Bringing FJ60 to dealerships... bad idea?

[edstorm]

So typically I don’t bring any of my cars to stealerships but I just found out that I qualify for a really good labor rate (sub 50) for the local Toyota dealership. Worth a try to get them to maybe do a trans swap, knuckle rebuild, suspension refresh?

Or would they mess up the truck?

Thanks.

 

[Tancruiser]

This is not going to be cheap no matter where you take it

 

[HemiAlex]

Bad idea. Find a local independent mechanic who has worked on one before.

I’m not saying a properly trained technician can’t do it, but I’d feel more comfortable with an independent shop working on it.

 

[Tennessee80]

That’s a good rate, man. And they may even have a Toyota FSM to refer to??

 

[edstorm]

Independent shops definitely do a better job. Just funny how the factory approved dealership can’t even for 50 bucks an hour compared to 100+

 

[Jaric00n]

They probably wouldn't know where to connect the OBD II reader

><

 

[White Stripe]

Your in Atlanta? Yeah would probably be ok for some stuff. In the rust belt areas dealers wouldn't know what is. In Georgia a few techs likely are familiar with them. You'd be surprised how many older rigs I see in the shop. Knuckle rebuild and oil leak repairs is what I'd go for.

 

[vipergrhd]

I would ask how old is the oldest mechanic/Technician in the shop and how long did he work for Toyota.

 

[ToyotaMatt]

So typically I don’t bring any of my cars to stealerships but I just found out that I qualify for a really good labor rate (sub 50) for the local Toyota dealership. Worth a try to get them to maybe do a trans swap, knuckle rebuild, suspension refresh?

Or would they mess up the truck?

Thanks.

Unless you have a Death-Wish for your FJ60 & Like paying Out Of pocket Retainers to your Attorney for your truck being F'd up

permanently after The TOYOTA Dealership's Technician who knows nothjing about a Solid Front Birfield Axle get's Done " winging it "

on your Dime & Time


here's another little know-fact , I have a T.I.S. Network Subscription ( TOYOTA Information Systems ) , I was not aware when signing up

for it and paying the Lump Sum 3 Year agreement the Online Digital FSM library Only Goes Back to 1989 ........................



so a TECH. ant any toyota dealership has Zero access to Needed information Like Torque Values for example


lastly , no dealership in the Lower 48 has any FJ60 SST's just lying around , there long since been trashed or taken home



My Local Dealership 's Parts Department for the most part cant' even look up a spark plug without a 17 Digit VIN #


your FJ60 deserves Better , Much better .................



do your home work and find a Aisian Specialty Shop or a 4WD type off road specialty Shop , you , your FJ60 and your Sanity

will be much better off down the Road

 

[offroadin4fun]

I disagree. There's less people in my entire state than most metro cities & our local small town dealership here still amazes me with my 62. Our service guys team up with the parts guys & get it done, if it's discontinued they find options. Agreed most the old gen guys are gone & many of the techs are younger so more familiar with newer stuff but they are eager to learn the older LC ways, they just don't get much practice on them. I leave my FSM on the seat when I drop it off, & it's almost always fixed when I pick it up- if not they already have another day picked out to order parts & finish up.

 

[tucson_sailors]

At my local toyota dealership the problem was not the techs. Most of the old crusty guys came out amazed and gleeful to see my DD. The problem was the sales droids who sleezed out of nowhere the second my foot hit the pavement. Found a great way to get rid of them, however. "No prob. I'd love to trade it in. Please show me any vehicle on the lot that you have that you will guarantee will still be running in 30 years." Even they couldn't lie to my face that modern Toyotas are built to the same standard as our old warhorses.

Glenn in Marana

 

[toyotaspeed90]

They probably wouldn't know where to connect the OBD II reader

><

I cant like this enough.

Find your way to the 100 series sections where people are getting quotes north of $20k because the dealership essentially doesnt want to work on an otherwise good vehicle.

Maybe I shouldn't be saying this but oh well...

GM of a local Toyota dealership has his own obsession with 40 series. There's a 45 on the showroom floor for display.

He is having a 40 rebuilt. Guess who isn't working on it.... I'll give you a hint, Toyota isn't...

 

[Jaric00n]

Dealerships want to work on stuff that is simple...where they can connect an electronic device and fix it by resetting....

a Wrench? wassat?

I was quoted 1460$ to replace valve cover gaskets on my BMW 540i

took me 2 hours and 100$ in parts (OEM parts too)

Dealerships? no thanks

 

[vipergrhd]

^^^ I'm sure you love that BMW just in case you don't know what it means.
B=Break M=My W=Wallet.

 

[cruiserpilot]

To answer the title of the thread - YES

 

[White Stripe]

Toyota dealerships usually have a library of service manuals. The paper ones. Aka books. So a technician should be able to look up the torque specs. We still see a few 60s and 62s roll through the door. We even get some 40s from time to time.

 

[franklin40]

i took mine to my local dealership for a simple walk in oil change. now i’m diesel so that threw them a curve even though they have the ens industrial side of things and do all mine landcruisers. after three hours and multiple phone calls of telling them what i needed and that the proper filter was on my front seat i got my oil change done. if that was an hourly rate i would have spent 6 times what an oil change would have cost full rate by someone who knows these vehicles. most of the young guys there don’t even know what a carb is much less how to fix one!!

 

[SteveH]

Our local dealer (1 of 2) has a 'cruiserhead on staff. If that's the case, then maybe. Beyond that, some dealers will say 'we don't work on stuff that old'. A buddy had a '62 into one dealership and he had to beg them to work on it, and they reluctantly did and charged plenty.

After replacing the thermostat on my FJ62 today, I was musing - 'I wouldn't let a dealer touch this' - too much fragile/old/obsolete stuff under the hood. And add to the agony, I replaced a ton of coolant lines (heater lines) and replaced all the soft brake lines (4). Long day. Maybe $100 total in parts (Rock Auto) - would surely have been $2K at a dealer in parts/labor.

 

[Code Red]

I see you (the OP) are in Atlanta.

ACC of Fulton Industrial is your best bet for anything non-stock, and lots of things that are. They aren't cheap, but they know what they are doing, and have more work than they can do. Far and away the best place in Atlanta for our old trucks. Trans swap, knuckle rebuild, and suspension refresh = ACC. They did my front axle, fuel tank, H-55 swap, and a complete baseline when I bought the truck. I use them for all of the major surgery.

That said, they are usually very busy and it takes them a while to get to you. When it breaks down for no apparent reason (yes Toyotas do this too), I have had pretty good luck with Marietta Toyota on Cobb Parkway. I swore off dealers a long time ago, but I broke down on Cobb Parkway one afternoon, and actually coasted into their lot. They did some spark chasing and found a loose plug on a relay and had me going again for $25. I can't remember the last dealer that managed that trick. I've used them a couple times since then and have been pretty satisfied.

 

[BGarcia88FJ62]

So typically I don’t bring any of my cars to stealerships but I just found out that I qualify for a really good labor rate (sub 50) for the local Toyota dealership. Worth a try to get them to maybe do a trans swap, knuckle rebuild, suspension refresh?

Or would they mess up the truck?

Thanks.

If you decide to take this on its not really hard but messy. Buy your parts, and all other necessary Grease, Gear Oil and Cleaning Supplies
pick a weekend to come up to my place and we can knock it out over a weekend.