Finally, your G40 has arrived.
Because your vehicle is entirely custom made, there is no specific owner’s manual for it. Therefore, this article is intended to give you some basic tips for the operation of your vehicle.
Please note that the owner’s manual of an original Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40/43/45 does not apply to any of the major functions of your G40 by The FJ Company.
The adventure begins.
First, a reminder about safety: Your vehicle has a modern engine and other modern mechanical components, but it DOES NOT have the safety features of a modern vehicle. Remind yourself and others driving the vehicle that there are no airbags, no early crash warning systems, no autonomous driving features, etc. That may sound obvious to some of you reading this, but it’s important to note! On a G40, drivers may quickly forget that they are operating a classic car that happens to feel and perform very much like a modern vehicle. Drive carefully, watch your speed, and have fun!
Delivery
As soon as your G40 arrives, look for a black leather pouch inside the cabin. That pouch will contain an extra set of keys for your vehicle and owner’s manuals for accessories such as your radio, winch, etc. Store the extra set of keys in a safe place. As with any vehicle, getting replacements will not be easy.
Please check for a jack behind the driver’s seat and a tool kit attached to the right or left rear wheel well inside the vehicle.
Registration
In parallel with the delivery of your vehicle, you will receive a FEDEX from us with the documentation to register the vehicle in your home State. We will send you a Bill of Sale and the vehicle’s Title signed over to you from Classic Motors, LLC. Both of those documents will be required by your local DMV to issue the Title in your name.
Some State DMV offices require a VIN verification to ensure that it matches the Bill of Sale and Title of the vehicle. You will find the VIN for your vehicle on the location shown above.
Your vehicle will be registered as a Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 (or FJ43, FJ45 as the case may be). The year of registration will depend on the original year of the chassis, most likely 1970’s to 1983.
Getting started
Before you start the car, please get comfortable with its major functions:
1. Door sensor
2. Headlights
3. Instrument cluster
4. High beam lights indicator
5. Rear view mirror + Rear view camera display
6. Stereo System (in some versions, the stereo receiver will be inside the glove box)
7. Differential lockers (optional)
8. A/C control panel
9. A/C Vents
10. Wipers
11. Front fog lights
12. Hazard lights
13. Rear fog lights
14. Interior lights
15. GPS Antenna (optional)
16. Speakers
17. Glove box
Ready? If you haven’t driven manual in a while (don’t be ashamed, that is the case with many of our customers!) please remember these quick tips:
- Make sure the parking brake is engaged
- Put the main shifter in Neutral
- Engage the clutch (for additional safety)
- Turn the ignition
Now release the parking brake, kick it into first gear, and go have some fun!
Entertainment
Sound System
Your vehicle is equipped with a premium sound system. We’ve designed the system so that it’s mostly controlled from your smartphone via a Bluetooth connection.
A. Vehicles equipped with the Alpine iLX-107. If your vehicle is equipped with the Alpine iLX-107, it will have a screen on the center console. To connect via Bluetooth, you will need to engage, disengage, and engage the parking brake. This is a safety feature intended to prevent kids and others from changing its settings. Once you’ve done that, tap the “Settings” button on the interface and the rest should be self explanatory.
B. Vehicles equipped with a Pioneer receiver. If your vehicle is equipped with the Pioneer receiver, it will be found inside the glove box. There should be a plastic lid covering the interface. We recommend keeping it on to protect the interface from other objects inside the glove box. Make sure the radio is ON and hit the SRC (Source) button until you reach BT (Bluetooth).
Turn ON the Bluetooth feature on your smart-phone, look for either an Alpine iLX-107 or MVH-MS512BS prompt. Click connect for either option and follow the prompts.
USB + 12v Connectors + Seat Heaters (Optional)
Your vehicle is equipped with USB and 12v connectors in the front and back of the center console as shown below. If your vehicle is equipped with seat heaters, you’ll find the buttons for them in the front of the console as well.
Wireless Charger (Optional)
If your vehicle is equipped with a wireless charging system for your smartphone, place the phone with the screen facing up on the small tray in front of the main shifter. A green light on the tray will indicate that your phone is charging.
Temperature Control
The A/C + Heater controls are located on the center console. Turn the first knob clock-wise to turn the system ON and to control the speed of air. Turn the middle knob clock-wise to control where air flows (cabin, feet, defogger). Turn the right knob to control temperature. You can also use the vents on the dash for additional air flow control.
We always recommend turning the car ON with the A/C in the OFF position.
Extreme weather: Let’s be clear! You’re inside a classic car. It does not have the insulation that modern vehicles have. This means that air leaks from the outside in and from the inside out. Therefore, although we’ve equipped your vehicle with the best A/C + Heater unit in the market, it will not perform like the A/C or heater in a brand new Mercedes during extreme weather conditions. Before you go out into a snowstorm in Aspen or into the scorching heat in Dallas, understand the limitations of your vehicle when it comes to temperature control.
Old School Mode (Traction / Stability Control)
Your vehicle is equipped with electronic traction control, stability control, and an Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS). These features are intended for performance enhancement and NOT as safety features.
Traction control will prevent your tires from spinning during acceleration (forward motion) and stability control will attempt to prevent your vehicle from skidding sideways (lateral motion) during a turn. ABS will prevent your tires from “locking up” in aggressive braking situations.
- To turn traction control OFF, click the Old School button once. You’ll see a TRC OFF light on the cluster. This may be useful in off-roading conditions when you need to rock the vehicle out of an obstacle.
- To turn stability control OFF, hold the Old School button for 5 seconds. You’ll see a TRC OFF light and a Skid light / symbol on the cluster. Not sure why you would turn off stability control, but hey, it could be fun.
- ABS cannot be turned off with the Old School button.
ABS, Traction Control (TRC), and the Skid light on the cluster may come on from time to time when those systems are activated while driving. However, they should not stay on for prolonged periods. If they do, please give us a call.
Hill Assist
Your G40 is equipped with a feature called Hill Assist, intended to ease the process of getting started when the vehicle is on an incline. Your vehicle will automatically engage the brakes momentarily while you release the brake pedal and accelerate, preventing you from rolling back (or from rolling forward if you’re reversing on an incline). This is a really cool feature that those less comfortable with manual vehicles will greatly appreciate.
Activating 4×4
Your G40 is equipped with automatic locking hubs. This means you can engage 4×4 directly from the cabin, without having to manually “lock” the hubs as you would in an original FJ40. Simply put the main shifter in Neutral, and use the smaller shifter on the right as described in the shifter guide. You will see a 4×4 light on the cluster once it’s activated.
In snow or mud, we recommend keeping the vehicle in 4×4.
Differential Lockers (Optional)
If your vehicle is equipped with front and rear differential lockers, there will be a knob in the center console.
Push it down and turn it clockwise to the first position to activate the rear locker.
Turn and push it clockwise to the second position to activate the rear and the front lockers.
Lockers are an incredibly powerful tool when dealing with obstacles. However, they need to be used with care. Only use them at very slow speeds (5 mph) and only in serious off-roading conditions. The vehicle will be difficult to turn. While using the front locker, it’s best to keep the steering wheel straight with minor corrections to the direction of travel.
There are plenty of YouTube videos and articles on the Internet that explain how to use lockers. We recommend doing some research and testing them on easy terrain before using them on the more difficult obstacles.
Battery location
The battery on your G40 is located in a compartment underneath the floorboard behind the driver and passenger seats. If you need to jump start the vehicle or connect a trickle charger, use the auxiliary connectors inside the engine compartment. Open the hood, and look to the right of your radiator. We always recommend trickle charging your vehicle if you plan to store it for extended periods.
Tires
We recommend a tire pressure of 30 psi on all four tires for general driving conditions (around town, highway, occasional off-road). You can air down to 15 to 20 psi if you’re planning on off-roading for a prolonged period.
We also recommend switching to snow tires during the winter season. Preferably get a set with studs. If your vehicle is equipped with Mud Terrain tires, DO NOT use them in snowy conditions. You might as well head on over to the skating rink.
Gas
Use 91 octane or better.
If your vehicle is equipped with a supercharger (G40-S) we recommend always using 93 octane to achieve the best performance. In the absence of 93 octane gas, use an octane booster additive. You can get those at most gas stations.
Storage
Please store your G40 in a garage or shed. It’s the easiest way to preserve your vehicle. Alternatively, you can buy one of these fancy covers which are custom made for our vehicles. We also recommend trickle charging the battery (remember the auxiliary terminals are inside the engine compartment).
Opening the Hood
Just in case:
- On each side of the hood, towards the front of the vehicle, you will see a hook. Push it down and out towards your body to release the hood.
- Once both hooks are released, stand in front of the vehicle and insert your hand in the gap between the hood and the front bib, towards the right side. You will find a safety clip. Push it and the hood will be released.
Make sure to operate the vehicle with both side hooks engaged.
Head Turner
Your vehicle is equipped with an automatic head-turning feature. Sorry, this feature cannot be turned OFF.