of mine with the intent of using the money to purchase another 40. On my way to deliver the 80 to my friend I found my current locked 97 LX450. I bought it instead of the 40. I think I will always have my 80 but one day I will own another 40. Nothing like it.

 

[subzali]

The nice thing about a 40 is they fit better down tight trails. Also you can take the top off which is nice. Here is a 40 and 80 offroad. The wheel base difference is significant.

I don't know, I like @Lumpskie video comparison better. The 80 is smooth and glides through. See the Jeep bouncing and rocking around? Imagine if that Jeep didn't have a front locker - it wouldn't have made it. That is like most 40s.

Builds - Lumpskie's Diesel 80 build

Ordered a new belt from McGeorge Toyota. When I ordered the belt they had the "also frequently purchased" suggestion for a tensioner. I rolled the dice and bought that too. They fit perfectly! (I'm sure they are both shared with an engine that was sold in the U.S., I just don't know which...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[nukegoat]

1975 is the cut off year here, hence the 40. Grey market imports are a iffy too, so no 70’s.



My DD is a manual Challenger Scat Pack. The idea was to push the LX450, but it’s a like owning a 747 for a family of four. Its also sequence number 188450 with a build date of 12-1997, no roof rack and K294 locker package.

I think it was the last LX450 to roll off the line.

Just buy a Jeep

 

[White Stripe]

I don't know, I like @Lumpskie video comparison better. The 80 is smooth and glides through. See the Jeep bouncing and rocking around? Imagine if that Jeep didn't have a front locker - it wouldn't have made it. That is like most 40s.

Builds - Lumpskie's Diesel 80 build

Ordered a new belt from McGeorge Toyota. When I ordered the belt they had the "also frequently purchased" suggestion for a tensioner. I rolled the dice and bought that too. They fit perfectly! (I'm sure they are both shared with an engine that was sold in the U.S., I just don't know which...

forum.ih8mud.com

Yeah shorter or longer wheel base definitely affects ease or difficulty of climbs as all those videos show. If the op wants a longer wheel base and a removable top then a fj45 pickup or a troopy might be something he could check out.

 

[graham5david]

I went the opposite route a few years ago. sold my 40 and bought an 80. I loved the 40 but wife wouldn't ride in it. Couldn't take it wheeling with the kids and I was done with rebuilding it. I think I got bored without something to work on and I convinced myself the 80 would be better for the family. overall the 80 is amazing. I have even considered getting rid of my daily and driving the 80 daily. I've had 2 fj cruisers as well but finally went with a tacoma becausenot havinga truck sucks. My wife has a 200 which I absolutely love and it will out wheel most anything in stock form with a good set of tires. We will be keeping it until it dies which is probably never. Long story short I miss my 40 like crazy. I will buy another but I am not getting rid of the 80 when I go back to a 40. You cant beat a 40 for smiles per gallon and nothing else feels like a real land cruiser. I love being able to drive without a top too. My opinion is get a 40 if you want it. Keep the 80 if you have doubts about getting rid of it. if not sell it and get what you want.

 

[tacocat]

Just buy a Jeep

I did. It sucked. Mopar does make a nice muscle car. Still, there are some WTF things on my Shaker Scat that remind me of my Jeeps.

 

[vegasfj40]

My first cruiser was a 1979 FJ40 that I owned for 6 years and I currently own a 95 FZJ80. My experience with the 40 was fun but in the end it was hard to drive on longer trips, hot in the summer, no a/c, wife couldn't drive it, short on room. It was great off road and I do miss it but my 80 is far superior. There are days where I wish I still had my 40 and someday may buy another but it was in pretty nice shape and I didn't want to do some of the exploring I wanted to do because the value was really climbing. There's a guy down the street from me that has a super nice 75 for sale but it has engine running issues and who knows what else and still wants 30k for it. I guess if you have room and the funds keep the 80 and buy a 40!

 

[Tachycardic]

The 40 and 80 were purpose-built to cater different audiences. The 40 is born out of the original Toyota Jeep and was created as a necessary product of war. The 80 was born from the Iron Pig, a more comfort-oriented 4 door wagon. One really needs to prioritize what they need rather than what they want before deciding on a purchase. This is an apple to orange comparison; either buy one of each, or deal with the deficiencies of whichever one you buy.

 

[Bludozer]

The 40 and 80 were purpose-built to cater different audiences. The 40 is born out of the original Toyota Jeep and was created as a necessary product of war. The 80 was born from the Iron Pig, a more comfort-oriented 4 door wagon. One really needs to prioritize what they need rather than what they want before deciding on a purchase. This is an apple to orange comparison; either buy one of each, or deal with the deficiencies of whichever one you buy.

Very different vehicles no question. Easy to get caught up in the fact that they are "all land cruisers" but reality is they couldnt be more different. A single guy hitting local trails and fishing rivers in his town? Buy a 40. Want to go a bit further? Have a few more poeple along for the ride? Get an 80.

 

[tacocat]

Thanks all, your replies pretty much solidified all the pluses and minuses about making the switch, if I decide to do it. I was just making sure, if there wasn't something I hadn't considered.

The responses have been solid and well thought.

 

[baldilocks]

I had a 1975 fj40 that I bought in 1988. It was bone stock, and at 21 years old, I thought it was the best thing on four wheels. I couldn’t afford to do much to it so I ran it over Rubicon on a 2” shackle lift, 32” tires and manual steering the first year. Power steering made it much better the next year. I loved that 40 even though it was slow, noisy and hot as hell in the Valley summer heat but I never once wanted it it to be different. It was what it was and I appreciated that. Would I trade my 80 for a 40? No.

If it were me, and I would if I could swing it right now, I would buy the nicest unmolested 40 I could afford and simply enjoy it for what it is. These vehicles can take a person back to a time when ABS and airbags were unheard of, A/C was for the well off and PS/PB were optional, maybe. This was when people were not pussies and didn’t expect to be in the lap of luxury every minute of the day, a time when driving with only a lap belt wasn’t “dangerous” and risk management meant throwing a extra beer in the cooler before shoving off on the next adventure which lacked planning and foresight.

Why do we want to buy a particularly unique car and then completely change it?