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Venezuela-Bred 1983 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 Moves to America, Looks Fresh

The FJ40 family of Land Cruisers landed in Toyota’s portfolio all the way back in 1960, and was kept in production for more than two decades. That means a great deal of them have been made, and even if the U.S. itself got the model three years later, in 1963, people seem to be looking elsewhere for worthwhile models to bring over into the states.
1983 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 11 photos
Photo: Hemmings
1983 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ401983 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ401983 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ401983 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ401983 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ401983 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ401983 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ401983 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ401983 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ401983 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40
This particular Land Cruiser of the FJ variety spent most of its life down in Venezuela, doing God-knows-what. Sometime in the recent past, a local shop got hold of it and, for about two years, subjected it to a restoration process.

Repainted, reupholstered, and with refreshed suspension, brakes, exhaust, and electrical system, the Land Cruiser then made its way across the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, reaching North America in September last year. It is now listed on Hemmings, awaiting its first American master.

The FJ40 shows 57,000 miles (92,000 km) of use on the odometer, all covered courtesy of the stock 4.2-liter inline-six engine tied to a four-speed manual transmission. At the time when Toyota fitted the powertrain under the hood, it was rated at 135 horsepower and 210 lb-ft (284 Nm) of torque, and probably most of that output is still there.

The SUV was fitted with a few new pieces of hardware, including a new carburetor, a new water pump, and a replacement exhaust system. For a touch of extra comfort for the passengers, an air conditioning system was fitted in there.

At the time of writing, there are about three days left in the auction process, and the highest sum someone is willing to offer for it is $30,500. It's not clear if that meets the reserve, but the Land Cruiser obviously stirred enough passion in American buyers, as a total of 22 bids have been placed for it so far.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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