27/07/2025
SOLD: 1985 Toyota FJ45 Land Cruiser
Don't get us wrong - we love a nicely restored 45 that shines in all the right places, but man this 1985 has some lovely patina!
It was bought with the mind of restoring it, but as we cleaned it up and got to know it, it dawned on us that this is an awesome example of an original and honest survivor. Every part of it tells a story, from the "Boer met Afrikanerbeeste" sticker on the side, the all original rear and side windows, complete with original registration number sandblasted in and period national parks stickers adorning it, to the scuff marks that one long-time owner left on the driver side below the door.
It has some dings and scratches, but overall, it is one very true and honest truck. Even the load bin, although it was used, has only superficial scratches on it and no structural damage or rust that one often sees on trucks this age.
So we decided to leave it as intact and untouched as possible. We focused on the chassis and underbody by sanding it and giving it a new stonechip coat to the underbody and chassis-black to the chassis. The locking hubs were refurbished with new seals and paint, but the rims were given some loving with scothbrite pads and rust treatment to keep that patina look. The side and rear windows got new rubber and all the emblems of the car were replaced with new, as well as the indicators and rear lights.
The result is a truck that you can see has a story, but that has had the requisite attention given to the essential stuff, with some adornments of new parts. It has 204,000km on the clock, and everything points to this being the original km's.
Some highlights:
- New factory front bumper
- Factory-fitted front disc brakes
- Functioning heater and blower with new heater valve
- Period Sanyo radio
- Genuine leather seats (Not original, but man, that smell!)
- Original jack and hoist arms
- Original cab light
- Fully functioning Choke, 4WD and warning light
- Some original booklets
- New original battery tray
New owner can decide to preserve this truck as it is or use it as a very solid starting point for a restoration.
Licensed and registered. Based in Gauteng.
Price: R430,000 incl VAT
Drop a DM if interested and to arrange viewing.
