- Year
- 1973
- Vehicle Model
- 40 Series
- Location
- United States
- Mileage
- 12250
- Color
- White
Clean WA title. Imported from Colombia and legally titled in Washington State.
$34,500 (with all extras included). Open to reasonable offers. No trades.
I purchased this truck, in person, in Colombia from the 3rd owner (first owner had it for 40+ years), and then worked directly with local fabricators to rebuild the body (all photo-documented). All mechanical work was done in the US by either me or Land Cruiser Northwest in Portland, OR. I have a few dozen receipts for parts and work completed, plus photocopies of all the Colombian documents, including work completed, inspections, and the original Japan-to-Colombia import documents from 1973 (very rad piece of history). Some like the 1980s models of these trucks, but something about the absolute simplicity of the early 70s FJ43s makes for a doubly unique rig, and that was why I went for such an early example.
Note: I'm selling because I am moving abroad, and so I can't finish the truck. This was going to be my dream build, but life happens. What's here is an epic blank slate that is already roadworthy. I purposefully left out the ashtray because I like the dash room, but I have the original to go with the truck if you want to install it.
TLDR
- Odometer: ~12,250 km (rolled over, actual mileage unknown)
- Body-off-frame refresh: nearly all new, factory-correct body panels (save for windshield and hood). Frame was sandblasted & painted
- Factory F.5 / F155 engine – simplicity and reliability of F-series engines with the improved oiling of the later 2F engines.
- Factory Toyota 3-speed transmission & transfer case – shifts smoothly. No hack-job H55F dangling from the bellhousing here
Though a well-installed 5spd would be a neat upgrade!
- Starts, runs, and drives without issue, but the wiring harness needs some TLC
Work Completed
- All new parts (where available) are OEM Toyota
- Nearly all glass is brand-new OEM Toyota (wing windows are original, and not certain sliding windows are OEM)
- All window seals replaced with new factory-style seals
- New OEM Toyota gear-reduction starter (FJ60 type)
- New OEM (mostly) radiator hoses/couplings and thermostat
- New Yellow Top battery
- New OEM exterior lights, including license plate light
- Seats reupholstered in grey vinyl
Condition
- Compression is 150 psi in all cylinders.
- Paint quality is good overall- it was painted the factory Cygnus white. There are some signs of interior wear. The truck was apoxy primed from bare metal and then painted.
- Unique rear setup: Tailgate + hatch, both are correct for a 40-series of the era, but not seen together from the factory. More practical than ambulance or barn doors (IMHO) but easy to convert to either if desired!
- Factory-correct weld seams in the rear quarter panels and where the smaller rear window would have been added to the longer J40 window.
- Factory suspension and 15" wheels.
- Wiring harness should be replaced soon (headlights & front signals work; brake, license plate, and interior lights not currently wired)
- Tires should be replaced soon.
- Interior silver trim pieces (seat frames, glove box, gauge bezel, grab bar) are poorly painted, only noticeable when viewed up close, though.
- Oil & voltage gauges work; temp & gas not currently wired.
- SA-spec, so no heater but lots of room for an OEM or VintageAir setup.
- Kick vents don't stay closed on their own (I have the springs, but the mounting tabs were not added during body work).
- Some not-so-factory holes in places like the front bib, windshield, and firewall.
- Can you spot the creative use of a screwdriver handle? A grade-A Colombia special.
- Some minor surface rust in front footwells by A-pillars (no pitting). No exterior rust.
- The exhaust and muffler work fine, so I didn't get around to replacing them; they're a bit rough compared to the rest of the truck.
- Original “Vader” interior light & switch intact (+50 pts).
Extras / Spares
- I have all the original accessories that were replaced or not installed during the refresh (e.g. the ashtray, hood vent, old hood hooks), plus some cool Spanish badges from the original owners that were on the truck.
- OEM Toyota PTO winch (from the US, sitting in a barn since the late 1970s), in excellent condition, with rare spud block and shaft (missing shifter and one L brace, available on eBay and any metal supermarket, respectively)
- Two OEM PTO units (one assembled, one for parts)
- Five OEM Toyota windshield-to-dash latches and several 3-hole spare hooks (not year-correct, but could make for an interesting OEM mod)
- OEM chromed hatch "spring" lift struts
Photos
More photos, including bare-metal and body-off photos available on request. I'm sure there are things I forgot to mention, so feel free to ask any questions below or shoot me a PM.
$34,500 (with all extras included). Open to reasonable offers. No trades.
I purchased this truck, in person, in Colombia from the 3rd owner (first owner had it for 40+ years), and then worked directly with local fabricators to rebuild the body (all photo-documented). All mechanical work was done in the US by either me or Land Cruiser Northwest in Portland, OR. I have a few dozen receipts for parts and work completed, plus photocopies of all the Colombian documents, including work completed, inspections, and the original Japan-to-Colombia import documents from 1973 (very rad piece of history). Some like the 1980s models of these trucks, but something about the absolute simplicity of the early 70s FJ43s makes for a doubly unique rig, and that was why I went for such an early example.
Note: I'm selling because I am moving abroad, and so I can't finish the truck. This was going to be my dream build, but life happens. What's here is an epic blank slate that is already roadworthy. I purposefully left out the ashtray because I like the dash room, but I have the original to go with the truck if you want to install it.
TLDR
- Odometer: ~12,250 km (rolled over, actual mileage unknown)
- Body-off-frame refresh: nearly all new, factory-correct body panels (save for windshield and hood). Frame was sandblasted & painted
- Factory F.5 / F155 engine – simplicity and reliability of F-series engines with the improved oiling of the later 2F engines.
- Factory Toyota 3-speed transmission & transfer case – shifts smoothly. No hack-job H55F dangling from the bellhousing here
Though a well-installed 5spd would be a neat upgrade!- Starts, runs, and drives without issue, but the wiring harness needs some TLC
Work Completed
- All new parts (where available) are OEM Toyota
- Nearly all glass is brand-new OEM Toyota (wing windows are original, and not certain sliding windows are OEM)
- All window seals replaced with new factory-style seals
- New OEM Toyota gear-reduction starter (FJ60 type)
- New OEM (mostly) radiator hoses/couplings and thermostat
- New Yellow Top battery
- New OEM exterior lights, including license plate light
- Seats reupholstered in grey vinyl
Condition
- Compression is 150 psi in all cylinders.
- Paint quality is good overall- it was painted the factory Cygnus white. There are some signs of interior wear. The truck was apoxy primed from bare metal and then painted.
- Unique rear setup: Tailgate + hatch, both are correct for a 40-series of the era, but not seen together from the factory. More practical than ambulance or barn doors (IMHO) but easy to convert to either if desired!
- Factory-correct weld seams in the rear quarter panels and where the smaller rear window would have been added to the longer J40 window.
- Factory suspension and 15" wheels.
- Wiring harness should be replaced soon (headlights & front signals work; brake, license plate, and interior lights not currently wired)
- Tires should be replaced soon.
- Interior silver trim pieces (seat frames, glove box, gauge bezel, grab bar) are poorly painted, only noticeable when viewed up close, though.
- Oil & voltage gauges work; temp & gas not currently wired.
- SA-spec, so no heater but lots of room for an OEM or VintageAir setup.
- Kick vents don't stay closed on their own (I have the springs, but the mounting tabs were not added during body work).
- Some not-so-factory holes in places like the front bib, windshield, and firewall.
- Can you spot the creative use of a screwdriver handle? A grade-A Colombia special.
- Some minor surface rust in front footwells by A-pillars (no pitting). No exterior rust.
- The exhaust and muffler work fine, so I didn't get around to replacing them; they're a bit rough compared to the rest of the truck.
- Original “Vader” interior light & switch intact (+50 pts).
Extras / Spares
- I have all the original accessories that were replaced or not installed during the refresh (e.g. the ashtray, hood vent, old hood hooks), plus some cool Spanish badges from the original owners that were on the truck.
- OEM Toyota PTO winch (from the US, sitting in a barn since the late 1970s), in excellent condition, with rare spud block and shaft (missing shifter and one L brace, available on eBay and any metal supermarket, respectively)
- Two OEM PTO units (one assembled, one for parts)
- Five OEM Toyota windshield-to-dash latches and several 3-hole spare hooks (not year-correct, but could make for an interesting OEM mod)
- OEM chromed hatch "spring" lift struts
Photos
More photos, including bare-metal and body-off photos available on request. I'm sure there are things I forgot to mention, so feel free to ask any questions below or shoot me a PM.
