1967 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 SUV

The Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser was developed in the early-1950s and was based on the Willys M38 Jeep. When Toyota and Land Rover went head-to-head in the 1960s, Toyota won nearly every encounter. The short-wheelbase FJ40 was rigid and durable and made considerable inroads into the Jeep market in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s. Toyota then re-focused its attention to the rest of the world in the 1980s. The barebones FJ40 was built in Brazil as the Bandeirante, in Venezuela as the Macho, and Australia still offers the updated 70 series for their rugged terrain. The final FJ40s were imported to the United States in 1983, after being replaced by the Land Cruiser SUV.

This 1967 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 is powered by a 4.2 liter engine and mated to a 3-speed transmission. It has recently been treated to a body-off frame, ground-up stock restoration. It was a multi-year process with all the hardware replaced with new or re-zinc plated depending on condition. It has been repainted in the factory original Olympus White color. The interior has been refurbished in the factory original Coral color.

The engine was replaced with a slightly newer year and rebuilt using all OEM internal parts including new camshaft, oil pump, bearings, piston rings and pistons. The original engine sheet metal was fitted to the new engine to maintain the period correct look, which includes a rare factory original oil bath air cleaner. During the rebuild the engine was balanced, and the carburetor was replaced with a NOS unit. Factory original NOS exhaust system was installed with factory original hangers and hardware.

In 2013, this car was offered for sale at the Russo & Steele auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. As bidding came to a close, this vehicle was sold for the sum of $53,900 inclusive of buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2013