New Project: 1972 Toyota FJ40 LandCruiser

PerformanceSound

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Just picked up straight chassis (no accidents) with original VIN tags and title.

I plan on doing a resto-mod with a 1FZ and a bunch of expedition gear.

Will post pics soon...car doesn't arrive for another two weeks.
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PerformanceSound

PerformanceSound

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You ready for the investing that's gonna happen?
Oh believe me I know...

This isn't the first FJ40 i've "resto-modded"....I helped my cousin restore his FJ40 years ago, and it not only took alot of money but also alot of time. These cars look simple to work on, but it's all in the details (i.e., making parts fit flush, panel gaps lineup straight, etc...). It's a project you take your time with. However, when done right...these cars are a blast to drive on or off road, and anywhere you go people want to check them out and take pics with them.

It's also my dream 4x4...:D
 

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Iā€™m excited to see this - given that I donā€™t have enough time to restore one of these myself Iā€™ll probably never own one, but I would totally be one of the folks that would want to take a picture of it if I saw it in the wild. The closest I would probably ever get to owning one is an FJ Cruiser. :(
 

KahnBB6

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Congratulations on your purchase, Performance! Having helped restore one of these before you already know what you're getting yourself into, lol. I've seen this firsthand occasionally helping with and keeping tabs on a friend's '80 G-Wagen 2-door frame-off restoration and I6 turbodiesel engine swap. It's cost a small fortune and several years to date but it is getting done the right way.

And "the right way" (ie: super thorough and thus a timelessly pleasing result) is what I hope for you with this FJ40! And nice choice with the 1FZ-FE. It probably doesn't need it in a 40 series but will you track down one of the old TRD superchargers offered for those engines?
 
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PerformanceSound

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Congratulations on your purchase, Performance! Having helped restore one of these before you already know what you're getting yourself into, lol. I've seen this firsthand occasionally helping with and keeping tabs on a friend's '80 G-Wagen 2-door frame-off restoration and I6 turbodiesel engine swap. It's cost a small fortune and several years to date but it is getting done the right way.

And "the right way" (ie: super thorough and thus a timelessly pleasing result) is what I hope for you with this FJ40! And nice choice with the 1FZ-FE. It probably doesn't need it in a 40 series but will you track down one of the old TRD superchargers offered for those engines?
Thanks Craig! Yeah, if I show you my work space at home, you will be shocked at how many FJ40 figurines I have all over the place...lol. I have wanted this car since I was 5yrs old. My dad had one years ago as a work rig, and he put over 500,000 miles on the stock motor. It was rusted to all heck, but he still got good money for it when he sold it and to this day he talks about it. I plan on resto-modding mine, just because they are easier to live with day to day....sort of like the ICON FJ40's. Speaking of diesel, I have been thinking about a Cummins R2.8, but the fiance is not to thrilled with me spending $9k for a 4cyl. The body will be removed and a new aluminum tub is being sourced. I'll post pics as I move along.
 
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KahnBB6

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^^ Having visited Jonathan Ward's ICON shop and looked over (okay, more like oogled) all of the FJ40, Defender, Bronco and other projects he had there at the time I can't think of a better inspiration for an FJ40 project :) What they do with their client vehicles is amazing.

500k miles from your dad's old rig is amazing! That's what those old FJ's were meant to do-- go seemingly forever until a tree, cliff or the elements took them out.

Spending $9k+ on any engine for a swap would raise most people's eyebrows I'd think. But when getting serious about one of these restorations you want the right engine for the job so that you do it all right the first time.

You could also do a stock 1UZ-FE swap which will likely have better fuel economy than the 1FZ-FE. However that R2.8 is probably going to be the best for fuel economy, longevity and simplicity of service in the field. As a bonus you can always convert it to run on veggie oil with enough filters :D

Getting your FJ body's sheetmetal right is probably going to consume the most time with your project. My friend who is doing the old G-Wagen restomod figured out a pretty good approach to paint durability by specifying that all the least visible areas of the body underneath and through the engine compartment get a coating of Line-X. And then the main panels all get regular primer and paint. I've seen the Line-X under-layer up close on that chassis and now I'd recommend it to anyone doing an off-road vehicle restoration. So durable and tough.

I'm looking forward to seeing the progress!
 
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PerformanceSound

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I really want an iForce V8 as to keep as much of the restomod Toyota as possible, however, getting an iForce V8 to mate up to an NV4500 or NV5600 is almost impossible without serious fabrication work (CNC adapters, flywheel, clutch, etc...). I am really upset with Toyota in this area as they never catered to the 4x4 truck or SUV drivers who preferred a manual transmission. I know a few 1st gen Tundra's did have a manual option, but sourcing the OEM; wiring harness, ECU, and transmission (especially one that will mate up to an Atlas II tcase) is not worth the hassle to be honest. It's one of the reasons ICON doesn't do Toyota power-plants in any of their cars, Toyota makes it VERY difficult to get their power-plants to mate up to manual transmissions. I originally wanted a 1FZ-FE and am still thinking about it hard....but, the 1FZ is under-powered and over-weight. I think a LQ9 LS (6.0) with an NV4500 and an Atlas II will eventually be my poison, but those Cummins R2.8's are really nice too. Ultimate goal will be to have a powerful low-end with good fuel economy....the LS and Cummins both excel in this area, and the adaptability to modern off-road drive-trains is HUGE. Again, VERY disappointed in Toyota for not offering the 4x4 fans a proper setup.

Btw, American car makers are killing it in the 4x4 arena. Ford's new Bronco with; a retro look, solid front and rear axles, body on frame, manual option, and removable tops/doors/windshield is going to be a HIT! Toyota screwed the pooch with the FJ Cruiser, and in 2022 will be discontinuing the LandCruiser in the US. Give us an FJ40 redo, with a B58 Diesel / solid front and rear axles / body on frame / manual trans and you will have a winner TOYOTA!!!
 

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Pics please. Big land cruiser guy here. Daily drive a 100 series and have a built 80 series as an overland/offroad/camping rig. FJ40's are awesome.
 
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PerformanceSound

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Pics please. Big land cruiser guy here. Daily drive a 100 series and have a built 80 series as an overland/offroad/camping rig. FJ40's are awesome.
The body is at the shop getting estimates for repairs....doesn't look too good for the original body though. I am looking into getting an Aqualu aluminum body. The frame is powder coated and the parts have all been removed and put in the box in the back. More pics to come :)

I also recently sold my built 3rd Gen 4Runner. With 225k miles the car still sold for an amazing price. Gotta love these old Yota's!

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^^ This reminds me of the first time I saw my good friend's W460 G-Wagen with the body removed from the frame for it full restoration.

I'm excited to see more progress! At the same time I know all too well from experience how long these projects take ;)
 
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PerformanceSound

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^^ This reminds me of the first time I saw my good friend's W460 G-Wagen with the body removed from the frame for it full restoration.

I'm excited to see more progress! At the same time I know all too well from experience how long these projects take ;)
I will end up selling the body as the rust on the inside of the panels is not only damn near impossible to get to but it super expensive to repair....and even then, there is no guarantee it wonā€™t come back. I found someone on the LandCruiser forums who is interested to in the body, so if all works out I would only need a bit more to purchase an aluminum tub. This project will take time, but thatā€™s what makes it that much more valuable to me :).

I will post more pics as I progress....in the process of selling the house to relocate to the west.
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