Buying a 62- What to look for?

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geocrasher

geocrasher

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Fernley, NV
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I used to own an FJ55, it was a great rig. Now I'm looking for something more civilized, in the form of a '62. I'm not going to have tons of money to spend when it comes, but I'm willing to save up up to about $5k to spend on a decent one. What should I look for? I'm expecting something around 175K miles with a decent body and not needing tons of work to go another 100K miles. What should I look for and what should I expect to pay?

Also are there any warning signs that say "This isn't the cruiser you're looking for"?

Thanks for the help. Its great to be cruiser shopping!
 
You should be able to find the truck you want at that price. Other than rust, you want the transmission to be in good shape. They are very tough trannies, but costly to repair if abused or improperly maintained.

Mike
 
If you are looking at 62's, just as important as a strong engine as making sure the transmisison is in good shape.They are very expensive to get rebuilt and usually are not done right when they are rebuilt.Also there does not seem to be a lot of these transmissions. If you drive one make sure the transmission does not slip and shifts smooth.If you do need a new transmission the only way to go is this guy in Australia that sells rebuilt ones.

I like the 62 too but after looking into the transmission issues I would not buy one unless the mileage was low and the transmission was in good shape. I personally would spend a little more if I wanted a automatic and get a nice 97 FJ80 but then again I already have a 60.
 
Don't forget to check the transfer case, too. Many 62s develop a clunk that occurs when shifting from drive to reverse and vice versa. This is the result of wear on the splines of the output shaft of the transmission. There are two fixes. One involves rebuilding the tranny (to replace the output shaft); the other involves rebuilding the transfer case (to replace the input gear with a re-worked unit from Australia). Neither are cheap.
 
Guys thanks alot for the helpful advice! My wife and I have decided, after reading this thread, that we're going to open up our search for a LC to 60's also. We don't want any automatic transmission headaches, and I know how bulletproof the 4 speeds are. We want a truck that'll last to 300K miles without major non-maintenence issues, and we think a 60 will be more to our liking.

Thanks again so much!
 
Just remember the 60's are carb'ed vs. EFI on the 62's. For reliability, my money goes to EFI...
 
zcruiser said:
Just remember the 60's are carb'ed vs. EFI on the 62's. For reliability, my money goes to EFI...
Click to expand...

Well, there are a LOT of of carbed FJ60s out there with north of 250,000 miles on them. Mine only has 170,000, and I expect that I will have to rebuild the carb someday. Runs like a top right now.

Mike
 
Mike S said:
Well, there are a LOT of of carbed FJ60s out there with north of 250,000 miles on them. Mine only has 170,000, and I expect that I will have to rebuild the carb someday. Runs like a top right now.

Mike
Click to expand...


Not saying they won't go the distance, just a little more maint needed vs EFI... Maybe it's just me, I don't get along with carbs very well....

I do give the 60 the nod for looks and the manual, tho... :beer:
 
SS_Storm said:
My 62 has this clunk from drive to reverse, is this really bad? it has not bothered me much till now, I am considering a v8 swap this will fix the problem if I do it?
Click to expand...

Lot's of 62 have it and get buy just fine. If left unrepaired long enough, I'd imagine a complete failure of the output shaft would rear its ugly head. For all of the details, do a search here:

http://www.birfield.com/modules.php?name=Archives&p=/archives/html/3FE/
 
Bought a 62 in April(168,000) never owned an A/T vehicle, considered myself a purist and A/T`s a tool of the devil. I`ve put 13k on it since April, the Tundra 5spd sits in the driveway. The more I drive it, the better it runs.
 
my first was a 1985 FJ60 with 200k miles on it. i got it cheap, $1k, spent a double that repairing it and new parts and it was a champ. we drove it from salt lake to homer alaska without any problems. it would even pass cars climbing up a mountain pass doing 70mph.
i sold that one and bought a 1990 FJ62 with 250k miles on it and it runs like brand new. its a lot slower than the 4 speed though, but we love it. its also getting a diesel engine soon.
if youre in az, rust shouldnt be a problem, check that every window and door lock works, rear wiper and fluid, lights and gauges, tires, frame, etc.. and tranny/tcase as the others mentioned.
start with a straight body, most everything else can be replaced.
good luck,
 
You guys sure did steer him clear of 62's. I dont mind the AT and after having at and man cars i go back and forth on what i want to drive.

I havent had an issue with my 62 had it for about 2.5 yrs and put about 12K miles on it. Its a tank, whatever you get check compression and tranny and TC noises. As well as front axle rebuild.

Seatch on here for advice on what to look for ask, etc. Tons of info on that! Get on here and read read learn learn and you will be one foot up on everyone. Good luck and post pics once you purchase something!!
 
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