Fj

[ravravrav]

Does anyone know where one might aquire a new or restored Toyota FJ (?) - that two door truck that looks like a Jeep Willis and on which the FJ Cruiser is based?

[yannick]

Where are you based? I have a couple of addresses in the US, and maybe some for Europe. It was never very common in the UK, so I don't know of any there.

[yannick]

You do mean one of these, don't you?

[yannick]

If you are interested, Toyota Brazil continued making the FJ40 under the name Toyota Bandeirante:

As of 1999 it uses a Toyota engine, before it used a Mercedes one. I don't know if it is still in production, as it doesn't feature on Toyota's Brazilian site

[ravravrav]

yeah! exactly one of those. I am in maryland, USA. Is there a way to import one with US spec from somewhere? Do you know anything else about it? Decent car? I assume it is a beast in thr rough.

Thanks

[ravravrav]

http://www.brian894x4.com/LCBandeirante.html

http://www.ebroadcast.com.au/ecars/2000/00...andeirante.html

looks like the last oen died in brasil in nov '01. but someone still has to be manufacturing it.

http://www.tlc4X4.com/ --- these are all used and most are crazy expensive

[yannick]

You have very good taste in cars : the FJ40 series is probably my favourite Toyota ever.

Sorry to hear that the Brazilian version has stopped production . It was the last in the world.

The TLC4x4 place is the best in the world AFAIK to get a restored or a custom job. The only other reputable place I know in the US is in Texas:

Cool Cruisers of Texas

You'll find that most decently restored ones are expensive from specialists. Here in France there aren't too many specialists, and personal sales start at $5000 for a reasonable runner to $10,000 for a very nice one.

You can try eBay and so on to buy a runner and then do the work yourself to restore it. I think that all the spares are still available, and you can make a long term project about of restoring it.

A warning though: as a car it's very dated. It bounces, it's slow and it's not comfortable, but off road it's almost unbeatable. There are conversion kits available to put American engines in (to get a bit more power), and a supercharger kit too. Consider the later models to get power steering and A/C.