Vehicle Description
The time has finally come when investing in a high-dollar
restoration of a Toyota Land Cruiser makes sense. This gorgeous
1977 Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser was fully restored by Ken Wallace at
American Classics over the course of four years, and was recently
finished into the spectacular piece that it is today.. If you want
one of the very best Land Cruisers we've seen, this is it.
The classic box-on-wheels look of the FJ is probably a big part of
its appeal. These trucks are legendary in off-roading circles for
being reliable and as agile as a mountain goat, and given their
track record in some pretty inhospitable places, well, it's easy to
see why they're red-hot with collectors. However, all those
wonderful features also makes finding a nice one challenging, since
so many of these trucks have been bashed, abused, and just plain
used up in the years before they were on the collectors' A-list.
Fortunately, this one is extremely clean with a correct-looking
taupe paint job and white top that looks bound for the Sahara. Fit
and finish are better than you'll normally ever find and it fits
together with typical Toyota quality, all of which was restored
back into this FJ when it was reassembled. Those flat panels are
truly flat, so the paint shines nicely and lots of new rubber means
it seals up well. There's a useful winch mounted up front and a
full-sized spare tire carrier on the back, plus a few extra lights,
so all you need is a roof rack and some jerry cans to head out into
the wilderness and have an adventure.
You'll find the interior is far more civilized than you'd expect
for a world traveler like this, with comfortable high-back bucket
seats, new door panels, and plenty of room for everyone. Twin
folding seats in back expand passenger capacity and with durable
rubber mats on the floor, you can get dirty without worrying about
cleaning carpets when you get home. This fully restored truck shows
a nice set of gauges ahead of the driver, as well as an upgraded
AM/FM/CD/iPod stereo in the dash that makes driving it a pleasure.
The 4-speed shifter moves through the gates easily and there's a
second lever for the 2-speed transfer case, plus a heater powerful
enough to cook food. The hardtop and doors are relatively easy to
remove for open-air motoring if you'd like to go that route. Either
way, you'll find it's all but impossible not to have fun driving
this 4x4.
Toyota's 4.2-liter inline-six powered Land Cruisers for decades and
while it seems modest on paper, it's proven itself time and again
when conditions were less than ideal. Around town, it's smooth and
torquey and the gear ratios are exactly right to make it feel quick
and agile. The engine bay is quite nicely detailed, and it's a
relief to see the factory equipment is intact, including the
heavy-duty air cleaner that is remarkably effective. It starts and
runs well, makes good oil pressure, and generally goes about its
business without any fuss, and should continue to do so for a long,
long time. The suspension is capable and rides nicely on the
streets or in the dirt, and it's so clean underneath that it likely
has not been off the pavement since the restoration was completed.
New Pro Comp alloy wheels are powdercoated black and fitted with
305/70/16 Dick Cepek radial tires, giving it the perfect stance and
improved crawling ability.
The prices on these are not a joke and they're not a temporary
condition. You're already kicking yourself for not buying that
awesome FJ you wanted years ago, so don't wait another day, you
likely will not find another one that was restored to such a high
level. Call now!
