Is there a time when a vehicle that was once incredibly sought-after ceases to be? It seems every year there’s turnover where projects that would have previously been lavished with untold amounts of hours and cash seem destined to remain projects forever. The FJ55-series Toyota Land Cruiser may be destined for this future as there are a few too many options for newer models that have plenty of vintage charm along with more creature comforts. This project-grade 1971 Toyota Land Cruiser listed here on craigslist for $25,000 needs a lot, although it doesn’t appear to be crusty. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Zappenduster for the find.
A few years ago, a writer with Automobile magazine provided a chronicle of sorts of his eye-watering restoration of a similar FJ55 truck. It was incredible, frankly, to see just how far he went with restoring every nook and cranny of the truck. He even seemed to admit it became a mild obsession to bring every square inch of it back to factory or better-than-factory condition, tracking down obsolete parts and remanufacturing what couldn’t be found. The end result was an auction sale price that was indeed one of the best prices ever noted for an FJ55, but well short of the total restoration costs.
I suspect all these years later, he may not have attempted such an ambitious rebuild. If you’re looking for a truck that has plenty of vintage vibes but can actually be driven in relative comfort on a daily basis, the FJ60 makes a lot more sense. Plus, it has a bit more power and parts availability is generally good, even if it means buying an entire parts truck from the northeast, where they all rusted out. The seller’s truck is in New Mexico, which reduces the chance of needing to do a ton of metalwork, but it’s pretty clear the truck will still need plenty of cosmetic restoration. The dash is complete, with all gauges present; most of these trucks were manuals, unlike the later versions which seemed to be 50/50 in terms of being optioned with an automatic.
The earlier models also made less power, which certainly makes trying to keep up today’s reckless traffic a challenge. The inline-six made 130 horsepower from the factory, and at one time, was equipped with a 3-speed manual gearbox. That alone will make driving this rig a bit less pleasant than a later model. However, there’s no denying that the FJ55 has a style that isn’t captured in the later models, which definitely became more mainstream (f0r better or worse). Do you think the FJ55 has become a bit of an afterthought on the Land Cruiser landscape? Are the later models a smarter bet for restoration projects?
I know most think I’m full of mountain air, with all the vehicles I claim to have had here, but tis’ true. It’s uncanny really, that ’58 Delray blew me away. I had a 1970 FJ55, very similar, although I don’t recognize the sheet metal here, as most of mine was gone. It had a front mounted winch, that I originally bought it for,( for $100) but turned out, even in its rusted state, still worked well. The 3.9 “F” motor, a direct knockoff of the Stovebolt 6, was Toyotas bread and butter, spanning from 1949 to 1975. It was used in a variety of vehicles, from trucks to limos. It did everything the Stovebolt didn’t do, like more power, better gas mileage, and above all, never used any oil. Despite my demeanor on Toyotas, I must say, this was one of my favorite trucks. Eventually, the body separated from the frame, I pulled the winch and shot it. I see this has a floor shift, mine was a column shift, but the biggest draw’rback? Even though it had family written all over it, no automatic, that the others did offer. For the same money, about $3200, one could get a pretty cushy K5 Blazer. This did, however, and the FJ 40 sure got Toyotas foot in the door, and never looked back.
Iron Pig 👍
Long-time Cruiserhead here! FJ55’s (known in the community as “Iron Pigs”) are a difficult restoration for all the reasons you list, and also because nobody makes affordable replacement sheet metal. The FJ55 also has a lot of unique parts to the series that weren’t shared with the much more common FJ40 of the same period, and some quirks like a powered rear glass on the giant tailgate that is almost always inoperable. That said, there are dedicated Cruiserheads that love the series and there is a huge amount of information and support at http://www.ih8mud.com. And the small handful of restored FJ55s out there are fantastic drivers that were way ahead of their time.
Let me grab the deed to that swampland and we’ll have a trade. Was expecting this to be like four grand. I’ve always liked these but never enough to own one.
About 2001 we had one of these traded in. It was a rust bucket, but had a very nice winch on it. Because of the winch, I bought the vehicle for $500. (Howard A you got a better deal on your winch than I did!) I was also hoping to get the 4 speed and disc brakes since I was in the middle (still am, damn that divorce!) of restoring my 1971 FJ40. On the way home I was noticing that this vehicle ran and drove quite nicely. I was quite impressed as I was not expecting much because of the way it looked. Once home I started to look around the interior (which was shot) and found a grocery bag full of receipts. Every expenditure since the ‘Cruiser was new! Including receipts for complete drivertrain rebuild within the prior 30k miles, but 8 years prior. Needless to say all that stuff ended upon my FJ40. (Made easy since I had the body off the frame at the time.) Hopefully in the next year or so when I’m done building this house I can get back to completing my project. It is like a member of the family since I have owned it for over 40 years.
The asking price gets one a non-project, very nice Pig. Dude has been looking at absolutely concours level examples and thinks his is worth half of those. That’s not how it works.
Are these really worth anywhere close to what they are asking?
For a very nice one yes. This is about double it’s value in my opinion.
THESE DON’T BREAK!