Do you mean popular when they were being produced, or popular now that they are classics.? I was in Africa and Middle east in the early 1980s and they were very popular. All over the place. Now, as classics, they may not be as popular as here in USA.
Unobtainium (44 Viewers)
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Do you mean popular when they were being produced, or popular now that they are classics.? I was in Africa and Middle east in the early 1980s and they were very popular. All over the place. Now, as classics, they may not be as popular as here in USA.
4Cruisers
SILVER Star
Not really. We've gotten a lot of good use out of the FJ60 over the years, including both of our sons driving it to high school. And a lot of great camping trips in the Four Corners area and Nevada. We still own it and it runs and drives well with 182,000 miles.
I would have to argue that the FJ40 and it's variants are absolutely huge over here in the Middle East. The quality of local restorations and the cult status on these trucks is out of this world. But certainly the US is a huge market, and this is why we see exports from Latin America, Australia and Saudi Arabia keep showing up stateside.
-Geoff
Living in the Past
SILVER Star
I mean popular now and then. Certainly not the most popular place in the world back then but there was certainly a market here Toyota had no interest in developing. The gas mileage of the Land Cruiser didn't fit the image Toyota was trying to portray in the US. Funny Honda is trying to do that today counting the Ridgeline as a truck. Things are different today trucks and SUVs are the market which is why Ford is dumping most of it's car line. Had three friend dump their current 4X4 back then and buy a FJ40 after riding around in mine. My point is Toyota didn't drop the FJ40 because they couldn't sell them but because they didn't want to sell them in the US.
Please let me know if this happens! Thanks!
Are you running a firewall spacer? I have made this work. Mini truck thin booster and non ABS 80 series master.
Living in the Past
SILVER Star
Not sure you realize besides the difference in the location of the openings but also the size of the boots? I know most FJ40 imported here fall into the 79-82 models With the number of cruisers being imported from other markets and the those with modifications to the running gear might be a option to not have raised section are the shifter opening and outline around the whole area. I'm hoping with some of the transfer linkage I've picked up from other model may get the transfer shifter forward on the five speed but the boots will still be quite a bit larger than the 74-82 boots. While the five speed shifter is further back both transmission and transfer case boots are the same on the four speed and five speed.
The only time in my life I ever tried to buy a new car was the summer of '82 when I went to the Toyota dealer that used to be outside Edgartown, MA. I asked the dealer if they could get me an FJ40 and dealer just said "Nope, the entire remaining production was bought up in the Middle East and there was no way they could get anymore." They were very popular during the Lebanon War as technicals.
Living in the Past
SILVER Star
That's interesting, there were around two hundred 83s imported to the US and the 83s started production 10/82. That doesn't include the 82s imported after you went to the dealers. Plus all the other markets that got late 82s, 83s and 84s. Been my experience most dealers want to sell what they have in stock not what they can order. This was also when Toyota was ramping down the FJ40 into the US. Toyota may have allotted the few FJ40s being imported to dealers with high volume sales. If that was the case and a dealer that couldn't get one that story would prevent a customer from looking for a dealer who had one and possibly buy something else from them. Not that a salesman has never told a white lie to make a sale. Have never hear anything about the Middle East getting the rest of the FJ40s from mid 82 on.
Vae Victus
Posting more than I know
Exactly. See this thread.
Carb / Brake Master Clearance issues... Ideas?
Do you a model # of the non abs 80 master? I have a new one that I think is the right one, and it's still too long.
Advics BMT-090
AlaskanWheeler
SILVER Star
Was there a gasket used on the pre 80's transmission tunnel?
Living in the Past
SILVER Star
I was just working on my late-64 and found the remains of some sort of decomposed foam gasket material under there, and some metal spacers.
Might be original. Anyone know?
That is strange. Isn't Edgartown a Kennedy locale ? I would expect a high priced area like that to have first choice with Toyota ? Either way, buying a 1983 new would have been a real treat knowing what we know now.
Yes the spacers are OEM. Ive had about 15 tunnels off over the years and never actually seen one.
S4Cruiser
SILVER Star
My '67 has the same spacers. The gasket is more of a dense rubber foam.
oregon fj
Serial rescuer of old vehicles
Didn't find any spacers under the tunnel on my '64. Will be putting the tunnel back on in a couple weeks, using a foam gasket kit from SOR. Looks like the spacers are to prevent over-squishing the foam gasket. Can anyone give me some dimensions on those spacers? Maybe I could fab or find a semi-appropriate replacement?
I think @ClemsonCruiser was where I saw the spacers in detail on his UNREAL correct 45 build
"WY-REE-KA" A Ground Up 45LPB Restoration