62 as a DD?

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concretejungle

concretejungle

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Hello folks, i have read the FAQ about a 60 vs. 62 and about how crappy the gas mileage is on both. Anyways, my sister is in the market for a cheap vehicle for a DD around town. Long story short her honda accord had a supposid oil leak that she didn't know about until after she had driven the car for 1000 miles without oil :rolleyes: .

So, she called me asking about a Jeep TJ she found for $6,000. That's when i said "hold up, wait a minute, i just may have an idea". I was thinking i should be able to find her an fj60 or 62 that runs well to use as a DD for around $5,000. It would be something i could work on for her and would be great for her to throw her stuff in and get around town, to and from work reliably. The 62 has power windows and door locks which she would want, and has fuel injection, that's why i'm leaning that way. This is really not going to be a hard core wheeler' (until i buy it from her later on) but a town vehicle.

What do you folks think on a FJ62 as a DD?
 
My 62 is a DD and it is great. Mine has a lift and tires but a stock one would be great. It is going to be a little different then her honda accord. If it isnt going to be a wheeler for a while then I would make sure to get a mechanically and body sound one. If you are willing to pay that much you should be able to find a one that will work.
 
A clean, good running 62 would be a great DD. After driving a honda she might be a little shocked at the gas mileage, cost to fill up, acceleration, etc. But it's all worth it. I have a 60 that I DD 30 miles a day for 2 years and it was great. My friend DD a 62 for a while that he didn't take care of for s***. Never checked the oil/got the oil changed after like 5,000 miles, never let it warm up, always just started it and instantly slammed it into gear and took off, revved the engine close to redline occasionally when accelerating while the engine was still cold, and somehow it never died--until he rearended a boat--. So as long as it's running good and she keeps up on it, it should be a great DD.
 
I plan on insuring that it's serviced properly. As far as it being slow, GREAT, she allready has 3 speeding tickets. THis will slow her down for sure.

I'm hoping that the only kicker is gas milage. She thinks that anything less than a 2000 model is unreliable. I want to change that aspect.
 
I drive my 1990 FJ62 90 miles round trip 4 times a week and i probably put a total of 600 miles on my truck a week. With a proper tune-up, fluid change and take car of the rig it will last a long time. My truck is completely stock with 188K miles on it and i wouldn't think twice about driving anything else. Just got back from the round up and that was a 10 hour round drive drive and she make it without any complaint.

Good luck.
 
When I had my 62 it was a daily driver, great rig. However she should plan on buying 20-23 gallons of gasoline every 225-250 miles. (based on my experience doing short hops around town, if she is on the freeway she might make it closer to 300 miles on a tank,doubtflul though) @ $2.49 gal That's of course $50 or so, for me that was twice a week sometimes. Bet the Honda did a little better than that. Her only question really should be, can she afford the cost of driving the 62? If she can then I don't know that there is a better, safer, cooler VINTAGE wagon out there.
 
Since I bought my FJ62, I would be hard-pressed to consider anything else as a daily driver. The additional costs are quickly recouped in the costs for insurance, a car payment, and piece of mind if ever I collide with another vehicle (which hopefully won't be another Cruiser...).
Encourage her to give it a go - I expect it will change her life!
 
I forgot to add "of gas" in the second sentence. The additional costs of gas are quickly....

Good luck with the search. Keep us posted.
 
There is a really nice 60 that is parked in my office parking lot once a week. Looks to be in great condition and it's got a for sale sign in the window. Think they are asking $5,400. I'll take a closer look next time it's parked. I still would like to track down a 62 for her instead.
 
There is one FJ62 for sale in Alvarado, TX for $5000. She is the second owner and her husband was a master tech at toyota and he bought it from the original owner who bought it from the dealership he worked at. I talked to her once and it seemed like a nice rig. Plus with it being in Texas all its life its probably got no rust!

Good luck with the search.
 
Logically the cruiser as a DD does not make sense at all.. it's big slow high drinks gas like no tommorrow..

However i think for most of us the love for our rigs overpowers all logic.

Sometimes when people walk by, I think they are staring me down... and then they yell nice truck!... and it makes you love the beast that much more.

DO IT!!!!:grinpimp:
 
Unless you're into them I think there are a lot better daily drivers. That being said I DD mine with no problems.
 
Ive had the 62 for 4 months now as a dd and absolutly love it. Even my wife ( the hater of all cruisers other than :princess: 80's ) digs driving it . She steals my keys and im stuck in the skittle mazda....
 
I think you have to be into cruisers to drive one DD. As stated, GAS is an issue, especially if she had a Honda Accord. Which probably got 30mpg or more.

That will be the hardest hurdle for you or her. And I would definately be honest about it. 10-15MPG MAX! Start adding those up and you can have a differnt car that costs more.

I hoep this isnt a bash on cruisers, just some advice on what to tell her. As far as I am concerned dependability isnt an issue with them if properly maintained.
 
A 62 CAN be a good daily driver, if you don't mind the poor gas mileage. I emphasize the word CAN. You will note that most of the posts on this board are posts about repairing the damn things. For a 62 to be a good daily driver, either truck needs to be in good mechanical condition from day one, or its owner needs to be prepared to put it into good mechanical condition or to pay someone to do it. Nowadays, 62s are between 16 and 18 years old and typically have lots of miles. Often, they come with various deferred maintenance issues. Owning and driving one is a labor of love, not convenience. I love my 62, but I wouldn't recommend one as a daily driver to someone who isn't into cruisers.
 
My 62 is the first vehicle I ever owned. Bought it off my dad for $2K back when I was 18, took good care of it, and it's only had one major problem that was a result of something I neglected (factory water pump siezed at 208K miles halfway across the state and I was stranded for several hours). I say go for it. Yes the mileage sucks, but an occasional long highway run coupled with good maintenence will keep it in tip-top shape for many more years.
 
DD Fj62

My 1988 FF 62 is my DD. Yes mileage sucks but security in case of crash is worth it. My 13yr old daughter has already claimed it for when she goes off to college. I wonder what gas will cost them. Of course by then it will have a turbo diesel and a 5 speed.
I guess all the guys will be impressed.
Wait a minute I dont like that idea.
 
I know the gas mileage will be crappy, shoot, i drive an 80 so i'm no stranger to gas stations.

Right now the two biggest reasons pointing me towards a 62 are 1) need a vehicle for around $5,000 and 2) need something that i personally can make sure is serviced properly. My sister has a bad habit of not taking care of her vehicle. I feel that if i can change the oil and look the rig over while i'm there and note anything needing attention and take care of it we will bypass this issue of her taking her vehicles to some crappy shade tree mechanics that are just trying to make a dollar off her.

For her Honda, she would just drive it until something gave out, then she would look for the cheapest place to take it and have them do a patch job so she could be back driving as fast as possible. Then she would cry when it would break down again. I feel a lot more comfortable that a cruiser would be taken care of and issues could be identified and taken care of properly.

What issues do you guys think i should expect right off the bat? Here is what i'm thinking based on my 80:

1. Front birf/axle seals ect.
2. baseline all fluids
3. new belts, plugs, wires
4. rear axle bearing repack and oil
5. ????
 
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