How many rust free 60's do you think are still out there? (1 Viewer)

[Zack1978]

Hey everyone,
I am at a crossroads with my 87 fj60. The truck has 240,000 miles on the odo, and it has spent it's entire life here in NJ (exposed to salt = rust). When I got it in 2000, I had the rust cut out and new metal welded in, had it painted, and dropped a TON!!!!!! of $$$$ into it. Well now 5 yrs later the rust is starting to come back, the springs are shot, the trans has a bad synchro on 3rd gear, and the engine is tired. So now what the hell do I do? I was looking in the for sale section, and I found the "rutbeer" truck and I WANT it badly. But I can't have two 60's.

I just feel like such an idiot, because I wanted a 60 since I was 12, so in 2000 when I graduated college I got the first one I found, can you impulse buy!!! And I should have stayed away from it. After tons of $$$ I still have a truck that is no place near perfect, and I don't think I can put any more oney into a truck that I know is rusting again! Please give me some advice! Again , I feel stupid for dumoing cash into something that wa not worth it in the first place!

Thanks,
Zack

 

[High Desert]

cut your losses, start over

If you price it reasonablily, a hunter or someone looking for a banger/knockaround wagon will pick it up.

Buying a good fj60 will cost a lot less than a new anything. You've learned a lot now you know what to look for (#1, don't buy a east coast rig!).

My 84 has 94K miles and Zero rust. Not for sale at this point by-the-way.

It's my 4th cruiser all have been rust free low milage rigs..just gotta look, and not just on these cruiser head sites.

they are out there..

dump the rust bucket be patient..start over.

just the old 2 cents worth...

HD

 

[NocalFJ60]

I am selling one of my 60 with zero rust. Come buy it and drive it across the country.Look in the cruisers for sale section on here.

 

[Exiled]

Having lived in the east coast (MD, VA), I know your frustration, but there are a LOT of rust-free 60s out there. Here in Austin, TX you see at least 3-4 60's every day and many are super clean.

I would advice to cut your losses, find yourself a rust-free one, drive it across the country. Fun trip in the fall, take a friend along.

 

[Zack1978]

Hey everyone,
Sorry about all the typo's, it was late when I was typing. Thank you to all who responded. Again, I feel so stupid for having wasted a ton of cash on a truck that was in way worth it! Oh well I guess I learned a lot. I think if I started adding up all the bills for the 60, I would just start to cry, and I don't know if I would be able to stop!


Zack

 

[cruzerfetish]

Mine is from long island. I bought it for 1600 bucks although I probably have 6000 in it. pretty rusty, bad suspension, running poorly. But hey. I don't have to worry about denting it up. I can wheel it and DD it until it falls apart! When I get the opportunity to get a low-rust body and frame I will do it, and build it up with the parts I have bought for my rust bucket.

 

[Fearnofish!]

I have to second what fetish said. YOu have a real opportunity here to drive your own beater truck. A little rust? Get some OCD medication, some touchup paint, a six of IPA, and Zepplin CD. You'll be fine driving that thing into the ground. Then maybe it can be your parts rig? I have rust in the wheel wells, treated with por-15 and painted, repaired rusty tailgate, rusty rear cross member... Was just about rust free when I got it. Remeber this... RUST HAPPENS. Say that 10 times before bed every night for a week and let me know how you feel.

 

[wingysataday]

Plenty of rust free's in Nevada! I think rust is like aids their is no cure!

 

[Tapage]

Hi dude .. well letme tell your, something. If you perform a real great rust out work in anyplace, on any rig, you can forget this .. !

Soemtimes, you need to think, this is a pasion or is a busyness ..

In my case is a pasion, I have for sure in my TLc a lots of money, more that I can spend in rust work over 10 more years .. I'm not gona sell for some litlle rust parts ..

But anycase my roof is dead .. a lots of rust .. I think in cut it out .. and make my HJ-60 with soft top, but never sell ..

Just my 5 cents.

good luck .

 

[Cruisin'Carolina]

I have a totally rust free truck from the Carolinas.

Had only a smnall spot where water collected in the gutter next to a Thule rack mount.

I have repaired that issue, and there is nothing under the truck to worry about. They are everywhere, in every state.

It's just that extended time in places like yours, it is going to happen. Just accept it. Or make me an offer and be good for 5 more years!

 

[Devils Paw 80]

After tons of $$$ I still have a truck that is no place near perfect, and I don't think I can put any more oney into a truck that I know is rusting again!

Don't forget that some people are content to drive beat up rigs until they drop. There are even a few landcruiser owners that belong in that group! You, however, obviously don't. So sell it, and buy a nice one that you can sink more money into.

 

[Jman]

Think about this: even a rust-free truck will start to rust once you bring it to the northeast. You can wash it each and every day and still some salt will slip into a seam and it'll be all over.

If you want to drive a rust free truck, move to the desert. If you want to stay in NJ, well, get used to the fact that nothing lasts forever.

 

[lowtideride]

do this.....keep it as a trail rig and buy a rust free one....so ya have two but only one is on the road and is costing ya anything...

 

[zcruiser]

Basically, trucks from AZ, TX, NV, SoCal, are rust-free, except those driven on the coast. My truck came from AZ, and the rustiest thing is the pass side wiper arm.

 

[3puttcop]

Rust free FJ60 here....repaired rain gutter rust, Florida cruiser. I do beach drive but never in salt water, always rinse off well afterward. Garage kept. I think its almost unavoidable where it snows.
Although this this area, this time of year is dry for about 4 hours a day. All the water and humidity I'm sure is not t he best....

 

[Cruiserdrew]

Go for a rust free one-everything else can be fixed. Just remember, the rust free truck you buy now will not be rust free in 2-3 years. Probably you should just move away from New Jersey, buy a new truck and start a new life.

Lots of rust free FJ60s here in California, but instead of rust, we have sun bleached paint and fried interiors. It is rare to find an FJ60 garage queen but really nice original ones sell for $$$.

 

[65swb45]

Well the good news here is that you've managed to hang on to your rig for 5 years already, which is a lot more than can be said for a lot of the guys that come and go thru the cruiser world.

After 5 years, if you're having this dilemma, at least you know you're hooked! Welcome to the club.

FJ60s are very expensive to maintain if you don't learn how to do things yourself. That's one of the reasons BBS like this are so GREAT! That said, keep in mind that everything you HAVE fixed on your rig is one less question mark. If you buy another rig, you are also buying a bunch of new question marks.

Also remember that everything out there is gonna be 20+ years old and have 'deferred maintainance' issues. So I wouldn't ditch ol faithful over some rust and a tired motor. A tired but reasonably run and maintained landcruiser engine can still run for many years.

When you are ready to start a build YOURSELF, buy a rust-free shell or something with a bad engine, and pick up a good engine from another east coast rust bucket.

 

[Gouldsby]

From coolcruisers.com the production numbers from '81 to '87 (inc. 40's produced from '81-'83) are 28,180.
Assuming these are correct, ignoring the fact that some 40's are included...All 60s are 18-24 years old, what could we expect as a survival rate?
If one third survive...9393
one half...14,090
three-quarters...21,135
etc.

How many are still around? I would guess less than half (maybe one third) of those still running are "rust free."

I think about the feeling I get when I see a 60 (or even 62), rusted or not...akin to those moments preceding a kiss from a stranger. Exhiliration, increased heartbeat, breathlessness, giddy-assed wide grinning. Maybe that's just because seeing one in sodium chloridified Connecticut is such a rarity.

I guess I'm just not picky. I'm willing to drive rust around just to be driving a 60.

I'm planning on getting my dream 60 a few years from now when I've learned to jerk a wrench, I've got some disposable income, and I'm living in some mountainous intriguing region where salt is only used to precede tequila, my beer is homebrewed, two wheel driven vehicles are laughed and winked about, cities are read about in the once a week newspaper, and the view is what takes my breath away.

I guess I'm just a dreamer...young and geographically utopically irresponsibly mobile.

 

[Fearnofish!]

Gouldsby,
sounds like you've been to Hamilton, Montana?

 

[hammer1]

....cough....cough....cough...rust free? only in the southwest.
In NJ, where i am, every year i do some more rust work, and every year its somewhere else.