This 1982 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 might be nicer today than it was when it rolled off of the assembly line.
While perusing the vehicle list of the upcoming Leake auction in Oklahoma City later this month, we came across this flawless 1982 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40. This auction listing states that it received a “comprehensive restoration to factory specs”, but based on the pictures, this classic SUV might be nicer than it was when it was 36 years ago. Simply put, this FJ40 is perfect.
The Unmistakable Exterior
This 1982 Toyota FJ40 has been restored by a company called Marque Specialists, and they appear to have done an incredible job. Every aspect of the exterior looks like it could be new, from the polished bumpers with black rubber pads to the green canvas top to the dark green-painted body, it is hard to find any sort of fault with this classic SUV.
The green was a great choice for this restoration, as it gives the FJ a very military look, especially with the black wheels and off-road tires.
A Plush Interior
On the inside, this 1982 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 has leather bucket seats and a Vintage air conditioning system, but the rest of the cabin looks stock and spotless.
The gauges and all of the in-dash controls appear to be era-correct, right down to the glove box-mounted “gear shift instructions”.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
