1971 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40

Fitted with an unstressed straight-six, 3.9-litre petrol engine that develops just 125bhp but a whopping 209lb/ft of torque, this delightful 1971 Land Cruiser comes to us having been recently fully restored - using OEM parts whenever possible - and is offered in possibly better-than-new condition.

Bought from an elderly Land Cruiser enthusiast and collector in Queensland, Australia who had owned it for over 24 years, it runs and drives perfectly following a three-year nut’n’bolt restoration. As an ex-military mechanic with almost four decades of service under his belt, he kick-started his retirement with this project and the finished vehicle bears testament to his knowledge, skills and enthusiasm.

This particular 40-series offers the chance of wind-in-the-hair overland travel thanks to the canvas soft-top roof. The windscreen can be folded down too, exposing the driver and their passengers to the full open-air experience. 

It looks as good close-up as it is in the photographs, and we’d encourage potential bidders to come and take a look at it for themselves in order to fully appreciate what an astonishing vehicle this is. 

At a time when interest in old Land Rovers is starting to wane, this opportunity to buy a fully restored, old school Land Cruiser couldn’t come at a better time for anyone interested in finding out for themselves just how good old Japanese expedition and working vehicles can be.

The only part of the restoration the previous owner outsourced was the paintwork, and he chose well because it is in fabulous condition. Finished in period green with contrasting mirrors and bumpers, the paintwork has clearly been done to a very high standard. It is pretty much flawless, and is beautifully offset by what appears to be new lights all round. The badges, on the other hand, look like they might be the originals, which is a lovely nod to the car’s history that we wholeheartedly approve of.

The removeable canvas roof looks to be almost new, and so fits and seals as well as any we’ve seen. It’s not up to Mercedes’ convertible sportscar standards obviously but it’s better than an old Land Rover’s, which is as good as it needed to be, back in the day, isn’t it?

The underside is as clean as the topside, having been freshly painted in tough-as-old-boots chassis black as part of its restoration. The underwing areas and floorpan have been left body colour, and the Land Cruiser now sports one of the nicest chassis we’ve ever seen - and if the thought of that doesn’t make your heart beat just a little bit faster, then this might not be the vehicle for you…

The five steel wheels have been restored and painted grey before being fitted with matching Simex Trekker mud terrain tyres. These are some of the most effective off-road tyres you can buy and give the vehicle unparalleled grip in even the gloopiest conditions, even if they are a little noisy on the road.

If we are being picky the paint on the bolt heads holding the mirrors on has rubbed off in places, and there is a small chip in the paint on the top of the passenger’s door. But that’s not a bad To Do list, is it?

The interior is as utilitarian as the exterior, so there’s little for us to comment on other than every single item has been refurbished, restored or replaced, leaving it in nigh-on concours condition.

There are no door trims to worry about, nor carpets other than simple rubber mats front and back. However, the front driver’s seat and passengers’ bench seat have been restored and recovered in black vinyl, as have the two folding seats in the rear that give seating for up to four additional passengers. That means that you can take six friends with you when you can take to the hills for an overland adventure in one of the world’s iconic four-wheel-drive vehicles.

The steering wheel wears only the faintest of patinas, and the simple dashboard is an utter joy with just five instruments: a speedometer; oil and water temperature; fuel gauge; and ammeter. Of course, you get two gear levers to make up for the dearth of instruments, which is exactly how we like our off-roaders!

The chromed window catches are pitted and could do with being re-chromed or replaced if you are a perfectionist, the passenger seat has some glue on it which looks the type that will clean off, and the windscreen wiper knob comes off in your hand (oh er missus…), but other than that there isn’t anything we can find for even the fussiest owner to take issue with.

The 3.9-litre petrol engine is believed to be the original. While there is no paperwork with the vehicle, the vendor believes that it was meticulously serviced and maintained over the years by its knowledgeable owner and may even have been rebuilt. It’s certainly very clean.

Regardless, it is running very well indeed and the odometer reading of just over 97,000kms is thought to be genuine and only a fraction of the distance this venerable engine is capable of covering with only routine maintenance. It starts on the button, even in this cold, wet weather; please see the video to hear it starting and running. (And isn’t it nice to hear a petrol engine for a change instead of a bloody diesel rattling and knocking away?)

The engine bay is as clean as any we’ve ever seen; while the Toyota is more than capable of fording a deep river, we’d hate to think how many hours you’d have to invest to get the engine looking this good again afterwards.

The battery looks to be fairly new, which is just as well as it’s the size of a retirement bungalow and probably costs almost as much to buy.

The Land Cruiser also has a current MOT certificate; the owner tells us that the only work it needed to pass was to adjust the headlight aim, replace a torn steering arm gaiter, and adjust the front brakes to cure a mild imbalance in braking effort across the axle.

Sadly, there is no paperwork with the car; it was something of a labour of love for the previous owner and he seems to have been more concerned with getting every little detail right than in collecting paperwork. Irritating, perhaps, but wouldn’t you rather buy a car from a fanatical, lifelong owner with an unprecedented level of knowledge and skill than an anally retentive collector with more of an eye to making a future profit than doing the job properly?

The current owner is in the throes of completing the UK-registration and we commit that this car will fully UK-registered by the time the new owner takes delivery. It also has the benefit of a current MOT certificate, which is a prudent move even though it no longer requires one. It sailed through, needing only very minor work to pass.

Vehicles like this come along only rarely; enthusiast-owned for more than two decades, the last owner poured his heart and soul into its restoration, taking three years to get it right. And what a job he’s done! It’s a joyous, life-affirming thing to drive and light years ahead of its British competition.

It’s also quite reasonably priced. We think the final hammer price will start with a one (just) but the condition is so good that we can see that it might go for even more if we get two or more Toyota Land Cruiser enthusiasts slugging it out in the final hours and minutes to get their hands on what might just be the best of its breed in the country.

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.