Yay or nay on this classic off-roader?
There’s no denying the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 is ultra-hot these days. With prices climbing rapidly, it’s getting financially out of reach for many fans. Of course, the only natural conclusion is for shoppers to turn to the FJ60, which previously was virtually ignored. That’s why at the writing of this article, a 1984 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ60 has a current bid of $51,000 on Bring a Trailer.
You can’t deny that’s a steep price for an FJ60 but wouldn’t be surprising for a good FJ40. Have people lost their minds or is this off-roader truly that valuable? You decide.
With a claimed 59,000 original miles, there’s denying this Land Cruiser looks pretty clean. The seller gives a brief history of the vehicle, which stayed with its original owner in Colorado Springs, where the great outdoors beckon. How he didn’t drive this rig more is perhaps a story of sheer willpower.
The second owner bought this Toyota in July of this year. So yes, you would be purchasing a flipped Land Cruiser. That’s not necessarily bad, considering some flippers do excellent work, but you need to go into a deal like this with both eyes open.
A deep shine in the Freeborn Red exterior, seemingly perfect chrome, all the original badges, lights, and other trim pieces present makes for an excellent presentation. Then there’s the brown cloth and vinyl interior, which looks impeccably clean and damage-free you’re justified in wondering if there was extensive restoration work done, or someone covered all the surfaces with thick plastic sheeting.
Vintage details abound, adding to the charm of this ride. For example, a Sony cassette deck sits in the dash so you can have the joy of trying to stop right at the right song transition, only to hit rewind and fast forward about twenty more times before giving up. All the factory gauges and other controls are present, which for this price is to be expected.
The FJ60s were the last carbureted Land Cruisers, if you’re looking to live a digital-free life. Under the hood is a 4.2-liter straight-six, and you get to use a four-speed manual as well as a two-speed transfer case for the ultimate in trail control.
Everything on this rig looks spotless, with the current owner going so far as having the underside cleaned and then coated with Amsoil Metal Proctor. The original window sticker is included and you know about the history of this ride, but is this FJ60 worth $51,000-plus? It’s a steep price, even for one so clean.
