This Toyota Land Cruiser has a Chevy engine and is signed by Tom Hanks. Now the SUV was auctioned in California.
Bonhams has estimated the value of a Toyota Landcruiser FJ 40 that once belonged to Tom Hanks at the equivalent of 64,000 to 110,000 euros. With this wide range, the auction house could hardly go wrong. Nevertheless, Bonhams should have been pleased to note that the last hammer fell only at the upper end of the spectrum: 123,200 dollars, the equivalent of almost 105,000 euros, was what the highest bidder of the off-road vehicle from prominent previous ownership was worth when he or she came on August 12th picked up the card at the auction in Carmel, California.
The actor had the off-road vehicle built in 1980 improved on a few points. The standard 2F straight-six carburettor engine is replaced by a 4.3-liter Chevrolet V6 with a matching five-speed gearbox. Chassis and wheels are also modified and air conditioning is installed. Nevertheless, the conversions are likely to have less of an impact on the value than the prominent previous owner. According to Classic Analytics, a standard FJ40 in good condition is worth around 32,200 euros.
Conversion to Chevrolet V6
Conversions with Chevrolet engines are not that unusual for Toyota Land Cruisers, Wikipedia knows. The L35 engine is from 2000, so it's 20 years younger than the car. Instead of the standard 135 hp, the Land Cruiser now has 180 hp and a certificate from the Californian authority BAR under the hood. The engine is mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, also from General Motors.
The chassis got shock absorbers from Old Man Emu and a striking yellow steering damper. According to Bonhams Toyo Open Country, the chrome rims are sized 31x10.50 R 15 LT.
Porsche seats, air conditioning, autograph
The standard seats, upholstered in gray synthetic leather, have been replaced with Porsche chairs. The original seats are included. The FJ40 has air conditioning and power steering, which Toyota offered as an option from the 1979 model year. Tom Hanks also signed the glove box lid.
Toyota built the FJ40 from 1960 to 1984. The F-models had a straight-six petrol engine. The BJ models with three-liter four-cylinder diesel engines appeared in 1974. From 1980 there were also four-liter straight-six diesels. Over time, the models were offered with four different wheelbases: short (2,285 mm), medium (2,430 mm), long (2,650 mm) and extra-long (2,950 mm). There were versions with a hard top, soft top and pickups. Until 2001, the J4 "Bandeirante" was manufactured by Toyota do Brasil in Sao Bernardo do Campo.
Conclusion
Tom Hanks had his modified Land Cruiser autographed by him auctioned off. The auction house does not give a reason for the sale. But the prominent previous owner certainly pushed the price up.
