Hi all...checking in for the first time after lurking for a couple of weeks, and then picking up a 1995 LC.
What I picked up:
I'm a car guy, having owned around 30, or so, vehicles in my 43 years. I work on all of them. My first vehicle at age 16 was a 1983 Toyota Pickup that needed valve cover gaskets and clutch master cylinder. I fixed that rig on the street in front of the house one weekend and was hooked on wrenching. Since then, it's been diesel trucks, Nissan, Honda, Mistubishi, BMW, Mercedes, several other Toyotas, Ford, Volvo....you get the idea.
I moved to Colorado from Oregon and instantly realzied I wanted a real trail rig. I bought a single owner, 2000 4Runner Limited garage queen with 150K. After having it shipped to me, it was outfitted with a Toytec coilover lift, Addicted Offroad bumpers and sliders, winch and number of the tasteful and common 3rd gen mods. In a momentary lapse of judgement, I sold the vehicle to a friend back in Oregon and replaced it with a Volvo XC90 with the 2.5L turbo. Yeah, I did that. I've kicked myself too many times to count.
Shortly after purchasing, my uncle passed and left my dad his 1994 Toyota Pickup. My dad had a 1993 Toyota Pickup Xtra cab with V6 with whoping 88K on it. It had already had the notorious head gaskets replaced. Additionally, he had already installed 33's, a Warn bumper and a Warn winch. I took the '93 and dad kept my uncles old truck. I spent a lot of time massaging that truck and putting tasteful upgrades on the engine, mostly from LC Engineering out of Arizona. As my family has grown (my incredible wife, 2 kids and a hound), fitting in an xtra cab Toyota started getting a bit tight. We found that out over this past Labor Day weekend when we trailed it for 4 hours on the Flat Tops. Fun, but very cozy. I was originally considering another 3rd gen 4Runner, then moved to a 4th gen V8 4Runner with a 3rd row, then realized the FJ's were the best overall rig, and just plain cool. I sold that little truck for $7,200 and turned around and bought my FJ.
So here I am.
In the past week, I've ordered the following:
My experience in these forums has been mixed over the years. I will say this: the Toyota forums have been the best. From what I can see after reading many of the threads, this one shouldn't be too different.
If anyone is travelling across the Western Slope of Colorado and needs to stop, shoot me a message. I'm in a little town called Silt, and always have a porch with cold beer and whiskey. My toolbox doesn't suck, either.
-Josh
What I picked up:
- 1995 Land Cruiser, 282K, $4,500
- Bone stock
- No locks
- Perfect body and new paint in original Moonglow Pearl (bought it from a legit body and paint fella)
- Typical interior for the age, better than a lot, but far from perfect
- Very clean under the hood; no leaks
- Leaky (very) front axle driveshaft pinion seal
- Good birfs: No clicking or other noises. Leaking on the driver side, overly dry looking on pass. side
- Rear axle looks good
- No unusual squeaks or rattles
- Antenna works! I couldn't believe it...
- Clock works, too!
- Cap, rotor, plugs and wires are done
I'm a car guy, having owned around 30, or so, vehicles in my 43 years. I work on all of them. My first vehicle at age 16 was a 1983 Toyota Pickup that needed valve cover gaskets and clutch master cylinder. I fixed that rig on the street in front of the house one weekend and was hooked on wrenching. Since then, it's been diesel trucks, Nissan, Honda, Mistubishi, BMW, Mercedes, several other Toyotas, Ford, Volvo....you get the idea.
I moved to Colorado from Oregon and instantly realzied I wanted a real trail rig. I bought a single owner, 2000 4Runner Limited garage queen with 150K. After having it shipped to me, it was outfitted with a Toytec coilover lift, Addicted Offroad bumpers and sliders, winch and number of the tasteful and common 3rd gen mods. In a momentary lapse of judgement, I sold the vehicle to a friend back in Oregon and replaced it with a Volvo XC90 with the 2.5L turbo. Yeah, I did that. I've kicked myself too many times to count.
Shortly after purchasing, my uncle passed and left my dad his 1994 Toyota Pickup. My dad had a 1993 Toyota Pickup Xtra cab with V6 with whoping 88K on it. It had already had the notorious head gaskets replaced. Additionally, he had already installed 33's, a Warn bumper and a Warn winch. I took the '93 and dad kept my uncles old truck. I spent a lot of time massaging that truck and putting tasteful upgrades on the engine, mostly from LC Engineering out of Arizona. As my family has grown (my incredible wife, 2 kids and a hound), fitting in an xtra cab Toyota started getting a bit tight. We found that out over this past Labor Day weekend when we trailed it for 4 hours on the Flat Tops. Fun, but very cozy. I was originally considering another 3rd gen 4Runner, then moved to a 4th gen V8 4Runner with a 3rd row, then realized the FJ's were the best overall rig, and just plain cool. I sold that little truck for $7,200 and turned around and bought my FJ.
So here I am.
In the past week, I've ordered the following:
- 2.5" OME kit, heavy front, med rear from Slee
- 20mm OME spacers from Cruiser Outfitters
- Rock Defense tube bumper (w/stinger) from Low Range (I already have a Warn winch with synthetic line that will mount to this).
- Birf rebuild kit with bearings from Yotamasters
- Pinion seals from Cruiser Outfitters
- Piles of fluids and grease for baselining and maintenance: Lucas Oil, Red Line, Purple, Mobil 1
- Extended axle breathers from Low Range. Still need to get lines to run. I drive from 5,000 feet to over 11,000 feet regularly. I want my seals to last. If you've ever bought a bag of chips in Denver and driven over Loveland Pass, you know why it's a good idea to have functioning breathers to keep your axle seals alive.
- A few tools that I've been meaning to replace: snap ring pliers, specialty sockets, brass and steel drifts, etc
- A set of studded 305/70R16 Cooper S/T's on Toyota Tacoma wheels for $200. The lowest depth was 12/32's. I couldn't give the guy cash fast enough for those. The best part: I discovered I can fit those tires side-by-side in the back without laying the second row down (3rd row seats were in the garage). They're already on the truck, with an overall height gain of 1 1/8" over stock.
My experience in these forums has been mixed over the years. I will say this: the Toyota forums have been the best. From what I can see after reading many of the threads, this one shouldn't be too different.
If anyone is travelling across the Western Slope of Colorado and needs to stop, shoot me a message. I'm in a little town called Silt, and always have a porch with cold beer and whiskey. My toolbox doesn't suck, either.
-Josh