1980 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ45 Pickup For Sale At $31,000 With 1 Day Left on BaT
My expert take on this offer
The FJ45 pickup is one of the harder body styles to find in any condition, and this example has clearly had money spent on it. The previous owner repainted the body in matte blue and refreshed the 2F inline-six. The current seller, who bought it in 2024, then went further: resealed the engine, repaired the frame, replaced the rear differential gears, overhauled the clutch hydraulic system, converted to power-boosted four-wheel disc brakes, installed a rebuilt steering box, and replaced the fuel lines, u-joints, rear driveshaft, and brake lines.
The odometer reads 364 kilometers (roughly 226 miles) on replacement instrumentation, so total mileage is genuinely unknown. The seller says approximately 5,600 kilometers (~3,500 miles) have been added under current ownership, which at a minimum confirms the drivetrain has been exercised post-rebuild. Service records and refurbishment photos are included, which is the right way to sell a truck with an unknown odometer.
The disclosed cold-start issue is the most important line in this listing. The seller shows it on video, which earns honesty points, but a 2F that struggles to fire cold on a freshly resealed engine is a diagnostic flag, not a minor quirk. Fuel delivery, choke function, or ignition timing are the usual suspects. A pre-purchase inspection needs to start there.
The spec is honest and functional: Old Man Emu dampers and steering stabilizer, AVM locking hubs, a Rough Country 12,000-lb winch, LED lighting, spray-in bed liner, full-size spare, and a jerry can in the bed. None of it is period-correct, and none of it pretends to be. This is a truck built to be used.
The Montana LLC title is worth flagging. It is a legal registration strategy that some buyers use to avoid sales tax in their home state, and it is increasingly scrutinized by DMVs. Transferring it to a California registration will require smog compliance for a 1980 vehicle, which varies by county and circumstance. Confirm this before bidding.
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Why the FJ45 spec and rebuild scope matter for buyers
The FJ45 pickup ran in limited production numbers compared to the FJ40 wagon, which is a significant part of why values have moved the way they have. The 4.2-liter 2F inline-six was factory rated at 125 horsepower, not a number that impresses anyone on paper, but it is a long-stroke, low-revving engine with a reputation for durability that makes Toyota collectors protective of original examples. This one has been refreshed rather than swapped, which preserves the character and the value ceiling.
The four-speed manual transmission and dual-range transfer case are correct for the application. The brake conversion to power-assisted four-wheel discs is a practical upgrade that improves safety without altering the drivetrain architecture. Old Man Emu suspension is a known and respected choice for this platform.
Comparable FJ45 pickups in running, driver-quality condition are currently listed between $28,000 and $45,000 depending on originality, documentation, and condition. Fully restored, numbers-matching examples with verifiable history regularly bring $60,000 and above at auction. This truck occupies the middle band: mechanically refreshed, aesthetically modified, unknown total mileage, with a documented cold-start problem that needs resolution.
The bidding at $31,000 with one day left reflects the market reading this correctly so far.
What is a fair top-end bid for this car?
The realistic ceiling for this specific example is $38,000 to $42,000, contingent entirely on a clean PPI and resolution of the cold-start issue.
BaT's own sold listings show FJ45 pickups in comparable rebuild condition clearing between $27,000 and $44,000 over the past 18 months, with the spread driven by originality and documentation quality. A well-documented, original-paint FJ45 with known mileage commands a meaningful premium over a repainted, unknown-odometer example, even one with this level of mechanical investment.
The matte blue repaint is a personal taste item that will not appeal to every buyer. Matte finishes require specific maintenance protocols and do not respond well to conventional detailing or paint correction. For some buyers that is a dealbreaker; for others it is part of the truck's character.
At $31,000, the current bid is reasonable for a mechanically refreshed FJ45 pickup with this level of documentation. A winning bid below $36,000 on a clean PPI, with the cold-start issue diagnosed and priced, represents genuine value in the current market. Above $42,000, the unknown mileage and non-original presentation start working against the math.
1980 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ45 quick take
The FJ45 pickup is the right platform, the rebuild scope is legitimate, and the seller has documented the work honestly, including the problem. The cold-start issue is not a reason to walk away; it is a reason to get a specialist with a 2F on a lift before you bid the final number. Resolve that, transfer the Montana title cleanly, and the buyer here is acquiring one of the more practically capable classic trucks in this price bracket. The market for honest, usable FJ45s is not getting softer. If the PPI comes back clean, this is worth finishing.
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This story was originally published April 27, 2026 at 4:55 PM.