Looking for fj40, advice please us spec. (1 Viewer)

[akwagon]

Thank you all to helping me decide us spec based on last thread. starting a new thread to focus on the us spec fj.

this is actually a bday present for my wife turning 40 this year. No better way to roll over the hill then in a classic cruiser .
she has always loved the fj40, and I need something to keep me busy. Besides my 1000 other projects

looking for clean, good running mid 70 or newer. Nice driver. Only planning on mild off road. No v8. Don’t want museum piece. Something I can tinker and mod next many years. I don’t mind some non factory parts as long as it’s an improvement from original.
Price range high $20s

current one I’m seriously interested

1974 Toyota Land Cruiser | eBay

It drives and runs as good as it looks. I have had several FJs and never had one that rode and drove like this one. The 4 wheel power disc brakes and power steering make it very nice as well. This is also the first year for the 4 speed transmission.

www.ebay.com

 

[3_puppies]

2 things come to mind

it has a Missoula MT license plate but it is in TX, why?

any rig you buy in the lower 48 is gonna cost a bit to get up to AK

 

[akwagon]

2 things come to mind

it has a Missoula MT license plate but it is in TX, why?

any rig you buy in the lower 48 is gonna cost a bit to get up to AK

No choices in here in AK. So Seattle closest.
Shipping anywhere west coast or Midwest to Alaska Is $2500-$3k. so looking anywhere west coast to Midwest .

Asked seller about that. Registered to his llc in MT. He lives in TX.

getting lots undercarriage pics from seller tomorrow. And disc brakes, power steering upgrade

 

[Living in the Past]

Did anyone point out it what looks like a 3/69-7/71 engine? Personally would pass just on that. 74 was the last of the F155 and has the new improved oiling system. I have three earlier cruisers that had a 2F replacing the original engine. There is a reason why POs changed them out. Some things were better on older cruisers, the engine is not one of them.

 

[MickTLC]

I would look for 74 and newer. Has improved engine, built in roll bar, 4 speed. 76 and newer gets you disk brakes.

Here is one near San Francisco. Looks original and complete. Not sure about the rear doors. Looks like they have been modified but not bad.

1978 Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser 4x4 - cars & trucks - by owner -...

*Located in Castro Valley* 1978 Toyota FJ 40 4x4 4 Speed Manual No Power Steering. No AC 60k Miles Original CA Fj40 (See Vin plates) Currently Registered Clean Title in my hand and in my name...

sfbay.craigslist.org

 

[akwagon]

Did anyone point out it what looks like a 3/69-7/71 engine? Personally would pass just on that. 74 was the last of the F155 and has the new improved oiling system. I have three earlier cruisers that had a 2F replacing the original engine. There is a reason why POs changed them out. Some things were better on older cruisers, the engine is not one of them.

Yes. That’s been discovered. It’s still a good motor. Improvement.... nope. Worth a reduced sales price. Yes.....

 

[akwagon]

I would look for 74 and newer. Has improved engine, built in roll bar, 4 speed. 76 and newer gets you disk brakes.

Here is one near San Francisco. Looks original and complete. Not sure about the rear doors. Looks like they have been modified but not bad.

1978 Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser 4x4 - cars & trucks - by owner -...

*Located in Castro Valley* 1978 Toyota FJ 40 4x4 4 Speed Manual No Power Steering. No AC 60k Miles Original CA Fj40 (See Vin plates) Currently Registered Clean Title in my hand and in my name...

sfbay.craigslist.org

Awesome find on the 78 white one. Emailed them!

please clarify the newer ones have a “built in roll bar”?
as I see one in the pics of the tan 74.

 

[akwagon]

Here’s under carriage on the tan one. 4 wheel disc brakes.... thoughts from anyone...?

 

[akwagon]

 

[MickTLC]

Awesome find on the 78 white one. Emailed them!

please clarify the newer ones have a “built in roll bar”?
as I see one in the pics of the tan 74.

Yes

Awesome find on the 78 white one. Emailed them!

please clarify the newer ones have a “built in roll bar”?
as I see one in the pics of the tan 74.

Awesome find on the 78 white one. Emailed them!

please clarify the newer ones have a “built in roll bar”?
as I see one in the pics of the tan 74.

Yes 1974 is the first year they came with factory roll bars. 1973 and older did not have them from the factory.

 

[flx]

I don't know s*** about disc brakes but this cries the hack job to me :

Overall there are a fair parts of hack jobs on this 40, does not mean it is bad, looks like someone wanting to keep it on the road with what he had under hand. But I would plan a budget to fix a few things and for surprises if I had to take it.


Also I'd still want to see from under the inner side of the rear sil to see how it has been fixed.

 

[pb4ugo]

So, the rear disc brakes are what folks normally do to replace the drum brakes. The frt disc brakes are an aftermarket kit and do not use stk Toyota disc brake parts. IMO, that is a shortcut. I personally would want the Toyota brakes, knuckles and fine spline birfields installed. Adapting Toyota front disc brakes takes more labor and money. The net result is you end up with better later model birfields, knuckles, calipers and brakes, which will allow you to upgrade to stronger aftermarket birfields in the future if you want. The other issue with the frt end is that the knuckles need servicing. Notice all the grease around the knuckles and balls they pivot on? The internal seals have failed and probably the trunnion bearings need to be replaced at a minimum. If the stk Toy brakes were installed that would probably have been done, and not so greasy.

 

[akwagon]

I would look for 74 and newer. Has improved engine, built in roll bar, 4 speed. 76 and newer gets you disk brakes.

Here is one near San Francisco. Looks original and complete. Not sure about the rear doors. Looks like they have been modified but not bad.

1978 Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser 4x4 - cars & trucks - by owner -...

*Located in Castro Valley* 1978 Toyota FJ 40 4x4 4 Speed Manual No Power Steering. No AC 60k Miles Original CA Fj40 (See Vin plates) Currently Registered Clean Title in my hand and in my name...

sfbay.craigslist.org

This ones gone!
Was a good find.

 

[pb4ugo]

Why is everything all wet but the floor is dry? I guess he's trying to make it look better than it is. There's a lot of little issues all over. It seems really expensive for what it is.

 

[SteveH]

If you can't do a pre-purchase inspeciton, and if you're planning to spend 30K-ish on a truck, I would look anywhere but eBay. Mud or lcnation.com. Too much junk is sold on eBay, IMO. Enlist the help of knowledgable Mud people, too, as you are doing here.

 

[pjohnson]

This ones gone!
Was a good find.

It will take patience to find a truly good FJ40.
Post a wanted ad in the classifieds, There may be someone on the fence about selling that will reply.

 

[MickTLC]

Not sure if you considered it but the FJ Cruisers are nice. It is the highest resale vehicle out there. My son has a 2007 TRD. Very nice. Not as primitive as the FJ40. Before you flame me, I have a 74 and 75 FJ40 and a 83 FJ60. Consider getting the FJ Cruiser, while looking for the FJ40

2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser - cars & trucks - by owner - vehicle...

2007 Fj Cruiser 4x4 151,000 Miles Tinted Windows Smittybuilt Front and Back Bumpers Led Pods in both Bumpers TRD Exhaust TRD Intake New Front and Rear Brakes Tuffy Security Center Consul 5x 17 inch...

stockton.craigslist.org

 

[akwagon]

Not sure if you considered it but the FJ Cruisers are nice. It is the highest resale vehicle out there. My son has a 2007 TRD. Very nice. Not as primitive as the FJ40. Before you flame me, I have a 74 and 75 FJ40 and a 83 FJ60. Consider getting the FJ Cruiser, while looking for the FJ40

2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser - cars & trucks - by owner - vehicle...

2007 Fj Cruiser 4x4 151,000 Miles Tinted Windows Smittybuilt Front and Back Bumpers Led Pods in both Bumpers TRD Exhaust TRD Intake New Front and Rear Brakes Tuffy Security Center Consul 5x 17 inch...

stockton.craigslist.org

For my wife’s 40th.
needs to be an fj40

 

[flx]

Or buy a FJ43, it will let you a few more years to find the good one

 

[finally]

No choices in here in AK. So Seattle closest.
Shipping anywhere west coast or Midwest to Alaska Is $2500-$3k. so looking anywhere west coast to Midwest .

Asked seller about that. Registered to his llc in MT. He lives in TX.

getting lots undercarriage pics from seller tomorrow. And disc brakes,

No choices in here in AK. So Seattle closest.
Shipping anywhere west coast or Midwest to Alaska Is $2500-$3k. so looking anywhere west coast to Midwest .

Asked seller about that. Registered to his llc in MT. He lives in TX.

getting lots undercarriage pics from seller tomorrow. And disc brakes, power steering upgrade

Not a knock on the owner, just reality, and will make an inevitable unfortunate tax change for us Montanans one day : there are a significant number of out of staters that create an llc in MT to purchase their expensive toys tax free and license them in MT