- Location
- United States
EDIT - NOT SOLD, BUT THANKFULLY NO LONGER FOR SALE (WHICH IS MUCH BETTER)!
I never thought I would even consider selling my beloved 1988 FJ62 – the Grey Ghost – but sometimes circumstances change, life gets in the way, and we have to be more rational than emotional. For a variety of reasons, I’m offering up my very nicely and lovingly built FJ62 to Mud members only - no Craigslist, no eBay, just Mud – for$22,500.
I am technically the third owner but practically the second. I bought it 11 years ago in San Diego from the second owner, a guy in his early 20s who had bought it off the original owner but couldn’t afford to own and maintain it. He had only had it about a year. It was always a San Diego truck; I was in the Navy and a legal Florida resident, so I titled and registered it in Florida which is how it is today. From San Diego I took it to Kansas for a year, then stored it in southeast Georgia while I went back overseas. After that, it went to Virginia with me for two years before going back to southeast Georgia (to my family’s shop) to wait out another overseas tour; upon my return last summer it went through open-heart surgery and a number of upgrades before coming back to Virginia with me. Having rolled off the assembly line in December 1987, this truck turns 30 in three months. It has about 265K miles on the chassis; I've put about 10K on since the swap.
The truck was pretty much completely stock until we installed a 5.3L Vortec V8 last year. The original 3FE was still going strong, but the A440F transmission was failing. Rather than put a few grand into fixing the transmission, we decided to go full-bore and put in a Chevy drivetrain (a Vortec and 4L60E transmission from a 2006 Chevy Tahoe with 106,000 miles). However, what was originally budgeted for about $10K turned into $17,000 in parts and upgrades alone (not including any labor) over the following 15 months. Following the lead and guidance of some of the more experienced LC builders on here we spared no expense on the upgrade, using all -6AN fittings, braided PTFE hoses, Derale dual electric fans, Howell harness/ECU, Lokar shifter, and so much more “while we were in there.” Then we went ahead with an OME suspension, new wheels and tires (33” BFG AT KO2s), tie rod ends, and sway bar extensions along with new discs up front and a rebuild of the rear drums.
Over the year following last summer’s swap, I replaced the a/c compressor and dryer, installed a Wired Wagon headlight harness and Hella H4/H1 conversion kits, a rear USB panel in the cargo area, and built a sweet cargo box with a fridge slide and integrated camp kitchen. The interior got BMW 325 seats, a Tuffy deluxe console, Kenwood double-DIN unit with Kicker speakers and Rockford Fosgate amp, and full Dynamat on the entire floor and front doors. We also installed 3-point seat belts in the back from Seat Belt Planet, though the rear D/S belt gives me fits.
The truck runs and drives like a dream. We take it on the road just about every other weekend to go camping, usually 2-3 hours away. With a kayak and a paddleboard strapped to the roof, I get about 13 MPG on the highway at 70MPH. Mechanically there are no issues with the drivetrain in 2WD. However, I haven’t been able to get it into either 4H or 4L since just after the swap. I think that the custom exhaust was installed too close to the wires that engage the 4H; soon after the swap I was sitting at a stop light and saw the 4H light come on and it went out a few miles later. Mechanically, I can’t get the 4WD shifter from 2H into 4L, either. I don’t suspect this would be a difficult fix for someone with the time to look into it. The transfer case was rebuilt during the swap with the Advance Adapters kit, and we did verify the 4WD was working while on the lift.
Body-wise, it is clear from the pics that this truck needs paint. Yes, the patina gives it some character, but what it really needs is to be stripped and sanded, as there are a few small rust holes – almost exclusively along the rain gutters – that need to be sanded and filled. I wanted to go get it repainted already, but I’m glad I didn’t, as the next owner should be able to paint it as they like it. The body has a few very small dents, dings, and chips consistent with a 30-year-old truck, but nothing I would be concerned about at all. You’ll see some surface rust underneath as well, but that’s all it is: surface rust. The engine bay and frame area was fully cleaned and coated with POR-15 during the swap.
The interior is in great condition, particularly after the installation of the BMW seats and Tuffy console. However, the dash is cracked in 3 or 4 places. Doesn’t bother me but I could see it bothering someone else. New dash pads can be found online for about $400 or so. The door panels are in great condition, the carpet is old and worn but fine for me, and the rear seat is pretty darn good for being 30. The stereo sounds great (but needs a better ear to adjust it). It has a few electrical gremlins consistent with a 30yo truck, including the slow power windows and intermittent power door locks (the rear p/s lock works most but not all of the time; common complaint with FJ62s).
I built this with a different use in mind; I didn’t expect it to remain my DD for so long, and I was planning more weekends exploring fire roads and off-road trails to get to some backcountry camping. As it turns out, it’s been more like highway miles to state and national park campgrounds, which it has excelled at. However, I roll with my family on board, and I have to admit I would like to move to a vehicle with more comfort and safety. I’m currently looking at both 100 series Cruisers (including the LX470) and GX470s and would be willing to consider a partial trade for the right truck (and by partial trade I mean your truck plus cash for mine!). My build thread can be found in my signature block, and I have nearly 200 pictures published here: Dropbox - 1988 FJ62
I would be happy to arrange for you or a friend to view/inspect/drive the truck, and as the son and grandson of mechanics I would always recommend that someone check it out in person before committing this kind of money. I’ll help facilitate that in any way I can.
Here is a rundown of most (not all) of the upgrades/mods from the past year:
Drivetrain/Swap
- L59 5.3L Vortec and mated 4L60E transmission from 2006 Chevy Tahoe w/106K miles
- Advance Adapters (A/A) 4L60E to Toyota 19-spline T-case adapter
- A/A motor mounts
- GM Hot Rod oil pan (added after the swap)
- Howell wiring harness and ECU
- AC Delco fuel pump (modified to use with OEM fuel tank)
- Wix fuel filter/regulator
- Derale Dual Electric Fans (16831)
- New CSF2708 radiator
- New OEM condenser
- Derale Transmission cooler (13504)
- Derale Power Steering Cooler (13309)
- Stealth Conversions/JTR sight glass w/bleeder and steam vent
- Hooker 8501 manifolds
- Walker Quietflow S/S muffler
- Custom 2 into 1 exhaust
- Lokar 12” floor mounted shifter w/LED boot indicator
- Dakota Digital Tach interface
- -6AN hose fittings all around, with PTFE braided hose. NO rubber hose/clamps used. (See build thread)
Suspension/Steering
- OME Ultimate suspension kit (light front/med rear)
- BFG A/T KO2 tires (33x12.5) x5
- Level 8 Tracker wheels x5
- Tie Rod end kit from Cruiser Outfitters
- Terrain Tamer knuckle rebuild – driver’s side
- Man-a-Fre sway bar extension kit – front/rear
Brakes
- Beck/Arnley front rotors/pads
- Wagner shoes/rebuild kits (rear)
- It needs a new master cylinder; I will try to install that this week
Air Conditioning
- New AC Delco compressor
- New Denso dryer
- Custom GM-to-Toyota hoses
- New belt/o-rings/gaskets
Electrical
- Optima Yellow-top battery
- Wired Wagon headlight upgrade harness (awesome upgrade)
- Hella H4 and H1 conversion kits/bulbs (I have a full working set of Wagner sealed beam lights that work with the harness if you are worried about state inspections)
- Hella Supertone horns and new horn pin
- Blue Sea Dual USB charger in dash
- Cllena Dual USB and Socket charger in rear cargo area
- ScanGauge II
- ARB DC wiring kit for ARB fridge (hard-wired from battery to cargo area)
Interior
- BMW power seats from 2005 325i
- Torfab BMW seat brackets
- Tuffy Deluxe Stereo locking security console 8”
- New Kenwood Double DIN receiver w/Bluetooth, microphone, etc
- New Kicker coax speakers in doors and rear panels
- New Rockford Fosgate 4-channel amp
- New Kenwood powered sub
- Boss audio kit
- Dynamat sound deadening on entire floor and inside front doors
- LED dome and cargo lights from Odd Iron Offroad (cabin dome light doesn’t get power, though)
- Rear lap/shoulder seat belts from Seat Belt Planet (d/s belt works intermittently)
- (I took out the rear air when I installed the Tuffy console, but I still have it – it worked – as well as the original console)
Other
- Rear cargo box (build thread here: FJ62 DIY Cargo Box)
- Trail Tailor replacement door seals (front)
- Yakima 1A towers and 58” crossbars (towers and bars included, kayak and SUP mounts are NOT)
- New Wells door lock cylinders in front doors
- New gas struts for rear liftgate glass
I have a spreadsheet with all of the upgrades in detail, including vendor and price, available upon request. If you are interested, please PM me to discuss details but if you have a question or comment useful to the public please post up in this thread. In the meantime, I’ve posted a few pics of the truck at home and in the wild and will follow with a few posts of pics of the engine, interior, and undercarriage. Oh, and the ARB fridge is NOT included... Thanks for looking!
I never thought I would even consider selling my beloved 1988 FJ62 – the Grey Ghost – but sometimes circumstances change, life gets in the way, and we have to be more rational than emotional. For a variety of reasons, I’m offering up my very nicely and lovingly built FJ62 to Mud members only - no Craigslist, no eBay, just Mud – for
I am technically the third owner but practically the second. I bought it 11 years ago in San Diego from the second owner, a guy in his early 20s who had bought it off the original owner but couldn’t afford to own and maintain it. He had only had it about a year. It was always a San Diego truck; I was in the Navy and a legal Florida resident, so I titled and registered it in Florida which is how it is today. From San Diego I took it to Kansas for a year, then stored it in southeast Georgia while I went back overseas. After that, it went to Virginia with me for two years before going back to southeast Georgia (to my family’s shop) to wait out another overseas tour; upon my return last summer it went through open-heart surgery and a number of upgrades before coming back to Virginia with me. Having rolled off the assembly line in December 1987, this truck turns 30 in three months. It has about 265K miles on the chassis; I've put about 10K on since the swap.
The truck was pretty much completely stock until we installed a 5.3L Vortec V8 last year. The original 3FE was still going strong, but the A440F transmission was failing. Rather than put a few grand into fixing the transmission, we decided to go full-bore and put in a Chevy drivetrain (a Vortec and 4L60E transmission from a 2006 Chevy Tahoe with 106,000 miles). However, what was originally budgeted for about $10K turned into $17,000 in parts and upgrades alone (not including any labor) over the following 15 months. Following the lead and guidance of some of the more experienced LC builders on here we spared no expense on the upgrade, using all -6AN fittings, braided PTFE hoses, Derale dual electric fans, Howell harness/ECU, Lokar shifter, and so much more “while we were in there.” Then we went ahead with an OME suspension, new wheels and tires (33” BFG AT KO2s), tie rod ends, and sway bar extensions along with new discs up front and a rebuild of the rear drums.
Over the year following last summer’s swap, I replaced the a/c compressor and dryer, installed a Wired Wagon headlight harness and Hella H4/H1 conversion kits, a rear USB panel in the cargo area, and built a sweet cargo box with a fridge slide and integrated camp kitchen. The interior got BMW 325 seats, a Tuffy deluxe console, Kenwood double-DIN unit with Kicker speakers and Rockford Fosgate amp, and full Dynamat on the entire floor and front doors. We also installed 3-point seat belts in the back from Seat Belt Planet, though the rear D/S belt gives me fits.
The truck runs and drives like a dream. We take it on the road just about every other weekend to go camping, usually 2-3 hours away. With a kayak and a paddleboard strapped to the roof, I get about 13 MPG on the highway at 70MPH. Mechanically there are no issues with the drivetrain in 2WD. However, I haven’t been able to get it into either 4H or 4L since just after the swap. I think that the custom exhaust was installed too close to the wires that engage the 4H; soon after the swap I was sitting at a stop light and saw the 4H light come on and it went out a few miles later. Mechanically, I can’t get the 4WD shifter from 2H into 4L, either. I don’t suspect this would be a difficult fix for someone with the time to look into it. The transfer case was rebuilt during the swap with the Advance Adapters kit, and we did verify the 4WD was working while on the lift.
Body-wise, it is clear from the pics that this truck needs paint. Yes, the patina gives it some character, but what it really needs is to be stripped and sanded, as there are a few small rust holes – almost exclusively along the rain gutters – that need to be sanded and filled. I wanted to go get it repainted already, but I’m glad I didn’t, as the next owner should be able to paint it as they like it. The body has a few very small dents, dings, and chips consistent with a 30-year-old truck, but nothing I would be concerned about at all. You’ll see some surface rust underneath as well, but that’s all it is: surface rust. The engine bay and frame area was fully cleaned and coated with POR-15 during the swap.
The interior is in great condition, particularly after the installation of the BMW seats and Tuffy console. However, the dash is cracked in 3 or 4 places. Doesn’t bother me but I could see it bothering someone else. New dash pads can be found online for about $400 or so. The door panels are in great condition, the carpet is old and worn but fine for me, and the rear seat is pretty darn good for being 30. The stereo sounds great (but needs a better ear to adjust it). It has a few electrical gremlins consistent with a 30yo truck, including the slow power windows and intermittent power door locks (the rear p/s lock works most but not all of the time; common complaint with FJ62s).
I built this with a different use in mind; I didn’t expect it to remain my DD for so long, and I was planning more weekends exploring fire roads and off-road trails to get to some backcountry camping. As it turns out, it’s been more like highway miles to state and national park campgrounds, which it has excelled at. However, I roll with my family on board, and I have to admit I would like to move to a vehicle with more comfort and safety. I’m currently looking at both 100 series Cruisers (including the LX470) and GX470s and would be willing to consider a partial trade for the right truck (and by partial trade I mean your truck plus cash for mine!). My build thread can be found in my signature block, and I have nearly 200 pictures published here: Dropbox - 1988 FJ62
I would be happy to arrange for you or a friend to view/inspect/drive the truck, and as the son and grandson of mechanics I would always recommend that someone check it out in person before committing this kind of money. I’ll help facilitate that in any way I can.
Here is a rundown of most (not all) of the upgrades/mods from the past year:
Drivetrain/Swap
- L59 5.3L Vortec and mated 4L60E transmission from 2006 Chevy Tahoe w/106K miles
- Advance Adapters (A/A) 4L60E to Toyota 19-spline T-case adapter
- A/A motor mounts
- GM Hot Rod oil pan (added after the swap)
- Howell wiring harness and ECU
- AC Delco fuel pump (modified to use with OEM fuel tank)
- Wix fuel filter/regulator
- Derale Dual Electric Fans (16831)
- New CSF2708 radiator
- New OEM condenser
- Derale Transmission cooler (13504)
- Derale Power Steering Cooler (13309)
- Stealth Conversions/JTR sight glass w/bleeder and steam vent
- Hooker 8501 manifolds
- Walker Quietflow S/S muffler
- Custom 2 into 1 exhaust
- Lokar 12” floor mounted shifter w/LED boot indicator
- Dakota Digital Tach interface
- -6AN hose fittings all around, with PTFE braided hose. NO rubber hose/clamps used. (See build thread)
Suspension/Steering
- OME Ultimate suspension kit (light front/med rear)
- BFG A/T KO2 tires (33x12.5) x5
- Level 8 Tracker wheels x5
- Tie Rod end kit from Cruiser Outfitters
- Terrain Tamer knuckle rebuild – driver’s side
- Man-a-Fre sway bar extension kit – front/rear
Brakes
- Beck/Arnley front rotors/pads
- Wagner shoes/rebuild kits (rear)
- It needs a new master cylinder; I will try to install that this week
Air Conditioning
- New AC Delco compressor
- New Denso dryer
- Custom GM-to-Toyota hoses
- New belt/o-rings/gaskets
Electrical
- Optima Yellow-top battery
- Wired Wagon headlight upgrade harness (awesome upgrade)
- Hella H4 and H1 conversion kits/bulbs (I have a full working set of Wagner sealed beam lights that work with the harness if you are worried about state inspections)
- Hella Supertone horns and new horn pin
- Blue Sea Dual USB charger in dash
- Cllena Dual USB and Socket charger in rear cargo area
- ScanGauge II
- ARB DC wiring kit for ARB fridge (hard-wired from battery to cargo area)
Interior
- BMW power seats from 2005 325i
- Torfab BMW seat brackets
- Tuffy Deluxe Stereo locking security console 8”
- New Kenwood Double DIN receiver w/Bluetooth, microphone, etc
- New Kicker coax speakers in doors and rear panels
- New Rockford Fosgate 4-channel amp
- New Kenwood powered sub
- Boss audio kit
- Dynamat sound deadening on entire floor and inside front doors
- LED dome and cargo lights from Odd Iron Offroad (cabin dome light doesn’t get power, though)
- Rear lap/shoulder seat belts from Seat Belt Planet (d/s belt works intermittently)
- (I took out the rear air when I installed the Tuffy console, but I still have it – it worked – as well as the original console)
Other
- Rear cargo box (build thread here: FJ62 DIY Cargo Box)
- Trail Tailor replacement door seals (front)
- Yakima 1A towers and 58” crossbars (towers and bars included, kayak and SUP mounts are NOT)
- New Wells door lock cylinders in front doors
- New gas struts for rear liftgate glass
I have a spreadsheet with all of the upgrades in detail, including vendor and price, available upon request. If you are interested, please PM me to discuss details but if you have a question or comment useful to the public please post up in this thread. In the meantime, I’ve posted a few pics of the truck at home and in the wild and will follow with a few posts of pics of the engine, interior, and undercarriage. Oh, and the ARB fridge is NOT included... Thanks for looking!
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