Listing snapshot
| Spotted | August 2023 |
| Asking price | $20,000 |
| Mileage | 49,000 (seller-stated) |
| Location | Burtonsville, Maryland |
| Listed on | Craigslist, private seller |
| Drivetrain | Inline six, three-speed manual, four-wheel drive |
| Status | Ad expired. This page is our archive of the listing. |
We came across this 1978 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 in August 2023, listed by its owner in Burtonsville, Maryland, for $20,000. The ad has expired, but we keep the record because FJ40 prices vary so much, and a real asking price with photos helps anyone trying to judge one.
What this car was
A beige FJ40 with a white hardtop, white steel wheels and a black front bumper with the Toyota grille badge. According to the seller, it was built in Japan for the Saudi Arabian market and spent most of its life there before being imported. In the ad it was titled, registered and insured in Maryland.
The cab is just as plain as it should be, with a painted beige dash, a thin black steering wheel and beige seats. The seller described an inline six with a three-speed manual. The ad listed these updates:
- New tires on 16-inch wheels
- New OEM parts including an H4 headlight upgrade kit, headlight switch and emblems
- New floor mats
- 49,000 miles shown
Was $20,000 a fair ask?
For an FJ40 that looked straight and complete, $20,000 was on the reasonable side in 2023. Restored FJ40s sell for far more, and project trucks for far less. This one sat between them. Desert life helps, because rust is what kills most FJ40s. Against it, an imported truck rarely comes with service history, and the 49,000 miles can’t really be verified. A buyer would have wanted to look closely at the frame and the body tub, and check that the import paperwork was all in order.
A little FJ40 history
Toyota built the 40 Series Land Cruiser from 1960 to 1984, and the short-wheelbase FJ40 became one of the best-known 4x4s in the world. It was sold in the United States until 1983. Power came from Toyota’s F-series inline six, with the 4.2-liter 2F arriving in 1975. Its reputation for toughness was earned in places like the Middle East, Africa and Australia, where trucks like this one were used daily for decades.
More cars from the archive
- Every Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 we’ve spotted, with asking prices
- 1992 Toyota Camry LE, another Toyota
- 1979 Nissan 280ZX, another 1970s Japanese car
- 1977 Fiat 128, also from the 1970s
- 1975 Chrysler Cordoba, also from the 1970s
