FJ80, a good buy in today's market?

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SaturnAscends said:
water pump and fan clutch as well.
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For sure do water pump change and thermostats. Those are very easy on this vehicle. Everything is easy to get to. Just do it when you are changing hoses. The fan clutch has no impact on draining water so do that sooner or later based on your judgement. Most suggest you do it sooner than later. Go blue fan clutch when you do.
 
A handsome lady sulks in the sultry southern dusk

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I was poking around under the Cruiser yesterday and it seemed a little rustier than I remembered.. maybe the rose-colored glasses are off after the honeymoon period. The truck was in St. Louis from 97-07, so it must've seen a bit of road salt early on. Does this look like anything to cry about?

Also, is there anything worth doing about this? It seems concentrating on the welds on the fame and rear bumper. But are these like Tacoma frames, where you can expect it to be even worse inside the frame rails? I was thinking about eventually using a 360 degree wand to spray Corroseal then Woolwax inside and out (maybe after wire-wheeling?), but I'd appreciate any suggestions.

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So i recently purchased a tundra that has more rust than that. I am going to just hit what i can for a wirebrush and then fluid film it until i can get to it next year. Not sure you have much to wirebrush off.
 
clx16 said:
So i recently purchased a tundra that has more rust than that. I am going to just hit what i can for a wirebrush and then fluid film it until i can get to it next year. Not sure you have much to wirebrush off.
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I'm just paranoid about rust, having owned Subarus and first gen Tacomas. The frame on my Tacoma was way worse than it looked, especially on the inside. Full of chips and gunk.
 
Yeah i am too. I have lived in the bad part of the country where salt is real and battled rust before. Well i doubt you have anything inside the frame from what your pictures are showing but I would treat things anyway because of how I am about stuff. I personally dont like undercoatings, but I would recommend paint after you clean and treat. I have a buddy who i am hoping will let me use his lift to do some needle scaler work on the crusty stuff. I might treat it and paint and then put fluid film on everything just to get what i miss.
 
Nope. You are committed now. Too late to heed my smarty pants warnings early on. She is yours now. That is not rust. Merely strength oozing out. Wool wax after a wire brush and you are in business.
 
Just for an update re:cooling, my temps have been ranging from 190.4-198f. Seems to settle at 190 on the highway, and can creep up towards 200 idling in traffic.

In any case, I'm gonna order hoses from witsend at the end of the month and switch them out. I already ordered Aisin tstat and water pump.

I almost got the Four Seasons HCV from NAPA, which I was warned against, but OEM is $50 more. Oh well, I may just have to give in to the OEM snobbery and order that from wits also just for the peace of mind.

Unfortunately the sexy new hose clamps are out of stock, so I may be bedeviled by the PHH replacement :cry::devil::cry:
 
SaturnAscends said:
I was poking around under the Cruiser yesterday and it seemed a little rustier than I remembered.. maybe the rose-colored glasses are off after the honeymoon period. The truck was in St. Louis from 97-07, so it must've seen a bit of road salt early on. Does this look like anything to cry about?
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Don't you cry tonight. That is not serious rust. Are you trolling with that question?

Sincerely,

Rust-belt resident
 
truthdetector said:
Don't you cry tonight. That is not serious rust. Are you trolling with that question?

Sincerely,

Rust-belt resident
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lol I knew it wasn't serious rust, I was basically just wondering if I should just leave it, or bother with the woolwax etc. Also I have a history with rust sneaking up on me when I thought everything was solid. I might've been a little tongue in cheek with how I asked the question tho. I suppose I should really should be concerned about rust and other gunk in my cooling system.
 
SaturnAscends said:
lol I knew it wasn't serious rust, I was basically just wondering if I should just leave it, or bother with the woolwax etc. Also I have a history with rust sneaking up on me when I thought everything was solid. I might've been a little tongue in cheek with how I asked the question tho. I suppose I should really should be concerned about rust and other gunk in my cooling system.
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Haha. Ok. Yeah, seems like rust and gunk in the water is more of a concern.
 
Yeah, that’s no big deal, but I would agree on a wire brush & fluid film/woolwax treatment to keep it in good shape. Pretty cheap and easy to do, with long-term benefits. There’s no reason not to do it, especially because you do already have some corrosion that can be stopped well before it becomes an issue.

Convenient that there is an 80 video for this. May help remember all the spots to hit that you might not think of in the moment.

 
If anything, I'll cry about the realization of how naive I was in ever considering the Cruiser an "investment." I've seen people get nicer ones for less since then.

So yes, I overpaid at 8k, but I have it now, and I just want to fix it up and drive the snot out of it. The poor thing has been tortured by suburbs and tarmac its whole life!

I do miss shifting my own gears though, why didn't Mr. Toyoda give us a 5 speed, or even a diesel option? Those Aussies are spoilt down there!

Not to worry though, I may just have to look for one of these for a commuter!

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Even if it’s not an investment/return for you, it’s a solid 80. Assuming it’s a vehicle you’re into, just enjoy it! The days of rigs like these being reasonably accessible are constantly closing in. I wouldn’t fret about what you paid, considering what so many are going for these days.
 
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