Question of the day

[emac]

Cruiser Color Codes

Just in case you haven't seen all the factory colors.

 

[thebigredrocker]

Here's a good green. I think it's a jaguar color? I'd go grey rims and less yellow in the bezel. Beautiful cruiser though.

 

[ginmtb]

I'm going with Cadet Blue for my 75 whenever that happens.

 

[4Cruisers]

I like Deep Green (632). I believe a Deep Green FJ40 is on the cover of SOR's 2002 catalog.

I have a copy I could scan, but decided to do an Internet search first and found this image:

Every time I look at that cover I get the urge to stop what I'm doing, pack up, and head to southern Utah.

 

[Skydog]

I'm going with Cadet Blue for my 75 whenever that happens.

View attachment 1439598

@ginmtb : I've not yet seen any other Cadet Blue vehicles, picture-wise, other than this same FJ45, have you ??
~Skydog

 

[Skydog]

Unless you change-out your engine to a non-FJ40/BJ40 motor, such as a V6 or V8, etc, as many others have indeed done, I agree 100% with @skidplate that a 40-Series "morally" should stay non-metallic. For those who greatly alter their vehicle, via motor-swap, etc, I agree metallic paint is beautiful, in that it offers a lot of depth & variation of hue color that a solid color paint can not. Regardless, a vintage '40, even if a slight resto-mod, is not really a 40 without the solid paint.

Most here on this board / forum will argue to go with an OEM color for a rebuilt 40. The question becomes, "where do you start with it ? And where do you stop ?" For your early, 1973 vehicle, must the OEM color only be that within the gamut of colors offered for a 1973 FJ40, here in America ? (let's say, you MUST chose between one of the five offered colors for that year, etc, for your '40 to be legit upon being rebuilt). Can the chosen color instead be an early 70's 40-series color of any hue ?, that you at least stay somewhat period correct ? ... Can it be ANY 40-Series color, regardless of year ?, that you stay Land Cruiser 40-series of factory colors ? ... Can you go further outside the bounds and choose some other Toyota color, that at least you stay with Toyota colors ? (let's say 6H9, 'Gray Olive,' as a popular example)...

For some, the ONLY answer lies in that the plate on the firewall of your '73 probably says #621, meaning 'Rustic Green.' And that then is the only color that you really consider, let alone should go with. And yet others here have repainted their vehicle in a British color, like those used on Land Rovers, not to mention the early 60's Jaguar color, 'Willow Green,' that @Robert LaDuke used on his '78, which @thebigredrocker mentioned above. Fact is, the color & presentation of Robert LaDuke's rig is without a doubt the most highly liked vehicle on this entire board. It is also the most photogenic of the entire lot. And the color of his vehicle is not at all Toyota; or even within the time period of the late 70's.

And yet others will eagerly say, "It's your vehicle, paint it the way you want to paint it... If you want to one day sell it, paint it OEM. If you don't intend to sell it, paint it whatever."

I read above that you don't wish to sell yours, that you wish to keep it within your family long after you're gone. But keep in mind, 'things' happen & 'things' change in our lives, wantingly or not. And many of us here who sell our vehicles, become forced to, and had never intended to place the vehicle for sale. A very current & real example would be that of @Chamba, who shipped with his family his BELOVED '84 to Florida from Australia (truly on the other side of the World from where he now lives in FL). He brought his overly beautiful, 6L4 colored rig to the U.S. that he continue to keep it within his immediate family. But now, interest payments, elsewhere, need to be paid - and selling the vehicle is for him the best avenue to be able to do so. And his story is of course not at all an isolated one.

For me & my build ? ... I've spent OVER TWO YEARS contemplating the issue of color **for me**. More like four years. I've looked at every color. I now know them all. There's not one that I don't like. I like each one of the native 40-series colors, in each one's own way. But which one is best for me, for a rig that I too intend to keep with me for life ?? That's been the $Million-dollar question. For me, I've decided to paint mine the OD color of an aircraft that I'm associated with. It's a color that the U.S. Army commonly used for a long period of time on their Cobra attack helicopters - during the same time-period as that of my own vehicle, which is a '79. The color is called "Aircraft Green." But that's a different story.

Here are some cool looking FJ40 colors that many have liked :

Horizon Blue on a '78 - although this was a late 60's / early 70's color on the 40's. People for years have wrongly thought of the color on this same rig as being 'Cadet Blue.' But they go on to insist they want this exact color for their own rig :

Capri Blue on @FF LC FREAK 's '71. This is without a doubt THE MOST PERFECT PICTURE on this entire forum !! - which happens to be of one man's three greatest loves (his beautiful wife, his gorgeous rig, and the pretty area he lives) :

Scanda Blue, on this '71 (which I think is close to Horizontal Blue & Capri Blue) :

Of course Sky Blue, as on this '78 (and is the native color of my own vehicle, a '79) :

There's Nordic Blue, which is the same as Medium Blue, as on this '82. At one point, Toyota used Royal Blue as well, which is not far off :

Continued below :

 

[Skydog]

There's still more blues that others have really liked; but for greens :

There's the well-liked Fashion Green, of the mid-to-late 60's up to early 70's vintage, that @antFJ used on his rebuild & sell of a '70 :

There's this one, which no one can really figure out exactly what color it is, but that virtually EVERYONE massively likes :

6H9 'Olive Gray' or 'Grayish Olive' is a 1984-85 Toyota color and has since become very popular, well-liked, and well-used on the 40-series :

6L4 'Light Olive' is what's on @Chamba 's '84 rig, and it equally looks nice to most of us here. I'm taking it the color is popular in Australia & Southeast Asia :

And then there's of course other greens, like the early 70's Breath Green, Nebula Green, and Spring Green; not to mention Rustic Green, which was likely the native color on your '73.

I agree with @GA Architect & @65swb45 that 614 Dune Beige is the universally well-liked-non-color for anyone to safely go with on their '40. It looks good on ANY '40; and yet, Toyota used this color on the 40-series for a long period of time. It's simply classic.

However, I must say, @skidplate & others here have successfully used Rustoleum & Krylon rattle-can paint on their own rigs - in the sand color. And for the cheap, and for the very easy scratch repairs - the ultra-flat, rattle-can sand colors are heavily attractive on a tough-looking '40 !! Here is @skidplate 's Super-Cool '75 sporting Krylon's 'Flat Khaki' :

~Skydog

 

[Skydog]

I have a copy I could scan, but decided to do an Internet search first and found this image:

View attachment 1439617

Every time I look at that cover I get the urge to stop what I'm doing, pack up, and head to southern Utah.

This green (on the SOR 2002 magazine cover) - looks to be a METALLIC. No ??
~Skydog

 

[Skydog]

I would go for a factory fj40 color. They are always in style-timeless. Some of the early fj40 colors are really cool too and aren't done very often and overlooked. Another thing that might be cool is some sort of stripe or something like some were offered with. I did a stripe on mine with a stock blue and Im pretty happy with it. Personally I think the dune tan color is being done a awful lot of 40s these days. A green or blue would be cool I think personally.

This looks like the FJ Cruiser color, 6V7, 'Army Green' ??

 

[btbuild]

It looks like you have done a really nice restoration. Congrats on the job well done. Personally, I would try and stay with something very close to a factory color. I like a lot of the factory colors. Green, Dune, Blue. I went with 653 Olive. Some of the olive rigs really look green or baby turd. The 653 I chose was more brown than green. I am sure it will look great, whichever color you choose!

Thats the color I really liked but the wife said "no way, It looks like baby poop"

Here's a good green. I think it's a jaguar color? I'd go grey rims and less yellow in the bezel. Beautiful cruiser though.View attachment 1439596

There's still more blues that others have really liked; but for greens :

There's the well-liked Fashion Green, of the early 70's vintage, that @antFJ used on his build & sell of a '70 :
View attachment 1439662

There's this one, which no one can really figure out exactly what it is :
View attachment 1439667

6H9 is a mid-80's Toyota color, and has since become very popular & well-liked on the 40-series :
View attachment 1439673

6L4 is what's on @Chamba 's '84 rig, and it equally looks nice. I'm taking it the color is popular in Australia & South Asia :
View attachment 1439674

And then there's of course other greens, like the early 70's Breath Green & Nebula Green; not to mention Rustic Green, which was likely the native color on your '73.

I agree with @GA Architect that 614 Dune Beige is the non-color one to go with. It looks good on ANY '40; and yet, Toyota used this color on the 40-series for a long period of time. It's simply classic.

However, I must say, @skidplate & others here have successfully used Rustoleum & Krylon rattle-can paint on their own rigs - in the sand color. And for the cheap, and for the very easy to in-the-field fix scratch jobs - the ultra-flat, rattle-can sand colors are quite attractive on a tough-looking '40 !! Here is @skidplate 's Super-Cool '75 :
View attachment 1439675
~Skydog

wow I'm really not going to sleep tonight!!! Thank you for all the info. I really appreciate it!!!

 

[btbuild]

There's still more blues that others have really liked; but for greens :

There's the well-liked Fashion Green, of the early 70's vintage, that @antFJ used on his build & sell of a '70 :
View attachment 1439662

There's this one, which no one can really figure out exactly what it is :
View attachment 1439667

6H9 is a mid-80's Toyota color, and has since become very popular & well-liked on the 40-series :
View attachment 1439673

6L4 is what's on @Chamba 's '84 rig, and it equally looks nice. I'm taking it the color is popular in Australia & South Asia :
View attachment 1439674

And then there's of course other greens, like the early 70's Breath Green & Nebula Green; not to mention Rustic Green, which was likely the native color on your '73.

I agree with @GA Architect that 614 Dune Beige is the non-color one to go with. It looks good on ANY '40; and yet, Toyota used this color on the 40-series for a long period of time. It's simply classic.

However, I must say, @skidplate & others here have successfully used Rustoleum & Krylon rattle-can paint on their own rigs - in the sand color. And for the cheap, and for the very easy to in-the-field fix scratch jobs - the ultra-flat, rattle-can sand colors are quite attractive on a tough-looking '40 !! Here is @skidplate 's Super-Cool '75 :
View attachment 1439675
~Skydog

I really like the color of the second green one you posted.

 

[Skydog]

I really like the color of the second green one you posted.

I tell ya, a WHOLE SLEW OF PEOPLE have really liked the color of the second green one, above (and below), that I posted. But to date, no one (that I know of) has been able to ID the rig, let alone the color code of its overly attractive color. Although that rig is highly modified, and has a non-Toyota V8, a countless number of people really like it. It may be a Toyota color, and it might not be. But it's a newer color than that of the 70's. It's probably a 90's or 2000-something color of some sort.

Many people have liked the color of this one below, as well, which is located somewhere in South America (likely Columbia). It too is a very rugged-looking green :

~Skydog

 

[ginmtb]

@ginmtb : I've not yet seen any other Cadet Blue vehicles, picture-wise, other than this same FJ45, have you ??
~Skydog

I have not I think that is one of the reasons I like it!

 

[Skydog]

Here's a good green. I think it's a jaguar color? I'd go grey rims and less yellow in the bezel. Beautiful cruiser though.View attachment 1439596

I'd think this is the favorite rig of most people. It's also one of the most photogenic.
~Skydog

 

[Skydog]

I have not I think that is one of the reasons I like it!

I'm positive that FJ45 is the only vehicle I've seen in Cadet Blue. Well, that one and this one :

~Skydog

 

[ginmtb]

That company that sells high end restorations has the cadet blue option - I configured one with it but it didn't look right on my monitor.

 

[4Cruisers]

Nobody's mentioned one of my favorites, Spring Green, T1028:

 

[Skydog]

Nobody's mentioned one of my favorites, Spring Green, T1028:

View attachment 1439756

I was going to, but could only post five pics within a single post.... and then forgot to mention the attractive color

~Skydog

 

[Skydog]

Horizontal Blue (which is much like Capri Blue & Scanda Blue), but a good bit different than Horizon Blue :

~Skydog

 

[Skydog]

That company that sells high end restorations has the cadet blue option - I configured one with it but it didn't look right on my monitor.

I'm thinking you speak of either the FJ Company or Amazonia 4x4 ? They're both somewhere down in South Florida.

Here's an attractive one from Amazonia done completely in tinted bedliner, but it's not exactly Cadet Blue. It's more of a Capri Blue :

Below is the blue from ICON :

~Skydog