For Sale West Lafayette, IN - 1967 FJ45 Tailgate Wall Art For Sale (1 Viewer)

[NOTAGEEP]

Vehicle Model

1. 45 Series

Location

West Lafayette, Indiana United States

Hey folks:

It bums me out to think about all the Land Cruiser parts lost due to poor/unsalvageable condition. Yeah, I realize that is the way things are. However, I believe some parts still have "stories" to tell after a long, hard life. They have character, and I believe they remain relevant to Land Cruiser history. I've thought about making art that celebrates some of these pieces, but it's taken some time to get a piece that could kick off an extension of my Land Cruiser hobby in the realm of "art." I finally have that piece, and I'm offering it for sale.

The wall art I'm offering pays tribute to a specific vehicle, a 1967 FJ45, and the legacy and heritage of Toyota Land Cruisers.

I bought a 1967 FJ45 parts truck in late May or early June of 2024. I wanted to take what was left of the truck and rejuvenate it all. However, it's just too far gone. I have seen some bad frames, but the one on this truck is rotten at a whole new level. I will recycle as many parts of this truck as possible to restore my 1965 FJ45 and make any extra usable parts available to those who need them. There's one part of the FJ45 that struck me immediately ... the tailgate. As you can see, the tailgate has been through a lot, including the addition of angle iron along the bottom edge, a "mount" that was welded over the location of the 4X4 emblem, extensive denting, some holes, etc. The 1967 FJ45 was a Michigan truck, which means it had a long life on salted roads (hence, the horribly rotten frame), and the dents in the tailgate show that it was used hard as a work truck. I can't remember the exact numbers on the odometer, but they were all turned, and the leftmost number was a "9." In other words, it has >90,000 miles on it. Through all this, there remains a reminder of the pedigree that ties this old truck to a rich and honored legacy - TOYOTA. As it was, the embossed TOYOTA on the tailgate was hard to see through the rust and peeling paint. I celebrated this piece of history by making the TOYOTA stand out. I didn't try to straighten any of the letters, and I let holes and thin metal remain.

The tailgate is not recoverable for restoration; nonetheless, after 57 Years, "TOYOTA Still Shines Through." The finish is simple ... it's just the highly sanded and polished original metal (yes, this was A LOT of work). The polished finish is maintained using LPS 3 industrial corrosion preventative applied over all the tailgate surfaces.

I am asking $2,500 for this one-of-a-kind FJ45 Tailgate wall art and am open to reasonable offers. Pricing is based on the rarity of the tailgate itself (I've never seen or heard of an FJ45 tailgate in any condition displayed on a wall), as well as the many hours of work I put into developing a very lustrous finish out of the rust-pocked metal. At the end of the day, I am happy to sell it for what I think is an appropriate price, whether it's my asking price or a reasonable offer. However, I do not NEED to sell this and would be happy to keep it and hang it on one of my walls instead if folks disagree with me on its value. Any shipping costs will be in addition to an agreed-upon sale price.

Thanks for looking! I think this is pretty cool, but it may just be me. I'm hoping it isn't!

Very best,

Reuben

 

[swamp-thing]

 

[cruzinfj1]

What's the rest of the truck look like?

 

[NOTAGEEP]

What's the rest of the truck look like?

Here are some additional photos of the exterior of the truck. I'm considering the possibility of making wall art out of the sides of the truck from front to back. On the other hand, it is possible that the bedsides could be reused. The driver side has a few holes that need to be repaired, but the passenger side is pretty solid. The cab tub could be repaired, and I have a spare hard top. The bug catcher doors need a lot of work, but they could be salvaged, especially with donors from the lower 8" (or so) of later doors. From what I can tell, they are identical below the access panel. Of course, that would mean sacrificing what are probably nice doors to save them. It could be worth doing if bug catchers are needed for a restoration. Otherwise, it will take a real expert to repair the doors. Is there anything you're looking for that I may not need for my 1965? I'm planning to use the motor, tranny/t-case, driveshafts, front axle, spare carrier, "headache rack," seats, and most of the dash components.

Best,

Reuben

 

[NOTAGEEP]

Thanks for the feedback. It may ultimately be a case of "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" (and/or creator). If that's the case, I'm OK with that. It will look great in my barn, garage, or office.

Best,

Reuben

 

[whitey45]

That tailgate is mint compared to my fence art!! You cant really be serious at $2500??? I sold one a few months ago for $100!!! The value went way down when you can buy a really perfect reproduction for $500!

 

[dplenty99]

Very cool idea! thanks

 

[cruzinfj1]

Here are some additional photos of the exterior of the truck. I'm considering the possibility of making wall art out of the sides of the truck from front to back. On the other hand, it is possible that the bedsides could be reused. The driver side has a few holes that need to be repaired, but the passenger side is pretty solid. The cab tub could be repaired, and I have a spare hard top. The bug catcher doors need a lot of work, but they could be salvaged, especially with donors from the lower 8" (or so) of later doors. From what I can tell, they are identical below the access panel. Of course, that would mean sacrificing what are probably nice doors to save them. It could be worth doing if bug catchers are needed for a restoration. Otherwise, it will take a real expert to repair the doors. Is there anything you're looking for that I may not need for my 1965? I'm planning to use the motor, tranny/t-case, driveshafts, front axle, spare carrier, "headache rack," seats, and most of the dash components.

Best,

Reuben

View attachment 3790623

View attachment 3790624

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View attachment 3790628

Shoot me a PM if you're interested in selling a top.

 

[Landpimp]

I think your parts 67 is actually a 65...because of the front window vent...or at least that part is a 65/64

 

[ceylonfj40nut]

That tailgate is mint compared to my fence art!! You cant really be serious at $2500??? I sold one a few months ago for $100!!! The value went way down when you can buy a really perfect reproduction for $500!

View attachment 3790935

Where for$500?

 

[NOTAGEEP]

That tailgate is mint compared to my fence art!! You cant really be serious at $2500??? I sold one a few months ago for $100!!! The value went way down when you can buy a really perfect reproduction for $500!

View attachment 3790935

 

[yotadude520]

Where for$500?

Tailgate For Truck Bed, For FJ45 Toyota Land Cruiser | eBay

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www.ebay.com

 

[NOTAGEEP]

Thanks for the feedback. $2,500 is a lot, I agree. However, my experience is that you price high and negotiate down since you can’t negotiate up unless there’s a high demand. I didn’t expect a high demand, so I went with a high price to start. When I see Chevy and Ford tailgates turned into wall hangings, they range from $600-$900, depending on what’s been to them. I’d say FJ45 tailgates that are not worth repairing are pretty rare in comparison with vintage Chevy and Ford tailgates. So, rarity comes into play. Folks pay $700-900 for for FJ40 front end wall art based on bibs with bezels, etc., both as rustic patina pieces and fully restored with working lights. Again, there are plenty of those out there. So, based on rarity, it’s much smarter to start high and work down if I choose to.

As I said previously, _I_ think it’s a cool concept that I’ve never seen. I think it’s unique and desirable as a Land Cruiser enthusiast. However, I may be solo in that opinion; that’s OK with me, and I’ll happily display it for myself. However, maybe there’s someone out there who agrees with me and wants it for themselves. If that happens, that’s great. I can turn that cash into parts for one or more of my projects.

I honestly think that “immortalizing” some parts from Cruisers that are too far gone to be resurrected has historical value. I have an FJ40 that was used as a snow plow and has on 26 K miles on it. I know it has that many miles and the odometer hasn’t flipped because all of the paperwork for everything that was ever done to it. The mileage matches the documents. Unfortunately, the owner must have NEVER washed it or even hosed it down after using it because a frame rail is nearly split in two just behind the engine. I think this is sad. This truck worked extremely hard but was not taken care of. To many, that probably seems stupid. I’m OK with that. On the other hand, there may be others out there who agree that there is more meaning in old, rusty parts than is credited.

 

[NOTAGEEP]

I think your parts 67 is actually a 65...because of the front window vent...or at least that part is a 65/64

Very good point. The VIN of the 67 FJ45 is more consistent with trucks manufactured in 1965 (22361). In fact, based on the VINs, the 1967 parts truck was manufactured BEFORE my 1965 FJ45 project truck
(22794)! However. FJ4522361 is titled as a 1967 instead of 1965. I’ve heard that FJs were “set aside” for some reason and sat, only to be titled as a later year model. I don’t know any more than that.

 

[Bear]

Reuben,

The persistent "date" problem was likely due to the sales structure Toyota used in its early years in the US. "Dealerships" were hit-and-miss and random in the beginning, with car lots selling various other brands as well. No wonder some vehicles sat on a lot for years before eventually being sold and subsequently registered for the first time. Probably the most accurate "dating" of the early Land Cruisers would be to use the factory production data based on the serial numbers ("VIN") rather than when some "dealer" sold off one of his trucks.

The two serial numbers you've shown are both 1965 productions, anyone's guess if your tailgate project originally was attached to one of those trucks, and there's not much if any real change to any of the FJ45P-B and FJ45LP-B tailgates over the 20 or so year production run anyway, other than the number of hinges and some minor variations to the hinges and the clamp-handles. It is a longbed tailgate that obviously lived a hard life, no matter the year.

I can appreciate the time you have spent polishing and detailing your example, and the pride you have in your work. What is considered as "art" and its valuation is truly in the eye of the beholder, as recently witnessed by the billionaire who just ate his uber-expensive banana sculpture !! GLWS.

 

[NOTAGEEP]

Bear:

Thanks for the info; that makes sense. After all, as the original dealer sticker on my 1972 FJ40 shows, Lake Toyota of Devils Lake, ND, was a Division of Lake Ready Mix, which I assume was a concrete company!

The tailgate I worked on definitely came from the "1967" FJ45 parts truck. The patina, etc., is very consistent with the rest of the truck. I would love to try to bring that truck back to life. However, the frame is absolute toast. I would need a completely different frame to even start. I may put parts aside for a potential retromod with a wooden bed somewhere down the line, but that wouldn't be for quite a while. The bottom line is that I hate to see these trucks disappear, so I will at least make a go at it, probably based on a stretched FJ40 frame.

My project, FJ45, came with a new tailgate and is an amalgam of vintage parts from multiple trucks, all of which are in very nice shape considering their age. I'm of the mind (at least currently) that I would rather try to restore existing sheet metal than go with new panels. Things are looking promising overall for salvaging the vintage upper back. The top is very solid overall, although it took a pretty good shot at the passenger front corner. It's going to be a challenge, but I think I can pull it off with time and a lot of patience.

Thanks again for the info!

Very best,

Reuben

Reuben,

The persistent "date" problem was likely due to the sales structure Toyota used in its early years in the US. "Dealerships" were hit-and-miss and random in the beginning, with car lots selling various other brands as well. No wonder some vehicles sat on a lot for years before eventually being sold and subsequently registered for the first time. Probably the most accurate "dating" of the early Land Cruisers would be to use the factory production data based on the serial numbers ("VIN") rather than when some "dealer" sold off one of his trucks.

The two serial numbers you've shown are both 1965 productions, anyone's guess if your tailgate project originally was attached to one of those trucks, and there's not much if any real change to any of the FJ45P-B and FJ45LP-B tailgates over the 20 or so year production run anyway, other than the number of hinges and some minor variations to the hinges and the clamp-handles. It is a longbed tailgate that obviously lived a hard life, no matter the year.

I can appreciate the time you have spent polishing and detailing your example, and the pride you have in your work. What is considered as "art" and its valuation is truly in the eye of the beholder, as recently witnessed by the billionaire who just ate his uber-expensive banana sculpture !! GLWS.

 

[Bear]

A few years back Marv Spector had 3 or 4 FJ45 longed pickup frames that were cast-offs from Jonathan Ward (Icon). Jonathan got special permission from the California authorities to create a 99.9999% completely new vehicle--new frame/body/engine/etc--if he cut-out and removed an existing frame-stamped serial number and welded the old number to his new fabricated frame. The original old frames could then not be issued a title, rendering them basically useless for future construction. Marv somehow acquired them.

You..............however DO have a valid serial number on your rusted frame. It might be worth exploring with your local authorities if they would accept for titling one of the cast-off frames with a hole where the serial number once existed, if you carefully weld on your existing frame serial number--the reverse of what Icon does.

Not to further confuse the issue, Jonathan does have CARB and EPA permissions for his LS engines as well as permissions for his Mustang engines in his recreated Broncos. Because they are pre-1980s, no crash testing required. If he could find a loophole, why not you give it a try? Every state and authorizing jurisdiction can be different and unique--just as Ferrari and Lamborghini owners have found Montana registrations for their obviously "gray market" new purchases. My two cents.

 

[NOTAGEEP]

Bear:

This is an intriguing idea. What do you think would be the best way to ask about whether SOR still has one or more of those cast off frames?

Thanks for the suggestion. I’d like to explore this a bit more.

Best,

Reuben

 

[Bear]

Reuben,

The frames may be long gone, but a phone call is easy to check. Good luck.