Found a cruiser - looking for some feedback. (1 Viewer)

[Banjoman]

Hi all, I think I may have found a bj60 that would be good for me.
before I jump to having my family’s mechanic (who has owned 13 different cruisers) inspect it I thought I would check and see if anyone could give me a ballpark value on it. I wouldn’t anticipate selling (probably ever) but if the need should arise it would be great to know that I could recoup the purchase price.
(I’m not quite sure if this is the best place for it or not so please let me know if I have posted this incorrectly)
It is an ‘83 bj60 350,000 km with 5 speed manual
The owner has replaced several body panels, cut out all of the rust and replaced with metal. The paint job is a matte olive green (not a terrible colour - I just like the factory colours better)
It has an OME lift on it.
New 33” tires
New glass
No roof rack (removed years ago)
The entire front end was rebuilt from the hubs in. (Knuckles redone and all)
It has a couple of things left to do on it - reinstall taillights, make sure the clutch is working right - that’s about it.
It was the owners project vehicle and he said if I don’t take it he will finish it up for himself.
Any thoughts?
It seems pretty sweet, I just want to make sure I make the right call.
Thanks
Jackson

 

[OSS]

Drive it or another BJ60, then reassess if it's the vehicle type you want. That 4 cyl diesel is not exactly peppy.

 

[Banjoman]

Thanks!
I’m working on that - hopefully I’ll get a chance next week.
Although if anyone in Alberta has one and is ok with letting me ride I’d be game!

 

[drwright68]

I would be willing to take the tranny from it lol!

 

[georgebj60]

Really hard to offer you an opinion based on a description alone. Whenever body or paint work is involved, pictures are a must. I can cut steel out, and weld in new steel - but you don't want me to. I'm not a proficient welder. And matte paint can be a sign of choosing a sheen to cover up the imperfections. New gloss paint can expose a lot of problems.
Honestly though, if the owner went to all this trouble and is wanting to sell it before it's done - he wants out. He doesn't want to finish it for himself.

EDIT. I'm going to throw out a range - $3K for drivetrain donor and a few other parts. $20K+ if it's done nice, and right and is complete inside and out.

 

[Banjoman]

I would be willing to take the tranny from it lol!

There seem to be a few floating around up here - would be a good price for you too considering our dollar is worth approximately twenty cents American.

Really hard to offer you an opinion based on a description alone. Whenever body or paint work is involved, pictures are a must. I can cut steel out, and weld in new steel - but you don't want me to. I'm not a proficient welder. And matte paint can be a sign of choosing a sheen to cover up the imperfections. New gloss paint can expose a lot of problems.
Honestly though, if the owner went to all this trouble and is wanting to sell it before it's done - he wants out. He doesn't want to finish it for himself.

EDIT. I'm going to throw out a range - $3K for drivetrain donor and a few other parts. $20K+ if it's done nice, and right and is complete inside and out.

Thank you!
I understand it doesn’t really work to ask for an idea without photos. As I am trying to respect the privacy of the current owner I felt I should refrain from posting photos on the public forum.
Thank you all for your feedback - lots to think on!
Jackson

 

[FJACS]

Don’t use any of the 60 series cruisers currently on Kijiji in Alberta as a price reference. The $2400 one in Grand Prairie is complete junk. I wouldn’t take it for free. For the record:

 

[kirvesmies]

1st off, welcome to mud from another canuck 2nd, where's pics dude? we all interpret what we read differently. i'd probably trust the mechanic's prognosis seeing as he's owned a number of them

 

[Banjoman]

Don’t use any of the 60 series cruisers currently on Kijiji in Alberta as a price reference. The $2400 one in Grand Prairie is complete junk. I wouldn’t take it for free. For the record:
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Thanks! Yep, I figured that was the case with that one!

1st off, welcome to mud from another canuck 2nd, where's pics dude? we all interpret what we read differently. i'd probably trust the mechanic's prognosis seeing as he's owned a number of them

Thanks!
I’ll give photos a shot when I can!
I do certainly trust the mechanic’s evaluation, I just wanted to make sure it was worth bringing it down (2 hours) to have him take a look.

 

[kirvesmies]

Thanks! Yep, I figured that was the case with that one!



Thanks!
I’ll give photos a shot when I can!
I do certainly trust the mechanic’s evaluation, I just wanted to make sure it was worth bringing it down (2 hours) to have him take a look.

why don't you take him up to see it instead? n pay him for his time. i've done that with a few vehicles n believe it's worth it

 

[Banjoman]

Well, I went for it!
I’m now the proud owner of an ‘83 BJ60 in olive green - if you see me around give a wave!
I did hire my mechanic to drive up and take a look at it first and had him trailer it home too.
He actually let me store it at his shop and work on it there to get it going. I spent a day getting the surface rust and some of the messy rock guard off the undercarriage - the frame actually looks excellent!
I degreased the whole engine - looking to see if we have any leaks that are an issue or just POs who never cleaned her up.
Changed the belts (or actually belt - having trouble finding the 50” power steering belt)
Reinstalled the front driveshaft (not sure why the PO removed it - 4wd works great)
Bled the brakes and clutch.
Refilled the coolant.
Fixed some of the POs wiring - now all that stuff works except I have no speakers and possibly a non functioning radio (have to see yet on that)
And at this point she runs great!
There seems to be a bit of blowby so an engine rebuild is probably in my future, (terrifying!)
But...
At the end of this month I am driving to Quebec for a course.
Any recommendations for a tool kit/everydaycarry for a 6-7000km Cruiser trip?
Ill be installing a temp gauge so I can monitor the real temp, as I am genuinely concerned that I will push the 3b too hard. (I’m not a hard driver, but I took her out on the highway here yesterday just to get to the other end of the city and got her up to a blistering 92km/hr) considering I’ll be doing almost full days of highest driving where should I aim to keep my rpm?
Thanks for all the help guys!
Any other hints I’ll take em!

 

[Seth S]

is that flat paint?

 

[Banjoman]

is that flat paint?

Yes it is.
Interesting paint history on this one.
Original colour code is Copper Brown metallic. (474)
At some point (I believe in the early 2000s) a PO painted it a really nice sparkle forest green. Then when the PO before me did the rust cut out and replace he painted it with this olive matte green. I must say not my favourite and if I keep it for a long time I’ll probably do a proper paint job.

 

[Seth S]

looks like a good base to work with.

 

[FJBen]

@Banjoman
The 3B

90hp @ 3,500rpm
160ftlb tq at 2000rpm


Not sure how big your tires are, but ~92kph, you would be turning ~2200rpms with 31" tires with the 5 speed. (should have a 5 speed right)
2200~2400 seems like a good RPM range to me (I have a 13BT/5 speed and 33's so a little bit different)

I can't stress enough to make sure that coolant is flushed and in good running order. You can crack a head/pre-cup/gasket in no time with a bad shape cooling system on the 3B. Great motor, tough as all get out but doesn't like heat.

Above 65mph on these just sucks down the fuel and I feel works them hard. 60~62 is a pretty good sweet spot.

Congrats!

 

[KamarulF]

Have fun driving..make sure all is well lubricated with good cooling system. Listen well for any concerning sounds from trans, engine, axels and bearings. Give her love and she'll love u back Congrats

 

[diesellibrarian]

Decided to flip it, Banjoman?

Kijiji - Buy, Sell & Save with Canada's #1 Local Classifieds

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www.kijiji.ca

 

[Banjoman]

Decided to flip it, Banjoman?

Kijiji - Buy, Sell & Save with Canada's #1 Local Classifieds

Visit Kijiji Classifieds to buy, sell, or trade almost anything! New and used items, cars, real estate, jobs, services, vacation rentals and more virtually anywhere.

www.kijiji.ca

I did decide to put it up in case there is someone out there who will value it (monetarily) more that I do.
I really like it but I’m looking to get some money together for a down payment on a house within the next year or so and if someone values the Cruiser more than I do I can find another project one and learn even more about them!
And if not, then woo hoo! Lots of fun trips I can do!

 

[Banjoman]

@Banjoman
The 3B

90hp @ 3,500rpm
160ftlb tq at 2000rpm


Not sure how big your tires are, but ~92kph, you would be turning ~2200rpms with 31" tires with the 5 speed. (should have a 5 speed right)
2200~2400 seems like a good RPM range to me (I have a 13BT/5 speed and 33's so a little bit different)

I can't stress enough to make sure that coolant is flushed and in good running order. You can crack a head/pre-cup/gasket in no time with a bad shape cooling system on the 3B. Great motor, tough as all get out but doesn't like heat.

Above 65mph on these just sucks down the fuel and I feel works them hard. 60~62 is a pretty good sweet spot.

Congrats!

Have fun driving..make sure all is well lubricated with good cooling system. Listen well for any concerning sounds from trans, engine, axels and bearings. Give her love and she'll love u back Congrats

Thank you both!
She purrs really nice right now and I want to keep her that way!
I took her out on the highway again for a longer drive yesterday kept her under 2500rpm and hit 110km/hr on a downhill