FJC to 200 (1 Viewer)

[LAMc207]

Hi Everyone, I have been hanging around Mud for several years but I am much more of a reader than a poster, so I figured I'd introduce myself. My name is Logan and I have a Cruiser problem and it has spread to my whole family. I have a built 2012 Trail Teams FJC which I wheel regularly, have traveled the country with, and currently DD. Since I bought it about 5 years ago, my family has also adopted a 1974 40 series, a 93 triple locked 80, and a 14 Ultimate FJC.

I love my FJC but I am also very aware of all of its shortcomings, which are increasingly bothersome to me. I sat down to make a list of things I had "left" on my build desires, which included an Aux Fuel tank for trips with my Expo Trailer (seeing 210 mi/tank), 9.5 rear end and regear, and more power (hopefully from the regear, but potentially supercharger). I also wanted more interior space (with wife and new dog) and a more stout front end, which would be much harder to impossible to accomplish. Also, every component of the list is very expensive to solve one single problem.

So, my thoughts led me to the 200 platform. I had a 2nd gen 5.7 Tundra and loved the power but didn't like the size, so the engine is my first pro for the 200. The 200 is obviously bigger than the FJC, with higher towing cap, larger tank, and much beefier axles. I have read several of the builds on this forum as well as the FAQs and any other info I can find. My main concern with the 200 is the departure angle (would be doing steel bumpers on both ends regardless), weight and size on the trail, and range. I am not expecting a rock crawler (FJCs aren't either) but I do enjoy technical, sometimes tight east coast trails.

I have been speaking with @cruiseroutfit about this and he suggested I post here so others could respond and benefit as well. My plan would be to sell the FJC (which I never thought would happen) while the market is still ridiculous and buy an older, 100k+ mile 200 with a little money left over to start the build. I have had a hard time getting a straight comparison answer since the FJC can be so polarizing, but I would love any experience from people who wheel their 200s somewhat hard, have some highway miles on built 200s, or have experience with both platforms. I am also interested in longevity/reviews on the LX570 air ride and bumper fitament since the secret is out they can be more budget friendly used. Thanks!

 

[TonyP]

@Taco2Cruiser

Is our resident FJC to 200 guy.

I, personally, find the FJC to be rather spartan.

 

[Markuson]

TonyP beat me to it. You really should talk to @Taco2Cruiser as he wheeled his FJC HARD, and has spoken many times of how the LC does even better in many respects.

All the obvious "upgrades" from FJC to the 200 aside...

-The thing that kept me away from the FJC was visibility from the driver's seat. Sitting in it, I felt like I was looking through a long, low tunnel with its short windshield set SO far forward. You can't just lean forward and see UP. Visibility in the 200 is so much better, especially up front and also rear/sides.

 

[Taco2Cruiser]

Hi Everyone, I have been hanging around Mud for several years but I am much more of a reader than a poster, so I figured I'd introduce myself. My name is Logan and I have a Cruiser problem and it has spread to my whole family. I have a built 2012 Trail Teams FJC which I wheel regularly, have traveled the country with, and currently DD. Since I bought it about 5 years ago, my family has also adopted a 1974 40 series, a 93 triple locked 80, and a 14 Ultimate FJC.

I love my FJC but I am also very aware of all of its shortcomings, which are increasingly bothersome to me. I sat down to make a list of things I had "left" on my build desires, which included an Aux Fuel tank for trips with my Expo Trailer (seeing 210 mi/tank), 9.5 rear end and regear, and more power (hopefully from the regear, but potentially supercharger). I also wanted more interior space (with wife and new dog) and a more stout front end, which would be much harder to impossible to accomplish. Also, every component of the list is very expensive to solve one single problem.

So, my thoughts led me to the 200 platform. I had a 2nd gen 5.7 Tundra and loved the power but didn't like the size, so the engine is my first pro for the 200. The 200 is obviously bigger than the FJC, with higher towing cap, larger tank, and much beefier axles. I have read several of the builds on this forum as well as the FAQs and any other info I can find. My main concern with the 200 is the departure angle (would be doing steel bumpers on both ends regardless), weight and size on the trail, and range. I am not expecting a rock crawler (FJCs aren't either) but I do enjoy technical, sometimes tight east coast trails.

I have been speaking with @cruiseroutfit about this and he suggested I post here so others could respond and benefit as well. My plan would be to sell the FJC (which I never thought would happen) while the market is still ridiculous and buy an older, 100k+ mile 200 with a little money left over to start the build. I have had a hard time getting a straight comparison answer since the FJC can be so polarizing, but I would love any experience from people who wheel their 200s somewhat hard, have some highway miles on built 200s, or have experience with both platforms. I am also interested in longevity/reviews on the LX570 air ride and bumper fitament since the secret is out they can be more budget friendly used. Thanks!

Hey brother, first off, welcome. So you are in the exact same boat I was in about 3 years ago, but yeah, I loved my FJC. bought it in 2006, and wheeled every big name trail and place over 9 years, and crossed the county 27 times. Never one single problem, failure, or issue. I love tight, technical, all around hard trails, and the size, angles, and stoutness made the FJC a wonderful vehicle. Mine was quite built, but you can read through the beginning of my build tread to see some fellow FJC enjoyment and get a feel for what I did.

But I wanted a family, and had my first kid when I was 30. I never wanted to give up on the FJC, so I had plans to build a trailer. Long story short, I was trying to order one through Adventure Trailers, and could never get a response for weeks. So I went back to the drawing board, and I also was wanted to go back to a rock buddy and a more overland vehicle. After putting every while in the running from other Toyotas, Ford, Dodges, I started looking a Land Cruisers. Maybe an 80 and I'll put a modern diesel in it?, maybe a 100 and I'll SAS it. Then I found a 200 for $35K with 80,000 miles and no rust or damage. SO after 15 months of going form a trailer to paying money fro something, I had a 200.

I was fooling myself that I wanted to stop rock crawling and just overland. But I had a 200, and soon realized that it is phenomenal in technical terrain. A 200 with KDSS is far more stable in the rocks than a FJ long traveled front and rear with a BudBuilt Tummy Tuck, period. Its amazing, but I'm absolutely confident that I can go do the Rubicon trail without damage in a 200.

The only limitation is the departure angle. But, put a OME 2723 (without a rear bumper) or a OME 2724 (with a rear bumper) rear spring in the back, and be just a little mindful to not go strait off ledges like you can with a FJC, and the 200 will tackle any terrain the same, and because of the architecture of 200, be more stable while doing it. You will feel much less "tippy" in a 200 over an FJ.

But then you get a frame that a Prado 150 could only dream of being, a 9.5 rear and 9 front compared to a 8.2 rear and 8 front, a steering that makes all other Toyota's look like your sister's steering, and more comfort for the terrain you will be trying to conquer the most, the road.

Even a dedicated trail rig that drives itself to the trail (like my 200), will spend 95% of it's life on a paved road, and if I can wheel the same places as my build FJC with my build 200, but run the roads with even less fatigue and be able to carry more people or stuff, why would I not do it?

My FJ is now my good friends, and I still maintenance it when we meet up (he lives in LA) so I do get to wheel with both every year. They are both great, but if I pull my emotions out of the memories I made with that 'ol black FJ, my new to me 200 is better in every way.

It is a Land Cruiser for a reason, and all Toyota's below it, are, ultimately, compromised vehicles because of cost.

 

[TonyP]

And if you need further convincing. Here are 17 pages to flip through.

To Hell and Back Moab 2017

 

[LAMc207]

@Taco2Cruiser Awesome, that's the type of input I was hoping to hear. I guess it is time for the casual search to intensify. I was a bet shocked to see stock to stock, the much bigger Land Cruiser had a better turning radius than the FJC.

 

[GoISU]

I too, thought I would never sell my FJ. The LC is an upgrade in every category. I’ve never owned such a nice vehicle and I’m almost certain I’ll drive one for the rest of my life. I bought a ‘13 almost one year ago to the day. It only had 23K miles and while it was sad to see the FJ go the driving experience day to day is such an improvement I got over it fairly quickly.

The 200 is so much more capable than I ever imagined, while I am not a rock crawler I have not encountered an instance of buyers remorse on the trail yet.

 

[RyanR]

Hey brother, first off, welcome. So you are in the exact same boat I was in about 3 years ago, but yeah, I loved my FJC. bought it in 2006, and wheeled every big name trail and place over 9 years, and crossed the county 27 times. Never one single problem, failure, or issue. I love tight, technical, all around hard trails, and the size, angles, and stoutness made the FJC a wonderful vehicle. Mine was quite built, but you can read through the beginning of my build tread to see some fellow FJC enjoyment and get a feel for what I did.

But I wanted a family, and had my first kid when I was 30. I never wanted to give up on the FJC, so I had plans to build a trailer. Long story short, I was trying to order one through Adventure Trailers, and could never get a response for weeks. So I went back to the drawing board, and I also was wanted to go back to a rock buddy and a more overland vehicle. After putting every while in the running from other Toyotas, Ford, Dodges, I started looking a Land Cruisers. Maybe an 80 and I'll put a modern diesel in it?, maybe a 100 and I'll SAS it. Then I found a 200 for $35K with 80,000 miles and no rust or damage. SO after 15 months of going form a trailer to paying money fro something, I had a 200.

I was fooling myself that I wanted to stop rock crawling and just overland. But I had a 200, and soon realized that it is phenomenal in technical terrain. A 200 with KDSS is far more stable in the rocks than a FJ long traveled front and rear with a BudBuilt Tummy Tuck, period. Its amazing, but I'm absolutely confident that I can go do the Rubicon trail without damage in a 200.

The only limitation is the departure angle. But, put a OME 2723 (without a rear bumper) or a OME 2724 (with a rear bumper) rear spring in the back, and be just a little mindful to not go strait off ledges like you can with a FJC, and the 200 will tackle any terrain the same, and because of the architecture of 200, be more stable while doing it. You will feel much less "tippy" in a 200 over an FJ.

But then you get a frame that a Prado 150 could only dream of being, a 9.5 rear and 9 front compared to a 8.2 rear and 8 front, a steering that makes all other Toyota's look like your sister's steering, and more comfort for the terrain you will be trying to conquer the most, the road.

Even a dedicated trail rig that drives itself to the trail (like my 200), will spend 95% of it's life on a paved road, and if I can wheel the same places as my build FJC with my build 200, but run the roads with even less fatigue and be able to carry more people or stuff, why would I not do it?

My FJ is now my good friends, and I still maintenance it when we meet up (he lives in LA) so I do get to wheel with both every year. They are both great, but if I pull my emotions out of the memories I made with that 'ol black FJ, my new to me 200 is better in every way.

It is a Land Cruiser for a reason, and all Toyota's below it, are, ultimately, compromised vehicles because of cost.

Well I was going to type up a long reply since I built a 2008 FJ Cruiser Trail Teams and wheeled the crap out of it all over the country and then switched to a 200 series due to my growing family... read Taco2Cruiser's post and realized it was pretty much all the same stuff I was going to type. Only difference for me is I went to an LX570. Having gone through dozens of suspension setups across several vehicles in the past trying to find that magical balance of on-road and off-road capability the combo of AHC and AVS on the LX570 is just amazing. Being able to completely alter the personality of the vehicle with a flip of the switch is really fun.

Either way, the 200 series is a better truck in every conceivable way except carpet. Really liked not having carpet in the FJ.

 

[Rigger]

Leave the FJC. Embrace the 200. Do not look back.

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.“

 

[LAMc207]

Well I was going to type up a long reply since I built a 2008 FJ Cruiser Trail Teams and wheeled the crap out of it all over the country and then switched to a 200 series due to my growing family... read Taco2Cruiser's post and realized it was pretty much all the same stuff I was going to type. Only difference for me is I went to an LX570. Having gone through dozens of suspension setups across several vehicles in the past trying to find that magical balance of on-road and off-road capability the combo of AHC and AVS on the LX570 is just amazing. Being able to completely alter the personality of the vehicle with a flip of the switch is really fun.

Either way, the 200 series is a better truck in every conceivable way except carpet. Really liked not having carpet in the FJ.

I was wondering about the LX570. I understand the LX and LC 200s differ more than the 80s or 100s. Have you done aftermarket bumpers with the different front end?

Leave the FJC. Embrace the 200. Do not look back.

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.“

Alright, +1 for the Frost quote!

 

[Rigger]

I’ve never owned an FJ Cruiser so can’t really speak to transitioning away from that model. I was motivated to buy mine because I wanted to do Cruise Moab and my wife and four of our children wanted to come, too. We needed the biggest Cruiser for this outing.

We bought our ‘08, lifted it, packed up and went. This is one seriously capable 4x4. Don’t let it’s climate controlled cushiness fool you. This rig can wheel with the best. The aftermarket support continues to grow.

We’ve rolled many a mile in comfort in this thing. And had some fun wheeling, too.

 

[Markuson]

What Rigger said.

I just tripped 100k today on my 2008, and it still feels like new.

And ya. Seriously capable to a point where my own driving errors are typically the only issue. It's truly fun to never feel limited by equipment. It means it's really up to you...within reason...but ya. These things are amazing.

 

[LAMc207]

I finally found a local 200 to test drive today. 2013 with 140k, a little newer than I am looking for, but place to get my feet wet nonetheless. I could not believe how unbelievably smooth it was! And the seats and seating position aren't even in the same league. I will be officially listing the FJC and starting a more serious hunt for the 200.

 

[TonyP]

Welcome to the machine.