I found an Abandoned FJ40

[Soberacho]

So I have a buddy that owns a body shop and I was there a few days ago to get a estimate to re-pad my front bench seats. While I'm there he tells me that he has a truck like mine in the back of his shop that's been stored there since 1998. He says the owner had it towed to the shop to be painted and to do an engine and tranny install. Ownership was verified via clear title Seems to think it a 1974.

After the 40 was disassembled and primed, my buddy called the owner and told him the truck was ready for paint. When he asked about the engine/tranny, the owner claimed he had just located and bought the drivetrain. The Owner was told that he needed to come back with $$ as a partial payment to begin the paint job..

Long story short, The Owner never went by to drop off the $$ nor did he ever deliver the engine/tranny. The last communication between the shop and owner was sometime in 1999. The Owner has since disappeared.

My buddy claims he has all the parts of the 40 stored in the shop (fiberglass top, hood, ambulance doors, etc. etc..) except for the engine and tranny. Sadly, the 40 has accumulated a few decades of dust and many old parts from other vehicles have been stacked on it.

Here's a few pics. ..

 

[South Texas 97]

you're just going to leave us hanging...... is it up for sale - just have to resolve the title issue, that would be a state by state thing I suspect.
could be an interesting project.

 

[Soberacho]

you're just going to leave us hanging...... is it up for sale - just have to resolve the title issue, that would be a state by state thing I suspect.
could be an interesting project.

He wants me to make him an offer and I eventually will,.. but not until I see the rest of the parts. The wheels are original 15" with the hub cap snaps still attached.

 

[Green Bean]

Just thinking out loud… Seems like your buddy or the shop owner would have to file a mechanic’s lien and follow to the letter the procedure in that state for establishing title in his name.

 

[cstav86]

Just thinking out loud… Seems like your buddy or the shop owner would have to file a mechanic’s lien and follow to the letter the procedure in that state for establishing title in his name.

Lien rights are likely a few decades too late. I’d figure out the owner and transfer the title prior to giving anyone any money. (In Texas) If you go bonded title route, then you’ll have to have your local LEO verify it is not stolen, then you’ll purchase a bond to obtain the title. Then there is a three year period where the previous owner can claim the car or the bond. All this to say it is a messy process and if you don’t have your paperwork straight you could end up out your money.

 

[Living in the Past]

If Texas is anything like AZ fees for over twenty five years of storage no way would anyone pay to get it back. AZ use to be $10 a day for storage but they did away with that limit years ago. The original owner most like doesn't need to be contacted after this long. He can claim the owner abandoned the vehicle. He wouldn't be lying. Because this is still a short pre seventeen digit tracking any history would be difficult. Most states do not have records for vehicles not registered for a few years.

 

[Mark W]

I've dealt with a couple of rigs that were basically abandoned at my shop. It is not all that difficult in most places in a case like this.

Talk to your DMV. Local towing operations usually have a pretty complete understanding of how to get titles too, due to the nature of their operations. Opinions from people all over the world here on Mud really mean nothing. Talk to your DMV and people who deal with this stuff every day in YOUR locality


Mark...

 

[Paul_A]

Looks like the ghost of Cruisers past!

 

[igotta40]

Hey! My Forty! I forgot all about it!

 

[Unimogguy]

Look on your DMV website and see if you can find a reference to Abandoned Property. In VA it’s called Abandoned Motor Vehicle and it’s an easy process. I printed annd filled out all the required paperwork and brought it with me along with the complete documentation of the process from the DMV’s website. I’ve titled 6 vehicles without titles. Or have your buddy go thru the process and get a title.

 

[Roastchestnuts]

SInce its been in storage that might be a nice patina rig. it looks really nice other than no make go components.

Side note - I never understand why somebody would just abandon a project like this. Seems at the very least store it in a storage facility so a garage does not have it. But who knows, the guy could have died or somthing before he could pay the money. or he just was a dead beat. 1999 was over 20 years ago too witch is crazy to say.

 

[rainingagain]

Side note - I never understand why somebody would just abandon a project like this. Seems at the very least store it in a storage facility so a garage does not have it. But who knows, the guy could have died or somthing before he could pay the money. or he just was a dead beat. 1999 was over 20 years ago too witch is crazy to say.

My brother did bodywork for years and you'd be surprised how often this happens. People don't realize or ignore the fact that they authorized like 10k+ in work and when it's time to pay they ghost. Or they die.

I'd imagine back in 99, these rigs didn't command the same money as they do today either.

 

[DeskJock]

That - looks like a lot of work.

 

[EWheeler]

That - looks like a lot of work.

My thoughts exactly. Id rather pay for one put together and working than get that one for free….

 

[70fj40]

In 1999 these rigs were still just old 4x4’s to most anyone other than a Landcruiser fanatic. So the guy deciding to “fix it up” and then having to explain to the wife how much it’s going to cost today to get it back from the shop vs ghosting the project may have seemed like an easy decision back then. I feel for the poor chap!
When my lovely wife and I went to pick up my rig the first time I outsourced some work and it had turned into a we-bit more $$ than what I had gotten “approved “ from her before hand (I may have requested a few extras during subsequent visits to said shop) she could have wrestled a bobcat and won! However I have learned that if a man perseveres in Landcruiser endeavors and he is extremely fortunate his wife may become numb to those $$’s spent on these rigs.
YMMV!

 

[DaveNotHere]

26 years of storage at 100 bucks a month is only 31,200 bucks.

 

[Soberacho]

I’m going to go see the rest of the parts. One thing that stands out in the photo of the front driver fender is the it doesn’t have an opening for the side marker, which doesn’t make sense.

He told me that he has the rear jumpers and the roll bar and located all the hub caps. He doesn’t have keys.!

 

[pb4ugo]

It looks to be a 76 or later. In the last pic, the frt brake lines are for a factory disc brake front end.

 

[FJ404345]

In 1999 these rigs were still just old 4x4’s to most anyone other than a Landcruiser fanatic. So the guy deciding to “fix it up” and then having to explain to the wife how much it’s going to cost today to get it back from the shop vs ghosting the project may have seemed like an easy decision back then. I feel for the poor chap!
When my lovely wife and I went to pick up my rig the first time I outsourced some work and it had turned into a we-bit more $$ than what I had gotten “approved “ from her before hand (I may have requested a few extras during subsequent visits to said shop) she could have wrestled a bobcat and won! However I have learned that if a man perseveres in Landcruiser endeavors and he is extremely fortunate his wife may become numb to those $$’s spent on these rigs.
YMMV!

I bet that after that time in 1999 you never went to pick up a LC at the body shop with your lovely wife again, or you did arranged the
Final payment a day or two after the pick up

 

[MUDZLLA]

I just bought a 40 a year or so back from a pilot who saw it in the bush. I paid him $5k for it. He wrote me a bill of sale for that, plus an 8 yr old registration from the original owner I found inside and then used that to get new registration in my name.

Worked like a charm up here in rural Alberteee! (Paid 5k, Put 5k into it and just sold it for 10k canuck-bucks a few weeks ago). It's going to a restorere to become a show rig I've been told.

Nicknamed it "The Rust Bucket" after a few comments from prospective purchasers.