Produced until 2001, the J40 series used to feature a straight-six diesel engine with 4.0 liters of displacement for a brief period. Pretty potent for that era, the 2H motor doesn’t hold a candle to the Vortec 6000 hiding under the hood of this 1980 restomod offered by GR Auto Gallery.
Assembled in late 1979, this rust-free FJ40 “is ready for the trail, highway, or car show” because almost every nut, bolt, gasket, and bearing has been replaced or painstakingly reconditioned. Stripped all the way down, sandblasted, then put back together from the ground up, the one-off build has been refinished in blue paintwork over black and blue for the interior.
Currently showing just 6,355 miles (10,227 kilometers) on the digital odometer integrated into the 120-mph (193-kph) tachometer from AutoMeter, chassis number FJ40317422 puts the power down to the road with the help of an NV4500 five-speed manual transmission. The Advance Adapters Atlas II transfer case, ARB air lockers up front and out back, SkyJacker shock absorbers, and BTB Products 3.0-inch springs bring the point home, along with four-wheel disc brakes and a 20-gallon (75-liter) fuel tank.
A four-core alloy radiator keeps the crate engine cool in snail-pace traffic and off the beaten path, giving the FJ40 daily-driving credibility. The vendor does not mention what kind of Vortec 6000-based powerplant is tasked with propulsion, but the chances are that we’re dealing with more than 400 ponies at the crankshaft. An Optima Yellow Top absorbent glass mat 12-volt battery, two horns, and power steering are worthy of mentioning as well.
Currently located in Detroit, this FJ40 obviously carries a peppered asking price. $78,900 may seem a lot at first glance, but the cost of every single upgrade and the labor that went into this build more than justifies this amount of greenback. For the sake of reference, the modern-day Land Cruiser for the 2021 model year retails from $85,565 excluding freight.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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