FJ60 first time buyer.

[GagaAK]

As I mentioned before, I am new to the forum. I am not sure what I expected in terms of a reply to my query, but I did not count on it to be so helpful, friendly, and informative. My sincere thanks to everyone who took the time to weigh in.

 

[Mace]

We're a grumpy, unhelpfull, moody bunch around here. You just caught us on a off day..

 

[TMW]

I would keep on looking, even if he comes down off of $12k, especially since it sounds like you are in the early stages of your search. I can't imagine where he is getting his $12 - $16k figures, on a rig in that cosmetic condition and mileage that likely has a good amount of standard deferred maintenance (suspension, knuckles, seals, clutch, etc.).

Here is a good example of a $16k - $18k cruiser 1987 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ60 | eBay

And one that is closer to the $9k - $12k mark. 1986 Toyota Land Cruiser Land Cruiser | eBay

 

[GagaAK]

I would keep on looking, even if he comes down off of $12k, especially since it sounds like you are in the early stages of your search. I can't imagine where he is getting his $12 - $16k figures, on a rig in that cosmetic condition and mileage that likely has a good amount of standard deferred maintenance (suspension, knuckles, seals, clutch, etc.).

Here is a good example of a $16k - $18k cruiser 1987 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ60 | eBay

And one that is closer to the $9k - $12k mark. 1986 Toyota Land Cruiser Land Cruiser | eBay

Actually the seller refers to quite a few items that have recently been addressed. It is those items that cause me the most uncertainty. Because I don’t really know how significant they are I can’t assign a value to them.

 

[roadstr6]

For reference, I bought this one for $4K:

It was rust free, original paint, ARB bumper, Warn M8000 winch, OME lift and 33's. Lots of dents though. A little spit shine and lots of late nights turning wrenches transformed it into this:

I figure it might be worth $10K - $12K now but that's me being optimistic.

 

[CaptClose]

I appreciate you sharing your thoughts with me. Are you the seller?

Hey @OSS remember when Yoda was revealed to Luke... this kind of reminds me of that moment.

 

[CaptClose]

The real truth is that cruiser is worth whatever he is willing to sell it for. The Land Cruiser market isn't exactly a buyers market at the moment. @OSS is right, good examples are becoming more and more rare, and the popularity for these trucks is increasing every day.

I know guys like @CenTXFJ60 who will rarely pay over $2000 for a cruiser because he enjoys rehabbing them as much as he does driving them.

On the contrary, there are guys that want a turn-key cruiser and will pay $40,000 and up for one.

Asking us what any particular cruiser is worth, is like asking everyone what kind of oil is best, you're going to get a hundred different answers, and they are all equally valid.

It boils down to how much are you willing to pay, and what kind of truck are you looking for. And yes... you kind find someone that doesn't know what they have and steal it from them but you don't want to be one of those people.

No matter what you pay, the real money is spent after the purchase anyway. Good luck.

 

[TMW]

Great advice on the "real money being spent after the purchase". Completely true. In that regard, it all depends on what you want to do with it. From a cosmetic standpoint, if you want to get that rig up to par with other rigs you routinely see selling in the $12 - $18k range in this market (look at Ebay listings filtered for Sold listings to get a decent idea.......lots of no-sale listings out there with buyers posting with unrealistic reserves that should be ignored), you are looking at anywhere from $5k to $15k+, with upper end including a decent paint job on top of interior and body work (that hail damage would drive me crazy). Add deferred maintenance to that, new suspension, front and rear bumpers, and if you paid $12k up front, you could easily be 25k - 30k into a rig that is approaching 300,000 miles. The key point is that if you take your time and are willing to look a bit outside of the local market, there are much better starting points out there that either cost a bit more than he is asking, but have fewer miles, less deferred maintenance and not nearly the cosmetic issues, OR that are in similar condition but at a much more reasonable price that will make all the future $ outlays a little less painful.