Junkyard Find: 1974 Toyota Land Cruiser

The Toyota Land Cruiser has been around since the Sengoku Period (OK, since 1951), and all varieties of this truck tend to have plenty of obsessively devoted single-interest fanatics here in Colorado.

(OK, since 1951), and all varieties of this truck tend to have plenty of obsessively devoted single-interest fanatics here in Colorado. You’ll see the occasional FJ60Land Cruiser in junkyards here, and I’ve even seen a well-stripped FJ40in a Denver yard. Today’s well-thrashed Junkyard Findis the first example of an FJ55 Land CruiserI’ve found.

1974 Toyota Land Cruiser in Colorado Junkyard, body filler - ©2016 Murilee Martin - The Truth About Cars

Is there rust? Yes, there is rust. Is there body filler over rust? Definitely.

1974 Toyota Land Cruiser in Colorado Junkyard, engine - ©2016 Murilee Martin - The Truth About Cars

Look, air conditioning! This would have been fairly luxurious by 1974 truck standards.

1974 Toyota Land Cruiser in Colorado Junkyard, drum brake - ©2016 Murilee Martin - The Truth About Cars

Front drum brakes could still be found on a few Detroit cars, and the Land Cruiser, in 1974.

1974 Toyota Land Cruiser in Colorado Junkyard, engine - ©2016 Murilee Martin - The Truth About Cars

Toyota did a lot of license-building of GM technology in the postwar era; the GM-developed PowerGlide was the basis of the Toyoglide automatic transmission, and the F engine used in this truck was a cousin of the good old Chevrolet straight-six OHV engine.

1974 Toyota Land Cruiser in Colorado Junkyard, front seat - ©2016 Murilee Martin - The Truth About Cars

It was rough when it showed up in this yard, and many parts-hungry Land Cruiser owners have picked it over since then.