What are gotchas with Costa Rican BJ40's

[dmaddox]

When buying imported BJ40's from Costa Rica (say 76-81ish) what are some gotchas?

Obvious differences - stripped dash, no heaters, two-piece glass doors (vent window), split bench, larger jump seats....

Is the front axle drum? I'm looking at one that doesn't even have a brake booster, and was hard to stop.

Any other things?

 

[davegonz]

Ask @Mr Cimarron or @aljollano. Cim imported one in from Costa Rica after looking for one for a while and AJ brings in FJ43's from Colombia.

 

[Mr Cimarron]

If its stock the only "gotcha" is the same as US models. Rust, fatigue, etc. If it isn't stock then you need to take a look at the work that has been done to things like power steering and brakes. I saw quite a few suspect components cobbled together. Costa Rican fixes include painting frames and bondo to hide things. If you can't read the frame number then its probably got a good bit of paint hiding rust. Another fix is welding rebar under the lip of the front fenders. I liked to run my hand along frame rails, fenders, and body to feel for smooth lines or bad fixes.

Power brakes didn't start until 1980 I believe in Costa Rica. Everything else you stated is correct.

Post some photos and we can all make a better judgement on what you looking at.

 

[dmaddox]

Cool thanks:
1977 Toyota BJ40 Land Cruiser

 

[cruiserjunktion]

Finding b specific Diesel engine parts.

 

[davegonz]

Check under the mat and look at the floor boards for rust or bad repairs.

 

[dmaddox]

The whole rear is repaired, pieces are ok, most botched.

My only concerns:

Power brake conversion.
Low power.
No dash/pads.
No heater, blower, defrost.
Rust repairs.
Price.

 

[Mr Cimarron]

Another thing to look for is whether or not the numbers etched in all the glass match. They etched the license plate number in all glass down there. Thats how I knew one piece on mine was replaced at some point.

 

[Mr Cimarron]

Finding b specific Diesel engine parts.

That the one thing I haven't encountered yet. A lot match what is on a 3B except water pump, IP and oil pan. That what I have figured so far.

 

[SAB]

I had a hard look at as Costa Rican BJ40 last year....To the point where I had booked a flight to go get it. I pulled chocks at the last minute because it just didn't feel right. Call it superstition, but your gut is usually right when it comes to big decisions.

The biggest concern with these trucks is how they were maintained. South America isn't notorious for the best service and most of these were work trucks that saw hard lives. At that price point, you can be getting into a much better spec'd rig (heater, 3b or petrol 2f) and some more piece of mind.

I waited and scored a BJ41 that was mostly original and was a much better foundation for where I wanted start..all for less money than I was consider the South American BJ40 for.

So, my lessons learned during my long search were these.

1. Don't jump.
2. Have someone go look it over and drive it and take a ton of pictures if you can't do it yourself.
3. Know what you want it for.
4. Be aware of how slow the B and 2B engines are.
5. Look for dodgy repairs on the frame (suspension mounts, rear cross member, etc.)
6. Take a good look at the rear of the tub on the inside. The seams will tell you all you need to know about what was cut and repaired.
7. If you REALLY want a Cruiser, then you SHOULD be enjoying the entire process. If any of it becomes a headache for you, then ownership may be worth reconsidering. Bolts are going to break, things will go wrong, and you have to be OK with that.
8. Take a magnet and go over the whole body and frame to ID bondo sections and metal sections.
9. There is a lot of truth to the advice on here that states "I'd rather be able to see the bad spots than have it look pretty and not know what lurks beneath".
10. Make sure the paper trail is there. It can get sticky fast with imported rigs. For example, in CT they do not issue a title. SO, I only have the PO's title signed over to me. That's enough, but an important piece to have. It's worth it to have the current owner do the leg work to get something tangible in hand. Once the deal is done, you could be stuck.
11. Let the rig run up to temp and make sure it doesn't overheat or do things it shouldn't.
12. Read up on the FAQ section on what to look for when buying. It's a bible.

Good luck!

 

[dmaddox]

While I talked the owner down in price to a nice affordable number, I am still hesitant. My gut is telling me no....because the tub is hacked and bondo'd. Now, I am good and have fun with sheet metal repairs, so that doesn't kill the show for me. What does....is the drum axle, lack of power, lack of creature comforts in the SA spec cruiser.

It is mechanically sound, runs well, has enough power to tool around.....

Still on the fence......

 

[ceylonfj40nut]

Unless you are good with metal work, body work, have a deep wallet, time to kill away from loved ones in place of driving it for fun safely with family, run from it.

 

[SAB]

^ Aww come on now. They're not all doom and gloom. There's a bit of magic in these machines. While the one he's looking at may not be "the one", the search is still worth pursuing. We make time for the things we love.

OP - It sounds like you want something that this rig is not.

Hold out for the one you want. She'll come along.

 

[ceylonfj40nut]

^^^ if you hold out and find the right one then I agree. What I mean is don’t settle in a hurry. Pay extra and avoid the rust. Money well spent.

 

[MauricioR]

There are plenty of excellent BJ40s here in CR. If you find a cheap one (3000$ - 6000$) is because is not in good shape or it has some details.
You can go to crautos.com - Autos Usados Costa Rica encuentra24 horas al dÃa then scroll down to the bottom and set it like this:

You will find several ones here.
Keep in mind that there is nothing like seeing the car by your own.

 

[John in Utah]

Not sure what you talked him down to but for that asking price you can easily get a BJ42 (or similar franken cruiser, like mine). Hell it might even have a heater

 

[bellaire35]

After living in Costa Rica for 6 years and having owned many we see all types. Yes, many are abused and actually worked hard from the day they were purchased. You also need to know there are many you will never see for sale on the net as these have become real heirlooms to the family and only sold when the Grandfather passes and the younger generation want the creature comforts.

We have some that have been in the same family for 40 years and just recently decide to sell. Even the paint is original with owners manual, bill of sale from that year and all accessories. There are some rare finds here too that we have restored are in the process of restoring.

My advice is proceed with a cautious optimism. For every 50 you see 1 will be worth buying. In the 70's when Costa Rica was exporting coffee on the level of Colombia these farm owners had money and would buy these cruisers and drive it to church on Sunday. About once a month my business partners take me to see a FJ45 (yes they has gassers here) HJ45, BJ/FJ40's and even a FJ25 that never existed on the net and if you were lucky you would see it pass you in a small town to only disappear in a farm parked behind a barn door.

When living in Austin I had 2 Land Cruisers and always wanted a diesel version. I heard the stories about Central America cruisers and was always 'advised" to look elsewhere. I can say the same for the states as well and personally i think its international. So, off my soapbox and say do what you feel comfortable with and feel confident you can get a GREAT Land Cruiser here at a good price if your willing to put the time in.

Pura Vida
Jimmie

 

[JamesC]

I've worked in CR, US and MEX for quite a few years, about half my days of the year are spent in LATAM, and would echo the above advice and add some of my specific experience. I was shopping HJ45lpb's for years and looked very seriously, meaning intent to buy, at maybe 25-30 of those available. I had gone through the same for my previous FJ55 in the US the decade before.

My #1 piece of advice is to focus on the frame first. I always started at the frame under the truck and learned that you can tell a lot about the vehicle this way, especially in CR or CO. Look at general condition of the rails particularly around ALL the mounting brackets, the things used as body mounts (e.g. how many extra washers/plywood under the invariably black spray paint) and in particular at how square it was from front to back. Rough frame = rough other important things IME.

#2 avoid anything bedlined. I saw consistently dodgy things if the truck had bedliner anywhere but especially in the cab.

In my experience in CR you won't want to look at things below 10k unless you are lucky and/or know someone/family (in which case it could be WAY under 10k) or maybe 11-12k at the bottom on the open market. Others have more recent experience here than I do with regards to pricing I'm sure.

#3 The seller will happily tell you the vehicle history if it's had an easy life like known to be a "Maestro de obras" (foreman) truck, or as explained above was the Sunday farm to church driver. You can also see this in the frame IMO.

 

[ceylonfj40nut]

Good advice! Frame mods are a lot easier to see. Hard to hide. Rest is easier to hide.

 

[svpawnco]

When buying imported BJ40's from Costa Rica (say 76-81ish) what are some gotchas?

Obvious differences - stripped dash, no heaters, two-piece glass doors (vent window), split bench, larger jump seats....

Is the front axle drum? I'm looking at one that doesn't even have a brake booster, and was hard to stop.

Any other things?

I bought mine from Costa Rica 9 years ago, looked great on the outside nice paint ran great. Bought it off eBay! After seven years the mud started to fall off all over, so I have done a complete frame off and is almost completed now. Every panel, floor, bed, fenders, bottom of doors fixed. But the frame is perfect, no heater but easy in install once you find one all the mounting holes are still in the chassis. Drum brakes all around, I replaced the front ones off of a bj60. So unless you have a lot of time on your hands and good tools to do it reself it is a big job to complete. I would think I have about 400 hrs into it so far!