Originally, as far as I can tell, yes. All green, with the same configuration soft top.
my 1963 FJ40 really a 1962? (1 Viewer)
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Originally, as far as I can tell, yes. All green, with the same configuration soft top.
I think it may have something to do with which importer owned it and when he sold it to a dealer. I believe there were originally 22 or 23 independent distributors for Toyota. Butler owned New England, Fred Wiseman owned Mid-Atlantic, Jim Moran owned SE in Florida (today it is the only independent left). Someone else owned Texas, someone else LA, Portland, Cinn, NY, etc, etc. So, while the cars may have been produced consecutively and probably all were FJ25L or FJ25LD (I think L and LD mean left hand drive for export), they could have been shipped to different ports and wholesaled to dealers at different times, even a year more apart. Back in those days selling a Toyota was a very difficult thing. Service was a problem, much easier to have purchased a Jeep. With regard to sales, usually the numbers are a composite of vehicle registrations in various periods. So, sales for 1959 would be a total of all FJ25's registered that calendar year, regardless of the model year. Toyota may also quote wholesale sales, that would be the number of vehicles in a year that they sold to dealers regardless of the model year.
Could be confused with the number of cars they exported to the US market which might be a third differenet number. Just have to be careful about which number you are being quoted.
Could be confused with the number of cars they exported to the US market which might be a third differenet number. Just have to be careful about which number you are being quoted.
One has to wonder how they lined them up before being shipped from overseas...this may explain why 3 rigs made one after another, ended up so far apart.
Theoretically four or five could have arrived in Portland on the same Maru. But, when the Distributors bought them, one may have gone to Seattle Distributor, one to the Denver Distributor, one to the Chicago Distributor and two to the Cincinnati Distributor for example. There is no telling how long each may have been sitting at the port until eventually sold. The Chicago Distributor may have bought an FJ25 in July and then bought the next one in January and they may have been produced consecutively or two consecutive production numbers could have gone to completely different ports, one to Jacksonville for example and one to Baltimore. Some place Toyota would have had a record of where each serial was wholesaled so there may be some way to determine the port of entry. The original Monroney Sticker would tell us that, but only cars had them and I believe that in 1960 an FJ25 was registered as a truck and did not require a Monroney.
All very interesting info...so with out this Monroney Sticker, how you figure one could try and trace where their Cruiser came in from...who could one call at Toyota? 
That's a good question and I don't know the answer. I would try the VP of Public Relations at Toyota in Torrance, CA. Find out who that is and mail he or she a letter.
The only independent still around is the one in Florida, I think in Deerfield Beach. But, in thinking about this last evening, I do believe that TMS first sold cars and signed up dealers on their own and, after struggling for a some years, then began to sign up the independent dealers. So, perhaps the early Toyopets and FJs sold up until the early or mid sixties were sold by TMS. And, they may have computerized all their old records. After independent distributors came into being and later sold out, I don't know if their sales records to the dealers would have survived. But TMS may still have some old records of their sales to the distributors or to their first dealers of record. So, the best shot is to try the VP of PR there and see if they can help you.
I would like to know the history on my own and may try this myself. If I do and if I find out anything, I will put up a post.
The only independent still around is the one in Florida, I think in Deerfield Beach. But, in thinking about this last evening, I do believe that TMS first sold cars and signed up dealers on their own and, after struggling for a some years, then began to sign up the independent dealers. So, perhaps the early Toyopets and FJs sold up until the early or mid sixties were sold by TMS. And, they may have computerized all their old records. After independent distributors came into being and later sold out, I don't know if their sales records to the dealers would have survived. But TMS may still have some old records of their sales to the distributors or to their first dealers of record. So, the best shot is to try the VP of PR there and see if they can help you.
I would like to know the history on my own and may try this myself. If I do and if I find out anything, I will put up a post.
JohnnyC
Long ago TLCA# 2231
All very interesting info...so with out this Monroney Sticker, how you figure one could try and trace where their Cruiser came in from...who could one call at Toyota?
i had talked to a guy awhile back who worked at the shipping docks in NJ...he had told me that all the north east toyotas were distributed from that dock in NJ...he remembers seeing ...as he called it thousands of cruisers sitting there...this was in the late 60's ...he also said that they never seemed to move...he thought some stayed as long as 2 years....at first i thought ...he ya go you need some more
...but...the old guy must have been right 
he also said he would have bought one but it went too slow on the highway
I think that is true, after the first oil crisis the Japanese import business kept getting better and better but before the early seventies there were a lot of lean years. The sixties were not that good for the Japanese in the U.S. and when the first Toyopets and FJ's showed up there couldn't have been very many dealers. I would imagine that they were all on the West and then the East Coast at that time. So, we are pretty fortunate to be able to find the old 25's and early model 40's. In thinking about it, I don't think I have ever personally seen a Toyopet.
JohnnyC
Long ago TLCA# 2231
i dont know the history of these pics...i think they are from Landpimp....but it probably looked like this
Wow. They were probably covered with surface rust before they got to a dealership! Love to have a pair of those FJ45's today.
Man, where's Doc Brown when you need him. Those pics look like heaven.
I find it interesting that this one was delivered 8/27 of 62 and it's a 62 build but the plate is stamped 63
Picasa Web Albums - Sheba - Building the FJ
Picasa Web Albums - Sheba - Building the FJ
merbesfield
SILVER Star
Make your life easy, get a new VIN plate made then go for the title etc.
Already good to go, just took some effort.
JohnnyC
Long ago TLCA# 2231
some good pics here...a bit earlyer...but...about the same look:
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also:
https://forum.ih8mud.com/40-55-series-tech/194207-all-land-cruisers-manuals-factory-lit-etc.html
also:
https://forum.ih8mud.com/paint-body/225642-land-cruiser-usa-print-brochure-archive.html
Translated version of ƒgƒˆƒ^Eƒ‰ƒ“ƒhƒNƒ‹[ƒU[
also:
https://forum.ih8mud.com/40-55-series-tech/194207-all-land-cruisers-manuals-factory-lit-etc.html
also:
https://forum.ih8mud.com/paint-body/225642-land-cruiser-usa-print-brochure-archive.html
