Online auctions make it easy to fall for an old FJ40 or any other classic you have never seen in person. One click, a few happy memories, and suddenly a truck from a far-off farm is on its way to your yard.
That is how an Australian man who posts as @bruceinaus ended up with a 1972 Toyota Land Cruiser. He says it reminded him of the 1968 model that was his first four-wheel drive. So he bid, won and had it trucked home without ever looking at it.
“I bought it sight unseen, so uh it’s like all these sort of things like that, it’s always a bit of a lucky dip.”
An FJ40 That Worked For A Living
The story that came with the Land Cruiser says it lived on a property in western New South Wales. It certainly looked the part. One tire had come apart after someone drove on it flat, and the floor had a hole in it.
In addition, a rear spring shackle had broken off, and a homemade cage sat on the back. Very little upholstery remained on the seats.
More bad news came fast. The clutch master cylinder had seized solid, so there was no working clutch. On top of that, the radiator was empty and rats had chewed the fan. Cobwebs and a large mud wasp nest filled the carburetor.
Oil Or Water?
Next, he checked the dipstick. The oil level read well over full, which can mean water in the sump. To find out, he cracked the drain plug, and only oil came out.
Better still, the spark plugs looked good and the inside of the engine looked clean. Before cranking, he squirted oil down the cylinders to help the rings.
At first, the starter did nothing through the key. So he bypassed the ignition switch and wired it straight to the battery, and this time the engine spun over. After that, he rigged a wire to feed the coil. He also ran the engine from a separate fuel tank rather than trust the old one.
It Runs
After several tries with starting fluid and the choke, the old engine fired and kept running.
“Well, new beauty, it’s a runner.”
With a spare wheel on and the front hubs locked, he still had no clutch. His answer was to select low-range four-wheel drive and start the engine with the truck already in gear.
“The next part now, I’m going to have to start in gear.”
It worked. The Land Cruiser crawled off across the wet paddock with almost no brakes and dead gauges. Brake fluid dripped from the master cylinder the whole way. Even so, he says it ran better the longer it went. The speedometer shows 86,000, though he says there is no way to know if that number is right.
What To Check Before Buying An Old 4×4 Sight Unseen
- Ask the seller for photos of the floor, frame and spring mounts, because rust hides there.
- Expect the clutch and brake hydraulics to need work after years of sitting.
- Check the oil before cranking, since an overfull reading can mean water.
- Use a separate clean fuel supply for the first start instead of old fuel.
- Budget for tires, a battery and cables even when the engine turns out healthy.
Where Things Stand
The FJ40 now runs and drives. Still, it needs a clutch, brakes, ignition wiring and gauges before it goes anywhere beyond the paddock. In the end, he says it surprised him how well it ran, and he enjoyed reliving his first four-wheel drive.
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