Looking for fj40 in NC

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Thanks for the advice guys. I mean I know I'm gonna have problems out of it and everything, which is understandable due to them being such older vehicles. I'd like to work on it. I'm just saying that a good majority of some that I've been told about (not ones from you guys) but just in general, have been ones that need to be restored or are halfway rusted out. I know it's a lot of work and I'm ready to take it on but I do need some more help and guidance from you guys. A/C's not that big of a deal because I'm gonna take off the top and doors whenever it's nice out.
 
I again extend an invite to come look at mine and even drive it a bit with me to get an idea of life with it. I'm around during the week next week and will have plenty of errands to run as a true daily driver experience. Come hang with me if you can. Monday and Friday are bad. PM me to set it up.

--john
 
I think that most FJ40s available require a total front to back rebuild to really be considered a DD. There are a great many ways to go but in the end you have a short wheel based, hard riding tough little truck. Making one of these trucks a DD will take a good amount of money if pure reliability is what you are after. I too have owned Jeeps, 78 CJ7 was my last. Over 200K on the odo and the motor trans and T-case were still holding their own as was the rest of the drive train.

Perfect vehicle for living in the Fl Keys, I drove it for 5 years after building it. I would not want it here. THe 40 is more high maintenance. They are kick but machines but require more work to do it.

To me, Land Cruisers, Toyotas are worth the extra work. I say go for a 40 and find yourself a cheap dependable DD if you can swing both.
 
I assume you've seen this:http://greenville.craigslist.org/ctd/3895886774.html

Looks pretty good. I'm sure the price is negotiable. FWIW I'd be very cautious buying from a dealer. No telling what kind of BS they will sling your way. I prefer to buy from an individual who knows more specifics about the vehicle. This one might be worth a look though.

X2 on JohnV's offer. You are welcome to come by and ride in/drive my 40 any evening or weekend day. You can do the same with my Jeep to give you a back-to-back comparison of FJ40 vs. newer Jeep. PM me to set it up.

I love my FJ40 more than words but I would not DD it. Top speed is about 60-65 and it's screaming for mercy at that speed. With no power steering and 4 wheel drum brakes it is a white knuckle ride. I've driven it to work several times in the last month or so in 90 degree heat in traffic and let me tell you it is a sweatbox with the hard top on. "No big deal" you say because you will just take the top off on nice days? Well, it's not quite that easy. Switching between the hard top and soft top in a 40 is not a simple task. The hard top is held on by countless bolts. It's heavy, bulky, hard to lift off and finding a good place to store it is not easy either. It's not something you do at a moment's notice. You'll need help. For this reason I see it as an either/or situation. Either go topless with maybe a bikini and get soaked in the summer afternoon thunderstorms or go with the top on and stay dry and sweat a lot. I choose the latter. IMO the newer soft tops (Bestop) for the FJ40 don't look right for the vehicle. They don't seal properly either. The factory original style soft tops are really sweet but they easily cost a couple of grand if you have to get bows/hardware too. Depending on what your rear door set-up turns out to be, you may have to convert to a tailgate or short barn doors to run a soft top as well. Obviously any changes you make will cost $. Good luck with your search and let me know if I can help in any way.

Dave
 
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NCFJ said:
I think that most FJ40s available require a total front to back rebuild to really be considered a DD. There are a great many ways to go but in the end you have a short wheel based, hard riding tough little truck. Making one of these trucks a DD will take a good amount of money if pure reliability is what you are after. I too have owned Jeeps, 78 CJ7 was my last. Over 200K on the odo and the motor trans and T-case were still holding their own as was the rest of the drive train.

Perfect vehicle for living in the Fl Keys, I drove it for 5 years after building it. I would not want it here. THe 40 is more high maintenance. They are kick but machines but require more work to do it.

To me, Land Cruisers, Toyotas are worth the extra work. I say go for a 40 and find yourself a cheap dependable DD if you can swing both.
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X2 on the DD. Strongly suggest finding a solid daily driver first and put the 40 search on hold until you can afford having two vehicles. I know these aren't the words you came here to read but really is the wise road to take.
 
Us old farts might sound like we're trying to dissuade you from getting a 40 for some reason - we're really not. This conversation would be the same if you wanted an MG or a Chevelle or a Celica. They can all be great cars and can be found in various conditions for a wide range of money. And almost every single one of them will need constant attention. But, yeah, we all know somebody who has friend who never even changes the oil and has driven 100k miles. And sometimes that's true. But we'll never meet that guy.

Things are pretty different for your generation than it was 20-30 years ago when a lot of us were in your place. There wasn't as big a difference in an old car vs a new car - just price. Safety, reliability, MPG, and parts availability were all pretty much the same. My friends drove old cars because they were affordable; some had the benefit of being really cool, too. I was lucky enough to have a couple year old Oldsmobile wagon that I knew would start every time. The two things I learned how to do from my father on cars was change the tires and take it to the shop for anything beyond that. Now, my friends taught me how to push start a manual, deice a windshield with the leftover morning coffee, wring out a wet floor mat, blast the heater in 100F to avoid overheating, be brave enough to hold two bare ends of a jumper cable (no clips) to the battery during a jump, and all kinds of other legitimate or stupid things. And my Olds wagon? I ran it 3 years until 52k dealer serviced miles when it showed the same signs of catastrophic failure that 2 previous Olds' had. My dad wasn't going for that again and we unloaded it for a new S10. Point is, my couple year old car was gonna be as unreliable as an old beater was.

Fast forward to today. Safety, reliability and MPG are phenomenal on even a 10 year old car from many different brands. Creature comforts are there, too. I'd say my '97 Hyundai costs less to run and maintain per year than my 40 takes in just fuel for half as many miles. And an '07 is so much nicer. I'd love to upgrade!

My point there is this: I've got an old Triumph, an old 40, and an 80 that's probably older than you (and is my nicest car) that are all kept in good order, so that's a lot of vehicles plus my wife's Lexus, but I wake up every day knowing that my Hyundai will run and have AC and heat and wipers and defrost and seat belts and airbags and ABS and .... I trust my LC's to run but I have a backup plan anyway. Almost every bit of maintenance and repair is new to me - I have to learn how to do it first so it sometimes takes a while before I get it right. I know the Hyundai will get me to the parts store and beyond in the meantime.

PLUS, many of had to wait until our 30's or more to get our first Cruiser so we'll hate you if get one now!!!:bang::bang::bang: But we'll still help you out with it and be happy for you.:p

--john
 
I wouldn't really recommend a 40 as a DD to most people. As a teen though you do have ample time to work on it if you can find one that just needs basic things done to it.

My first real car that I bought was a 69 firebird with a 400 in it, missing one door and one quarter panel. I did DD that to school every day after I located a door. Cut my first teeth on cars doing it also. But at the same time my drive wasn't very long to school and work and every other minute my friends and I were working on and tuning our cars.

Id say it depends on how much driving you are going to do exactly. If it is just for highschool and not a big drive you should be able to address most issues you will find on one, if you spend 9-10k, before any moves that require more driving pop up.
 
Thanks for the advice guys. When I say it's gonna be my daily driver, I mean just to my high school (which is 5 minutes down the road), to work, church, friends houses (which are all very close. I'm not gonna be going on cross country drives with it. I'll take the occasional long trip in it, but not all the time. I'll maybe take it down to the beach once or twice during the summer time, or maybe when I'm a few years older drive down to ole miss to see my older brother ( but that's a multiple day trip with more than just one or two stops on the way) I know they aren't the fastest or most reliable, and I know I'm gonna have problems out of it. But the thing is, is that I'm not looking for something that's gonna push 90's and be a street racer.
 
I saw that one too. Looks really nice and with some choice goodies thrown in (OD, Warn, etc.).
 
I DD my 40 in college for about 3 years, with little issue. I had almost zero mechanical capability then as well, but have learned over the years. I drove it back and forth to my parents from Raleigh (mostly I40/US52) and never really thought twice about it. I put about 30k on the truck. It was low mileage though - under 70k when I bought it in '95. When young, that stuff wasn't even a thought. Now... yeah right!!!

:beer: Ramon
 
roadstr6 said:
http://columbia.craigslist.org/cto/3946769605.html What about this one? It's in your range.
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I hope those radiator hoses are spares.

One thing to keep in mind that I don't think has been mentioned...insurance. Understand that you're going to get hosed if it gets totaled. Full replacement value coverage is probably going to have too many conditions that you probably can't meet. Your age might even be one of them. And most insurers won't offer it anyway. Ask around before you commit to the purchase. I'm really hoping it works out for you even though I'm sure you think I'm trying to talk you out of it.

Are you gonna be able to make it to Cars & Coffee this Saturday? See the CLT August meeting thread.

--john
 
JohnVee said:
I hope those radiator hoses are spares.

One thing to keep in mind that I don't think has been mentioned...insurance. Understand that you're going to get hosed if it gets totaled. Full replacement value coverage is probably going to have too many conditions that you probably can't meet. Your age might even be one of them. And most insurers won't offer it anyway. Ask around before you commit to the purchase. I'm really hoping it works out for you even though I'm sure you think I'm trying to talk you out of it.

Are you gonna be able to make it to Cars & Coffee this Saturday? See the CLT August meeting thread.

--john
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Thanks for the advice Johnvee! I need it. Insurance is gonna be high especially because I'm a boy and a new driver. Unfortunately I can't make it tomorrow. I'm going up to asheboro to my grandmas with my parents tonight. I really want to though. Can you pm me? I need some advice on one I'm looking at. I spoke to roadstr earlier. Just want a second opinion
 
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