1969 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40

First registered in January 1969, this lovely right-hand-drive, seven-seat Toyota Land Cruiser FJ has been recently imported from Far-East and is being offered with a UK V5 registration document.

Finished in an attractive Duck Egg Blue/Green, it was restored out there and so benefits from having lived its life in a salt-free, warm climate. It is running as well as it looks and wants nothing more than a couple of weekends of minor fettling to bring the details up to the same high standard as the rest of the vehicle; nothing too onerous or challenging, just the sort of jobs that give you instant gratification and add value at negligible cost.

We’ll get into the details later in the advert but the headlines are that it is utterly solid, starts and runs beautifully, has seats for seven and probably isn’t going to cost you a lot of money at all…

The body panels are in great shape – and we say that judging them by classic car standards, rather than those of the commercial vehicle world, too. So, you’ll find ripple-free panels, consistent (although not tight, but then they’re all like this…) panel gaps, and a general fit ‘n’ finish that the FJ didn’t even experience when it was new.

The Duck Egg Blue/Green paintwork suits the car’s retro lines very well, and it appears to have been applied with as much skill as enthusiasm, which isn’t always the case. It’s a lovely job and is beautifully offset by a cream front grille and painted silver door mirrors and steel bumpers.

The white canvas hood fits well and is free of rips, tears and other damage. It seals as well as any we’ve seen but is a little grubby and might benefit from a hour or two with a decent convertible hood cleaner followed by an application of something like Fabsil Gold to waterproof it.

The steel wheels are painted cream as they should be, and they’re shod with matching 7.5 x 15 Goodyear mud tyres, all of which have oodles of tread.

As we will never tyre of explaining, our experience shows that matching high-quality tyres like this are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but do give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

New black and silver registration plates and retro mud-flaps finish the car off. The whole vehicle looks great, and would be ideal for summer runs to the beach, where you’ll be able to easily out-pose the ubiquitous VW day van…

Work seems to be limited to straightening the badge on the front grille as it’s wonky, and, er, that’s about it.

The black vinyl seats are in great shape, being firm and supportive and free of serious damage.

It’s the same story out back, where the twin rear bench seats, which fold up to allow it to fulfil a load carrying role too, live. We really can’t think of a better way to carry six mates off the beaten track; just chuck in a barbecue and a cooler full of meat and beer and you’re all set for the sort of day that you’ll remember forever.

The rest of the interior is just as presentable, and the car’s recent respray extends inside, too. So, you’ll find the Duck Egg Blue/Green theme continues inside with matching dashboard, doors and hood frame, and floors, all of which are solid and free of rust.

An aftermarket ventilation system has been fitted underneath the dashboard. Fitted here in the UK, it adds a very effective heater, something that wasn’t really a consideration back in the Far-East.

The doors sport the correct silver-painted trim and wonderfully period door handles. Simple rubber mates sit in the footwells, stamped with ‘Toyota’, of course.

The instruments in the gauge cluster could do with detailing, but that’s mainly because their patinated state is in stark contrast to how good the rest of the interior looks.

The only other issue we can see is the steering wheel, which is missing its centre trim. Still, that would be an easy fix as the FJ-series has a loyal and active following, and second-hand, new/old stock, and reproduction parts are widely available.

The straight-six 3.9-litre petrol engine (the log book says three-litre, but that’s a mistake) starts, runs and pulls well, and the vehicle drives as it should. We do note that is doesn’t have a handbrake. As often, there is a minor engine oil leak but we haven’t assessed the root cause and would welcome potential bidders here to take a look at it for themselves.

The engine bay is clean and tidy, and while obsessives (heh, that’s us, so we aren’t judging…) might want to tidy up some of the wiring, normal folk will be happy to run and use it as it is.

The chassis and mechanical underpinnings are finished in black, while the sheet metalwork and wheelarches are painted the same colour as the topside. It is very nicely finished, and a credit to whomever did the work out.

The Toyota doesn’t have a current MOT certificate, and while it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have the car re-MOT’d at the earliest. The cost of an MOT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic car, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies…

The vehicle does not come with any paperwork bar the V5 registration document, so potential bidders should set their budget according to its current condition rather than relying on a comprehensive paper trail.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please contact us to arrange an appointment.

This is not a concours FJ, it’s just very good, which is good news for the Toyota enthusiast on a budget because it means that the hammer price will start with a two (just) rather than a three.

And, because it’s fundamentally solid and in fine overall condition, there is plenty of headroom to add value over the coming months and years as the new owner starts work on the few jobs that still need doing; the great unwashed are finally starting to appreciate early Toyota Land Cruisers, and good ones are starting to make their mark on the scene – and this can only continue to grow as people realize how easy they are to work on, how accessible parts still are, and how much fun they are to own.

We think this lovely example will sell for anywhere between £18,000 and £25,000, which isn’t exactly peanuts but then you are getting an awful lot of car for the money.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen here at The Market HQ in Abingdon; to arrange an appointment 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, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings of any auction, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles we have for sale. While we use our trade experience to assess every car that comes through our hands (and between us we have bought hundreds of classic cars over the years for our personal use…) we are fallible, and our assessment of a car may contrast with that you might form yourself.

This is why we offer a far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange a professional inspection on their behalf of, each vehicle prior to bidding than any traditional car auction, and we will never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this by coming to see it in person.

That said, we do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or those formed as a result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.