FJ62 as daily driver (1 Viewer)

[36J594]

Do any of you use your 60 series as a daily driver? I'm considering doing that with my 1988 FJ62 but am reluctant to get rid of my current DD for practicality reasons.

I love the truck I drive daily--a 2011 GMC Sierra 1500 (4x4, 5.3L, 6sp auto, 3.08 gears) I bought new. It has a manual transfer case shifter, Bilstein adjustables that leveled the front, an 89 octane custom tune, Borla exhaust. It's comfortable and has been reliable for 175k miles.

Am I crazy for considering giving it up and making the '88 62 my daily driver? Since getting the FJ62, I've changed the oil, serviced the front and rear diffs and transfer case, flushed the transmission, installed a new radiator, plate-style trans cooler, water pump, fan clutch, thermostat, 4 new OME shocks, rebuilt the birfs, front and rear brakes, new wheels and tires, and have redone the interior. The rig has 191k miles on it, and apart from rust in the rear quarters, rockers, front fenders, and a minor spot around the back glass, and a minor oil leak, appears to be solid.

Is this a realistic DD?

 

[cruisermatt]

No. No one has ever daily driven an FJ62. Ever.

 

[OSS]

It can be both realistic and risky depending on your ability to get transportation to work if something big creates long down time. It's a 30 year old vehicle. No way to know if something unobtainable will go belly up. My 60 (not 62) was my only vehicle for 29 years. Commuted 70 miles RT to work every day. Had 270,000 miles on the odometer. Every car is different. Some have been well maintained (mine). Some neglected from a PO. Hard to make the call.

 

[Saucerman]

My 88 was purchased to be a driver, not really daily, but weekly for sure. Parts are hard to find, parts are expensive and I have not clue what in the hell I'm doing. Still, it is a damn cool ride and worth all the trouble. You are mechanically capable because you have already done a laundry list of things.

 

[CaptClose]

I daily drive my 60. It's rock solid and much more fun to drive than most modern vehicles. Of course, there's always a set of tools in the back and I've had to use them a few times to get on down the road. If you're needing a little peace of mind, get a AAA membership.

 

[Willard]

History

I currently have a 2007 F150 4 door Lariat. Fully loaded and setup for the lazy driver. I can even control the heat and fan from the steering wheel. I get between 10-12MPG no matter what I do.
Twice including last week my wife has been trying to force me to sell the blue thing in the garage. I won the fight (I think) for 2 years this weekend with the promise in 2 years that I buy her a newer vehicle (she has a 2004 Denali). The plan is to complete the needed (and not so needed) upgrades on the 60 and sell the F150 in the mid to end of March (the bank still owns this vehicle and want way to much)
I will then daily drive my 60. Daily is a 40-50 mile drive round trip.
I never had a thought of not doing this.

So to recap.
My 2007 with heated leather seats, NAV, all power (including rear center window) etc etc. bank owned and will be sold. 10-12MPG
My 1986 FJ60 with a 4 speed and 33" tires, manual everything and a nice new interior will be my new daily driver, all mine!. 9-12MPG
Crazy yes.....can fix my own vehicle yes. Will have to drop 30K on a vehicle for my wife in two years for this, yes.
Is it worth it, YES!

I have done pretty much what you have done to get it as road ready as possible,

So ya you can. They are as fuel efficient as you can expect for a moving brick, and compared to most american trucks (not the last few eco engines) they are about as good fuel wise.
You will smile when you drive it, and frown when it breaks thinking WTF was I thinking. Fix it and drive it again, and there is that smile.
Unlike modern vehicles which are more throw away, these are built to last and be driven.

To put in perspective, owned 81 driven, licences and insured vehicles in 49 years (another 50-60 that were not road worthy).
I can list every one.

4 favorites
1983 BJ42
1982 BJ42
1969 Cadillac Sedan Deville (had that 12 years ago and daily drove it for 4 years including a trip across the country)
1986 FJ60 <-- Currently own

While the Caddy had lower miles than the 60, it was no more reliable.

 

[Nostradamus]

I DD my 85 FJ60. A/C, 5 spd, tunes, paid for, built like and anvil. Stop and go traffic, 30-45 min each way to/from work. I get lots of waves and thumbs up. My dog goes to work with me every day so he’s always on board.

 

[franklin40]

i daily drive my 62 but i’ve done a 1hdt engine and 5 speed swap to make it more driveable esp on the highway. i’ve done a lot of work to make it trustworthy though. i love it and it is constantly starting conversations i smile more when i drive it so it’s good for me. have i had down time that i borrow my wife’s or parents vehicle? yes but i’ve typically been able to plan when i need to do that for a major maintenance job. so far it hasnt left me stranded but there are still things i need to fix

also i’m currently in the middle of a 2000km round trip family vacation with it. it’s my brother in laws van that is breaking down!!

 

[slacker24-7]

I’ve been there, nothing wrong with DD the 62 but if your current DD is paid for, I’d drive the wheels off of it, and keep the cruiser. If your in Atl traffic every day I’d hate for the cruiser to take a hit from some uninsured driver. Plus the cruiser is something you want to keep hopefully a long time. Take care of it and let the gmc take the daily grind.

 

[vipergrhd]

^^^ x2 on this.

 

[Tancruiser]

Drive the wheels off it that’s what there made for.

 

[RodrigzCrzr]

Drive it!
I drive mine as a daily driver!

 

[HemiAlex]

297,000 with a new cooling system and cylinder head refresh as well as a complete de smog. 4 speed, 33” tires and 3.70’s.

I take it everywhere and it averages 10 city, 14 highway.

It’s never left me in 20,000 of daily driving. 5,000 miles of which was with a dead cylinder, a cooling system leak, a transmission with not enough gear lube in it and a bad desmog. I’ve had to be religious about the Upkeep. 3,000 oil changes, 3,000 mile fuel filter changes etc.

Mine is a 60. The 62 worries me a bit more because of the oddball parts that make it a “you’re not getting home unless you’ve got a backup” scenario. Too many parts that are no longer supported on that truck for my liking.

 

[bigfj62]

Drove my 62 as a daily driver for over a decade.... would do it again tomorrow. Hills suck but that about it.

 

[Devils Paw 80]

7 years or so and 175K miles on your current DD- that's a helluva lot of driving per year. Not sure I'd want to roll a 62 with its bad MPG that much-about $7K per year in gas money.

But yeah, they're certainly capable of high miles and yours sounds like it ready to go.

I've had my 62 for 15 years and have put 40K miles on it. It's sort of a daily driver now that I've ditched my '92 Toy pickup, just that I don't have the need or desire to drive everyday and the runs are typically short.

 

[bottombracket]

I daily drive my 62 and it fits me like a glove. Horrible mpg notwithstanding, I love driving it and it makes me happy. If it breaks I’ll fix it. I would keep a backup vehicle just in case.

 

[Paul DiNapoli]

my 88 is my DD... i concur with everything everyone said... "I love driving it and it makes me happy".

i do worry about parts no longer available - and i'm new to 60's....but i've been dealing with NLA on my 1969 VW squareback for a long time....so i'm used to things being irreplaceable...

just drive it!

 

[Cnut]

I DD an 88 FJ62. I only go 14mi round trip to work. My experience:

- Be prepared for some anxiety filled Sunday afternoons as you try feverishly to put everything back together before dark and the Monday commute.
- Be prepared to have your wife drop you off and pick you up on the rare occasion that you can't finish a project over one weekend.
- Don't expect to have to constantly fix your truck based on the above comments. It's a Land Cruiser, after all.
- Be prepared to never second guess yourself after deciding to make it your DD. Not a lot of people get to enjoy their commute to work. I love mine. Then again, it's only 7mi one way and I get some good coastal scenery on the way...

 

[umpqua]

I like to drive mine when I'm going somewhere to have fun. Going to work isn't that place.

 

[Beams37]

I specifically bought my 62 for a DD. I love it. I feel like the king of the road!!