Has it ever been determined why the U.S. Market 62 was so basic?
- Thread starter Lead Head
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Old Nick
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Our 62 was an August '87 build. It's got A/C but manual everything else. No rear chest belts (but the captive nuts are under the pillars (used those to mount up the Rangler net). I much prefer it stripped down like that. Less stuff to break. Heck, getting the windows on our 80 series working took some doing... and money. Still running the ol' slush box in the 62. One of these days, it'll get swapped and an H55F. For now, it always gets me where I want to go, just slowly... lol.
Having a poverty package '88 and having had a 1990 FJ62 previously, I've often wondered if Toyota just made the 62 to use up parts from the 60 production line and to maybe test some newer technology like electric windows, locks and antenna before putting it all in the 80 series. Probably not the case, but I can't help wondering every time I look at the carb cooling fan!
Old Nick
GOLD Star
I think that you may be on to something, especially with that last point. The last time I tore down our 62, I almost deleted the said fan... but chose to re-install it in the end as it does actually come on from time to time. The heat in the engine bay gets pretty intense, especially in the summer.
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- #25
Keep in mind the 3FE FJ80 trucks also had a cooling fan for the EFI, but completely different than the 60/62 fan. So they went through the trouble of designing a new fan for the 80 series. The way I like to look at it, is that generally speaking, automakers are not in the business of doing things for no reason, or giving things away for "free". If the fan wasn't necessary, they wouldn't have put it.
Inline 6 engines that had the exhaust and intake on the same side almost always had issues with exhaust heat causing issues with the fuel system. Carb and EFI ones. Nissan EFI I6's had cooling fans. The first few years of the Ford 300-6 EFI engine had an injection cooling fan before switching to heat-shielding and higher fuel pressure (60 PSI, vs 40 PSI that every other Ford of the time used). The Jeep 4.0 I6 infamously had tons of heat related issues with its fuel injection system, with Chrysler adding more and more heat shielding over the years, to the point where they had individual heat shields for specific injectors.
Old Nick
GOLD Star
Those are very good points. In the end, the reasons that you noted are why I left the cooling fan in place. If the engineers felt it was necessary for proper cooling, it didn't seem wise to delete it. In summer temps, the fan comes on nearly every time I turn the old girl off.
Interestingly, I've had two Canadian market FJ62s (an '88 and an '89) and both were equipped with headlight washers. Aside from the speedo being in km/h, they seem to be otherwise identical to the US-spec FJ62s.
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- #28
Interesting! I wonder if it was truly never available in the U.S., or if it was just a specific request a dealer had to make, and no dealers did it?
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The FJ62, in non-US markets came out in late 1985 if I remember correctly (so pre face-lift). With the 1987 face-lift (round to square headlights etc), many components changed, but they were still FJ62s. So no, the FJ62 was not a parts bin special.
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- #30
It seems like really the only thing that defines the FJ62 vs the FJ60 is the 62 having a 3F engine. As you mentioned, there were some round-headlight old-interior FJ62s made. I think the Japanese market also got the refresh front end and interior before the rest of the world, as well.
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The engine is precisely what differentiates an FJ62 from an FJ60. Same with an HJ61 vs an HJ60. Americans get hung up on the headlight shape because it happened for them at the same time and is more visually obvious, but it is irrelevant. For example, there were square headlight HJ60s made until the last year of Japanese production and round headlight HJ60s rolling off the production line from Day One. Same for the BJ60, though after 1987 they were only sold in a few countries.
As far as I am aware, the face-lift was 08/1987-on in all markets, though certain models may not have been launched until 1988.
I had both (I just sold the 62). And the HJ61 vs the FJ62 are completely different vehicles despite looking similar. Literally everything about the 61 is better than 62 the US market really did get robbed. The 12HT is an incredible motor especially compared the 3FE, the high roof is awesome and the interior is so much nicer on the 61.
