Thanks for the kind words. Most of those old car guys even tho they like exotics have a 40 memory. The whole old car/collectors market is a huge world. Prices rise and fall customer bases age out. The vintage 4x4 trucks and suv was smoking hot for the last few years. I think that the 40 market will see softer prices in certain price points. BAT and cars and bids are showing less success. I’ve seen some pretty good value trucks sold at a pretty steep discount. Mekum also has been soft. Fact remains however that I know what it costs to build and that is not coming down. Parts and labor are at an all time high. Even doing a lot of it yourself still these trucks suck a lot of money. I don’t think we are going to see many sub 20k trucks that are driver ready and dependable. I also don’t think we’ll see extensive rebuilds go sub 70s and high quality restorations are another market determined by people who are not affected by economic fluctuations. Those trucks will still bring their price.
Why are there so many FJ40's still for sale?
- Thread starter sogafarm
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FloridaLife
SILVER Star
Thank you. That is GREAT advice, avoiding the temptation to fix what doesn't truly need it. I did that more than once on my '34 Coupe. I "think / hope" I've bought a good solid FJ40 to start with. It's in Oklahoma, looks like it was probably used on a ranch (has a BIG Ole' cattle / brush guard on the front) and in the pics I didn't see rust holes through the floorboards. Body is pretty straight, and none of the glass is cracked or broken. The top is not cracked, and it even has a PTO Winch.
I guess we were not the only ones…..In 1975 my wife and I lived on Kraft Macaroni and cheese in a box for .22 cents, sliced bread and brown packaged gravy and cucumbers we bought for .05 cents each to make cucumber sandwiches… honestly as much as it sucked, we had so much fun those days.
We tend to forget the fun times in the hardships that were so long ago for us
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Camping consisted of emptying out the pantry into suitable containers, going out to explore somewhere on whatever we could afford for gas, then putting whatever food was leftover from the trip back into the pantry.
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This is a great thread. My first truck was a 73 Datsun 620 I bought used for $700. Wish I still had it. Living on mac and cheese and working 2-3 jobs as a poor college student, before you could borrow $100k and live large while in school. Currently conserving my 40 for my son and grandson to enjoy. I grew up in small town Iowa before the internet, I didn't even know the 40 series land cruiser existed. I'm glad I got mine in 08 before the prices got crazy.
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I’ve not all of the 9 pages leading up to here…
My parents were boomers, and I’m much younger.
When I bought mine in ‘91, 3k would buy a good clean rig. Recently that skyrocketed to 30k+. I don’t have the disposable income for those prices. And as mentioned above… every part is getting too expensive.
I love my 40. It rides like a Cadillac compared to the 2024 JK Sahara that I unfortunately rented for a few days. It also rides well compared to some cars. It doesn’t wander, steering is super easy, and it’ll stop crazy fast with almost no pressure on the pedal… but that’s because of how I’ve built it… and it’s a far cry from the beast I drove home in ‘91 that was on bias ply tires with wheels toed out and 4 worn drum brakes.
I’m a dying breed… almost no one in my generation knows how to actually fix anything. Much less build, fabricate or modify. If all someone wants is a mall crawler with angry eyes, there’s a much simpler alternative that has countless parts that can be ordered from a catalog for their mechanic to bolt on.
From what I’ve seen, finesse in wheeling is gone,.. what should be crawled leaving no trace behind is being hammered through. It’s a shame. I’ve seen many areas either closed, gated, or developed. And I don’t blame the land owners… when I wheeled most, any sign I’d been there would be gone by the next day (if there was any). I’d always leave areas as clean as I found them if not cleaner. But as I mentioned… dying bread.
As an example of a “recent” fabrication project.
In case anyone is trying to figure out what model this is… E350, Dana 70, Sterling sway bar. With 6000+ lbs on the rear axle it makes a real difference.
My parents were boomers, and I’m much younger.
When I bought mine in ‘91, 3k would buy a good clean rig. Recently that skyrocketed to 30k+. I don’t have the disposable income for those prices. And as mentioned above… every part is getting too expensive.
I love my 40. It rides like a Cadillac compared to the 2024 JK Sahara that I unfortunately rented for a few days. It also rides well compared to some cars. It doesn’t wander, steering is super easy, and it’ll stop crazy fast with almost no pressure on the pedal… but that’s because of how I’ve built it… and it’s a far cry from the beast I drove home in ‘91 that was on bias ply tires with wheels toed out and 4 worn drum brakes.
I’m a dying breed… almost no one in my generation knows how to actually fix anything. Much less build, fabricate or modify. If all someone wants is a mall crawler with angry eyes, there’s a much simpler alternative that has countless parts that can be ordered from a catalog for their mechanic to bolt on.
From what I’ve seen, finesse in wheeling is gone,.. what should be crawled leaving no trace behind is being hammered through. It’s a shame. I’ve seen many areas either closed, gated, or developed. And I don’t blame the land owners… when I wheeled most, any sign I’d been there would be gone by the next day (if there was any). I’d always leave areas as clean as I found them if not cleaner. But as I mentioned… dying bread.
As an example of a “recent” fabrication project.
In case anyone is trying to figure out what model this is… E350, Dana 70, Sterling sway bar. With 6000+ lbs on the rear axle it makes a real difference.
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This is 1975… these guys were really Jeep oriented. Mostly CJ2A’s and they drove out to the older logging roads. We fixed whatever broke. I thought recently how it may have been foolish to go with them with my brand new FJ40. If it had gotten messed up, it was my only vehicle and the payments were around $47.00. But on the other hand, it burned a memory in my brain about how great these trucks were.
Yet, our payment on the house was $120 but did not have drinking water. It was ok to shower so in winter we melted snow. In the summer we went to the farm up the road and filled jugs. . . and don’t forget that sliced white bread, powered brown gravy and 5 cent cucumbers
Yet, our payment on the house was $120 but did not have drinking water. It was ok to shower so in winter we melted snow. In the summer we went to the farm up the road and filled jugs. . . and don’t forget that sliced white bread, powered brown gravy and 5 cent cucumbers
FloridaLife
SILVER Star
That's just awesome! And that payment wouldn't even fill a gas tank these days!
@FloridaLife I filled my Silverado with fuel today…1/2 full $44.30 for diesel. In 1970 I would fill my VW beetle with $.24 cents a gallon and for a $10 bill I could have plenty of gas and still take my girlfriend to McDonalds or a local DRIVE-IN THEATER (all of them long gone)
Don’t remember it for $0.25 a gallon…
But it was $25 fill my 40 tank when I bought it and I do remember $0.26 a litre gas.
Oh… you live in Canada? When we lived in Vermont, we would cross over into Canada to buy gas ….it was under 6 miles, they used imperial gallons and it was a cheaper option on average. Unless you’re up there in age you probably weren’t driving in 1970..
That would be bout 20 years before I was driving on the road, and 15 before I learned to drive on the farm. Now gas prices always seem to be higher than in the US... unless you go to Calgary.Oh… you live in Canada? When we lived in Vermont, we would cross over into Canada to buy gas ….it was under 6 miles, they used imperial gallons and it was a cheaper option on average. Unless you’re up there in age you probably weren’t driving in 1970..
BTW that was $25 CDN or about $18 USD. Now it's panful to fill both tanks (14 gal front & 20 gal rear).
Quality never goes out of style.
- Thread starter
- #174
So looks like we are getting some movement in the classifieds on sold 40’s. Two sold this weekend. The market is getting better for those that are priced right. Shipping costs are still a big factor in long distance sales and some folks who live in more remote areas aren’t getting the attention because of the over the top shipping prices. Fuel prices are on a Downward trend so maybe shipping will reflect that soon so we can get some more sold.
Buffchief
SILVER Star
A LOT Ive seen are from people importing them from south of the border trying to get top dollar after seeing the crazy prices in the last 10 years.
What I see is people asking twice what it is actually worth, waiting for the greater fool to come along and pay top dollar plus.
If they asking anything near actual market value they would sell quickly.
If they asking anything near actual market value they would sell quickly.
The problem I have is that my 1975 FJ40 was in excellent shape when I got it now over 3 yrs ago. And, my excellent memories of my first Land Cruiser 51 years ago. I seriously had some of the greatest times of my life with that 40. It infected me back then with an incurable lust for these trucks. Not that this new to me ‘75 had anything wrong or radically changed, I just wanted it to be “refreshed” with a few tasteful upgrades…..faster than you can say “and the code on the back of the card is” I’d probably spent another $10,000 for shipping it 3000 miles, on parts, pieces, spares and specialty items in the first year. Add another 2 years of some other things and my FJ40 is a $40,000 Toy.
As I look at it, I’ve got another 10 yrs if I’m lucky enough to be driving, working on and enjoying it…besides, the tariffs are destroying some of my other plans in retirement. Unless I have to sell it due to some other force of nature…F it. My kids will deal with it. I can and will enjoy the s#!t out of it.
When I see the offerings on some car sites, some are really tempting but when you look at that pretty paint and then see the dividing line under the dash…you know it’s lipstick on the proverbial pig
As I look at it, I’ve got another 10 yrs if I’m lucky enough to be driving, working on and enjoying it…besides, the tariffs are destroying some of my other plans in retirement. Unless I have to sell it due to some other force of nature…F it. My kids will deal with it. I can and will enjoy the s#!t out of it.
When I see the offerings on some car sites, some are really tempting but when you look at that pretty paint and then see the dividing line under the dash…you know it’s lipstick on the proverbial pig
Shoot, I'm 41 and I view things the same way. My time here is finite, may as well enjoy a couple small things. My 60 isn't perfect, and my 40 is kind of a disaster, but I enjoy the hell out of them. I've had great memories with my kids and wife in the 60, and nothing can ever take those from me. Both bought with cash, so I have nothing to lose hanging onto them, opportunity cost be damned.
FloridaLife
SILVER Star
My dad, in his 80's, called yesterday to tell me he saw an FJ40 sell at Barrett Jackson for $98,000. That reminds me of the saying "A fool and his money are soon parted." I doubt I'll ever sell mine (if I ever finish the thing). Ideally, I'd like to find a good price on another decent condition FJ40, and then give one to each of my boys some day as a wedding gift and tell them "You can keep it forever and enjoy it, or you can sell it if you need to so you can put the money down on buying a house. The choice is yours."
