This 1974 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ43 was originally sold as new in Bogota, Columbia back in 1975 and for the first 41 years of its existence, it was used to ramble around the Colombian countryside. In 2016, it was purchased by a shop in Columbia that performed a stunning restoration that essentially returned it to a like-new state.
Inside and out, the 974 FJ43 was stripped and refinished. This includes all new upholstery in the cabin, the proper mustard yellow paint, fresh black paint on all of the undercarriage components, new steel wheels wrapped in off-road rubber and a new canvas top. As you can see in the few images we have included here, this classic Toyota is absolutely flawless – looking like something that would fit in better at a classic car show than an off-road park.
In addition to making sure that the 1974 Toyota Land Cruiser looked like new, the Colombian shop went through the entire drivetrain. The original 3.9-liter engine was completely rebuilt, the original 3-speed transmission was replaced with a fresh 4-speed manual transmission and the transfer case was rebuilt.
After that restoration process was completed, the Colombian shop sold the 1974 Toyota Land Cruiser to someone in Florida. That owner has since shared it on the popular vehicle sale website. This listinghas far more information about the FJ43, including tons of pictures both during and after the restoration, chassis pictures and more.
"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.
