1980 Toyota FJ40

Recently imported from Indonesia, this 1980 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 is fitted with the 4.2-litre straight-six petrol engine and three-speed manual gearbox. 

Finished in a vivid mid-blue with a white grille and roof, the suspension lift and chunky 33-inch tyres make it look like a 1:1 scale Tonka Toy - and yet, despite its somewhat diminutive length, it can seat seven and is capable of taking them over terrain that would make a mountain goat baulk. 

It’s also right-hand drive and is fitted with air-conditioning, green Sundym window film, Dualmatic freewheeling front hubs, and power-steering, so you’re not going to struggle using it here in the UK, whether that’s in the winter or summer.

All-in-all ‘KVO 913V’ makes a convincing case for itself – and that’s without factoring in what are likely to be continuing strong residuals.

The panels are remarkably straight for a working vehicle but then a lot of work has clearly gone into the restoration. The doors fit evenly into their apertures, and the window rubbers that hold the green Sundym window glass in look new. 

The lamp lenses are good, including the natty little round foglamps fitted above the front bumper. The badges also look like new replacements and they’re joined by a lovely pair of Toyota mudflaps on the rear.

The front bumper runs straight and true and plays host to a huge 12-volt electric winch and two large recovery points. The rear features a hefty towing point, so you’re equipped for pulling Defenders out of a quagmire no matter what angle they’re at…

The steel wheels are painted grey and fitted with a set of nice chrome hubcaps. The tyres all match, including the spare that is mounted on a swingaway rear cradle. A chunky 285/75R16, the Toyo Open Country A/T tread pattern is a nice compromise between off-road traction and on-road civility.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. 

As for work to do, while the tyres are matching, they are getting on a bit and age-perished, so will need to be replaced shortly. 

There is some light corrosion to the window frames too, and some bubbles on the nearside rear wing. The clear lenses on the wing-mounted front lamps also show some UV damage but that’s very much #firstworldproblems.

The cabin is both charmingly simple and beautifully finished, which is about as good as it gets in a 44-year-old working vehicle, isn’t it? 

It also means you won’t find cupholders in there, or leather trim, or walnut veneer, or airbags.

Not even carpets. Or a fourth gear. 

What you do get is seating for seven, a multitude of mechanical levers that’ll work forever with only the odd squirt of WD40 to help keep them free, and a delightful analogue Autometer quartz clock.

Mind you, given you also get power-steering, an Unicla air-conditioning system, and a CD player, you won’t exactly be slumming it.

The driver’s seat is a single, and it’s joined in the front by a small bench alongside it that would fit another two people.

The inward-facing rear bench seats fold away allowing you to juggle passengers and loads depending on what you need to shift, and the newly painted floor is protected by a simple mat.

The headlining is in a very good condition, and the very good door cards include a speaker in each to play music from the JVC headunit.

As for flaws, the front and rear seats are trimmed in different material but if this sort of thing bothers you then perhaps an FJ40 isn’t for you.

The mighty F-series petrol engine starts well and idles and revs as it should. We also love the cut-out on the offside rear mudflap to make space for the exhaust pipe; Japanese engineering at its finest, surely.

As for work to so, the wire winch cable is of an unknown age, so it would be prudent to replace it. You might as well use a synthetic rope while you’re at it as that would be lighter and nicer to handle. 

Having spent its life in Indonesia, you’d have every right to expect the underside to be strong and free of the sort of structural corrosion that plagues cars that have spent their lives in the salt-laden UK, which is exactly what you will find here. Sure, there’s some flaky paint to sort out under there but wouldn’t you rather deal with that than rust?

The FJ40 doesn’t have a current MoT certificate, however the seller has agreed to offer the car with a fresh MoT for the winning bidder.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear bar the marker for being an imported car.

As is the case with so many imported classics, the only other paperwork in the file is the registration document from Indonesia.

However, the FJ does come with some spare including what we think are its original number plates. Pleases see the photos for the details of what is included. 

Yes, an estimate of between £22,000 and £28,000 is strong value but we’ve seen them fetch far more on here and given the quality of the work that’s gone into bringing it to this condition, that doesn’t seem like a great deal to pay.

Because it’s not only bound to be more reliable than some rival marques but the model is also showing very strong residuals at the moment too, so while you may be paying a bit more up front you’re likely to get it back on the other wide when the time comes to let it go. 

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are strictly by appointment.  To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.