[lucidlyseen]

Hey everybody, I have been lurking on this forum for quite some time and I am now finally close to buying my first cruiser (most likely a 90 fj-62 if all goes well).

I am buying it as my daily driver (my work commute is very short), a family rig (wife and two small kids, we do have another newer car as the family daily driver), stuff hauler, dependable winter car and the occasional road trip (camping, vacations etc).

Now I seem to be getting mixed messages on these forums about these rigs. I am looking at the fj-62 because I like the look of the classic lines, from what I have heard they are very dependable and will last forever, BUT what I also keep reading about is the big time and money commitment to keep these going. I understand that with any "older" car there are certain maintenance guidelines you need to follow to keep the car running well, but my intentions are for "softer" driving and not the serious off road adventures many of you are gearing your rigs up to accomplish. SO if they are so dependable then why do I keep reading about the money being dropped or the joking about "new cruiser owner, I hope you are current on your AAA membership" etc.

So, is a lot of what I am reading here mainly guys dropping tons of money on upgrades or do these cars really require an open credit line even just to drive them around town? Most upgrades I do will most likely be cosmetic as the toughest terrain I plan to conquer will be the winter roads and trips to the mountains for snowboarding etc...

Thanks for any input!

[NocalFJ60]

How many miles are on it? The transmission is what I would be most concerned about when buying a used FJ62. If the transmission goes you are looking at a big investment to keep it running.

[lucidlyseen]

Originally Posted by NocalFJ60

How many miles are on it? The transmission is what I would be most concerned about when buying a used FJ62. If the transmission goes you are looking at a big investment to keep it running.

119k on original engine, I am having it inspected by a shop before I buy to give me a good base line.

[NocalFJ60]

Originally Posted by lucidlyseen

119k on original engine, I am having it inspected by a shop before I buy to give me a good base line.

If the price is right, that is low miles and I would buy it.

[Dynosoar]

You are looking at catching up with YEARS of deferred maintenance in most cases. However, one you baseline the vehicle you should be able to have a reliable daily driver. The auto trans has a bad reputation, it is a very good transmission. Most people ignore them and as a result have had little to no service. If you need to replace or rebuild it you are looking at big$. Now a FJ62 with a 5 speed conversion would be a sweet daily driver, but again you are looking at big bucks to convert it to stick.

Dynosoar

[lucidlyseen]

ok, so far I am hearing the transmission is the biggie here, but the thing is I don't want to worry about throwing the whole family in and taking a 4 hour road trip, but braking down along the way. One of the reasons I am buying is what I have heard about the reliability...

[tonkota]

Dude, you need to go find Landpimp (http://forum.ih8mud.com/members/landpimp.html) (he also lives in Gig Harbor) and have him shop with you. First time I met him he pointed out stuff that was wrong on our 62 that I hadn't even thought of!

Transmissions are very stout (depending on PO maintenance) and can be trusted. Watch though for a clunk from Drive to reverse (or opposite). If it clunks too bad, you may need to click the McNamara gear install link in my signature.

[lucidlyseen]

Originally Posted by tonkota

Dude, you need to go find Landpimp (http://forum.ih8mud.com/members/landpimp.html) (he also lives in Gig Harbor) and have him shop with you. First time I met him he pointed out stuff that was wrong on our 62 that I hadn't even thought of!

ya I sent him a PM a few days ago but haven't heard back from him?

[Rigger]

I used to be worried about the automatic tranny. Then, I started this thread:

http://forum.ih8mud.com/60-series-wa...st-thread.html

Read it. It may ease your worried mind.

My experience with Land Cruisers is basically this: If you pay someone to work on your cars, have a fat wallet if you want to buy a Cruiser. If you are willing to get your fingernails dirty, they are fun trucks to own, and not too expensive.

They are bulletproof; very durable and very reliable. But, they need maintenance.

[Front Range 4x4]

I think what gets confusing and the mixed message hinges on the use and history. I bought my 62 with 187K on it and did have the transmission fail. The difference is that I ran mine hard off road and wasn't really sad to see the tranny seize which just gave me an excuse to put in a 5 speed. I'm pretty sure if it was used as you intend it would still be working fine.

The auto tranny is very strong and if the truck has been maintained it should be relatively trouble-free. 119K is very low miles, if it's been maintained and you can see records you'll probably be able to count on another 119K with the tranny.

I would speculate that 95% of my expenses are upgrade related, the other 5% would be front end work that wasn't done. I would say if it checks out good then go for it and expect to do a front end rebuild, replace all fluids, replace the brakes and enjoy a great family cruiser.

[lucidlyseen]

Rigger - thanks for the link, that is good to know. I will make sure the tranny is well checked prior to me buying.

Front Range 4x4 - that's good info and just what I was looking for.

The maintenance doesn't scare me, looking forward to learning as much as I can about doing things myself and really eventually knowing the car well. Being a slave to the maintenance is what I want to avoid.

[KayakPanic]

most people on here are maintence slaves...

most people on here also like to do their own work for a few reasons: it's cheaper, you know who to blame if something goes wrong, it is fun, you learn practical skills and can then help others, you don't have to worry about a shop 'upselling' on a few things, etc, etc, etc.

the reputation for Toyota's reliability is definately in the maintence of them, and how they're driven. they will go for ever if regularly maintained and driven correctly. PREVENTIVE maintence is also key to avoid a breakdown in the middle of now-here.

that being said, my "new" Toyota was "maintained" by the previous owner to the tune of $9500+ over the last 4 years...

and ran like shee-it and broke down shortly after I got it.

this was carb/fuel related. when I first cleaned the carb it looked as if the carb had never been cleaned in the last 4 years or more either. and anyway, it will give me the oppertunity to desmog.

good luck with you potential purchase...you are joining an elite club if you do buy the farm! some other things to look at/maintain would be the smog system, and the power steering pump!

[CaptHamster]

Don't worry about the transmission. My dad was the one owner of the truck until he gave it to me just recently. It has 141K miles and shifts beautifully smooth. No clunk, no nuthin'. Like everyone has said here, take good care of your vehicle, and it will take good care of you. As much as some people here hate to hear, you might want to take yours to a Toyota steal-, I mean, dealership, and have them check it out. That is one of the only shops my dad's rig has ever seen, and it's been running beautifully. They may charge you a pretty penny, but hopefully they get the job done. Then again, maybe I just got lucky and happen to visit a good dealership, but that's beside the point.

Another quick point I want to make is this: maintenance doesn't always mean taking things apart and spending a week putting it back together again. Maintenance can simply be checking fluids and doing little test runs on the weekends in different conditions. Don't listen to the horror stories, the tranny will last you another 100K miles, as long as you take good care of it and don't wheel it much. It's also worth mentioning the truck was my dad's Daily Driver for 18 years, with only about 2 trips to the desert and super-light wheeling (i.e. dirt roads and some hills.) Daily driving doesn't really do a whole lot to upset the transmission, really. Now letting it get hot while trying to push a 2 1/2 ton rig up a steep hill on a hot summer's day in Death Valley might make it a little unhappy. But that's something other owners can tell you about.

[2mbb]

I think the key to reliablity in a 20 year old vehicle is preventitive maintenance. This means replacing worn parts before they fail. This takes a certain amount of dedication and attention to detal. My recommendation would be to start with a solid used vehicle, then do a complete tune up and replace other wear parts (radiator & heater hoses, fan belts, etc.). I think it's also good to repair any leaks, at least the major ones. Then you drive the vehicle for a while and pay attention and learn how it sounds, feels, smells, etc. Vigilance is key, but after a while it will become second nature to check the oil level at every fill up, monitor the gauges under different driving conditions, and listening for sounds that are not normal. At this point you will be better prepared to discover problems starting to occur such that you can address them BEFORE your truck leaves you stranded. And then you continue to maintain your vehicle, following Toyota's recommended maintenance intervals, and/or recommendations that can be found on this site. I keep a maintenance log so I can remember when I did what last. On a "new to me" vehicle, I will often purchase two sets of key wear parts (fan belts, fuel filters, etc.). One set gets installed and the other gets stored in the vehicle as a road side spare. When the time comes to replace, I install the spare on the truck and replace the spare with new. Doing this is not free, but I think it is cheap insurance for peace of mind and to minimze being stranded away from home.

It is very helpful in detecting potential problems is you have an understanding how your vehicle works. Doing your own preventive maintenace will help you learn this, and also you will be more self-relient if you do have a road side failure.

I purchased my FJ60 used with 140K miles. I've owned it for 10 years and it now has 210K miles. I still take my truck on long trips (1000+ miles). this past spring was the first time I had to get a tow home--my aftermarket smog pump siezed. I was 10 miles from home and had my old pump that I had rebuilt waiting on a shelf in the garage.

[Randy88FJ62]

I have had my 88 FJ62 for over a year. It has 288,000 mi on it and no rust (gotta love the west coast.) I will give you a quick breakdown of maintenance I have done on it since then (not including off road upgrades or offroad related fixes.)

Bought truck for $3,000
Radiator Leak: new brass radiator $300
Hooked battery up backwards: New fusible link $10
New Belts $60
Fuel Pump failed (someone had installed a cheap one in there,) had to drain and drop gas tank to replace. Let’s guess $200
Electronic 4WD did not switch when I bought it: replaced with an $18 solenoid valve off a camry (see writeup in FAQ.)
Replaced Rear Carpet with cheap stuff from Home Depot $25
Starter Contacts Kit and Plunger $40
Oil Pan Gasket $18
Transmission Pan Gasket $10 (new trany fluid too)
Aftermarket Transmission Cooler and fittings $55
Front and Rear Differential Fill Plugs $10 (replaced diff fluids too)
Replaced Passenger Side Power Mirror $55
Let’s say all replacement fluids cost around $200
That’s a total of around $1,000 to date

My auto trany is clunking from park to drive but I picked up a spare from Ducattiman 6 months back for $170! That means gaskets and labor and I have a relatively new trany. So let’s estimate $500 for the whole installation and parts. That means my truck would cost me $4,500 with a new/used trany in it that can last for years. My conclusion is that the FJ62 is a dependable vehicle if maintained properly like 2mbb has stated above. Just be careful not to tell Prius owners what your gas mileage is because they might go riot in the streets. Ask them what the battery life of their vehicle is and tell them that the Ni was mined. Anyways, I digress.

This total does not include UPGRADES. That is the magic word. Lots of people pour money into these things because they love to offroad. If you are going to use it as a daily driver expect about $1,000 of maintinence your first year or two. Your water pump may go out or the thermostat may go bad. Little things are easy to repair IF you DO IT YOURSELF. If you don’t do your own work then this car is will be expensive. Join a local cruiser club even if the vehicle is stock. They can help you maintain your vehicle. They have all the special tools for axle rebuilding and what not. They break things on the trail and they’ve worked on these beasts for years.

Good luck, I hope this has helped.

[D'Animal]

If you are looking for a very very clean daily driven FJ62, send a PM to Tvaldriz here on MUD. Send him an e-mail as well.



I hate electronics so much I put a diesel in my rigs.

[lucidlyseen]

Thanks everybody for the reply's! That definitely gives me a better idea at what I am looking at and makes me feel better about my purchase. Hopefully I'll have pictures to post in a couple of weeks...

[Landpimp]

sorry I didnt reply to your PM......you had zero posts when you PM'd me and I get worried when I see a PM with no post count......figure someone is trying to set me up or something.....yeah I am a bit paranoid these days

But.....if you want I would be more than happy to check out the 62 if its not far from GH. We have a 90 as well, bought it from the orignal owner in town, with 230K on it.....it runs like a champ(even though it gave me some grief last year, it fixed itself. our 62 is the one champaine color one with ARB bar and 33x9.5's with just OME shocks, no lift.

Also had 88......it had 360K on it before it got hit in Tacoma, totaled but I bought it back for parts(its out on the KPN for storage) it still runs!

any used cruiser I buy with 100K+ on it, gets all new hoses right away, new plugs, cap, rotor, often wires

cruiser really dont require all that much....once you replace a part its good for another 200K.

Toyota parts.....if you buy and are in GH, you will get my discount at Titus Will for parts, its 20% off retail and I have one of the best parts guys around(besides Cdan) Titus is also very willing to work on older cruisers and do to the slow down....will work on them much cheaper than before. However my only Cruisers that have gotten serviced are my 92, 2000 and moms 97

actaully that little repair place out over the Purdy Bridge has a good rep with Land Cruisers. Other than that, its Titus or Billy Bobs or myself for any work

also wecome to come over and drive the 90, 86, 82, 2000, 66, 64 or whatever you want to try. I am right in town......

you can shoot me an email at jholmaas@hotmail.com

John

[Landpimp]

darn nice folks, they came over just a bit ago......got me talking cruisers

they took the 62 out for a spin and brought me cookies back

like I said.......just shout