Owning and Overlanding in a FJ40 - What are the Pros and Cons?
- Thread starter Sisyphus
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Upland80
Adventurer
The same arguement could be made for the 60<80<70<100<200 as well
Of course, but the 100, 200 do not have the solid axles and only a couple years of the 100's had an available rear locker. My main point was that the somewhat newer LC's have an advantage over the 40's in many areas minus the super cool factor! :smiley_drive:
cruiseroutfit
Supporting Sponsor: Cruiser Outfitters
Agreed, though the solid-axle debate is neither here nor there. Unless your working in the rocks... the IFS wins in almost every scenario. I've owned an 80 (several), there isn't anything about it I prefer over the 100 in the context of 'overlanding'... while the oe e-lockers are nice. Lockers are easier to add to a 100 than putting a V8 in an 80
Neither here nor there, the 80 is a rock solid platform and I'd gladly drive one around the globe. But I won't say not to a lap around the world in a 200 Series either!
ducktapeguy
Adventurer
Most of the other posters have a lot more experience, they summed it up well.
In short, how much do you love an FJ40? Because if you don't absolutely, unconditionally love them, you'll hate it. I'm being completely honest, I love my 40 to death and will drive it everywhere, but it's a crappy vehicle to actually drive long distances and I know it. Mine is mostly stock, 4 wheel drums, no power steering, small lift and larger tires. In stock form they're slow, underpowered, noisy, uncomfortable, small and have horrible handling. Driving in the rain is nerve wracking, high winds are downright scary,. On long uphill grades get used to semis overtaking you or finding alternate routes. If you have another person in the vehicle you can either have a conversation or you can drive, but you can't do both at the same time. Basically, it's just not a relaxing vehicle to drive long distances. I've done many non-stop 12-16 hour drives in other cars without a problem, but after about 3 hours in the 40 I need a break. After 7-8 hours I'm done for the day. The constant stress of trying to keep it on the road wears you down after a while, even if you don't notice it while you're driving.
There are a lot of thing you can do to improve the ride, but really you're just polishing a turd. It'll never be a great driving vehicle by most peoples standards. At best you'll make the ride somewhat tolerable, but unless you spend money on an ICON you're better off just picking a different vehicle. That being said, even with all it's flaws, if I had the chance to drive my FJ40 across the country I'd do it in a heartbeat. Love is blind, once you get hooked on a 40 you'll never want to drive anything else.
In short, how much do you love an FJ40? Because if you don't absolutely, unconditionally love them, you'll hate it. I'm being completely honest, I love my 40 to death and will drive it everywhere, but it's a crappy vehicle to actually drive long distances and I know it. Mine is mostly stock, 4 wheel drums, no power steering, small lift and larger tires. In stock form they're slow, underpowered, noisy, uncomfortable, small and have horrible handling. Driving in the rain is nerve wracking, high winds are downright scary,. On long uphill grades get used to semis overtaking you or finding alternate routes. If you have another person in the vehicle you can either have a conversation or you can drive, but you can't do both at the same time. Basically, it's just not a relaxing vehicle to drive long distances. I've done many non-stop 12-16 hour drives in other cars without a problem, but after about 3 hours in the 40 I need a break. After 7-8 hours I'm done for the day. The constant stress of trying to keep it on the road wears you down after a while, even if you don't notice it while you're driving.
There are a lot of thing you can do to improve the ride, but really you're just polishing a turd. It'll never be a great driving vehicle by most peoples standards. At best you'll make the ride somewhat tolerable, but unless you spend money on an ICON you're better off just picking a different vehicle. That being said, even with all it's flaws, if I had the chance to drive my FJ40 across the country I'd do it in a heartbeat. Love is blind, once you get hooked on a 40 you'll never want to drive anything else.
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Arktikos
Explorer
Too many cons from my perspective for the FJ40 as a highway traveler for significant miles. The combination of a gas guzzling engine and a small fuel tank translates into frequent and expensive trips to the petro station, plus perhaps the worst range per tankful of any vehicle produced since WWII. The rest of the issues, such as a loud, rough ride, limited cargo capacity etc. are real but not so important in my book. AC and a good heater, who needs them?
most importantly- whats your budget ?
in the end- the best vehicle decision is the lowest mileage , best serviced/ pm.ed and prepped for the job at hand.
40s can be quite pricey if completely overhauled from ground up and not rust buckets which are truly built for overlanding expo style duties.
60s are also aged enough that they are in that ground up resto price range or can be aged buckets needing full overhaul.
80s can be found with sub 130k miles and simply need some pm and cheap mods to make for durable 100k mile use.
100s are even newer but tend to run $5-7k more than 80s and need a bit pricier suspension upgrades for overland use.
200s would be the easiest to find lowest miles with higher cost of entry.
80s are really the sweet spot if your budget is limited.......the more $ you have the more options grow and other models can be found which have had the work done to bring them into refreshed or built appropriately and ready to go. each model can be built to suit your needs and each model with as close to a low mile drivetrain as you can get will be better than higher miles and underserviced or under maintained ones.
with cost no object......id get what fits your gear and is in the best mechanical condition to stay trouble free and let you enjoy your overlanding vs being plagued with breakdowns and fixes.
in the end- the best vehicle decision is the lowest mileage , best serviced/ pm.ed and prepped for the job at hand.
40s can be quite pricey if completely overhauled from ground up and not rust buckets which are truly built for overlanding expo style duties.
60s are also aged enough that they are in that ground up resto price range or can be aged buckets needing full overhaul.
80s can be found with sub 130k miles and simply need some pm and cheap mods to make for durable 100k mile use.
100s are even newer but tend to run $5-7k more than 80s and need a bit pricier suspension upgrades for overland use.
200s would be the easiest to find lowest miles with higher cost of entry.
80s are really the sweet spot if your budget is limited.......the more $ you have the more options grow and other models can be found which have had the work done to bring them into refreshed or built appropriately and ready to go. each model can be built to suit your needs and each model with as close to a low mile drivetrain as you can get will be better than higher miles and underserviced or under maintained ones.
with cost no object......id get what fits your gear and is in the best mechanical condition to stay trouble free and let you enjoy your overlanding vs being plagued with breakdowns and fixes.
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1911
Expedition Leader
Time to get out and rest your right leg/foot by then anyway (no cruise control).
4x4tripping
Adventurer
Pro`s: Travel with an 40 has style! Will make many people you meet on the way happy - to see your car.
Cons (Pro`s for the newer cars): Comfort, Safety (Airbags, Precrash System and ESP aren`t just evil), the option to sleep inside of the car.
The cons sounds like the pro`s for me....
The same arguement could be made for the 60<80<70<100<200 as well
That is why I did choose the 200.. Till now I dont regret it.
Surfy
hairy_apple
Adventurer
There is something about an FJ40 that can't be replicated though... like I said... there are many "better" vehicles out there, but none have the ability to make me smile when driving like the 40 does. But I do think the poster above that said if you don't love the FJ40, you'll hate it is pretty spot on. I love mine. I love it's quirks and how primitive it is. It's not comfortable for more then a few hours, but honestly... if I'm going to take the long trips that require hours and hours of driving, I hope I'm not in too much of a hurry anyway. Life is good at 55! I enjoy being able to look around and enjoy the drive, it becomes more about the journey then the destination with something old and slow like a 40.
What other car can make you smile just driving it! haha
What other car can make you smile just driving it! haha
cruiserpilot
Adventurer
^^pretty Squatchy!
hairy_apple
Adventurer
Ha ha.. yeah. That was a few months ago too.. it was longer up until last week. I had to trim it back though, driving the 40 with the top off my beard was whipping my eyes if I wasn't wearing sunglasses. VERY distracting!
Pelagos1972
New member
It looks like this thread hasn’t been talked on in a while. Ive gone backwards in time. I built up my 80 series to point where is would go anywhere and do anything. My struggle was, I was pretty much done. There really wasn't anymore that I really wanted to do. I had always thought about a 40 having grown up with Jeep’s. I especially loved the CJ5 with power nothing and the 304. The 80 is now living in Oregon with a happy camper.
The Jeep got me thinking about about how absolutely terrible it rode, how challenging it was to drive but the freedom of running on the road was unparalleled. Anyways, a V8 swapped 40 was my desire even though I had never been in a 40. In my backyard was a swapped SOA 1976 that was mostly a trail truck. It had been sitting for 2 years in a covered outdoor horse stall. I totally ignored it because it looked like it needed more love than what I was willing to give. This is Indiana, mind you, and vehicles like that are pretty uncommon these days.
A friend in northern Indiana told me the history and how it had been a part of the original Hoosier Cruisers group. It had been owned for 20 years by the fella who turned it to the beast it is now from a stock resto. I drove it and had to have it. Set up with a 350, 700R4, Split case, SOA blah blah blah… All of the work had been done by two guys. He bent and welded the console himself as well as the CB console. Just lots of DIY stuff on this truck. I brought it home. Rebuilt, regeared, new locker in the rear… New 37’s…. New soft top. New stereo, new speakers.
I’m now in the midst of building this dude to be my travel truck when I’m solo. I have a Tundra for the trips with the wife or I need to really make miles. It has evolved into the truck that I will travel in a lot. You’ll see me most often running up the west shore of Michigan on the Red Arrow at a safe and sane 50 or so.
My theory on the 40 series is that the vast majority of people say 40 years old and less (at the time of this writing) havent experienced the “used car lot 40’s” or grown up knowing the first generation of rough riding trucks. I’m not razzing. Fewer people I think are able to enjoy the 40 series they “bought for $2500.00”. The truck isnt rough to me because I saw and rode in plenty of rough 4x4’s in my early years. I truly hope there is an element (I always believe there will be although few in number) who just love traveling in a minimalist simplistic fashion. Even though I’m running with a fridge, the backpacker in me will be pretty simple in all other respects. I will even have a spot to strap in soft doors and my dingy (skateboard). I hope to generate a lot of romance and a lot of photos at great places. Hopefully get to Cali someday on its own hull (tires). HA.
The Jeep got me thinking about about how absolutely terrible it rode, how challenging it was to drive but the freedom of running on the road was unparalleled. Anyways, a V8 swapped 40 was my desire even though I had never been in a 40. In my backyard was a swapped SOA 1976 that was mostly a trail truck. It had been sitting for 2 years in a covered outdoor horse stall. I totally ignored it because it looked like it needed more love than what I was willing to give. This is Indiana, mind you, and vehicles like that are pretty uncommon these days.
A friend in northern Indiana told me the history and how it had been a part of the original Hoosier Cruisers group. It had been owned for 20 years by the fella who turned it to the beast it is now from a stock resto. I drove it and had to have it. Set up with a 350, 700R4, Split case, SOA blah blah blah… All of the work had been done by two guys. He bent and welded the console himself as well as the CB console. Just lots of DIY stuff on this truck. I brought it home. Rebuilt, regeared, new locker in the rear… New 37’s…. New soft top. New stereo, new speakers.
I’m now in the midst of building this dude to be my travel truck when I’m solo. I have a Tundra for the trips with the wife or I need to really make miles. It has evolved into the truck that I will travel in a lot. You’ll see me most often running up the west shore of Michigan on the Red Arrow at a safe and sane 50 or so.
My theory on the 40 series is that the vast majority of people say 40 years old and less (at the time of this writing) havent experienced the “used car lot 40’s” or grown up knowing the first generation of rough riding trucks. I’m not razzing. Fewer people I think are able to enjoy the 40 series they “bought for $2500.00”. The truck isnt rough to me because I saw and rode in plenty of rough 4x4’s in my early years. I truly hope there is an element (I always believe there will be although few in number) who just love traveling in a minimalist simplistic fashion. Even though I’m running with a fridge, the backpacker in me will be pretty simple in all other respects. I will even have a spot to strap in soft doors and my dingy (skateboard). I hope to generate a lot of romance and a lot of photos at great places. Hopefully get to Cali someday on its own hull (tires). HA.
lugueto
Adventurer
Pros and cons for the 40 are pretty straight forward in my book.
Pros: Dead reliable, super easy to fix and relatively cheap parts available pretty much everywhere (depending on your engine). A subjective one would be the coolness of travelling in an iconic vehicle, maybe you're trying to fulfill a dream or something. Super capable off road, easily modifiable as well.
Cons: Incredibly uncomfortable (seats, road noise, no creature comforts, no power aids), limited cargo space, theyre super slow on the highway
This is obviously true for stock form, but since they're easily modifiable you can do tons to them and make them into a specialized machine. That would be awesome, but ultimately expensive.
I have two 40s. an FJ40 and a BJ40. Both bone stock. I can tell you, the only way to make a 40 series slower is adding a diesel engine. (at least the ones that came from factory). But they're super fun to drive and are ultimately a romantic affair. I would think heavily before doing long trips with the 40s, although short trips are always awesome.
I would love a restomod, just because they're cool, but It would never replace my dedicated travel vehicle. Maybe if I add a decent engine, gearbox, suspension, seats, power steering and brakes and AC I would consider using it as a daily driver lol.
Pros: Dead reliable, super easy to fix and relatively cheap parts available pretty much everywhere (depending on your engine). A subjective one would be the coolness of travelling in an iconic vehicle, maybe you're trying to fulfill a dream or something. Super capable off road, easily modifiable as well.
Cons: Incredibly uncomfortable (seats, road noise, no creature comforts, no power aids), limited cargo space, theyre super slow on the highway
This is obviously true for stock form, but since they're easily modifiable you can do tons to them and make them into a specialized machine. That would be awesome, but ultimately expensive.
I have two 40s. an FJ40 and a BJ40. Both bone stock. I can tell you, the only way to make a 40 series slower is adding a diesel engine. (at least the ones that came from factory). But they're super fun to drive and are ultimately a romantic affair. I would think heavily before doing long trips with the 40s, although short trips are always awesome.
I would love a restomod, just because they're cool, but It would never replace my dedicated travel vehicle. Maybe if I add a decent engine, gearbox, suspension, seats, power steering and brakes and AC I would consider using it as a daily driver lol.
4x4tripping
Adventurer
Here is my answer from another thread - who is valid here too: the driving comfort, driving security, camp comfort, sleep comfort, spares availability - all that counts.
Also when I did see a old VW Beetle with a trailer on a real worldtour (transafrica, panamericana, australia and the silkroad) - I never caught myself about doing the same.
Yes, the idea about travelling by thoose oldtimers sound great, as soon you dont look at the details. From the the aspect of comfort to the security and the availability of spares world wide.
After looking back after 72`500 miles of international Overlanding - I did enjoy the comfort than a modern car brings:
Comfortable Seats
Excellent Noise-Cancelation
Aircon (automatic)
adjustable dampers
adjustable height
electric Windows & car sunroof
cruise control
sound system with 12 speakers
And too the modern security systems like the abs (anti-blocking system), ESP (Electronic Stability Programme), pre collision systems can safe life during our journeys. The security systems triggered several times during my trip, hard to say what would have happened without them.
Did I sometimes dream about another travelling vehicle?
For shure. At very rare moments i did dream to travel with an Nissan GT-R and 600hp or with an BMW 430D convertible. But this dreams did disapear pretty quickly, considering the "less" comfort that overlanding by a ground tent would brings with.
So the dream did more circulate about the living comfort of other vehicles and concepts. To get more living comfort with a rig with an inside shower as example, in the colder parts of south america. Or to have more living space during rainy days.
During harder offroad condition I did dream to travel ultraleightweigt - but overall...
Above rig is still my favorite way to do international Overlanding and for 1-2 Persons. It let us sleep stealth in citys in africa and south america, let us travel with comfort, did bring a lot of security - and was capable during onroad / offroad.
Too sad that I didnt find a way to travel with my growing family with that setup!
Choosing the right vehicle for an extended trip, is very important. Here I did try to collect some different ways to do overlanding: choosing your travel rig.
To use an oldtimer is something you had to afford, because the repairs can eat a lot of your budget. And people with that amount of cash - will stay more with hotels I guess - so that would be more an roadtrip than overlanding.
trippin
Many people go around the world on a motorcycle two up. There isn't a bike made that can carry what a 40 carries so lets render the capacity parameter moot.
The same can be said about comfort.
Comfort and capacity are a matter of choice. Reliability is not...
Its not all that hard to make a 40 have similar reliability to an anvil. Some would argue that the closer you leave one to stock the more reliable it is. Not going to pick a side on that debate but rest assured a well maintained (as opposed to built) 40 will take you pretty much anywhere, and bring you back.
The same can be said about comfort.
Comfort and capacity are a matter of choice. Reliability is not...
Its not all that hard to make a 40 have similar reliability to an anvil. Some would argue that the closer you leave one to stock the more reliable it is. Not going to pick a side on that debate but rest assured a well maintained (as opposed to built) 40 will take you pretty much anywhere, and bring you back.