Fully restored classic FJ40 Land Cruiser

The History of Vanzant Blue

The previous owner is a good friend of mine that searched far and wide to find the right Land Cruiser. In 2005. he finally found it in Mississippi and brought it back here to Southern IL. We began a three year restoration. I helped him along the way with parts and mechanical advice. When it was completed. he enjoyed entering it into car shows and driving it in local parades. often pulling a vintage army trailer full of grandkids. He would also tow it behind his motor home to go to Land Cruiser events. It was always the star of the show. He seldom drove it otherwise and in almost four years. only drove about 1000 miles.   Last summer he decided to sell it and offered it to me. I jumped at the chance to own it. even if for a little while. I went right to work replacing some of the components that I couldn't talk him in to buying before. The result is an outstanding FJ40 that runs as good as it looks! It is dependable. fun to drive. and easily maintains modern highway speeds. She is absolutely capable of being a daily driver. We kept great records and receipts of parts purchased and maintenance performed.   

1978 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40

Under the hood- The original. numbers matching. 2F inline six cylinder engine was completely rebuilt by a highly respected builder using top quality components including factory intake and exhaust valves. dome pistons etc. The Block was bored . 30 over and the heads milled to perfection then balanced and blue printed. The valve cover. intake manifold. and thermostat housing were all media blasted then painted with hi- temp aluminum paint for great looks and a durable finish. A Man-A-Fre hi performance kit was added. including ceramic coated two piece headers. complete custom 2. 5 inch exhaust with a flow master muffler (routed correctly above the skid plate). a 38 mm Weber carburetor. D. U. I. HEI distributor/ coil. and top of the line spark plugs and wires. Finished with all new hoses. water pump. alternator. voltage regulator. fuel pump. heavy duty 3 row aluminum radiator. powerful Hella horns. upgraded wiring. tachometer mounted on the steering column. and much more.  The motor has about 1500 miles on it since the rebuild. proper break in procedures have been followed.

Steering- Heavy duty and very tight factory Toyota power steering box with a Saginaw pump and the proper sized billet pulley. A heavy duty. factory style steering dampener was used in conjunction with a shackle reversal kit. This provides a safer. more controlled. comfortable driving experience.

Axles/suspension/ tires - Factory axles with 4:10 gear ratio. and disc brake front end. New Warn hubs. new calipers. braided stainless steel brake lines. and brake pads. Outer bearings checked and repacked with synthetic grease. Man-a-fre soft ride 2. 5 inch lift springs. with graphite impregnated polyurethane bushings. long travel shocks and greaseable anti-inversion shackles.   (5) 33x10. 5x15 B. F. Goodrich KM2 (mud terrain) tires mounted on the late model (1983) factory steel wheels that have been sand blasted and painted to match the top and bezel.

Transmission and transfer case- The Factory 4speed transmission and transfer case are in excellent condition. it shifts with ease and with no slop.   All of the fluids in the cases and axles have been replaced with synthetic blend fluids.     

Body- Excellent rust free body that has been repainted in single stage acrylic (better than original) in the factory medium blue color (code 857). The paint on the inside and floorboards of this Land Cruiser are in excellent condition and done with the same high quality as the exterior (it is VERY uncommon to have an original tub in this condition). The undercarriage is coated with rust prohibiting paint and 3M undercoating. The factory seat frames and the factory roll bar were professionally painted in gloss black.

New factory front and rear bumpers (other heavier duty options including winch are available). Stainless steel bolts. door hinge pins. and washers are used throughout the vehicle. They make it easier to make adjustments. and to take the top and doors off without chipping the paint off of the bolts and surrounding paint.  The hardtop was reassembled using new factory seals.

Interior- The front and rear jump seats are in perfect condition. they were professionally reupholstered using higher quality material than you can buy from the major Land Cruisers retailers. We used new seat belts and all new door seals. no rattles!  It has a new dash cover and a new factory style headliner. All of the gauges. lights and fans work perfectly (I disconnected the radio). Even the original factory sales brochure. original jack. handles. and tool bag have been restored and are included with this Land Cruiser. I added several other features like edge guard to reduce the chance of chipping the paint while getting in and out of the vehicle. a manual switch to the factory cooling fan that blows on carburetor. thick padding in the glove box and in the center console. and better interior and exterior lighting. The headlights are hi performance halogen bulbs. with a slightly bluish tint.  

Countless hours of skilled work and attention to detail have been poured into this project. The parts chosen for this FJ40 represent the best available options. and the knowledge of what works from experience on and off the road. In many ways this vehicle exceeds in quality. safety. performance. and comfort than what Toyota originally built. This Land Cruiser was built to be driven. Quality is never an accident. Drive a legend. drive a Land Cruiser!

Also published at eBay.com

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