1977 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40

Benefitting from front disc brakes, power steering, locking front hubs, and air-conditioning and issued with the UK registration number ‘PCC 143R’, this 1977 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 is fitted with the 4.2-litre straight-six petrol engine and three-speed manual gearbox. 

Freshly serviced and mechanically fettled following its arrival in March 2025, this grey Toyota FJ40 is also ULEZ-compliant and qualifies for free road tax, making it a surprisingly rational purchase.

The grey coachwork suits the FJ40’s purposeful lines very well. With clean, straight, and well-aligned panels, this is an unusually presentable example of the breed.

But then the seller has done a fair bit to it including fitting new door handles, bumper rubbers, bonnet latches, door mirrors, windscreen and door hinge hardware, and a set of O/E badges. 

He hasn’t skimped on lighting either, changing the headlamps, indicators, taillights, and reflectors for new, genuine Toyota items.

The result is, if not completely factory-fresh, very impressive and with nothing more than regular polishing, it’ll probably last you a lifetime – and probably your kids, too. 

And that’s before we admire the integrity of the original design, which includes high sills, small doors, industrial door mirrors, Brunel-esque bumpers, a split rear door, a rounded roof, and a narrow track. 

The latter feature is emphasized by the four 31x10.5R15 Bridgestone Dueller M/T tyres, an impressive set of rubber whose depth of tread is measured in inches rather than millimeters, even though we do note some perishing between those treads.

The original 15-inch steel wheels – and who doesn’t love a steel wheel? – are painted black, all the better to show off a set of new and genuine chrome hubcaps. 

The yellow front foglamps are another wonderfully retro touch that work well with the white headlamp surround and the Old School font used for the badging. 

The windscreen folds forward to rest against a rubber pad on the louvered bonnet, the spare wheel is mounted on a swingaway cradle, and there are treadplates along the sills plus a step at the rear to facilitate entry to the cabin.

Finally, the FJ40 has recovery points at the front and the rear, so you’ll be able to pull your mate’s Defender out of trouble no matter what angle he’s at. 

As for flaws, there are a couple of small bubbles behind the offside door aperture, and rust is breaking out at the base of the pillar that separates the offside rear glazing panels. It is also worth noting that the driver's internal door handle is somewhat temperamental.

The rubber seals for both front quarterlights have also perished, the paint on the nearside front wing has noticeable imperfections, the paint on the nearside rear of the roof has cracked in one place, and both front sidelight lenses are damaged as a result of their mounting screws having been overtightened.

The seller has also replaced the headlining, door trims, and sunvisors with new O/E items. It’s got new floor mats too, plus new gearknobs, door handles, pedal rubbers, window winders, rear-view mirror, instrument plate, seatbelts, window regulator mechanism, door locks barrels and keys, and the speedometer surround.

The gauge cluster has been rebuilt too, and we understand the FJ40 has also been fitted with a new air-conditioning unit. It also benefits from power-steering, two features to make any contemporary Land Rover owner envious.

The seller assures us that everything works as it should: “Just jump in and drive!” he enthused. 

As for the rest, the three-abreast front seats are in fine fettle as their two-tone cloth ‘n’ vinyl face material is free of rips, tears, and holes. The underlying foam is still firm and springy, too. 

The rear loadspace contains two foldaway benches, making this one of the most compact seven-seat 4x4s available.

It’s a neat system that allows the driver to balance the competing demands of people and stuff depending on what they’re carrying that day, and the seats themselves are in the same impressively good condition as the ones in front. 

Moving on, the three-spoke steering wheel is pencil-thin, the gear levers are spindly, and the flooring in the rear is a rubber mat you can pull out and powerwash clean. 

The refurbished instrument cluster is as simple as it is elegant, the windows are wound up and down by hand, and the pedals are spaced to allow welly-shod feet: Engineered to give long and reliable service across the globe, handling the school run in the snow should be a breeze. 

As for flaws, surface rust has broken out on the front floorpan but other than that it’s trivial stuff like a rusty ashtray. The door interior handle on the driver's side didn't want to work for us when we drove it.

The Toyota benefits from having been uprated with disc brakes on the front axle, and the seller tells us that he also overhauled the rest of the braking system fitting new front discs and pads, rear brake cylinders, a master cylinder, five brake hoses, and handbrake shoes in addition to fresh brake fluid and refurbished calipers.                                                                                                                                

The seller also went through the front end refreshing it with galvanized hardware plus new inner and outer wheel bearings at both ends, kingpin bearings, hub seals, swivel hub gaskets, a steering coupling bushing, and tie rod ends.

Suspension is via Bilstein dampers, and the recommissioning included installing galvanised leaf spring shackles, axle hoops, and leaf spring pins in addition to new shackle bushes.

The cooling system was treated to a refurbished radiator, a new O/E thermostat housing and thermostat, new radiator hoses, clamps, drivebelts, and even a new fan. Plus, fresh coolant in the new coolant reservoir, obviously. 

The fuel system hoses have also been replaced, as have the hose clamps and the fuel filter. 

Other new parts included universal joints, a fuse box, a clutch slave cylinder, and wiper blades. 

He also undertook a comprehensive service, including new oil in the straight-six 2F engine and three-speed manual gearbox, fresh clutch and power-steering fluid, and a new oil filter, sparkplugs, and points. The carburettor was also serviced and the engine tuned. 

As you can see, it starts well and idles and revs with the smoothness you’d expect of a straight-six petrol; say what you like about the fuel economy of a diesel, nothing beats a petrol engine for civility, especially when you’ve still got 200lb.ft of torque at 1,800rpm to play with.

The underbonnet area is very clean, and a credit to Toyota, who made everything so accessible and easy to service. 

Points to note include a brazed repair to the power-steering fluid reservoir and a few dinks to the inner edge of the offside front wheel.

We understand the exhaust system was refurbished and refitted with new gaskets and a new silencer, and the underside received some new galvanized bolts and fasteners.

The painted underside is very good, and the only corrosion we can see is a small outbreak on the offside sill beneath the door. 

The FJ40 doesn’t have a current MoT certificate due to its age.

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

The history file comprises its Indonesian logbook and the V5 registration document, which shows no previous UK registered keepers.

We’re big fans of older 4x4s, their rugged nature and simplicity making them ideal for the enthusiast who doesn’t mind getting grease under their fingernails.

Or not, because the Land Cruiser’s legendary reliability means you should spend less time mending this than some of its contemporaries.

Our estimate for this vehicle is £30,000 to £35,000.

And given the traditionally strong demand for them worldwide, you shouldn’t have too much trouble moving it on if/when you decide to buy the next classic on your Bucket List.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at THE MARKET HQ in South Oxfordshire. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays (apart from Bank Holidays) between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.