I think it’s time I started a thread for this rig here rather than clutter up the FJ40 section with it, since it is still an FJ62 and not parts...Yet.
I’ve been half-looking for a parts ‘60 to donate to my ‘40 for years. Probably quarter or tenth looking, really. This spring I’ve been watching a little more closely but there aren’t a lot of older Land Cruisers here in Juneau, Alaska, and we don’t get a lot of visitor vehicles since we’re off the North American road system.
After looking at an ‘87 FJ60 for sale that was advertised as pristine but was really barely even parts I mentioned to a few local ‘mudders that I was looking. A week later I got a message from one that his brother-in-law had an FJ62 that wasn’t running and he needed gone. A few phone calls later and I was checking it out; it had been his second vehicle for nearly 20 years and recently just stopped running. He had a thought that it was something ignition related but I wasn’t sure; when the key was turned absolutely *nothing* happened.
He needed some time to come to terms with selling a dead vehicle for parts, but another week or so went by and he called me and said it was mine if I wanted. Then he realized the title was in a safety deposit box and the bank branch was closed for COVID-19. Just my luck. Well, another week went by and he managed to get the title so we met up and exchanged money for signatures. Then came the fun part:
I got it into the driveway and started the troubleshooting. Battery read 1.95V so that was my first task. I got it up to cranking voltage and smelled a little gas but it refused to spark. My timing light didn’t flash so I started looking closely at the coil and found this:
...That would do it! No dice trying to re-attach anything, either:
I dug around in the random parts totes for my FJ40 and found a spare coil, but it’s a lot different than what came in the FJ62. It’s a lot bigger and a lot less weight:
I figured that was my best easy shot so I hooked it up and...IT LIVES!
Not only does it run, but it runs well. It drives well. It brakes straight, even!
I’ve been half-looking for a parts ‘60 to donate to my ‘40 for years. Probably quarter or tenth looking, really. This spring I’ve been watching a little more closely but there aren’t a lot of older Land Cruisers here in Juneau, Alaska, and we don’t get a lot of visitor vehicles since we’re off the North American road system.
After looking at an ‘87 FJ60 for sale that was advertised as pristine but was really barely even parts I mentioned to a few local ‘mudders that I was looking. A week later I got a message from one that his brother-in-law had an FJ62 that wasn’t running and he needed gone. A few phone calls later and I was checking it out; it had been his second vehicle for nearly 20 years and recently just stopped running. He had a thought that it was something ignition related but I wasn’t sure; when the key was turned absolutely *nothing* happened.
He needed some time to come to terms with selling a dead vehicle for parts, but another week or so went by and he called me and said it was mine if I wanted. Then he realized the title was in a safety deposit box and the bank branch was closed for COVID-19. Just my luck. Well, another week went by and he managed to get the title so we met up and exchanged money for signatures. Then came the fun part:
I got it into the driveway and started the troubleshooting. Battery read 1.95V so that was my first task. I got it up to cranking voltage and smelled a little gas but it refused to spark. My timing light didn’t flash so I started looking closely at the coil and found this:
...That would do it! No dice trying to re-attach anything, either:
I dug around in the random parts totes for my FJ40 and found a spare coil, but it’s a lot different than what came in the FJ62. It’s a lot bigger and a lot less weight:
I figured that was my best easy shot so I hooked it up and...IT LIVES!
Not only does it run, but it runs well. It drives well. It brakes straight, even!
