‘86 Hj60 cheap but some body damage…should I bother looking? (1 Viewer)

[3shadesofblack]

Full disclosure…I have no idea what I’m doing! I am however looking for a project that will occupy me as I get closer to retirement.

im moderately handy and do a fair bit of work on my Tundra when time allows. As a young person who was broke and bought junky Volvos I spent lots of time crawling under 240s keeping them running, but it’s been a while since I owned a dicey car.

fast forward to 2023 and I find myself like many of you lusting after vintage Land Cruusers. I recently came across a very cheap project that I’m going to look at (sub $1500) & thought I’d post this as a sanity check.

The truck is an 86 hj60. The body is the real issue. There are only a few pics but it’s close so I figured I’d look.

it looks like some fender and door impacts occurred so I’m not sure if the damage is deeper than swapping these out. Definitely some rust on rear wheel well. Truck won’t start due to bad starter and was last run in January.

I‘m ok With this being a long term project and plan to take some welding classes this year so I can tackle body work. 5 years is a reasonable timeline for me but I don’t want to buy something that is hopeless no matter the price tag.

My question is whether those who’ve been here before and are looking at this LC are getting spidey sense telling them to run.
thanks
mike

 

[CruiserTrash]

I'd say the only thing you get in return for the purchase price is the drivetrain. I don't see a good body panel on here, even the roof looks bad at the top of the A-pillar. Rear wheel wells, rockers, and bottoms of doors are rotted, and that's aside from the dents. The front axle appears to be bent, too. The dollars to donuts doesn't seem to be there - the cost of fixing the body would be far, far more than it's worth when you're done. And we haven't gotten to the frame yet ... if the body is this bad I'm kind of scared to see what the frame looks like.

If you're in the US, the diesel motors can have some value especially if it's a 12HT (I think this might be a 2H though). But how well it runs you don't know since it won't start. If the price is low enough you could buy this for the motor and 5spd and drop it into a domestic FJ60 that doesn't need every body panel and possibly the frame rebuilt.

Sorry to rain on your parade, but I think you could find a better project that won't be so frustrating. Keep looking and you'll find the right one at the right price!

 

[MarkBC]

Yeah based on that photo there isn't much of quality that's salvageable, due to the rust. The only things that might be good are the engine and transmission / transfer case but without being able to start it you can't assess those. By some miracle the frame might be OK but you need more photos and this one speaks a thousand words.

 

[3shadesofblack]

Thank you for the honest and thoughtful feedback. This is exactly what I was hoping for as someone who’s never done a resto before.

Even for rock bottom price it seems like a better fit for someone else whose looking for parts or engine.

1986 Toyota Land Cruiser Diesel | Cars & Trucks | St. Catharines | Kijiji

1986 Toyota Land Cruiser 6 cylinder diesel Was used for bush truck Newer shackles/ springs Body rough but has a very good frame All fluids changed New glow plugs Last drove in Jan ...went to start up 2 weeks ago and starter is siezed Way too many projects time to downsize Part out or sell whole...

www.kijiji.ca

 

[3shadesofblack]

I'd say the only thing you get in return for the purchase price is the drivetrain. I don't see a good body panel on here, even the roof looks bad at the top of the A-pillar. Rear wheel wells, rockers, and bottoms of doors are rotted, and that's aside from the dents. The front axle appears to be bent, too. The dollars to donuts doesn't seem to be there - the cost of fixing the body would be far, far more than it's worth when you're done. And we haven't gotten to the frame yet ... if the body is this bad I'm kind of scared to see what the frame looks like.

If you're in the US, the diesel motors can have some value especially if it's a 12HT (I think this might be a 2H though). But how well it runs you don't know since it won't start. If the price is low enough you could buy this for the motor and 5spd and drop it into a domestic FJ60 that doesn't need every body panel and possibly the frame rebuilt.

Sorry to rain on your parade, but I think you could find a better project that won't be so frustrating. Keep looking and you'll find the right one at the right price!

Thank you….I appreciate the advice. I’ll keep looking for a better candidate.

 

[CruiserTrash]

Thank you….I appreciate the advice. I’ll keep looking for a better candidate.

You'll get one if you're diligent. Have you read through posts on what to look for? Are you familiar with 60 Series Land Cruisers?

 

[3shadesofblack]

You'll get one if you're diligent. Have you read through posts on what to look for? Are you familiar with 60 Series Land Cruisers?

I‘ve lurked for a few years but have only recently started earnest looking. When this one showed up the gears started turning but I’ll start digging into those these posts more. Thanks again.

 

[WSOPgold2012]

If the Dash alone is solid and the interior is solid and planning on a project anyway, cant go wrong having a parts rig for $1500.

 

[3_puppies]

$1500 Canadian?
2H and an automatic isn't a great combo
I'd buy it for a parts rig only