It is to Toyota’s credit that they’re the only car company still making new products that are more desirable than their old products, and the FJ40 was a damned good baseline.
I agree that most new Toyota’s are better, but if you listen to a lot of the fanboyz on the Internet, some find them less desirable. And FJ40 prices compared to resale for 4th and 5th gen 4Runners suggest that the market thinks they’re more desirable. I rode my bike past a parked ‘86-88 IFS 4WD pickup a few days ago, quite ragged looking inside and out, sporting a For Sale sign – $9000.
The FJ40 prices reflect supply and demand. It’s no problem finding a 4th or 5th gen 4Runner, if there were still that many FJ40’s available the prices would be significantly less as there really isn’t THAT much demand (just way more than supply).
I hate that style of cheapo bumper guard: robs approach angle, will be a rusty mess in a few short years (albeit maybe not in Virginia), looks like crap in general.
You tend to see them more in big cities on CUVs & vans even it seems. Look like more of a permanent parking protection for the paint than a “brush bar”.
Never underestimate the amount of road salt and brine VDOT can throw down in a single winter season. A mere mention of the S-word and tons of material gets strewn about. We did not have a plow-able snow event last winter (source: I plow commercially) and yet VDOT managed to salt the heck out of everything. All in the name of liability and this I understand. Safe rather than Sorry.
Every time I look at the non-existent rocker panels on my Focus, I am reminded of my formative years in upstate NY.
I’m thinking the one of the right is the more valuable of the two and of course for the near term future the gap is likely to widen as one continues to appreciate and the other depreciates.
I doubt the one of the left will ever see an average dirt road in it’s life. The one on the right probably has in years past. A good friend has a Land Cruiser where the condition warrants a minimum value of $20,000 and steadily rising.
This pic could have easily been taken in one of the college towns just a few miles north or east of my little part of VA. I say this because I’ve noticed (maybe not just in VA mind you) that it is common to have a newer DD version and a classic “weekender” version of a nameplate, both well kept, in these locales. Such as newer Silverado and a GMT400 or a CJ and current Wrangler. Not just 4WDs either, Chargers, Mustangs and a gentleman in one town has a gorgeous 1978 de Ville alongside his mid Aughts CTS.
What struck me in this pic is that the older of the two is displaying the Gadsden flag plate. This is almost always the case in my part of the state. It looks similar to one version of our antique vehicle plate as well. Another automotive trend in the works?
Since we’re spotting license plates here, I wonder if the guy on the left is a University of Maryland graduate, or is this just luck of the tag number lottery?
Go Terps! – that is if they even get to play Basketball this year.
Good catch! That’s actually a regular-issue VA plate… the UM prefix plates were issued in 2019. Now, if the owner is a hard-core Terps fan, maybe he specifically went to a DMV station that he knew had a stock of UMD plates. Stranger things have happened.
Interesting about having a classic “weekender” and newer DD version of the same car (or same nameplate, at least). There’s one other FJ40 in my neighborhood, and it’s owner has a new Highlander. I don’t know how common that phenomenon is, but I bet it’s most prevalent with Toyotas.
I’m rather surprised that Virginia’s Antique and Gadsden Flag plates are exactly the same color… and it’s such a unique color combination too. Both are good looking plates, in my opinion… I like license plates that don’t have a white background.
It may not be too common, just something I noticed in my little part of SWVA. My occupation has me driving through neighborhoods regularly and I noticed a few houses with say a clean 2016-ish Mustang and a well kept Fox or Gen 1 under the carport next to it. Or a lifted Ram with an early 80s D100 stablemate, both immaculate. Heck my route takes me past 2 (2!) houses with his and hers pristine PT Cruisers and its the year 2020 or so I am told.
Alas I have my “antique” w123 but I park it next to my current DD Focus so I digress… No plans to ever have a modern Mercedes garage mate for it.
There are other antique plate options in VA as I am sure you are aware of.
If one can find at a swap meet the style of plates that the year was stamped in prior to 1976 for a ’76 or older car, they can be reinstated on their car. A year 1957 VA tag for your shoebox or a year 1969 VA tag for your Chevelle….you get the idea.
I prefer the porcelain white over black for various reasons, as my Benz is White w/ black checkerboard taxi trim. Since I try to keep my cars as apolitical as I am I also wanted no confusion from afar. My gf at the time was pleased with the decision…”Oh good. I was afraid you were getting the plates that look like the No Step On Snek! ones, I’d have to leave ya.” she said.
She still left, but for other reasons…..lets just say I got kicked Curbside.
There’s a couple of FJ40’s in my ‘hood too, one of them sees your bet with the same 4Runner companion but then raises you with an older Toyota 4×4 Pickup as the third vehicle in the stable…
Another family has two FJ100’s in the same garage, one early, one later in the run.
The FJ40 is ruggedly handsome, tougher than a Mafia contract killer, breaks down as often as a rock, and, if the road was available, perfectly capable of driving the distance to Mars thence to play happily in the roadless terrain there.
I would also rather have my teeth inspected by the proctological method than drive one in 2020, and I can only assume the owners paying high amounts today value the appearance of things – and their appearance IN those things – above all other signs from their natural instincts.
To say the technology reaches the newest available in about 1935 is unkind, as any leaf-beam-sprung Ford of that time was a nicer device. Despite similarities in braking ability and steering accuracy and gearchange speed, the Ford had, for example, travel in those springs.
Valuing my spine, teeth, ears and life as I do, as anyone reading this should too, I take the new.
It is to Toyota’s credit that they’re the only car company still making new products that are more desirable than their old products, and the FJ40 was a damned good baseline.
I agree that most new Toyota’s are better, but if you listen to a lot of the fanboyz on the Internet, some find them less desirable. And FJ40 prices compared to resale for 4th and 5th gen 4Runners suggest that the market thinks they’re more desirable. I rode my bike past a parked ‘86-88 IFS 4WD pickup a few days ago, quite ragged looking inside and out, sporting a For Sale sign – $9000.
The FJ40 prices reflect supply and demand. It’s no problem finding a 4th or 5th gen 4Runner, if there were still that many FJ40’s available the prices would be significantly less as there really isn’t THAT much demand (just way more than supply).
I hate that style of cheapo bumper guard: robs approach angle, will be a rusty mess in a few short years (albeit maybe not in Virginia), looks like crap in general.
Agree 100%. I’m surprised to see one on a 4Runner
You tend to see them more in big cities on CUVs & vans even it seems. Look like more of a permanent parking protection for the paint than a “brush bar”.
I can’t say I’ve ever seen one on a van, but they aren’t uncommon on 4-Runners around here.
A quick google search for 4runner push bar shows that there are a lot of companies offering this style.
Yep I always think its kind of a neat little subculture when I see big beefy pushbars on RX350s and vans and such in NYC.
Never underestimate the amount of road salt and brine VDOT can throw down in a single winter season. A mere mention of the S-word and tons of material gets strewn about. We did not have a plow-able snow event last winter (source: I plow commercially) and yet VDOT managed to salt the heck out of everything. All in the name of liability and this I understand. Safe rather than Sorry.
Every time I look at the non-existent rocker panels on my Focus, I am reminded of my formative years in upstate NY.
I’ll take the old.
I forget the year, maybe 2018 or 2017, when the redesigned front end looked it was styled by crashing it into a concrete wall. Absolutely horrible!
I just now looked at the front end of the ’21 4Runner TRD. Even worse,like the smashed in part of the front end fell off.
Agreed that “brush bar” will turn into “rust Bar” sooner than later.
When Toyota returns to an even half way decent looking front end I’ll darken their door.
Hey, to each his own. One day these too will be “old”.
Clean FJ40s have become so expensive and collectible. I wonder if anyone is still using them for their intended purpose anymore.
I’m thinking the one of the right is the more valuable of the two and of course for the near term future the gap is likely to widen as one continues to appreciate and the other depreciates.
I doubt the one of the left will ever see an average dirt road in it’s life. The one on the right probably has in years past. A good friend has a Land Cruiser where the condition warrants a minimum value of $20,000 and steadily rising.
And speaking of wordless, it goes without saying which one I’d rather have!
This pic could have easily been taken in one of the college towns just a few miles north or east of my little part of VA. I say this because I’ve noticed (maybe not just in VA mind you) that it is common to have a newer DD version and a classic “weekender” version of a nameplate, both well kept, in these locales. Such as newer Silverado and a GMT400 or a CJ and current Wrangler. Not just 4WDs either, Chargers, Mustangs and a gentleman in one town has a gorgeous 1978 de Ville alongside his mid Aughts CTS.
What struck me in this pic is that the older of the two is displaying the Gadsden flag plate. This is almost always the case in my part of the state. It looks similar to one version of our antique vehicle plate as well. Another automotive trend in the works?
Since we’re spotting license plates here, I wonder if the guy on the left is a University of Maryland graduate, or is this just luck of the tag number lottery?
Go Terps! – that is if they even get to play Basketball this year.
Good catch! That’s actually a regular-issue VA plate… the UM prefix plates were issued in 2019. Now, if the owner is a hard-core Terps fan, maybe he specifically went to a DMV station that he knew had a stock of UMD plates. Stranger things have happened.
Interesting about having a classic “weekender” and newer DD version of the same car (or same nameplate, at least). There’s one other FJ40 in my neighborhood, and it’s owner has a new Highlander. I don’t know how common that phenomenon is, but I bet it’s most prevalent with Toyotas.
I’m rather surprised that Virginia’s Antique and Gadsden Flag plates are exactly the same color… and it’s such a unique color combination too. Both are good looking plates, in my opinion… I like license plates that don’t have a white background.
It may not be too common, just something I noticed in my little part of SWVA. My occupation has me driving through neighborhoods regularly and I noticed a few houses with say a clean 2016-ish Mustang and a well kept Fox or Gen 1 under the carport next to it. Or a lifted Ram with an early 80s D100 stablemate, both immaculate. Heck my route takes me past 2 (2!) houses with his and hers pristine PT Cruisers and its the year 2020 or so I am told.
Alas I have my “antique” w123 but I park it next to my current DD Focus so I digress… No plans to ever have a modern Mercedes garage mate for it.
There are other antique plate options in VA as I am sure you are aware of.
If one can find at a swap meet the style of plates that the year was stamped in prior to 1976 for a ’76 or older car, they can be reinstated on their car. A year 1957 VA tag for your shoebox or a year 1969 VA tag for your Chevelle….you get the idea.
I prefer the porcelain white over black for various reasons, as my Benz is White w/ black checkerboard taxi trim. Since I try to keep my cars as apolitical as I am I also wanted no confusion from afar. My gf at the time was pleased with the decision…”Oh good. I was afraid you were getting the plates that look like the No Step On Snek! ones, I’d have to leave ya.” she said.
She still left, but for other reasons…..lets just say I got kicked Curbside.
There’s a couple of FJ40’s in my ‘hood too, one of them sees your bet with the same 4Runner companion but then raises you with an older Toyota 4×4 Pickup as the third vehicle in the stable…
Another family has two FJ100’s in the same garage, one early, one later in the run.
The FJ40 is ruggedly handsome, tougher than a Mafia contract killer, breaks down as often as a rock, and, if the road was available, perfectly capable of driving the distance to Mars thence to play happily in the roadless terrain there.
I would also rather have my teeth inspected by the proctological method than drive one in 2020, and I can only assume the owners paying high amounts today value the appearance of things – and their appearance IN those things – above all other signs from their natural instincts.
To say the technology reaches the newest available in about 1935 is unkind, as any leaf-beam-sprung Ford of that time was a nicer device. Despite similarities in braking ability and steering accuracy and gearchange speed, the Ford had, for example, travel in those springs.
Valuing my spine, teeth, ears and life as I do, as anyone reading this should too, I take the new.