Thinking of buy an BJ42

[Vertigo1]

Hello everyone,

I'm new to the forum but not land cruisers, I use to own a 2002 100 series and absolutely loved it. Unfortunately I sold it due to relocating. But I would like some input on the old BJ 42's. I'm thinking of buying one and would like to know the quirks. Are they just as reliable as most other toyota's? And if I need replacement parts are they expensive? Is there a good market for after market parts and upgrades? I would love some feed back from the rest of the 40 owners.

Thanks in advance!

 

[clivehorridge]

Tony will be along soon....

Welcome to the forum Vertigo

I know nothing about 40s except that they're cute enough to want to give them a hug

Some keen 40 owner members here.

 

[tonytoyota]

Hi and welcome good look with getting a 42 and you r in the right place for parts in the USA sor.com love 40s I have fj45 and fj40 r a lot of fun .

 

[Rodger]

Hi and welcome.
It is particularly interesting that you, based in the USA, want a BJ42 as they didn't import very many (I need to check on one of the history sites but that could be 'zero'). Compared to the (more common in the US) FJ40 the BJ42 will feel very under powered but will probably go on forever. I would suggest that before you commit to a BJ that you spend some time looking at Spectre Offroad (www.sor.com), Cruiserparts.com and CCOT.com. There are loads of restoration and after market parts available for FJs so chassis and body upgrades are not a problem but for engine upgrades you may have to look at the Australian sites but remember that all their trucks are RHD (but there is plenty of room under the hood). Canada imported BJs (B= diesel & F = petrol/gas) but chances of finding one there that isn't full of body rot are slim, very slim. As a rule of thumb, the later they are the more they have on them i.e. an '84 LX has aircon as standard. It all depends on what you want and your skills - old trucks need TLC but they are very capable offroad but it is all old style engineering, great fun and uncomplicated. However on-road you are not going to be going very fast and concentration is required (steering box technology).
Look for a dry state truck and if you wish between us we can tell you the areas that get eaten by rust and what to look for when considering a purchase. I've had ours for 15 years, it is our only vehicle and would not change it for anything. So any help, advice you need, just ask as there is plenty of experienced members on this friendly forum.

Regards,

Rodger

 

[Rodger]

Ok, just had a look at the best (that I've found) history site for 40 series cruisers and the following models were not imported, officially, into the USA: 41;42;43;46 & 47. So if/when you find a BJ42 it has been imported through unofficial channels.
It may help to have a read through that history site, it is: www:cruiserfaq.com

Hope that helps.
Regards,

Rodger

 

[Vertigo1]

Thanks everyone,

I actually live in Italy at the moment and I see a lot of older BJ42's. I'd prefer the diesel just for the reliability factor. And I'm okay with it being underpowered, when I get back to the states I need to slow down quite a bit (currently own a 350z). Thanks again for all the great info! As long as I can get parts I'll be happy . If you guys can think of anything else please let me know. The more info the better.

 

[Rodger]

Aah! Italian BJ42, makes sense! Before you ship it back (and therefore have a pretty unique truck in the US) you could compare the diesel engine parts prices sor.com versus euro4x4 &/ megastore4x4 -Portugal, etc and, if better value, ship some parts back with it - makes perfect sense to me.
When you looking at them, and considering buying take the Vin number and put it into www:toyodiy.com and that will give the spec, etc for that truck.
The areas that are susceptible to rust are the rear body cross member (runs above the chassis); rear corners (mud etc gets in between cross member and panels); bottom of doors; sills; windscreen surround; between the front wings and their supports and between the front valance and the support member.
And when you get one, photos are a must - we like photos!!!

Regards,

Rodger

 

[Vertigo1]

Sorry for the late reply! Thanks again for the abundance of information. I'm the gear head that always wants a clean chassis. Just like anything else, you need a solid foundation to work with right? So I've done more research (especially for importation). And I feel confident about buying one that's nice and clean. I just need to make sure she's original and that all the numbers match. Where do you find your stamps? I hear the chassis stamp is right side behind the front wheel well and the engine is also on the right. Anywho, as always I appreciate it. I'm going to update my profile with my old cruiser so you guys don't think I'm crazy

-Joel

 

[Rodger]

The chassis number should be ahead (towards the front) of the front right wheel ad behind the bumper, unless Italy is like Spain where they have it inside the rear left wheel arch (as well).
Engine number is on the right hand side of the block above the starter motor.
The weakest part of the chassis (where cracks will be if there are any) is on the curved section over the front axle but also check rear cross member as rot can be created by mud trapped between the c/m and the ribs. If the chassis is showing any cracks then it has had a very hard life.
Good hunting

Regards,

Rodger

 

[Cliffy]

Hello Vertigo and welcome

I have a BJ42, an FJ45 and (my 'flagship') an HJ47 Crew Cab, and broadly agree with Rodger's and others' comments. Personally, I would say that you can get any parts you need, and I myself go first to Terrain Tamer - they have a European office in France, where you'll find a wonderful guy named Matt ([email protected]), despite the 'au.' the email goes to France - who will help with almost anything. I would say though, that the BJ42 with the 3.4 diesel is actually fairly strong. It's not as fast as the 4.2 petrol, sure, but given the weight to engine ration (for a diesel) I'd say it's pretty good. My Crew Cab has a 4ltr diesel, but weighs about 3 tons, whereas the BJ42 has 3.4 ltr and weighs about 1.7 tons (with add ons). As Rodger says, the diesels will go on and on - my 47 has done over the million miles. It's somewhat a matter of economy and reliability of diesel over a bit extra speed and smoothness of petrol. I'd take the diesel any day. I think you'll love a 42, especially if you fit power steering - it will turn heads and give you joy for life.

Cheers
Cliff

 

[Cliffy]

Incidentally, somewhere between late July and mid August I shall be taking my 42 on a run from UK to Turin and back, so if you would like to have a drive of a 42 to assess what they are like then just ask. Cliffy

 

[Vertigo1]

Thanks guys, and yes. From what I can tell they are absolutely bullet proof. I checked one out today and it's all original BJ42 with 300k KM on the odometer. Seems pretty solid. I did however discover some rust on the left rear crossmember. Still looks to be a fairly good amount of material left. Also found a little rust inside the drivers side door panel. All in all it looks pretty good. Should I be worried about a few rust spots or keep looking? Other than a few minor defects for a 35 year old vehicle it drives great and is exactly what I was expecting. Besides... Who needs power steering? And Cliffy, if I get one of these rigs before you make your way to Turin, we should meet up. Also, what would you all consider a fair price? He's asking 9,000 euros, and I'm sure I can negotiate a little lower. I think 8k USD is a fair price. Also, I found the engine numbers but not sure how they correlate to the VIN and chassis number, they seem different unless I'm looking at something different. Can someone put there input on this? Thanks again!

 

[Rodger]

The condition sounds very good - finding an unrestored 40 series without any rust would be a miracle. Engine number should be on a machined plate and, I think, part of the VIN. (I'm not 100% sure because mine already had a 60 series engine when I got it).
It does sound like a nice truck.

Regards,
Rodger

 

[Vertigo1]

Does this seem about right? or am i not taking pictures of the correct tag on the motor? I've done some research online and its hard to decipher the european land cruiser numbers.

Thanks!

IMG_2245

• Vertigo1
• Apr 23, 2017

IMG_2238

• Vertigo1
• Apr 23, 2017

 

[Rodger]

The second picture is not the engine number - it's the part number for the inline pump assembly. Engine number is on a machined panel as part of the engine block.

Regards,

Rodger

 

[Vertigo1]

Roger that! Appreciate it! I will get the engine numbers then sorry I'm such a newbie haha. Never dealt with old land cruisers.

 

[Rodger]

No worries. We're all here to learn from each other. Have you looked back through the 40 series section? You may find some of the rebuild threads useful.

Regards,
Rodger

 

[Biscuit]

Not sure if you got your BJ42 Vertigo, but following on from the comments on power and fuel efficiency, bolt-on turbo kits are fairly easily accessible, particularly in the states. The difference isn't crazy but noticeable. Anyway, would be good to hear an update on your search!