1979 Toyota FJ55

1979 Toyota Land Cruiser Description

This rare 1979 Toyota FJ55 runs and drives great. Only 250 FJ55s were imported to the United States in 1979. This one is a joy to drive and it gets a lot of attention. I have loved having it and driving it in town, but it is time to let someone else enjoy it. Somebody did a lot of work to make it a presentable driver, but there is a lot of work left to do if you want a perfect vehicle. There aren't many FJ55s out there that aren't either in pieces or perfect. This one is running, driving, and looking great today. I'll try to detail everything about the truck below, but if you have any questions please let me know.
Mechanically: The 2F engine runs smooth and starts up with little hesitation. The 4 speed transmission shifts through each gear smoothly and the clutch seems to have plenty of life. 4wd works and the rear end does not make any noise. Nothing on this car needs attention mechanically to be a good driver. All the lights work as they should with the exception of the right blinker that works 90% of the time. There is a loose connection. All of the gauges work as well as the heater. The fan works, but only on high.
Interior: The interior looks to still contain pretty much all of its' original equipment. The front seat covers will need to be replaced and the rear cover has a split as well, but is in better condition. The original headliner is still present. The dash pad is in great shape and there aren't any missing knobs on the dash. There is a rusty area on the drivers side of the dash (pictured) by the windshield. All 4 door panels are there. The rear passenger side is missing an arm rest and window crank. I have not tried the rear heat, but the equipment is there. Steering wheel is in good condition. Many original factory 4wd instructional stickers are still visible. The original rear side panels are still there, but fastened by screws and tape. Many of the interior components are in good shape for the age of the truck. The floor would be greatly improved with a new full rubber mat kit. Currently the floor is a mixture of visible sheet metal, a rhino line type vinyl material, and some aftermarket rubber mats. The floor of this cruiser has had a few patches. Some of the rust in the wheel well is visible from the interior. It seems that an amateurpatch was done.
Exterior: This FJ55 looks great from 20 ft away and as you get closer, although you will notice some blemishes, it is still a good looking truck. There isn't any body damage on the vehicle. The lower blue paint is a smooth spray vinyl application. It is smooth to the touch, but has some texture to it. It seems very durable. The white paint and blue paint on the upper half of the vehicle seem to be a single stage traditional paint. The chrome and emblems seem original. The grille, bumpers, and wheels are painted black.
These FJ55s are notoriousfor rust pretty much everywhere. I would say that this FJ has less rust than average, but there is still some rust. It is obvious that some work has been done to fix the rust, but there are still areas that need attention. On the lower section of the body there is some rust coloration coming through the blue on the tailgate, but no visible rust in that location. The roof rails have a few spots that show rust. While there isn't any visible rust through on the exterior of the body there are some visible spots that have had attention in the past. The most noticeablebeing in the corners of the rear windows and the windshield. The front wheel wells have rust. Someone attempted an amateurfix on the drivers side, but the passenger side still has rust. From under the vehicle you can see that there is some rust in the rockers and floor near the rockers. The rear inner quarter panels are rusted as well. The frame seems solid and rust free though.
Overall this is a great driver that could look even better with a little work. It has had rust in the past, some of it has been attended to, some of it still needs to be fixed. It is far from perfect, but it is presentable. If you have any questions please ask!