New to the FJ60 world, come share my pain

[NLXTACY]

Well I figured I would tell a funny story about my adventures picking up this vehicle and maybe someone can laugh at my pain. BTW I am normally in the 80 section but we needed a second vehicle so I picked up this gem:

http://forum.ih8mud.com/vehicles-tra...00-00-obo.html

Left Thursday morning from LAX to Sacramento to pick up the truck from Zach (Flight: $140; Running total: $140). His 18 year old sister and her BF pick me up. We almost run over a pedestrian. Sister starts the conversation with, "BTW, Zach said you need to buy a new battery because he couldn't get one". So we stop off at Autozone (Battery: $75.00; Running total: $215).

It takes us 2 hours and 15 minutes to get where the truck is first because I didn't think anyplace had worse traffic than LA, I was wrong. Then where we are going is waaaaay out in BFE. I was waiting for the banjo to start playing. I was starting to feel like I was in a horror movie. You know the one where the star crossed lovers pick up a poor sap trying to buy a truck and they take him out in the middle of no-where and precede to torture and ultimately dismember said poor sap.

So we get there, I still have my arms and legs. We are meeting his mom at her work. So I check out the truck, looks the same as the pics. I check out everything. Checked the fluids, added one gallon of water to the radiator. Checked p/s fluid, whoops! No p/s belt. Ooookaay.

I handed his mom the cash, she fills out all the paperwork. All is well the truck starts fine. It feels JUST like my old FJ40. Nite and day between the LX450 and this. But I like it. They hook me up with a bucket of ice and cold water. Cuz the A/C no workie.

I look down, hmmm, fuel tank is empty. I guess I'm going to the gas station. (Gas: $78.00; Running total: $293)

So I start on the road...windows rolled down. Figured I would start taking notes on little things that I know I will need to fix/change as I notice them. Visor, fix. Seat, replace. Headliner, clean. Ashtray, dump out the packed tight stash of cigarette butts. Ugh.

I've taken enough notes for now. Time for some tunes. Hmm, the radio isn't in its cubby. Must be in the glove compartment. Nope. Maybe in the center console. Nope. Time to pull over and check the back. I pull over and check the back. Awesome...I see the 6x9 holes, but no 6x9 speakers. Hmm, I see wiring for bass tube but no bass tube. Hmm, I see wiring for amp, but no amp. Then I look closer at the radio. The wires have been cut. All of them.

I drive back to Zach's mom's work and ask if MAYBE the radio equipment has been removed and gingerly packed for me just in case someone were to steal it all. Nope, turns out from the time it was at his mom's house to the time I picked it up (less than 24 hours), some knuckle dragger decided he wanted the stereo stuff more than I did. (I'm not going to add the cost of the stereo yet because I have no idea what its going to cost me to replace). At this point I am thinking about walking away from the deal. But I decided you know what, Zach will make good on it and we'll just work it out somehow. Besides, his mom gave all the cash to his sister and she took off with her BF. My cash is long gone by now.

Oh well, on the road again.

So I start driving. I am now at mile 111 WITHOUT a radio!!! and I'm falling asleep. Ok time for food. I stop off in Merced (armpit of California) at the Carl's Jr. on V Street. Judging by the copious amounts of tweakers I'm going to guess that "V" stands for "Venereal".

Food in stomach and I'm feeling awake again. Start truck, back up, break for tweaker, put in into first. Hmm, that's strange, the shifter won't go into 1st. Maybe 2nd? Nope. Reverse? Yup. I can drive home in reverse for the next, oh I don't know, 309 FUTHER MUCKING MILES!!!!

I try everything. Finally I turn off the truck and jam the gear into first. I push in the clutch and as I start it, the truck's starter is lurching the truck forward. Clutch is totally toast. I start pushing the truck AFTER I manage to get the thing out of gear, which took a good 20 mins. Which turns out to be pretty nerve racking when you are stuck in the middle of the intersection where the off ramp to the 99 freeway is. Two guys take pity of me and help push me to the Jack in the Box.

From here I call my wife, Zach, Zach's mom and of course...good ole AAA.









Then my cell phone battery dies. Dead. Nothing.

So AT LEAST everyone knows I'm stuck and roughly where I am. By the time AAA gets there with a flatbed its now 8:45PM. I had been waiting for him for over 2.5 hours! During this time I went walking for a few blocks to learn that the wonderful city of Merced has done me the favor of ridding itself of payphones. Awesome.

Drop off truck at the Toyota Stealership. I ask the tow truck driver where the nearest train station is. "Oh its about 3 miles South on 16". Ok, so I ask to see if MAYBE he would be driving that way and can take pity. Nope, no such luck. So I hoof it. AT night. In Merced. The tweaker capitol of California. I make it to the train station. Next train is at midnight. Screw that noise. I walk to Greyhound, the doors are locked. I'm screwed. I look out back and I see people so I go back there. I talk to the bus driver in my lousy attempt at sounding like I know Spanish. Sure he can take me, that'll be $40. (Bus: $40.00; Running total: $333).

I think I should have asked if there was going to be 6 stops with half an hour wait time at each stop. Man I'm dumb. I'll spare you the insights I gained while driving in a Greyhound bus. Needless to say we arrive in Downtown Los Angeles at 4:30. I walk outside and grab a taxi. I get home at 5:05AM. (Taxi: $80.00; Running total: $413). Shower and I cry myself to sleep by 6:00AM. Only to wake up at 7AM because I have to help the MRS. prepare the food for the 4th party we are going to.

So. I am out $1300 for the truck. I am out the truck. I am out $413. I will have to pay at least $300 for a piece of junk radio, amp, speakers to replace the probably $5-600 system he had in there. And I will be out the $800 the stealership will want to do the clutch job.

Needless to say I am pissed, I am angry. But I'm not pissed at Zach, just pissed at the lousy situation I am in right now. Sooo, I guess now I am hoping for suggestions. Somehow I need to get that truck here to LA, with or without a working clutch.

[Butt Ugly Chuck]

Damn! You might have to add another line to your sig!

Here's hoping the rest of the relationship you have with this truck goes much smoother!

Butt

[brian]

i doubt the clutch is toast. iut sounds like either teh clutch master or slave cylinder went. in which case you could still drive it back.
teh clutch pedal just makes shifting easier, but is not required to drive it. or just fix it there, it's a 15 minute job if it's the slave, maybe an hour if it's master.

[3_puppies]

I've had problems before, but never all at once!

Might only be an adjustment on the clutch, or low fluid??

[Joe_E]

Bummer.
Hope you had a good time at the party.

[D'Animal]

I'm laughin so hard while reading this I have tears in my eyes. It sounds like one of my adventures.


You could contact Valley hybrids in Stockton. Georg (OrangeFJ45) could pick it up, fix everything that needs repaired and get it ready for you to drive it home.

He will be way cheaper than the Toyota Deaelrship and do a Top Knotch Job.

[Heartworm]

You have my fullest sympathy. Buying a FJ60 sight unseen many miles from home in California is one of the most stressful things that one can willingly inflict upon oneself. In regard to the radio, at least you will be able to get the system that you want. Its only money....

[Pighead]

Hehehe....us rubes up in the cowtown just love to mess with you cityslickers!
(Hey Ma! there's another one of those LA boys wants to see how far he can get in that ol' 60!)
Learn to drive without a clutch.
Maybe have one of us friendly locals check it out for you before you come all that way. Next time.

[mainlander]

That really sucks!

If the stereo was all part of the sale than you need to be compensated for that! The owner should give you some cash back as it was technically in his (or a representative of his) possession when it was stollen. Of course you guys will have to agree on what the value of the stereo was.

Good luck with the rest of the journey (this is about the journey isn't it?)

[hank14]

What's a tweaker?

And I second the recommendation "You could contact Valley hybrids in Stockton. Georg (OrangeFJ45) could pick it up, fix everything that needs repaired and get it ready for you to drive it home.

He will be way cheaper than the Toyota Deaelrship and do a Top Knotch Job."

Hope you get it home in drivable condition soon.

[Dynosoar]

Don't let this sour you on your "new" 60. It is just all part of the initiation. You really did not expect for this to go smoothly did you? I am a huge 60fan and a good wrench and I don't think I would of attempted to drive a 250k mile truck that cost $1,200 from No. Cal to So. Cal. If you need help with the 60 when you get her home to Woodland Hills let me know I am just over the pass in Simi.

Dynosoar

[krookedpandas]

You should be able to rev up the engine and force it into gear, its a bumpy ride but it gets the job done. As for repairs, I second the master/slave cylinder. Don't let the toyota dealer do anything, get yourself up there, fill the master cylinder if empty then pump the clutch up. If your fluid all goes south, its one of the two.

[NLXTACY]

Originally Posted by Butt Ugly Chuck

Damn! You might have to add another line to your sig! Butt

Not sure I would rank it as a "worst" day. It was messed up but it was just irritating. Things could have been waaay worse.

Originally Posted by brian

i doubt the clutch is toast. iut sounds like either teh clutch master or slave cylinder went. in which case you could still drive it back.
teh clutch pedal just makes shifting easier, but is not required to drive it. or just fix it there, it's a 15 minute job if it's the slave, maybe an hour if it's master.

From what I can tell both the slave and master are both fine and there is plenty of fluid BUT I didn't have another person around so I really can't be 100% positive. I did know before buying it that the throw out bearing was making noise. When I finally test drove it myself it didn't sound as bad as I thought it was going to be. In fact any throw out bearing issues didn't translate itself through the stick. In other words I couldn't feel a wobbly bearing through the stick shift. What sucks is I could replace all of this myself but I couldn't take a bag of tools on the plane so I had nothing in the truck.

Originally Posted by Joe_E

Bummer.
Hope you had a good time at the party.

You know what, the party made up for it. I got to see things and do things that are just not permitted to discuss on this forum. All I have to say is man do I LOOOOOOOOOVE my wife

Originally Posted by hank14

What's a tweaker?

And I second the recommendation "You could contact Valley hybrids in Stockton. Georg (OrangeFJ45) could pick it up, fix everything that needs repaired and get it ready for you to drive it home.

He will be way cheaper than the Toyota Deaelrship and do a Top Knotch Job."

Hope you get it home in drivable condition soon.

Tweaker: Urban Dictionary: tweaker #2 & 3 are the most accurate

[NLXTACY]

Originally Posted by Dynosoar

Don't let this sour you on your "new" 60. It is just all part of the initiation. You really did not expect for this to go smoothly did you? I am a huge 60fan and a good wrench and I don't think I would of attempted to drive a 250k mile truck that cost $1,200 from No. Cal to So. Cal. If you need help with the 60 when you get her home to Woodland Hills let me know I am just over the pass in Simi.

Dynosoar

No, I expected an adventure. Ok not quite THIS much of one but a bunch of small issues and I would have just laughed it off. A bunch of major issues and well....

BTW thanx for the offer. I knew my 40 inside and out and I know my 80 pretty damn well but the 60 is a new beast. So I could use all the help I can get

Originally Posted by krookedpandas

You should be able to rev up the engine and force it into gear, its a bumpy ride but it gets the job done. As for repairs, I second the master/slave cylinder. Don't let the toyota dealer do anything, get yourself up there, fill the master cylinder if empty then pump the clutch up. If your fluid all goes south, its one of the two.

This would be a negative. At the point I left the truck you could no longer get the truck into gear, at all, any gear. And the retched smell of burning clutch was really overpowering. Something locked up. Even though its technically in neutral, the tow operator and I could not push it. But the winch could get it to roll when it was getting onto the flatbed.

[krookedpandas]

Originally Posted by NLXTACY

No, I expected an adventure. Ok not quite THIS much of one but a bunch of small issues and I would have just laughed it off. A bunch of major issues and well....

BTW thanx for the offer. I knew my 40 inside and out and I know my 80 pretty damn well but the 60 is a new beast. So I could use all the help I can get



This would be a negative. At the point I left the truck you could no longer get the truck into gear, at all, any gear. And the retched smell of burning clutch was really overpowering. Something locked up. Even though its technically in neutral, the tow operator and I could not push it. But the winch could get it to roll when it was getting onto the flatbed.

Ah, well I got nothing then

[89s rule]

Sorry to hear that. Man I would check with george as stated above b/f I left it with an unknown dealership! Keep us posted on what happens and post some pics. $1300 truck and flying to drive it home. Man you sound like me on some of my purchases.

[NLXTACY]

Originally Posted by Pighead

Maybe have one of us friendly locals check it out for you before you come all that way. Next time.

I actually did, two locals. In fact one of the locals was the previous owner of the truck.

[Texx]

You bought a thirteen hundred dollar FJ60. That's 25 years old. And planned to drive it home. Obviously, adventure is in your blood! Trans is probably a slave cyliinder, a/c, you're fucked, ps, ditto. Like I always say, I'd rather pay more money for a better truck! Anyway, winter's coming, and I'm sure you have nothing to do.

[pint]

Good luck with the rig. Sorry to hear about the shitty start to your new "relationship."

[NLXTACY]

Originally Posted by Texx

You bought a thirteen hundred dollar FJ60. That's 25 years old. And planned to drive it home. Obviously, adventure is in your blood! Trans is probably a slave cyliinder, a/c, you're ****ed, ps, ditto. Like I always say, I'd rather pay more money for a better truck! Anyway, winter's coming, and I'm sure you have nothing to do.

Oh I was expecting an adventure. I just didnt think I need to turn tricks to buy my way out of Merced

A/C is new, compressor anyway. Problem is the person who did the hoses used a hose clamps on the high side. Yeah...thats not going to leak. P/S pump is brand new but turns out belt was missing because smog pump pulley came off.

I've purchased better trucks for more money. They are ALL money pits. So you choose your battles.

[NLXTACY]

Just got off the phone with Georg. It was hard to figure out who it was at first through all the laughing. Looks like my situation may be working out. Georg is an awesome guy indeed!!!! I shall update as they come in.

[smkymntn]

One thing I learned with my 60 - things are not always as they seem. I love the truck, just not PO's. They did not love the truck