Hello everyone,
So... I convinced my wife that we needed a Cruiser.
I grew up with '80s Toyotas, two Corollas, two pickups, and I still have my 2WD Tercel Wagon. We went back and forth between buying a new Tacoma or a Land Cruiser, but I kept coming back to the idea of old vs. new and car payments vs. freedom.
While I was searching, I started jokingly sending my wife listings for old Cruisers. To my surprise, she said, "Let's do it!"
We're both wanting to slow life down a bit and get back to simpler, more rewarding projects. So the search really ramped up. She decided she wanted a 60 with an automatic, so I started looking for FJ62's closer to home. Everything I found was either rusted out or way overpriced.
I started moving the Facebook Marketplace search around to parts of the country that are kinder to old vehicles. Three weeks ago we found this beauty in Denver. I sent the seller a deposit, got a PPI done, booked a flight for July 8th, and within an hour of landing we were sitting in the driver's seat headed to the Denver DMV for temporary tags before starting the drive back home to West Virginia.
I told the seller, "If it breaks down, at least I'll know what's wrong with it."
Thankfully, over the next four days, it never did. The biggest issues on the trip were a dead speedometer/odometer, no A/C during a heat wave, and a pretty sketchy dual-battery setup that kept neither battery charging. We relied on a jump pack the whole way home because I didn't want to risk creating a bigger electrical problem on the side of the road.
Now that it's home, the real work begins. The steering needs attention, and the driver's-side wheel bearing is going, so I'm guessing a full front axle rebuild is in my future? It has some minor rust, a less-than-stellar repaint and a bit of body work, and roughly 174,000 miles (the speedometer was disconnected for the last ~2,000 miles).
Overall, though, we're thrilled. It made the trip home under its own power, and now I get to figure out how I want to build it. Looking forward to learning from everyone here and documenting the progress.
Got help the first morning from the most unlikely traveler! Thanks Jaimey! Should have got your contact info.
Made it home without out needing a drop of oil or coolant.
So... I convinced my wife that we needed a Cruiser.
I grew up with '80s Toyotas, two Corollas, two pickups, and I still have my 2WD Tercel Wagon. We went back and forth between buying a new Tacoma or a Land Cruiser, but I kept coming back to the idea of old vs. new and car payments vs. freedom.
While I was searching, I started jokingly sending my wife listings for old Cruisers. To my surprise, she said, "Let's do it!"
We're both wanting to slow life down a bit and get back to simpler, more rewarding projects. So the search really ramped up. She decided she wanted a 60 with an automatic, so I started looking for FJ62's closer to home. Everything I found was either rusted out or way overpriced.
I started moving the Facebook Marketplace search around to parts of the country that are kinder to old vehicles. Three weeks ago we found this beauty in Denver. I sent the seller a deposit, got a PPI done, booked a flight for July 8th, and within an hour of landing we were sitting in the driver's seat headed to the Denver DMV for temporary tags before starting the drive back home to West Virginia.
I told the seller, "If it breaks down, at least I'll know what's wrong with it."
Thankfully, over the next four days, it never did. The biggest issues on the trip were a dead speedometer/odometer, no A/C during a heat wave, and a pretty sketchy dual-battery setup that kept neither battery charging. We relied on a jump pack the whole way home because I didn't want to risk creating a bigger electrical problem on the side of the road.
Now that it's home, the real work begins. The steering needs attention, and the driver's-side wheel bearing is going, so I'm guessing a full front axle rebuild is in my future? It has some minor rust, a less-than-stellar repaint and a bit of body work, and roughly 174,000 miles (the speedometer was disconnected for the last ~2,000 miles).
Overall, though, we're thrilled. It made the trip home under its own power, and now I get to figure out how I want to build it. Looking forward to learning from everyone here and documenting the progress.
Got help the first morning from the most unlikely traveler! Thanks Jaimey! Should have got your contact info.
Made it home without out needing a drop of oil or coolant.
