Someone Talk Me Out of Getting An FJ60 (1 Viewer)

[Cruiserdrew]

@Robert Franzke

I basically agree with your assessment. Especially the way the interior smells. Sun bleached vinyl, long lost french fries, dust and gear oil. You will find your dog will love the car and rides will always be a treat.

It gets more road friendly with a 5 speed if you are inclined, both at the low end and at the high end. It won't make it faster uphill. I've taken mine over Tioga Pass several times, in literally 2nd and 3rd gear, pulling over into every pull out to let the line of impatient people on vacation go by.

My only caution is to accept it for what it is. If you try to pass, or rev the motor, it won't last and you'll be stressed and unhappy. Don't often go above 3000 rpm. I know the tach says redline is 4000, but that's very optimistic. For highway cruise 2500-2700 is about right. It was built to go about 55-60 on the highway. Keep that in mind.

With a decent suspension, it rides well and corners like an old pick up. Adding a rear sway bar off an FJ62 is a good idea and cleans up the body lean.

The fuel gauge is wonky. There is a voltage regulator in the fuel gauge the gets cranky and both the fuel gauge and temp gauge give unexpected readings at the same time. This is normal. Replace the fuel gauge if this happens to you.

Check the oil a lot. Like every fillup until you get a feel for it. Use a decent oil of the 15w-40 or 20W-50 variety. View one of the many oil threads for ideas.

Enjoy. I got my 60 originally as a lark and here 15 years later, I still have it.

 

[HemiAlex]

My 60 was completely stock for 278,000 miles of it's life.

I had the following issues-

Incomplete desmog with several things routed wrong.
Suspension was all original save for shocks. I had no bushings left anywhere on the truck. It didn't handle at all and had no spring rate left.
I had a cracked exhaust valve and a cracked intake manifold. Huge issues idling and a temperature dependent vacuum leak from the intake.


Once I refreshed the cylinder head, added a new trollhole carb and did a complete tune up with OEM equivalent parts as well as having added fresh OME suspension with the bilsteins....I now have a truck that that requires no thought to drive.

It starts like a new truck with a few pumps of the gas, pulls from 6500-3500 with pleasure and gets 10/14 miles to the gallon on 33" tires. I cruise at 2500 rpm for hours on end and its happy.

If you work back to getting it stock, you'll be pleased as to how well it can work. Don't get sucked up into the DUI distributor and Weber carb fad. Put it back like it was and work off of that. I've put 11,000 miles daily driving this truck all over the country in the last year and I've not had it leave me once. There is nothing exotic or special about getting one of these trucks to drive well and live a happy life. The new suspension means I have to think far less. It drives like a big top heavy sports car and doesn't protest being chucked around gradual corners at speed. Just dont plan on changing directions in a hurry.

You were given one of the best automotive platforms in the world. Just get it back to where it deserves to be.

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

Hahaha! ^^^^ Dave!

 

[AbsolutGT]

I'll add my two cents as a newish owner

It's basically a love/hate relationship

I love everything about a 60, it hates when I think I'm fixing something and it sure lets me know when I did it wrong.

Other than that, my dilemma still stands on keeping it or letting it go while I'm gone.

 

[HemiAlex]

Like the wise @Output Shaft once told me.

"You don't get mad at an elephant for being big and you don't get mad at a 60 for finally getting tired."

 

[umpqua]

The overall vibe of the 60 is old. As much as I like it, it feels very old. Mine has this sort of a mixed smell of gas, exaust, gear oil, glue, and old carpet revealing all the many adventures this truck has most likely seen in its 170,000 mile journey to my driveway. The steering wheel is large and very thin and is plastic. Overall the whole truck is a definite throwback from another time. I find this both charming and oddly desperate. The interior is all business

Robert, you are a creative writer. I especially like the "oddly desperate" line. Well I like all of it. If you aren't going to use this would you mind if I borrow it for my signature line?

 

[Gretsch]

Robert, you are a creative writer. I especially like the "oddly desperate" line. Well I like all of it. If you aren't going to use this would you mind if I borrow it for my signature line?

Apologies here. I somehow missed this question. Would be honored to have you use it. Thanks.

 

[joebattle1]

I’m all caught up now. Great read, Great find. Goodbye Jeep helloooo best vehicle of your life.

 

[lcolon]

Congrats on the 60! I agree with replacing every coolant line. When I first got my 60, I blew a line on the freeway, causing overheating and a cracked head. I just went through replacing all of the lines again. Most are not available from toyota anymore, but Napa has all of the hoses with the bends. Just needed to trim a few of them. Go to the Napa online search tool and lookup all of the hoses for the 60. Write down the part numbers then go to the counter and order them all. Don't forget about the 2 small hoses under the truck that go to the rear seat heater.

I have put over 100k Mi on my truck since I bought it, and as they say, will never sell it. Mostly reliable but sometimes frustrating. Once you get all of the gremlins sorted they are great vehicles.

 

[Gretsch]

Yeah they are pretty frustrating. I am still chasing gremlins 2 years later on mine. Desmog on it is crap so several things to do with that have come up. But she is getting there. Considering so far I have not had anyone else touch the truck aside from an alignment and tire balance, its been nice. Truth be told I realistically do not have the time to spend on working on it like it really requires. As a daily driver its tough. As a second car its great. But so far its been driven daily and never left me stranded.