Help me vet this 88 FJ62 236k miles (1 Viewer)

[Jamieson22]

Looking to purchase my first after it being a dream car for near 20 years. This will be my daily driver, though my daily driving is pretty limited - short trip to commuter train 3 days a week once we return to office plus errands and fun. We have a much more current vehicle that handles the family drives. I am in Chicago area.

I have been messaging @Major Nelson for some advice and he recommended posting this thread for more help. Based on what he has seen the primary concerns are why only left knuckle was rebuilt and the leafs look shot.

According to seller following service had been done:

Current:
New fluids, rear side engine seal replacement, valve adjustment, new windshield washer reservoir, lower radiator hose replacement, left front knuckle rebuild.
Previous owners:
Service records dating back to 4/12/2000 (141,415 miles) and they include: oil changed & chassis lubed religiously every 3,000 miles, trans & diff fluids changed at factory service intervals,
replaced front brake pads (219,517 miles),
replaced water pump, all hoses, belts, idler pulley, thermostat, rebuilt front end, new trunion bearings & seals, new brake rotors, replace rear main seal, replace torque converter seal, new oil pan gasket, (195,761 miles),
new front brakes (176,211 miles),
new alternator (168,855 miles),
rear pinion seal (155,556 miles),
new shocks (153,368 miles).

Tons of photos here:


Would love the good/bad on this one. Thanks!
Jamie

 

[Major Nelson]

Here were some of my concerns:
1. Seller feels like a flipper to me. Nothing wrong with that, but just concerns me he's going for top dollar on a 60 that could have hidden issues.
2. Paint. Def a respray, but he "didn't have" any details on the job. Ie, was the glass pulled? Can't know if there's a ton of bondo hiding some serious issues.
3. The frame and axles look really dry - so it really could be a rust free body.
4. Springs are definitely shot.
5. If that isn't a dash cap that is the best condition original dash I've ever seen. Especially if this rig really lived most of it's life in NM (must have always been garaged).
6. The seller states it has rebuilt front end, new trunion bearings & seals, new brake rotors, replace rear main seal, replace torque converter seal, new oil pan gasket, (195,761 miles), new front brakes (176,211 miles). I've never heard of someone doing all this and not doing a knuckle job at the same time...right? Then the current seller said he had to have the left knuckle done. Just sounded fishy to me. Why wouldn't the OPO have done the knuckles when everything was off?
7. Jamieson22 asked for some close ups of the drain holes for the doors and hatch, but hasn't gotten them.
8. Seller has no real details on the accident the rig was in, aside from the left fender being replaced. I'd want some close up shots of the frame in that area to ensure no damage had been done.
9. I also said he should have the carpet pulled back to inspect the rear wheel wells for any rust. Should do the same for the back of the frame too?

I think the price seems strong to me (but that's always my stance it seems...especially listings that aren't on MUD. I'm thinking that $22K would be a much better price if it really is rust free. (still need to address the springs)

Am I being too cynical and cheap on my estimation for Jamieson22? What else should he be looking for or asking...that I've missed. Are there specific things that should be checked/asked with the 3FE/auto setup. I only have experience with the 2F.

MUD saved me many years ago from buying the wrong FJ40...and then finding the right one. Just trying to pass on the favor.

Cheers.

 

[Jamieson22]

MUD saved me many years ago from buying the wrong FJ40...and then finding the right one. Just trying to pass on the favor.

Cheers.

Thanks so much for all your help.!

I guess you summed up my main two questions of "Is it worth buying" and if so "At what price"? I'd be looking at a trailer fee from GA > IL and if I decide to move forward would likely have a pre-purchase inspection done in GA (called ACC as they are close to seller and they can do it unless anyone has better options).

Beyond that it is more superficial but would prefer dark grey metallic paint and really wish rear it had shoulder belts vs lap to be safe for my youngish-kids.

 

[Major Nelson]

The three point belts is pretty easily addressed as the pillar already has the captive nut for the shoulder harness (it did as far back as 1987). Would require some mods to the cargo panel, but many have done it.

To properly change the color you'd need to pull the glass, doors (including hatch) and front fentders. would still be difficult to address the firewall color. I changed mine when I got it 7 years ago...but it needed a paint job.....addressed the firewall with black paint when the engine was out.

 

[Ian Crawford]

Good luck on the cruiser hunt! You're in the right place for solid guidance and there are some good points made above. I know its tough with niche vehicles but never buy sight unseen. At minimum post in the regional section and see if a fellow Mudder is close and willing to go check it out on your behalf. Or fly out and look at it yourself but be ready to head back home if its not the right truck.

Off topic but nice avatar. Big fan of Songs: Ohia / Magnolia Electric Co. "I've Been Riding With the Ghost" is my go to Halloween jam and all around kick ass song.

 

[Jamieson22]

Good luck on the cruiser hunt! You're in the right place for solid guidance and there are some good points made above. I know its tough with niche vehicles but never buy sight unseen. At minimum post in the regional section and see if a fellow Mudder is close and willing to go check it out on your behalf. Or fly out and look at it yourself but be ready to head back home if its not the right truck.

Off topic but nice avatar. Big fan of Songs: Ohia / Magnolia Electric Co. "I've Been Riding With the Ghost" is my go to Halloween jam and all around kick ass song.

Thanks for advice. I had replied back to seller that I am interested but wanted to see what flex he had on price. He said someone else is having an inspection done Thursday - so this one may be gone before I get a shot. My wife keeps pushing me towards my more practical "dream car" - a Volvo V90 wagon w/ Polestar (current model).

And love that you recognized the avatar! Got to see him live a bunch and bet I've listened to the album "Didn't it Rain" more than anything else in my life. RIP Jason Molina.

 

[Ian Crawford]

Thanks for advice. I had replied back to seller that I am interested but wanted to see what flex he had on price. He said someone else is having an inspection done Thursday - so this one may be gone before I get a shot. My wife keeps pushing me towards my more practical "dream car" - a Volvo V90 wagon w/ Polestar (current model).

And love that you recognized the avatar! Got to see him live a bunch and bet I've listened to the album "Didn't it Rain" more than anything else in my life. RIP Jason Molina.

The Volva V90 wagon would be a sweet ride, I love the new design.

In my opinion, they offer two totally different types of ownership and enjoyment. If you commute any distance and haul family around the Volvo would be much more practical but the Cruiser could do it and do it with a whole different type of style.

I daily drive my '83 and get stopped regularly when pumping gas or get thumbs up from passers by. Most notably, one fall afternoon a few years ago I parked my 60 right in front of an outdoor bar in downtown Louisville. And a guy with his 3 year old son came running up to my wife and I to admire the truck. We sat down with them, over a beer he told us his Cruiser story. When he was growing up he went with his parents and bought a red Land Cruiser new off the lot in 1986. Each summer through high school they pulled a small camper with it and toured the US. They went to all Lower 48 states with it! He was immersed in nostalgia, as was I.

I've met some great people and built some great friendships through Land Cruisers.

That said, why not both?

 

[Jamieson22]

The Volva V90 wagon would be a sweet ride, I love the new design.

In my opinion, they offer two totally different types of ownership and enjoyment. If you commute any distance and haul family around the Volvo would be much more practical but the Cruiser could do it and do it with a whole different type of style.

I daily drive my '83 and get stopped regularly when pumping gas or get thumbs up from passers by. Most notably, one fall afternoon a few years ago I parked my 60 right in front of an outdoor bar in downtown Louisville. And a guy with his 3 year old son came running up to my wife and I to admire the truck. We sat down with them, over a beer he told us his Cruiser story. When he was growing up he went with his parents and bought a red Land Cruiser new off the lot in 1986. Each summer through high school they pulled a small camper with it and toured the US. They went to all Lower 48 states with it! He was immersed in nostalgia, as was I.

I've met some great people and built some great friendships through Land Cruisers.

That said, why not both?

I am too practical for multiple cars

My wife has a MY17 Volvo XC90 T6 and basically that is the car we use for family/errands/etc. My current '13 Outback has just been sitting in the garage since COVID started as I have been WFH. Once I have to return to office it will be 3x a week and I'll simply be driving a 15 mile round-trip to the commuter train parking lot. Other than that my car just gets driven sparsely (< 3k miles a year). So been thinking I could pull off a 60/62 as a daily driver since it is mainly just me driving it. Honestly as my kids are 8/10 not sure I'd want them in it much for safety reasons - so if I had to haul them a lot I wouldn't be considering.

Guess what I am after if a very clean and reliable/mechanically sound one. Don't mind paying a premium as I won't have time to work on it much (nor am I capable). The minimal driving I do also makes me hesitant on spending so much on a V90 that won't be driven much.

 

[DFXR]

Not to pry, but can you keep the Subaru and still buy the 62? Or at least have both for the first year or so?

This 62, and any 62 you find, is an old car. You may as well be buying a ‘64 Nova wagon. No matter how diligent you are in pre-purchase, it will have issues and there will be times in the first year of ownership that you won’t be able to drive it. I know that sounds harsh, but that’s generally the deal with old cars that aren’t Camrys.

So, have 3 cars for a while but drive the 62 as much as you can. Figure out what’s working and what’s not and deal with that stuff without stress.

 

[Jamieson22]

Not to pry, but can you keep the Subaru and still buy the 62? Or at least have both for the first year or so?

This 62, and any 62 you find, is an old car. You may as well be buying a ‘64 Nova wagon. No matter how diligent you are in pre-purchase, it will have issues and there will be times in the first year of ownership that you won’t be able to drive it. I know that sounds harsh, but that’s generally the deal with old cars that aren’t Camrys.

So, have 3 cars for a while but drive the 62 as much as you can. Figure out what’s working and what’s not and deal with that stuff without stress.

Yeah that is a good point and has been a nagging thread in my mind - what happens when the 60/62 needs work that may take a couple weeks to get parts. I could cut a bigger check, though the thought of putting the Outback money into the 60/62 is helping me justify it. Right now it would be zero issue but when I do have to go back to work 3x a week would suck.

My wife is pushing me to get the Volvo V90 and down the road some time get one of those crazy full restorations as my weekend car. She too is worried about having to come pick me up somewhere when car breaks down, etc. May be setting up for an "I told you so".

 

[Seth S]

I agree. My limit on cars is no more than 12. After that it’s just too much

Yeah that is a good point and has been a nagging thread in my mind - what happens when the 60/62 needs work that may take a couple weeks to get parts. I could cut a bigger check, though the thought of putting the Outback money into the 60/62 is helping me justify it. Right now it would be zero issue but when I do have to go back to work 3x a week would suck.

My wife is pushing me to get the Volvo V90 and down the road some time get one of those crazy full restorations as my weekend car. She too is worried about having to come pick me up somewhere when car breaks down, etc. May be setting up for an "I told you so".

I think relying on any 30+ year old car for daily driving is going to be inherently riskier regardless of which make/model it is. Better to have a 60/62 for play and daily driving when you also have a backup vehicle in the garage for the day the truck comes home on the flatbed with a rod knock or an electrical issue, or some other likely easy to fix but leave you on the side of the road issue.

Most new cars are pretty boring IMO but it is nice to have some vehicle security when getting to work is important.

On the flip side though the 60/62 are pretty simple and aside from drinking fuel like it was free they are quite reliable when they have been properly maintained throughout their lives and updated as needed.

 

[rickyrockrat]

Not to pry, but can you keep the Subaru and still buy the 62? Or at least have both for the first year or so?

This 62, and any 62 you find, is an old car. You may as well be buying a ‘64 Nova wagon. No matter how diligent you are in pre-purchase, it will have issues and there will be times in the first year of ownership that you won’t be able to drive it. I know that sounds harsh, but that’s generally the deal with old cars that aren’t Camrys.

So, have 3 cars for a while but drive the 62 as much as you can. Figure out what’s working and what’s not and deal with that stuff without stress.

OK. I just have to say my daily driver is a 1978 Toyota Corolla and my other daily driver is my '88 FJ62. The only reason I can't drive either is if I decide to do some scheduled maintenance....

And I much prefer the 78 or one of my FJ60s because the FJ62 is fuel injected, and that REALLY SUCKS when something goes south. I currently have an idle problem and am dreading going through the manual to figure it out. A carborated rig is so much easier to figure out.

 

[BlackCat]

I’m totally for everyone having a 60/62, but not as a DD. It takes a special breed of person to want to drive one everyday. I took my 60 from Phoenix to San Diego once, and like 45min into the trip I was like “why on earth did I take this thing instead of the Lexus”.
They’re super fun. They generally get quite a bit of attention. But by today’s standards, they literally do nothing well.

 

[Seth S]

OK. I just have to say my daily driver is a 1978 Toyota Corolla and my other daily driver is my '88 FJ62. The only reason I can't drive either is if I decide to do some scheduled maintenance....

And I much prefer the 78 or one of my FJ60s because the FJ62 is fuel injected, and that REALLY SUCKS when something goes south. I currently have an idle problem and am dreading going through the manual to figure it out. A carborated rig is so much easier to figure out.

I’m just the opposite. My daily driver was a 1999 Saab 9-5 with Trionic fuel injection and ignition. Way easier to figure out when there was a problem and arguable far more reliable than the 60 even. Car currently has 300,000 miles on it.

I’ll take fuel injection any day over a carb.

 

[Jamieson22]

I’m totally for everyone having a 60/62, but not as a DD. It takes a special breed of person to want to drive one everyday. I took my 60 from Phoenix to San Diego once, and like 45min into the trip I was like “why on earth did I take this thing instead of the Lexus”.
They’re super fun. They generally get quite a bit of attention. But by today’s standards, they literally do nothing well.

I guess I just like cars that aren't fancy. I had a '01 Jeep XJ I purchased new and during that time my wife had an '06 Grand Cherokee HEMI. When she wanted a new car we sold it instead of my XJ. That is when we got the '13 Outback I have now. A year or so after that my wife got a company car and it was a bit of a fight for me to sell the XJ vs Outback. Loved that thing.

I guess beyond that my "daily drive" is a trip to the train station. If there are issues I can uber or simply work from home. Though I am now considering keeping the Outback until I am safe in knowing this 60/62 would be reliable enough.

Now issue is finding one. Seems a nice clean 62 for $25k may be a pipe dream. Have been searching the whole country via FB Marketplace and Cargurus. Any other advice?

 

[MDH33]

Double post

 

[MDH33]

Unless you are doing the wrenching yourself, I would not recommend an old cruiser for a daily driver. Having it serviced would get expensive, if you can find a mechanic willing to work on something that old. Also, if you daily it in winter, it will be a rusted mess in a couple of years. That's just throwing money away.

The one you posted looks nice, but thats a lot of coin for a high mileage stock 62 that needs work. (They almost always do).

 

[ceylonfj40nut]

I will offer an opinion. Take it or leave it. Your opening statement about it being your dream rig you have been thinking about for 20 years said a lot to me. Life is short. If you have the money, do it. It’s your money. Enjoy what it brings. The good, the bad, the ugly. They are all memories. It just depends how you choose to view it. Live out your dreams if you can. Makes a lot of sense to me with each passing day. You never get the days that past back, but you can smile at them. Ball is in your court

 

[Jamieson22]

Unless you are doing the wrenching yourself, I would not recommend an old cruiser for a daily driver. Having it serviced would get expensive, if you can find a mechanic willing to work on something that old. Also, if you daily it in winter, it will be a rusted mess in a couple of years. That's just throwing money away.

The one you posted looks nice, but thats a lot of coin for a high mileage stock 62 that needs work. (They almost always do).

Yeah one I was looking at was inspected by another buyer. They offered $25k and seller declined - so they are firm on price. This is list of work identified:

Replace shifter bushings: Parts $5 / 1 hr. labor
Replace battery terminals: Parts $49 / .5 hr. labor
Recommended: replace power steering pump. Existing beginning to leak: Parts: $664 / 3 hrs. labor
Replace parking brake cable: Parts: $142 / 3 hrs. labor

That said, $26.6k is one of the lower priced 62 I've seen that don't have visible rust and beat up interior. Not sure how much of this is being driven by generally crazy car market vs general appreciation. Hate to think I'm buying something that in a few years may drop $10k in value due to the "crazy car market" premium.

 

[Jamieson22]

I will offer an opinion. Take it or leave it. Your opening statement about it being your dream rig you have been thinking about for 20 years said a lot to me. Life is short. If you have the money, do it. It’s your money. Enjoy what it brings. The good, the bad, the ugly. They are all memories. It just depends how you choose to view it. Live out your dreams if you can. Makes a lot of sense to me with each passing day. You never get the days that past back, but you can smile at them. Ball is in your court

I very much appreciate this perspective and honestly have been thinking along the same lines. This isn't a "flash in pan" sort of want and it won't hurt us at all financially. Perhaps I am getting off lucky that my mid-life crisis has a $25-30k price tag vs a Porsche or something. Just need to find the right one.