It has some bullet holes. Some rust. And clearly, lots of patina. But I’ll be damned if the Iron Pig doesn’t live up to its heavy-duty reputation in these pictures. This 1973 Toyota Land Cruiser, otherwise known as an FJ55, really is a survivor in the truest sense of the word. The description indicates it sat for some time, leading to it becoming target practice for local vandals, who surely would think twice about their actions if they knew how few of these trucks were left in savable project condition. This Land Cruiser has been gone through mechanically but will now need some level of cosmetic restoration. Find it here on craigslist in Denver for $6,950. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Gunter K. for the find.
While other generations of the Land Cruiser have shot up price-wise to the point that it’s hard to get into one for less than $20K, the FJ55 series trucks seem to remain quite attainable. I’m not sure why that is, as they still look every bit as tough as a Land Cruiser and have that classic squarebody style that’s all the rage in old-school SUVs. I have heard parts supply is a challenge, and that’s not a surprise considering how prone these trucks were to rusting away, but there are plenty of enthusiasts who hunt for and hoard spares – enough so that you shouldn’t feel afraid taking this one on.
The seller confirms the mileage is accurate, clocking in at a very low 42,864. The interior reveals that the odometer reading is likely correct, as it still looks pretty fresh inside. The black vinyl surfaces and plastic areas show very little fading or signs of heavy use, and the steering wheel and shift knob don’t reveal any significant indications of wear and tear. The dash is split, and that’s of little surprise considering it was sitting out in the Colorado sunshine from 1980 to 2016, when it was parked for unknown reasons. Overall, the cabin is in the sort of shape that you could live with it indefinitely once a blanket is thrown over the seats.
Despite the body rust, the seller has paid some attention to the oily bits, noting that a local shop “….went through a complete inspection and overhaul on the engine, brakes, cables, gas tank, etc.” The Land Cruiser rides on new tires, and the F1-series engine is said to be original to the truck. The FJ55 was supposedly left parked at Metro State College on the Auraria Parkway in Denver – any Coloradoans recall seeing this orange and white Land Cruiser riddled with bullet holes? Overall, this seems like a fair price for a restorable project, especially considering some of the refurb work has already been done.
Looks a LOT more like 142,864 miles to me, but what do I know?
Looking at the interior I have difficultly believing the claimed 43K mileage. An engine rebuild at that mileage is also suspicious. When dealing with used vehicles a little cynicism isn’t a bad thing. Full disclosure by the seller is a fairly rare event.
When the seller takes a picture of the speedometer and puts it in the ad, it’s “proof” they are telling the truth. Even the sellers claim that it was off the road from 1989-2016, suggests that mileage is higher than stated.
Steve R
Mama mia, stop me if you’ve heard this one,,,,too late. It’s well known my , um, let’s say, distaste, ( is that a word?) for Asian vehicles. Of the hundreds of vehicles, I can name all the Asian vehicles I had on one hand. A 1970 FJ55 was one of them. It, was without question, one of the best vehicles I ever had. Rust eventually killed it when the body separated from the frame,,,I had to shoot it.
The term “Iron Pig” is actually quite derogatory, they are great trucks. Hardly pigs. They rode nice, for a 4×4, plenty of room, even an extra heater in the back. The 3.9 motor is a direct knockoff of the GM in-line 6, but the similarity ends there. It has more power, better mileage, and most important, doesn’t leak or burn oil. Toyota used this motor in everything from bigger trucks to limos. It can’t be beat. Mine was a “3 on the tree”, this looks like a much improved 4 speed. Mine had a winch on the front, it literally was unstoppable,,,within reason, of course. There’s a guy in my town that must have 10 of these,( and at least 30 FJ40’s) and again, don’t be fooled by that “rust free Colorado” schtick. I bet this has plenty of rust underneath. Still a great find, at a price even I can’t complain about.
I have always liked the looks of this series Land Cruiser. Unfortunately this series has some really bad issues with rust. Some say it can’t be tamed so owning one and trying to keep the rust at bay means keeping out of the wet. I also see design elements (mostly rear) from the Jeep wagoner. If Toyota were to design a new Land Cruiser around this size and looks they would sell a boatload of them.
Awesome looking FJ55 “Iron Pig”. Assuming all parts are available, I can see thing being a good restoration project. The only things I’d change are the colours, which I don’t don’t find very attractive. I’d change the red-ish orange to a blue colour, which I find more attractive for the vehicle. The other thing I’d do is upgrade the engine by giving it a Toyota Diesel engine, or possibly a Duramax 2.8 Turbo Diesel.
I have a 1983 Porsche that has only 5 digits on the odometer too. It reads 24k miles because it has rolled over once already. The FJ55 has 16 running years (before parked) at average annual mileage = over 200k miles. Or you can just believe everything you hear…
I owned a ’73 FJ55 years ago, and wish I still had it.
It would do us all credit to write : mileage unknown…
i am a confessed Land cruiser nut…….i own a 1996 FZJ80 series and love it, and am always looking for a FJ40 [ i even have the fuel injection manifold from a mustang GT 302 for a nice swap if i ever find one] with that said, the FJ40 AND the FJ55 are very very rare here in WV. I actually saw one in the open area of a self storage lot i drive by every day to get home, it must have been a break down as within 2 days it was gone….. they just dont show up here hardly ever ……
Our family friends had an FJ55 the same colour when they were new towed a 26ft caravan all over Australia for 6months in the early 70s the only major fault occured in Mt Isa in Queensland he somehow managed to crack the gearbox housing and had to wait a week for the new parts to come from Sydney and be installed by the local Toyota dealer, the Furukawa body held up really well but the caravan was had it from all of the rough roads, even in Australia were one of Toyota’s biggest markets these are rare and good ones are bringing big prices
Maybe the bullet holes are from an LA vacation.