It’s not every day you see a desirable 4×4 like the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ62 sitting on the donation pile. Perhaps this is a massive opportunity for someone who has always wanted to own a truck like this but didn’t want to pay the excessive “overland tax” that comes with buying a vintage rig that is popular with multiple enthusiast groups. This particular Land Cruiser listed here on eBay by our favorite car donation dealer has definitely seen better days, but it’s likely one of the cheapest entry points into vintage LC ownership.
The FJ62 is right on that cutting edge of being just livable enough for occasional daily use but still quite utilitarian, which means it’s (mostly) cheap to repair. However, it’s this cutting edge that makes it a question mark for someone who’s not entirely convinced they want to have an authentic SUV experience. The FJ62, while durable, isn’t very powerful, and with the 4-speed automatic transmission, it will feel a bit lethargic to anyone who hasn’t already been wheeling in rigs of this vintage. This Land Cruiser is mostly rust free but does have a hole in the tailgate.
It’s hard to tell whether this is an abandoned project or a Land Cruiser that was simply being used like any other daily driver in sunny California. The back seats being down suggests to me it was being used by a contractor or perhaps a couple of kids just looking to get to the beach. These trucks make great surf rigs, and you can also use them to escape to the mountains for skiing in the winter. Whether you’re a surf or a beach bum, the FJ62 makes an awful lot of sense for either lifestyle.
When it was new, Toyota was definitely trying to edge into more mainstream lifestyle with improvements in comfort and ease-of-use. The 4.0-liter 3F-E I6, while not overly powerful, does make good torque, with right around 220 lb.-ft. The split-folding rear tailgate is a nice trick as well, good for sitting on while you get your ski boots off or simply having a picnic at a nice viewpoint in the mountains. This Land Cruiser doesn’t run at the moment, but it certainly deserves a chance at living again and fulfilling a life of adventure for its next owner. Bidding sits at just $315 with no reserve.
From the looks of the cargo area, I’d say it belonged to a hoarder. Might need fumigated.
If I lived in the area I’d keep an eye on their listings. Their cars are a bit of a crapshoot, you’d need to assume anything you bought from them is a project. They aren’t going to give an in-depth description, they aren’t set up for that, it’s up to the potential buyer to look at the car in person and decide it it’s right for them.
In the late-1990’s me and some friends would buy cars from a local charity auction in Oakland California. You’d still see decent looking 1960’s and early-1970’s American intermediates and other desirable cars at attractive prices cycle through. At some point an employees friends started coming, they told us in no uncertain terms, if we ever bought or tried to buy any car they were interested in we wouldn’t be leaving the parking lot afterwards under our own power. At that point we figured it was better to use more traditional means to find good deals on cars.
Steve R