FJ40 rebuild ???'s

Hey guys,

I need your opinions and a little shot of reality. I have recently discovered that my wife's step-father has an FJ40 (not sure of the year) that's just been sitting in the yard for the last 15+ years. At this point all I know is that it is in really bad shape and the engine has a thrown rod.

Its been in the California desert this whole time (I'm in Maryland) so I'm hoping that the frame at least hasn't rotted through. Heck for all I know, some 15ft rattle snake probably calls it "Home". Assuming a worst case scenario of starting with a bare frame, what would it take to get this road worthy and turning 33" tires for some light off-road use? 10K, 20K, more :-(??? I'm not much of a mechanic myself and would have to hire out a lot of the work.

Can any of you guys in the VA club recommend parts sources and/or garages in the MD, VA area.

Any info would be greatly appreciated,

Thanks

Ed

1998 Toy Tacoma Xcab 4x4