1977 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ-40 Project Car with New Chevy Performance 350 Engine

1977 Toyota Land Cruiser

Dear Bidder:
This is a Bring-Your-Trailer project car NO RESERVE auction of a 1977 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ-40.It has a clear Kentuckytitle which was signed over to my name.
I wish I had the time to complete this project, but I got bogged down with work and a million other things and just was never able to get back on with completing this project. When I purchased this FJ-40, the body work was complete but its old Chevy 350 V-8 was a basket case. As soon as I got the car home to Connecticut from Kentucky, I immediately pulled the engine and transmission and began to replace the engine with a new Goodwrench crate motor from GM. The car body and engine have been sitting in my garage for a long-time and aren't spotless. Bear in mind that this project car is being sold AS-IS, WHERE-IS and there is no return and no warranty. I have provided good clear photos which were recently taken and which are incorporated by reference in this written description.
Here are the features of this new Chevy 350 engine:Chevrolet Performance GM Goodwrench 350ci Crate Engine 195 HP (Can produce up to 260 HP) PN 10067353Edelbrock Performer Carburetor #1406 with 600 CFM,4-Barrel, Square Bore, Electric Choke, Single Inlet, SilverEdelbrock Performer EPS Intake Manifold PN 2501GM/Crane camshafts (hotter than stock but not too hot) PN12353917 with the following specs: duration 204/214, lift.420"/.442", compression ratio9.0:1, lobe separation angle112.HEI distributor PN 1104067Chrome engine dress kit PN12361310New water pumpChrome 80 amp alternator PN 664458New flywheel PN 3991469 (looks rusty from sitting but still new)Chrome vibration damper PN 6272222K&N 14x3 Chrome Air Filter Assembly with 7/8 inch Drop Base PNKN-60-1430Ceramic low profile headersAdvance Adapters engine to transmission adapter (this is from the old engine)
All these new engine bits came to over $3,000 and they are all assembled and ready to go. I have no way of knowing the final horsepower, but with the hotter cams, the Edelbrock carb and Edelbrock intake manifold and the ceramic headers, I wouldn't be surprised if this mill develops well more than 260 HP.
I totally rebuilt the 4 speed transmission and the transfer case with all new bearings, bushings, synchros and gaskets.
I sandblasted the firewall and spray painted it with matching yellow polyurethane paint
Here are some notable features of the FJ-40 body:Bestop top (the best one) withconcealed snaps and safari style roll up sidesFull roll cage inside the truckRancho5000's front and rearFront end Rancho stabilizerLift springsThree coats of candy yellow paintUnderbodyand tub coated with POR bedliner paintConfer rear bumperHeavy duty front bumperNo rust- everything was sandblasted, fixed and painted
I have all of the parts for the car neatly organized and labeled in Ziploc bags and in four large plastic bins. Big items like the front fenders, skid plate, etc have been stored carefully.
For someone who has the time and the interest, this would be a relatively quick project to complete. At that point you would have a very cool and valuable custom V-8 powered FJ-40 in eye-popping candy yellow dress.
The following article about FJ-40's is from the Hagerty classic and collectorcar Insurance company website:
How times have changed for the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40. Once upon a time, the FJ40 was an old farm hand, a rugged master of function that may have lacked modern amenities but could always be counted on to get the job done, even if that job was on another continent—and maybe even featured on the pages of National Geographic. (That's where I remember first seeing one, anyway.)Today the FJ40 is an auction fixture, often over-restored and generally living the good life as a collector vehicle, its hill-climbing days in the rear view. Similarly, it seems the classic FJ40's values have also leveled off.The 4x4 utility vehicle, a Japanese version of the famed WWII-era jeep, was launched in 1960 and began being imported to the U.S. in 1963. Within two years, the FJ40 Land Cruiser was the best-selling Toyota in America, and it wasn't even close. Cosmetically, the FJ40 didn't change much through the years. Available with an open body or fully enclosed, it was essentially the same truck from the beginning to end, except for some evolutionary mechanical improvements and a slight drop in horsepower in the mid-1970s. Production ended after 1984.As FJ40s reached the secondary market, it became very common for owners to take on engine swaps, most notably by replacing the FJ's stock six-cylinder power plant with a small-block Chevy V-8. The Chevy engine certainly yielded more power, but Toyota's six -essentially a reverse-engineered 235-cubic-inch Stovebolt-six Chevrolet engine that produced 135 horsepower-was virtually indestructible.When classic FJ40s began to trickle into major auctions and high-end restorations found willing bidders with lots of cash, prices shot up and FJ40 owners across the country began to cash in. Potential buyers had plenty to choose from, and prices came back down to earth. Since 2016, a Land Cruiser FJ40 in #2 (Excellent) condition has fallen an average of 7.6 percent to $47,375.For comparison, the average value of a 1968 FJ40 in #2 (Good) condition is $49,100, while a 1975 model in similar condition has an average value of $44,800.Meanwhile, the Hagerty Value Rating for a 1968-84 FJ40 is 62, which is unchanged from last month. [The data-driven Hagerty Value Rating is based on a 0-100 scale and considers the number of vehicles insured and quoted through Hagerty, along with auction activity and private sales results. A 50-point rating indicates that a vehicle is keeping pace with the overall market. Ratings higher than 50 show above-average interest, while vehicles with a sub-50-point rating are lagging. The HVR is not an indicator of future collectability, but it says a lot about what's trending hot and what's not.]According to Hagerty valuation analyst John Wiley, although FJ40 values are down overall, interest is growing among younger enthusiasts. In 2018, the number of Millennials quoting the FJ40 increased by 2 percent to 16 percent of all Land Cruiser quotes. Gen-Xers remain the vehicle's biggest fans and accounted for 47 percent of all quotes in 2018 (unchanged from 2017). Overall, the number of quotes increased 9.5 percent from 2017 to 2018, and the average quote value increased 2.6 percent to $27,082 in 2018. That dollar amount is significantly lower than the FJ40's average #2 value, regardless of model year, which means there are still some deals to be had on lesser-condition Land Cruisers, if you can find them."With the FJ40 market settling and demographics shifting, "? Wiley says, "now might be a good time to look for one.”And if something newer is more your flavor, there's always the beefy, FJ40-inspired FJ Cruiser, which has its own energetic following.
This is a NO RESERVE auction. So place your bids and you might just walk away with an incredible bargain on this really cool FJ-40 project.Obviously, this is a Bring-Your-Trailer sale and will require local pick-up in Redding, Connecticut.
Good luck bidding!Jim

• Make: Toyota
• Model: Land Cruiser
• SubModel: FJ-40
• Type: SUV
• Year: 1977
• Mileage: 86703
• VIN: FJ40231939
• Color: Yellow
• Engine size: Brand new Chevy Performance 350 Cu In Crate Engine
• Number of cylinders: 8
• Fuel: Gasoline
• Transmission: Manual
• Drive type: 4WD
• Interior color: Black
• Drive side: Left-hand drive
• Options: 4-Wheel Drive, Convertible
• Vehicle Title: Clean
Want to buy? Contact seller!