Agreed, it was decent. I also think I should bump up my budget just so I don't buy one that needs a lot of work, I'll end up accidentally disassembling it and have a restoration on my hands... I have that tendency
Why are there so many FJ40's still for sale?
- Thread starter sogafarm
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EWheeler
GOLD Star
It is such a better use of money to buy a running driving complete truck that is "nice" versus a basket case.
- Thread starter
- #83
100% unless your a glutton for punishment. I have found that all Landcruisers seem to eventually land at an equilibrium moment. Pay up front for a really nice one or spend less now on a fixer upper and invest in the restoration. Either way it usually amounts to the same amount of money. I think 20k is the equilibrium point for an original nice driver. Add in paint and body on top of that and your at 30k pretty quickly. So a fixer upper at 12k plus roughly 8k in parts equals 20k these days. Pay now or pay later.
I feel personally attacked by this! jk
I completely understand what you're saying though as I just graduated high school and not many of the city kids I've meet are into classic cars. In rural America interest in classic vehicles is still very much alive with the kids! Me and friends still get together sometimes to wrench on stuff:
But we aren't as interested in resorting as we are in preserving and most of the Fj40s are restored by now. We like using our cars and trucks for work not just to look at.
Interest in FJ40s and similar vehicles isn't that high as parts either have to be made or bought for exorbitant prices. Almost every farm kid here has a family junkyard where they can get almost any part for a Ford or Chevy they need.
I wish I had a pic of our Prom parade we had a couple weeks ago, lots of classic cars! I was invited back and slapped together my 1974 FJ40, it ran like crap but It sure looked cool!
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Prices escalated? I also collect guitars and made a decent buck restoring very old motorcycles. At an antiques swap meet you could buy all kinds of parts for decent prices….i paid $900.00 for this and carried it home in 9 or 10 boxes..I had no clue if it was even complete or what was missing but there was so much there, I took the shot…after some paint and chrome….this is what it turned out to be …1964FL
I know, right!? I mean, you're telling me, this isn't gonna pay off?BLASPHEMY!!!I feel personally attacked.
In all honesty though, if prices fall far enough it will be hard to justify sinking tons of time and money into a project vs. just buying one that's complete, especially with so many other competing interests and responsibilities.
Maybe the prices are high because nobody really wants to sell their 40!
You buy a vehicle cos you want it to enjoy or to have a practical driver for your needs. The kicker l get with the truck is the amount of smiles it raises. Today l had a guy asking if l'd sell it or do a swap (l've only had it a month)... l gently said no...but he insisted & asked how much, when l told him a similar truck (l didn't mention it was fully restored 
) was sold at auction last month in the UK for £44k...'What' was his reply then he shut up & walked away...message received l reckon...
) was sold at auction last month in the UK for £44k...'What' was his reply then he shut up & walked away...message received l reckon...
There was a fully restored 1970's period FJ40 at auction in the UK last month sold for $44k.... 2 weeks later another which wasn't restored around the same period sold for £27k...both had previously been imported from Indonesia...There is a market for them albeit small...
Makes sense. As the market goes down,interest up, the amount of buyers decreases. As always, there is a time to sell and a time to buy.
If you think about it.. if you're selling summer would be the best time (same as selling a house)...you get the chance to show it at its best in good weather...whereas dark colder winter/autumn months effects buyers mood.. you also get to suss out the dreamers from the real buyers.
- Thread starter
- #94
I’m a little bit of a romantic when it comes to cruisers. The movie ‘revenge’ with Kevin Costner comes to mind. I thought that was what the trueistic renegades drove just because they could. 40’s are always going to be the iconic Landcruiser. After all it’s what made Toyota what it is today, reliable and dependable transportation in subpar conditions. There will come a time when there are very few drivers examples out there. But I’m obviously biased in my opinion. 
They are priceless.
They are priceless.
rkymtnflyfisher
Trout Bum
My guess is that all the clowns that bought them as a novelty when the vid was around at inflated prices are now realizing that they aren't as "cool" as they thought. Now they're trying to flip them based on some imaginary inflated price they saw one sell on the internet for.
All the true Cruiserheads are all sitting back laughing now, waiting for $1,500 buckets again. Perfectly content turning wrenching on the old bucket they've had for 10 plus years.
I was country before country was cool.
All the true Cruiserheads are all sitting back laughing now, waiting for $1,500 buckets again. Perfectly content turning wrenching on the old bucket they've had for 10 plus years.
I was country before country was cool.
rkymtnflyfisher
Trout Bum
Now if we could just make flyfishing not cool again.
Here is my Toyota content: The F100 gets an inverter and transmission from a hybrid Lexus. The transmission has 2 electric motors in it that make around 300hp. Not much by today’s standards, but enough to scoot around the valley.
I wonder if the release of the new Bronco will eventually kill the bubble on those. The new Land Cruiser doesn’t evoke the same passion as the 40. The bronco is marketed in the same rugged style as the early bronco and might where that crowd out. Maybe
I’d love a ‘79…
Fly-fishing could NEVER be uncool.....
I’m a little bit of a romantic when it comes to cruisers. The movie ‘revenge’ with Kevin Costner comes to mind. I thought that was what the trueistic renegades drove just because they could. 40’s are always going to be the iconic Landcruiser. After all it’s what made Toyota what it is today, reliable and dependable transportation in subpar conditions. There will come a time when there are very few drivers examples out there. But I’m obviously biased in my opinion.
You are correct. These machines were built , that is it. Try to buy another !!!
