My Next Landcruiser...or YOURS? 1973 FJ40 Lifted, Locked and Loaded Resto-Mod $19k An old friend of mine spent many years building up his dream cruiser, building the kind of truck many of us would only build if we were SURE we would never have to sell it. Thousands of hours later, he had one of the finest Landcruisers I have ever seen. But as sometimes happens, life makes other plans, and with much regret, he had to move on. When he called me and told me what he needed in terms of both money and timing, I figured the best way to ensure that he wouldn't take a total beating was to just give him the money and let me worry about the timing. The only problem with that is that i've already got a bad case of MVS, and having this truck around too long may cause me to re-think my own priorities, including fixing the karma cruiser. So here it is.

1973 FJ40, two owner. 122K on the odometer. ORIGINAL PAINT! That's right. 39 years old, and still this amazingly clean. The laundry list of resto-mods on this truck is so long, I resorted to using my catalog section numbers to help organize them...and I still don't think I got them all. Bottom line is this truck is truly a turn-key labor of love that somebody is going to have a lot of fun driving.

010 [engine electrical] - dual Optima batteries in a MAF 4+ battery tray with a heavy duty isolator [one is for the winch], vacuum advance distributor with Pertronix installed, rebuilt alternator and starter.

020 [valvetrain] rebuilt cylinder head with upgraded aluminum valve cover and custom PCV vent tubing.

030 [engine] refreshed original F engine with new oil pump and rod bearings, new front and rear main seals, all new motor mounts, new stainless braided oil filter lines.

040 [cooling] heavy duty re-cored 4 row radiator, new water pump with upgraded 6 blade Toyota plastic fan, all new radiator hoses and thermostat. The front heater sports a pair of brand new OE defroster ducts [an NOS find from Mark's Off Road]

050[intake, exhaust and fuel] rebuilt Mark's Off Road carb ported for vacuum advance, with a Mark's Off Road Tri Y header leading into a fresh 2.5” exhaust system. The stock fuel tank was boiled out, all the fuel lines were replaced, along with a new Kyosan OE fuel pump.

070 [clutch] ALL NEW! New master and slave cylinder, along with delivery hose, new clutch disc and pressure plate, pilot and throwout bearings.

080 [transmission] the stock 3 speed transmission was replaced with a good, lo mileage H42 4 speed transmission.

090 [transfer case] the stock case was refreshed with new bearings and seals, a new hi lo shift sleeve, and a new input gear for the 4 speed transmission. NO LEAKS!

100 [rear axle] The axle was replaced with a full floating rear axle from an overseas FJ40 and fitted with a new ring and pinion, Toyota Limited Slip Differential, and all new bearings. The truck also sports a set of 33x12.5x15 BFG MT tires on 15x8 chrome steel rims with approximately 5k miles on them.

110 [front axle] the front axle was completely torn down and rebuilt with OE bearings as a disc brake front end, using FJ60 brake components. While the axle was disassembled, a Lockright mechanical diff locker was added to the front third member, making this a true four wheel drive.

120 [steering] the steering system was completely overhauled, and the stock steering box was upgraded with a Saginaw power steering system. This included a brand new steering shaft, a rebuilt steering box, a rebuilt steering pump, and a custom set of high pressure power steering hoses. All the tie rod ends were replaced as well.

130 [suspension] The entire suspension system was replaced, starting with a Mark's Off Road 4” lift kit supplimented with a MAF 4+ shackle reversal, ConFerr U-bolt skidplates and Rancho 9000 adjustable shocks.

140 [brakes] The entire brake system was overhauled, including a new OE master cylinder, rebuilt booster, rebuilt calipers, all new wheel cylinders, new pads and shoes, and new stainless braided brake lines from the frame to the axles.

150 [body] The frame has been cleaned and repainted in satin black, and fitted with a custom front bumper, winch guard and winch mounting tray. Underneath, the transmission and transfer case are protected with a ConFerr heavy duty skidplate. [another Mark's Off Road find]

151-The hood sports new hooks and billet hood hinges, as well as new rubber windshield cushions.

152- The windshield has a brand new glass and weatherstrip, as well as a new pair of genuine Toyota sunvisors. The dash sports a brand new OE Toyota dashpad and a very rare genuine Toyota AM radio.

153- The hardtop still sports the original headliner. Both front doors were completely disassembled and all weatherstrips and seals replaced, inside and out, along with new window regulators and vent window weatherstrips. NO RATTLES!!

154-The stock seats were reupholstered, and the replacement fabric shows some signs of wear. Not worn out, but worn. The rear jump seats have been upgraded to a ConFerr forward facing rear seat, which is in excellent condition.

156- The tub was separated from the frame and a full set of fresh urethane body mounts installed. The vast majority of the underside of the tub was cleaned down to stock paint at that time and sound deadening mats applied. Reinforced rock sliders were added to the rocker panels.

157- The rear hatch was disassembled and all the mechanisms cleaned, lubricated and readjusted. Then brand new OE hatch struts were installed [another rare NOS find from Mark's Off Road]

158- The factory tire carrier was replaced with a heavy duty MAF 4+ unit that adds the ice chest rack, a $1100 upgrade all by itself.

159- Factory side mirrors were upgraded to the earlier style tub mounted type, with both new mirror arms and heads.

160 [electrical] New OE turn signals were installed front and rear.

200 [accessories] in addition to the dual batteries, the lift, the lockers, the bumper and the tire carrier, the truck sports a Warn 8000 winch, a full Metaltech rollcage with CB radio, a Tuffy center console, and a NWMP 22 gallon auxiliary tank with skidplate.

I have driven this truck a few times now, and it turns heads wherever I go. The ONLY thing that I personally find lacking in this otherwise trail-ready resto-mod is a stereo. Otherwise it's a 'gas up and go' done deal.

Please save me from myself and buy this truck!

818-953-9230