As some of you guys saw on my other thread, I have been looking for a nice FJ40 for a while now, and I finally found it thanks to @notaclue.
So here we go. You may ask why I named my FJ40 “Carolin 2” for me to buy this FJ, I had to sell lots of my other toys, one of those being my beloved motorcycle that I purchased 13 years ago from NC and because she was from NC, I named her Carolin so naturally she was sold to buy this FJ40 from NC. So the name “Carolin 2” was fitting.
Here is the picture of Carolin
Ok, let’s dive into this FJ40. First, I am grateful to the previous owners and how they all kept records. The history of this FJ40 is incurable, and I am still working on getting all the timelines, but here is a synopsis of its history.
In August 1976, the FJ40 was purchased by the first owner from Downey Toyota in Downy, California, currently known as Penske Toyota. Based on my research, owner #1 bought the vehicle at the age of 63. He had the dealer install air conditioning, and the FJ40 came with two options a Waren Hub and AM radio. He paid a total of $6427 for the vehicle, equivalent to $33,525. Owner #1 kept all the paperwork and receipts from the vehicle, even the SOLD sign that was placed on the car when he bought it. Owner # 1 took the vehicle to a Toyota dealership every year for its service and kept handwritten notes if he bought filters and other parts. The records from Owner #1 stop in the late 1980s, to which I can only believe the owner was not driving a car due to health reasons maybe. Unfortunately, owner #1 passed away in 1994, and someone with the same last name inherited the vehicle. In 1995 the vehicle was sold to owner #2 in Anaheim, CA. Owner #2 also kept a good record of all services as well as carwashes. Owner #2 bought mostly Toyota parts or high-quality replacements for the FJ40, and it appears he took care of the car. Owner # 2 sold the vehicle to Owner #3 in 2001. Owner #3 was located in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, and also took care of the FJ and had the FJ serviced by a Toyota dealer at one receipt in 2014; the dealer notes the mileage of the vehicle to be 66382. The vehicle was sold to Owner #4 in 2016 with 68709. Owner #4 bought the vehicle from California, and the vehicle was shipped to NC. In October 2022, I purchased this FJ40 with 69277 original miles on it and planning to keep it as simple and healthy as possible. The FJ has some surface rust but nothing crazy and it appears to be garaged kept its whole life.
I have driven the FJ40 for about 40 miles now, and because it has been sitting around for a while, it needs work and help, so I will be asking a lot of questions here as I get this FJ40 back to its prime.
Things that I am starting to work on:
Gas tank the smell of fuel in the cab is very strong, and there is a noticeable leak underneath.
The brakes are shot. Going to need new front calipers and pads for all 4 rear wheel cylinders and shoes.
All tie rods need to be changed as well as the steering damper.
Changing all fluids.
So here we go. You may ask why I named my FJ40 “Carolin 2” for me to buy this FJ, I had to sell lots of my other toys, one of those being my beloved motorcycle that I purchased 13 years ago from NC and because she was from NC, I named her Carolin so naturally she was sold to buy this FJ40 from NC. So the name “Carolin 2” was fitting.
Here is the picture of Carolin
Ok, let’s dive into this FJ40. First, I am grateful to the previous owners and how they all kept records. The history of this FJ40 is incurable, and I am still working on getting all the timelines, but here is a synopsis of its history.
In August 1976, the FJ40 was purchased by the first owner from Downey Toyota in Downy, California, currently known as Penske Toyota. Based on my research, owner #1 bought the vehicle at the age of 63. He had the dealer install air conditioning, and the FJ40 came with two options a Waren Hub and AM radio. He paid a total of $6427 for the vehicle, equivalent to $33,525. Owner #1 kept all the paperwork and receipts from the vehicle, even the SOLD sign that was placed on the car when he bought it. Owner # 1 took the vehicle to a Toyota dealership every year for its service and kept handwritten notes if he bought filters and other parts. The records from Owner #1 stop in the late 1980s, to which I can only believe the owner was not driving a car due to health reasons maybe. Unfortunately, owner #1 passed away in 1994, and someone with the same last name inherited the vehicle. In 1995 the vehicle was sold to owner #2 in Anaheim, CA. Owner #2 also kept a good record of all services as well as carwashes. Owner #2 bought mostly Toyota parts or high-quality replacements for the FJ40, and it appears he took care of the car. Owner # 2 sold the vehicle to Owner #3 in 2001. Owner #3 was located in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, and also took care of the FJ and had the FJ serviced by a Toyota dealer at one receipt in 2014; the dealer notes the mileage of the vehicle to be 66382. The vehicle was sold to Owner #4 in 2016 with 68709. Owner #4 bought the vehicle from California, and the vehicle was shipped to NC. In October 2022, I purchased this FJ40 with 69277 original miles on it and planning to keep it as simple and healthy as possible. The FJ has some surface rust but nothing crazy and it appears to be garaged kept its whole life.
I have driven the FJ40 for about 40 miles now, and because it has been sitting around for a while, it needs work and help, so I will be asking a lot of questions here as I get this FJ40 back to its prime.
Things that I am starting to work on:
Gas tank the smell of fuel in the cab is very strong, and there is a noticeable leak underneath.
The brakes are shot. Going to need new front calipers and pads for all 4 rear wheel cylinders and shoes.
All tie rods need to be changed as well as the steering damper.
Changing all fluids.