Buy a 10k FJ60 series, or an 18k FJ60 series?

[jackhossross]

That is just too funny.

To the OP, if you shave the badges off the new cruiser I'll buy them, they are hard items to find.

Hahaha - I love the attention the shaved badge is getting. I simply was trying to display my wrenching ability and clearly chose a detail that is unheard of in the community haha!

After reading responses ...

I plan to purchase/cross reference receipts from old owner and knock out a remaining maintenance in first 2-3 weeks while reupholstering the interior. This would include front bars, rear bars, roof rack, time period correct lights and a lift. Hopefully can do that for about $10k.

I would then enjoy the vehicle while making decisions for next steps. The vehicle in question has an elaborate stack of receipts that were emailed to me from the shop. Fingers crossed!

JR

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

I’d take the badge too. Mine is glued together w/ JB Weld and as of yet still not back on the vehicle w/ the grill.
And good lord @Aloha Jen... that picture of you could be the start of a hot cruiser calendar!

 

[erse]

I’d take the badge too. Mine is glued together w/ JB Weld and as of yet still not back on the vehicle w/ the grill.
And good lord @Aloha Jen... that picture of you could be the start of a hot cruiser calendar!

We are not allowed to talk about such things on mud pictures of womens pineapples leads to the ire of the black hand

 

[TachedOutOffRoad]

I like that you posted a car. Gives us background on who you are. I do the same thing when new to forums.

A wise Land Cruiser enthusiast once told me:
an FJ40 is a tractor with a body on it
an FJ60 is a tractor with a larger body and hard doors
an FJ80 is an almost modern truck with a solid front axle
an UZJ100 is a modern truck with a modern engine and a modern transmission

you lose a little bit of "soul" with each newer vehicle.

I loved my 60. Be advised it is a tractor with a body and has very little in common with your car. Sexiest truck ever though.

One with a modern 4.7L V8 Toyota engine and a manual transmission (and new seats) is my dream rig. That is a $20K+ rig. Which is what I would buy way before a new TRD Tacoma.

 

[Willard]

The best bet is to look around here at some of the builds/ restorations and then look at the for sale section at what is out there.
IF I could have found one I would have gotten a BJ62, and put a turbo on it. But that is me.
If you are looking at the 60, do not limit yourself to 10k or 20k, look long and hard for the right Cruiser.

I bought mine for 6K. Should have paid 3k but that is another story.
At this point I am doing a soft restore. Based on my spreadsheet I am almost 15K into mine and I still have a straight 6.

These are 30+ year old vehicles and not getting younger. Rust free is great, but a rust free frame (light rust is ok) is more important. Rust sucks it can be cut out and repaired.
If the rust is none or little, the $$$ are not in rust repair. it is everything else. Believe me repairing rust yourself (providing the frame is good) is more about taking your time than cost. Paint will cost, shop around.

To give you an idea.
A soft restore:
New seat fabric, carpet, door cards to match, headliner, dash, engine work, steering, suspension, wheels, window seals, chrome bumpers and end caps (if kept stock), clutch, axle bearings and rebuilds, u-joints, tires, brakes, AC, starters, alts, rads, replacing crappy wiring, etc etc etc.
A full restore:
is more of frame off and everything rebuilt or replaced.

Make sure you are looking at the right thing.

I have seen so many "fully restored" vehicles with worn out body mounts it leads me to believe no one knows what the word fully means. ( Fully= completely or entirely; to the furthest extent.)

My 60 will be a daily driver and I have done just about all of the things above and more. Had I spent 10-20K on a rust free cruiser I would have ended up still dong a fair amount of that that. The rust is the minor stuff IMO.

V8 conversions or any conversion you see for sale (unless trashed) is 99% to recoup the cost of that conversion, they then throw on an ARB or other front bumper and winch, a rear bumper of some sort and feel they have a 20K rig. Break down the parts for those accessories and you will see it really worth under 10K. Lots of good engine conversions, lots of scary engine conversions.

Basically what I and others are saying is do some research take your time and find the right 60 series for you. Be prepared to get your hands dirty at some point.

 

[Devils Paw 80]

Boo on a V-8 swap. If you want a V-8, buy a 100 series. An I-6 is the heart of an old Cruiser. My advice is to buy a decent one and just drive it. Here's an example. 1985 Toyota fj60 land cruiser (No affiliation)

 

[OSS]

We also have some pretty good looking 60 series!!

I doubt anyone noticed the HJ60 in that pic. In fact I know nobody did.

 

[CaptClose]

Oh... one more thing. Wrenching on these trucks is truly half the fun of owning one. They are relatively easy to work on, so hopefully you enjoy, or at least can learn to enjoy that type of hobby.

We wrench on Land cruisers, not because they are inherently unreliable, because they are in fact one of the most reliable vehicles on the road... we wrench in them as part of a love and maintenance routine. Of course, 30 year old parts do wear out and require attention from time to time.

If you’re buying your LC from an owner that truly loved and cared for the truck, you’ll be happier in the long run. As you know, a maintenance history always adds to the value of any car.

I’m curious to know how you plan on using the truck? What kind of build do you have in mind?

 

[MANUCHAO]

I will be taking on something I want to make my own

i think that answers part of your quest... with the other being rust free........

 

[Joe T]

Boo on a V-8 swap. If you want a V-8, buy a 100 series. An I-6 is the heart of an old Cruiser. My advice is to buy a decent one and just drive it. Here's an example. 1985 Toyota fj60 land cruiser (No affiliation)

That actually looks like a good honest deal.

 

[OSS]

It has been said throughout this website on numerous threads throughout the years that if you buy a 30 year old 60 it will often be down for maintenance.

Well in my experience that's simply not true (unless it's a neglected rust bucket). Once one system or component is dealt with due to deferred maintenance, you'll never have to touch it for at least another 10 years. Redo all the brakes? (after 20 years) you won't have to touch them again for another 20 (except the pads & maybe shoes)
New clutch? Again, done for the next 20 years. Fuel pump? Carb? Radiator? (Well maybe not radiator). Basically everything you refurb will be good as new and will likely give you another decade or more of service life. The mantra of "always down for maintenance" stems from the fact that most people buy semi thrashed 30 year old cruisers that were never maintained and the previous owner basically drove it into the ground then unloaded it.

Once everything is back up to snuff, it's good as new (well almost) and you'll be able to count on your cruiser to take you everywhere your dreams desire & back. No problem.

 

[TachedOutOffRoad]

Oh... one more thing. Wrenching on these trucks is truly half the fun of owning one. They are relatively easy to work on, so hopefully you enjoy, or at least can learn to enjoy that type of hobby.

We wrench on Land cruisers, not because they are inherently unreliable, because they are in fact one of the most reliable vehicles on the road... we wrench in them as part of a love and maintenance routine.

THIS

 

[DFXR]

Boo on a V-8 swap. If you want a V-8, buy a 100 series. An I-6 is the heart of an old Cruiser. My advice is to buy a decent one and just drive it. Here's an example. 1985 Toyota fj60 land cruiser (No affiliation)

Yeah. Seriously, just get this one, plan to spend an extra couple grand sorting it out, and drive it. You're still ahead. It's already the best color.

Restorations, especially with drivetrain swaps, are a tricky business. There are a number of guys on Mud (and elsewhere, like TLC) that really do these things right, but it never seems like those are the trucks changing hands.

More often new owners seem to end up with a very good-looking and expensive pile of loose ends, shortcuts, and headaches that requires even more money and time to get sorted. A couple years after purchase, they're drained and burnt and ready to sell at a loss.

 

[Paul DiNapoli]

This is what I would do, if I had 20k to spend. First, you should know that I’m somewhat of a purist and would never put a Chevy motor into a Land Cruiser. A lot of guys do, but at that point, you don’t have a Land Cruiser anymore. No offense to the SBC guys out there, it’s just not for me.

Find the best rust free cruiser that you can. Use this guide to help you...

View attachment 1659628

Spend $7500-$10k

Start on a soft restore. New carpet, headliner and upholstery will make the interior look new again. You’ll spend $2k on the interior. Yes, you can spend more.


Drive whatever drivetrain you bought it with for awhile while you learn what you like and don’t like. For example, i was set on doing a five speed swap until I went on a 4000 mile road trip through the west and realized, I love what I got.

In a year, you’ll be baselining the truck and you’ll also learn a lot about Land Cruisers and all the options that are available for drivetrains. You may want a diesel 12-HT for instance.

While you drive and decide, you’ll work on suspension, tire and wheels, expect another $2500-3000 here. Before you decide on suspension, you’ll need to decide on armor. Do you want front and rear bumpers? Sliders?

If paint and body need to be addressed, you can also plan this phase next.

Finally, you’ll know enough about your cruiser and other cruisers, to make an informed decision on drivetrain options.

For now, just decide if you want round headlights, or square headlights.

that map is ******* funny - i was on a conference call for work - crackling up laughing i had to mute my line.

 

[Paul DiNapoli]

While your mainland map may be an accurate description of land cruisers, you failed to describe Hawaii correctly! In addition to our delicious pineapples....
View attachment 1659681

We also have some pretty good looking 60 series!!
View attachment 1659685

i just got back from 12 days on the big island... i was pleased to see all of 2 FJ62's around Hilo. 2 total... i swam in the ocean and ate pineapple every single day for 12 days.

 

[stevebradford]

@CaptClose I fixed it for you!

 

[CaptClose]

@CaptClose I fixed it for you!

Canada is a great place to source dashboards and diesel engines for sure.

 

[Prairie Swamp]

I’d take the badge too. Mine is glued together w/ JB Weld and as of yet still not back on the vehicle w/ the grill.
And good lord @Aloha Jen... that picture of you could be the start of a hot cruiser calendar!

This is a thread hi-jack but I don't care...

For the record let it be known that it was a woman that made the first comment.......but we were all thinkin' it. (I'm home with serious back pain, meds and beer and I refrained!)

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

I ‘think’ I’m allowed. Got an email from one of you hot and horny men too that a calendar would be a good thing.

But really. OP buy a truck that fits into your grand scheme. Obviously you can wrench well enough if you own a VW.... chuckling. I had a VW too and that little bitch was in the garage often. I put into her the same amount we bought her for in just a few years. Loved her regardless.

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

FYI, guys I did write hot cruiser calendar.