FJ40 Buying tips

fryedaddy

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2005
Location
Winston-Salem
I'm not sure if this should be in the newbe thread or not. I've been looking at this landcruiser fj40 for a couple weeks now. It's one of those
friends cousins a mechanic thing. Anyways he rebuilt the engine for this guy and the guy lost his job so couldn't pay for it. Mechanic lean and now has title for it. It's been sitting for about four years and I haven't asked if they would try to start it yet but will soon. Besides mechanical problems are there any other thing I should look for. Are fj40's known to have badly rusted frames. I was wondering because I know jeeps body mounts rust out and would like to know about FJ40's. Any thing I need to look for would help.
 
They did come from the factory with the rust package, standard equipment.. typically, you're gonna find the rear 1/4's, wheelwells, doors, and the rockers get rusted the most.

The sheet metal is about as thick as a Jeep frame though, so it takes a while. The frame is thick, and doesn't typically rust, but ya never know where it spent the first 30 years, either.

It's worth money though.. how much, depends on how it looks, and what year it is, if for nothing more than parts.
 
there is one for sale near andys shop. i have not looked at it but its been sitting there for a while
 
Rich is right about the rust. It's hard to find one that dosen't have it around the rear corners. I think 1978 was the last year they came with 4:11 gears. The 1979 models came with street gears, catalytic converter, a POS carburetor, and 33' a vacuum hoses.(Can you guess I once owned one?)
I don't know what you have in mind for modifications, if any, but the early models with the 3 speed tranny had the tougher transfercase.
I would have kept the 79 except I was in CA at the time and CARB standards are a B***H to work around with later models. Good sturdy frame and body (nearly 5000 lbs from the factory). They tend to sink in slick mud though, been there.
I've thought of building another but it would be an earlier model without the rear ambulance doors. I'd swap the entire drivetrain... seen too many snapped pinions... The 6 cyl gets terrible MPG, less than the small block Chevy. It's an offset rearend so if you swapped axles the transfercase won't work... etc.
Hell, I just like the way they look...
 
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