Vintage off-roaders are quite sought after vehicles. Almost every dream garage would make room for a resto-modded Ford Bronco or Land Rover Defender. For most individuals, however, those cars will remain in the dream garage. A prime example of either can run into the six figures.
The original Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser can be a compelling alternative. The rugged, remarkably bullet-proof SUV has every bit of the rugged charm of those cars – some might argue there’s a tad more – and prices can be relatively reasonable. Bring a Trailer is auctioning a stunning two-door soft-top 1971 FJ40 that has not taken off…yet.
This FJ40 looks fantastic. It had a body-off bare metal re-paint in dark grey matte for a more modern finish. It has been lifted with an Old Man Emu kit and has aftermarket steel wheels with BF Goodrich All Terrain T/A tires. Specter fender flares, Hella driving lights, and front tow hooks add to the off-roading character. The interior has “Recaro-style” sport seats and marine carpeting over a spray-in bed liner. The FJ40 also comes with a new Bestop soft top and side doors.
Under the hood, the 3.9-liter inline six gasoline engine has been rebuilt with an added Weber Redline carburetor. The fuel pump has also been replaced. In case you were unaware you were operating a nearly 50-year-old off-road vehicle, it has a three-speed, column-shifted manual transmission as well as a two-speed transfer case. Judging from the video, everything seems to run smoothly.
You can, without question, plow more money into customizing a vintage off-roader. But, it will be hard to out-charm this beach-cruise-ready FJ40 which, as of this writing, one can still buy for less than $20,000.
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