Just sat in a $250,000 FJ40. Is it still a Land Cruiser?

[charliemeyer007]

I don't think I would spend that much money on one even if I hit the billion dollar luttery by myself, come on seven. Still have a soft spot for the 917S and a Ferrari but I'd bet on a dozer, back and track hoe. That way I could dig a moat and hole to hide in

 

[Ditcherman]

I don't think I would spend that much money on one even if I hit the billion dollar luttery by myself, come on seven. Still have a soft spot for the 917S and a Ferrari but I'd bet on a dozer, back and track hoe. That way I could dig a moat and hole to hide in

Backhoe, excavator, and ditching machine is what paid (ok will pay for) mine.
I never gave the first thought to hiring any of it out, except a bit of glass work.

Had alot of good advice along the way, Accutune, my Napa paint guy, a neighbor painter, and definitely here. Most everybody here has done everything and posted a whole lot of it to read about, which is awesome.

So, speaking of 250k or 100k Landcruisers, how does anyone insure these things?!?
Having an appraisal done now, thinking I would use it to get an agreed value policy, but no one wants to touch it, and it’s not because I tell them it’s “homemade”. It’s custom, to go off-road. I’d even be liability only off road, totally at my own risk but they won’t write that. I just want to be covered if it’s the other guy while on the road.
Don’t even mention Hagerty either. Bigger tires? Lift kit? Solid no questions asked no even for a parade vehicle. Most are like that. Had my hopes up with Grundy but they said no off road, and if they could find a picture of you off road when you filed an on road claim they’d cancel you and not pay.

 

[sogncab]

For well under $100k you could have a rad 40/43/45 with nice paint, seats, lighting, AC, engine swap, 60 axles, coil springs, linked suspension, power steering, etc.

I blew through $100k and still had a rust bucket.

 

[TreadingLight]

So, speaking of 250k or 100k Landcruisers, how does anyone insure these things?!?

It’s custom, to go off-road. I’d even be liability only off road, totally at my own risk but they won’t write that.

I'd start by defining "off road".

The Rubicon trail is a county road after all.

 

[70fj40]

I think if I were going to spend anywhere near 6 figures on my FJ40 I would head north and try to get a place in line at Jdc1 shop. I have to think his team could equal the build quality of icon or anyone else. I likely wont ever pull that trigger but it is fun to dream.

 

[Ditcherman]

I'd start by defining "off road".

The Rubicon trail is a county road after all.

Grundy said "no off pavement".

 

[archie73]

Interesting read here. I’ve been stewing on this question in a very personal way for 5-8 years. I saw an Icon 4 door and it immediately helped define what I wanted, but with a hardtop. On Dana 60’s. With a Cummins 12 valve. But I really want it to be a Toyota FJ40. I understand many may not think it is, but I have tried to keep many things FJ40ish.

Funny I’m good with modding just about everything, but I have a weird fascination with keeping the dash stock. The Dakota digital dash looks cool, not for me. Switches- not fully functional, but all stock.

@Ditcherman- my only concern with your build is you didn’t stick with the Pollux Orange!!!!

 

[peesalot]

The only part of my dash still oem is the ash tray and glove box door, it had a plywood cover when I got it. I guess over 25 years including the $3K purch price I have between $35K & $40K max in my 40. Came with hard doors and a soft top that were on for a week, not stock, not particulary rusty, it was on a hunting ranch and the tub has been drilled seemingly everywhere for random stuff, not bullet holes but full of holes.
My point I guess is you can spend $40k and have a great rig for its purpose and the wife will look at it and say, " Could we get $5K for that thing " it's about what you like, dam the money and let it roll.

Just curious, what do you all say you would price Mike Shull's recently finished rig at ? Highly custom, very nice, would you value it to the level of an Icon ??
FWIW I would roll Mike's type rig over an Icon or FJ Co. anyday.

 

[Living in the Past]

BTW, or is not hard to spend $200k on a FJ40 building one.....

Been around the 40 series long enough to know how ridiculous that sounds. I have a 79 I bought in 1997 for $2,200. Came without a top or doors. Picked up a top and ambulance doors for $200 shortly after. Can't remember exactly when but paid $25 a piece for the side doors. Top is from an early 78 model so the ambulance doors has lower square corners. Picked up 84 ambulance doors that need work (not rust repair) for around $100.

2017 got this H55F from Australia which cost $2,200 shipped. Wrong input shaft but $100 got the correct F engine parts.

No pictures but have both full floating and semi floating rear rear axle with hand brake. Combined they cost $500.
Couldn't see a $100K much less $200K to restore this.

Long before I spent $100K on a FJ40 look a line would buy a new Lexus GX550 with a full warranty and dealer close by to do the work.

I look this new $100K plus FJ40 as a girlie man version. They certainly ride nicer but doubt they could take the beating in the rock I've FJ40 thur the last fifty plus years. Not much to break on simple leaf springs and 91/2" diffs. 73-78 bucket seats with good upholstery are as robust as anything else I've seen.

 

[hobbes]

No pictures but have both full floating and semi floating rear rear axle with hand brake. Combined they cost $500.

Too bad those things don't exist for those prices any more. I cannot remember the last time I saw an OEM full floater for sale, not that I look for them.

Everyone seems to charge themselves $0 for labor. That's fine, but if you're paying for work someone else has done you will have to include that (along with business insurance/taxes, payroll tax, health care)...

 

[pb4ugo]

Idk, I've found all the weak links of an FJ40. Some of them are easy to break.

 

[procomsignathid]

As a newcomer to the '40 scene, I have not been able to access parts cheaply. I feel like someone who just recently got into bourbon... Prices are inflated and I think that unless you have a really good network and know where to find things / who to talk to, you are paying high prices for well-sought-after parts. On top of that, the interest in $100k+ rigs (ICON, FJ Co, Proffits, etc.) has created a market for these companies to buy up parts / rigs anyhow, which squeezes the rest of us.

I overpaid significantly for what I now understand is a "restored" South American basket-case, and have dumped a ton of money into parts, shop visits, and to @hobbes point, that doesn't account for my time wrenching, which is now in the 100s of hours. I'm well over the halfway point to a 100k rig, and I still have lots of big-ticket items to fix up (suspension, brakes, etc.). This is not to say I'm upset or anything (I enjoy the hell out of it, and I chock up the lost money to wisdom gained), but I think it's the reality for most people who haven't been at this for a long time.

 

[trainbufftony]

Icons are great because they are built to last a lifetime. To me they are more interesting than a Ferrari, g wagon, or other high end vehicles.

The lifetime of the 70 year old steak eating, whiskey drinking, overweight, diabetic, smoker who owns it?
(Asking for a friend)

 

[Tigerstripe40]

Too bad those things don't exist for those prices any more. I cannot remember the last time I saw an OEM full floater for sale, not that I look for them.

Everyone seems to charge themselves $0 for labor. That's fine, but if you're paying for work someone else has done you will have to include that (along with business insurance/taxes, payroll tax, health care)...

I remember buying a clean, rust free hard top and doors for $500, along with a plate style tire carrier for $50 and a clean windshield frame for $100 shipped. All of that was in the early 00's (many of those part I still have).

Recently, I've been trying to find a disc brake full floater, and I can't seem to find one of those for less than $2000 nowadays.

Talking to a restorer about my FJ40 project, (one that does museum quality restorations) he was telling me that when they start with a new tub, they spend 1000 hours doing body work, prep, and paint. And that's before anything mechanical is done to the vehicle. The shop rate when he told me this was $85/hr, Plus the tub ($15k), shop supplies and paint ($5k and thats probably on the low end). And that was for a shop in a relatively inexpensive locale.

 

[charliemeyer007]

Prices have gone nuts IMHO. A $20 ounce gold piece would buy a nice suit, now a $3000 ounce of gold will still buy a suit - what happened to the value in a dollar? Can you say federal reserve system, I say Feral RECO Syndicate

 

[Living in the Past]

Idk, I've found all the weak links of an FJ40. Some of them are easy to break.

On a stock FJ40 with open diffs and stock size tires? Add V8 and lockers with oversized tires is a different ball game. Believe or not in stock form these were vary capable vehicles. Add a V8, locker in the front with oversize tires that grip you blow up a Birfield pretty quick if don't know how to use it. My 68 FJ40 has coarse spline Locks Right front and rear. It has all stock steering. With it in 4WD you feel the strain on three steering components when when anything anything but straight. With that feed back I know to try and limit turning. Add a V8, big tires with the diff locked you'll find the weak link in the steering. Problem today people expect to push a button on the dash and step on the gas pedal to get thru anything rather some skill to be able to drive off road.

I am curious what you believe to be a weak link in the FJ40? The FJ40 got its reputation for being tough while the jeeps of time needed upgraded axles and transmission/transfer cases with a stock engine. In the early sixties jeep, rover and scout all had four cylinder engines. Those you looked at them wrong and something broke.

 

[Living in the Past]

I remember buying a clean, rust free hard top and doors for $500, along with a plate style tire carrier for $50 and a clean windshield frame for $100 shipped. All of that was in the early 00's (many of those part I still have).

Recently, I've been trying to find a disc brake full floater, and I can't seem to find one of those for less than $2000 nowadays.

Talking to a restorer about my FJ40 project, (one that does museum quality restorations) he was telling me that when they start with a new tub, they spend 1000 hours doing body work, prep, and paint. And that's before anything mechanical is done to the vehicle. The shop rate when he told me this was $85/hr, Plus the tub ($15k), shop supplies and paint ($5k and thats probably on the low end). And that was for a shop in a relatively inexpensive locale.

If a new tub requires a 1000 hours prep and paint it certainly not close to OEM specs. I have a 62 FJ40 FST tub. It needs some non stock holes filled, light sanding until it's ready to paint. In a 1000 hours of labor to get a new aftermarket tub prepped and painted it was either junk to start with or someone is milking it. Figure a 40 hour work week that just 40 hours short of six months labor. That figuring 52 weeks straight with no time off.

Want a vehicle that drives like a modern vehicle then buy one that's been professionally engineered and tested by a major manufacturer that no small company could to for low production vehicle. Insurance would better than having declared value insurance which you have to have to be sure your covered.

Again I say look at the Lexus GX550 for under a $100K. May not say Land Cruiser but still a Toyota product and better than the 250 LC.

 

[procomsignathid]

Again I say look at the Lexus GX550 for under a $100K. May not say Land Cruiser but still a Toyota product and better than the 250 LC.

Agree to that. I was really surprised to learn about what Toyota did to the 250 LC... I would be upset having purchased one to learn about the GX550. Thought this vid was a great rundown.

 

[Tigerstripe40]

If a new tub requires a 1000 hours prep and paint it certainly not close to OEM specs. I have a 62 FJ40 FST tub. It needs some non stock holes filled, light sanding until it's ready to paint. In a 1000 hours of labor to get a new aftermarket tub prepped and painted it was either junk to start with or someone is milking it. Figure a 40 hour work week that just 40 hours short of six months labor. That figuring 52 weeks straight with no time off.

Want a vehicle that drives like a modern vehicle then buy one that's been professionally engineered and tested by a major manufacturer that no small company could to for low production vehicle. Insurance would better than having declared value insurance which you have to have to be sure your covered.

Again I say look at the Lexus GX550 for under a $100K. May not say Land Cruiser but still a Toyota product and better than the 250 LC.

I'd take a GX550 over a Ineos Grenadier, but I'd actually prefer the Land Cruiser J250 due to the hybrid syste, but I think that the 6th gen 4Runner Trailhunter or TRD Pro are the best value of them all.

But ALL 3 of them miss the mark entirely for me. Only one of them has a solid front axle, none of them have a removable top, and none of them have the lines of a J4 Land Cruiser that I got enamored with back in the mid 90s.

 

[sogncab]

Been around the 40 series long enough to know how ridiculous that sounds. I have a 79 I bought in 1997 for $2,200. Came without a top or doors. Picked up a top and ambulance doors for $200 shortly after. Can't remember exactly when but paid $25 a piece for the side doors. Top is from an early 78 model so the ambulance doors has lower square corners. Picked up 84 ambulance doors that need work (not rust repair) for around $100.
View attachment 3946961View attachment 3946962
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2017 got this H55F from Australia which cost $2,200 shipped. Wrong input shaft but $100 got the correct F engine parts.
View attachment 3946966
No pictures but have both full floating and semi floating rear rear axle with hand brake. Combined they cost $500.
Couldn't see a $100K much less $200K to restore this.

Long before I spent $100K on a FJ40 look a line would buy a new Lexus GX550 with a full warranty and dealer close by to do the work.

I look this new $100K plus FJ40 as a girlie man version. They certainly ride nicer but doubt they could take the beating in the rock I've FJ40 thur the last fifty plus years. Not much to break on simple leaf springs and 91/2" diffs. 73-78 bucket seats with good upholstery are as robust as anything else I've seen.

I think your view on $100k is skewed. Its just not much money anymore.

A complete wreck of a house in my podunk home town is $250k now. Houses that barely scratched past $100k ten years ago