I am looking at two separate cruisers right now but I can't decide which one to invest in. I live in Vermont and am looking for an old FJ, and through hours of research and searching I have narrowed the search down to two. There is a BJ40 for $20K that is about three hours from where I live with no rust and the B engine. I am concerned about how much power the B engine has and if it is worth the extra dough. My other option is in Florida for $14K but is a standard FJ40. We want to get a diesel engine and the folks at taurus4x4 have proposed checking out the car for a small fee and then putting in a brand new Cummins Diesel for under $10K. Both cars are quite similar in terms of shape but I don't know which one to invest in. If you could voice your opinion on which one I should get that would be great. Thanks for the help!
Which FJ should I buy? BJ40 vs FJ40
- Thread starter Ghurka
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According to my '78 owners manual, the B engine actually has a bit less torque than the 2F-hard to believe! I think the B came with 3.73 axles and I bet the fuel economy would be appealing!
That's a tough decision .... Need to see pics of both 
BTW where in VT?
I'm outside albany ny... I lived in grand isle and pownal for short times... A good friend (Wally aka walter aka tyke) who does work on cruisers for a living is a life long VTer ... He lives in north pownal (Poor Wally's Land Cruiser Emporium)
BTW where in VT?
I'm outside albany ny... I lived in grand isle and pownal for short times... A good friend (Wally aka walter aka tyke) who does work on cruisers for a living is a life long VTer ... He lives in north pownal (Poor Wally's Land Cruiser Emporium)
Hi all,
First off - there is no "investing" in a Land Cruiser - you will never get a decent return from $20 - 25K spent on a 40 Series.
Second, it is really, really hard to find a 30 - 45 year truck that is truly 100% rust-free. So, beware "rust-free" claims - chances are that means little or no major rust.
Third, why the diesel engine? Yes, the B Series diesel engines get better MPG than the F Series petrol (gasoline) engines but at the cost of a higher market price and lower torque/horsepower. An aftermarket diesel engine (i.e. Cummins, etc.) would likely degrade the value of an otherwise perfect condition collectable FJ40.
The reality is you need to decide what you are looking for, what you want to do with the rig, etc. These thoughts will influence which truck is the better choice.
Good luck,
Alan
First off - there is no "investing" in a Land Cruiser - you will never get a decent return from $20 - 25K spent on a 40 Series.
Second, it is really, really hard to find a 30 - 45 year truck that is truly 100% rust-free. So, beware "rust-free" claims - chances are that means little or no major rust.
Third, why the diesel engine? Yes, the B Series diesel engines get better MPG than the F Series petrol (gasoline) engines but at the cost of a higher market price and lower torque/horsepower. An aftermarket diesel engine (i.e. Cummins, etc.) would likely degrade the value of an otherwise perfect condition collectable FJ40.
The reality is you need to decide what you are looking for, what you want to do with the rig, etc. These thoughts will influence which truck is the better choice.
Good luck,
Alan
I have a 1980 BJ40 that I recently brought in from Costa Rica. It's my first diesel Cruiser. I have owned many FJ40's. I was shocked at the torque and the power. I was always told they were dogs but this BJ40 runs like banshee! 100kmph (kilometers) is no problem and it gets way better fuel economy. Motor may have been rebuilt. Not sure. Looks pretty clean in there!
I would go the Diesel personally. As already stated you should get better Klms/Ltr (Ausie Talk) and you dont have to worry about electronics getting wet under the bonnet especially if you are out playing in the water and mud. Diesel motors are normally more reliable however when something does go wrong it will usually cost more to repair. You could always put a turbo on the diesel and extractors if you want a bit more grunt. This would be a bit cheaper than a whole new motor. My 2c worth.
interesting conundrum that I too debated ... almost bought a 40 with a 3b ... it ran like a top, but had tall mileage on it ... started to think I know absolutely nothing about diesels and 3b technology specifically ... while the 3b is apparently bullet-proof they are getting long in the tooth and parts are apparently getting harder to find ... I ended up going with a 2f because parts are more plentiful and I understand a gasoline engine a bit more than a diesel ... doesn't mean that someday there won't be a 1hz in the engine bay ... we'll see ...
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My 82 BJ 42 drive someplace between a 2F and a 22RE cruises fine. It even keeps up with traffic 
Add a turbo and I'm told they are fastish 
4.10 H55 and 33 I get 19 in town and 29 on Hwy trips .I like it better then any of my 2F trucks but it is slower. But the MPG makes up a lot ... Parts are hard to find but are out there.
Add a turbo and I'm told they are fastish 4.10 H55 and 33 I get 19 in town and 29 on Hwy trips .I like it better then any of my 2F trucks but it is slower. But the MPG makes up a lot ... Parts are hard to find but are out there.
It is all a trade off. Diesel fuel is much higher than regular gas. Parts harder to find usually means more $$ for them. When I decided on driving an FJ40, gas mileage was not even in the equation. I just want to drive it. It pleases me and you can't really put a dollar value on that.
I must say that FJ's don't do much for me. Blobby looking.
If you are going to go with a diesel I would 100% go with the bj40. It will hold its value where an fj40 with a diesel conversion is still not a bj40 and will not have the value of a true bj40. Just remember it will be hard and a very long time before the difference in price is made up with the better fuel economy, unless you plan to go on some huge trip around a country.