Mars
SILVER Star
I finally did it.
I've been dreaming about owning a FJ55 for years. Recently my family has gotten a little larger; we had our first child, and there is no way we can fit the three of us in my little Tacoma. I considered 4 door tundras, and 100 series cruisers, but I kept coming back to the thought of an FJ55. I needs me a vehicle with some character!!
Originally the game plan was to bite the bullet and find a completely restored cruiser, with the work done and ready to drive. There have been several beautiful trucks that have come up recently for sale that I considered, but the more that I looked, the more appealing building my own truck became. I needed a fairly rust free truck that's mechanically solid, at a price point that allows some wiggle room for rebuilding and restoration. Ideally as stock as possible. Sounds like a pipe dream.
Last month I found it on craigslist, a 1976 FJ55, 175k miles, second owner. The owner was a rather chatty real estate agent who used it to get out of town and explore the desert. He was pretty fanatical about maintenance and keeping it mechanically solid. I had a friend and fellow mudder Maddbaggins check it out for me, and eventually make the transaction and hold the truck until I could make the trip down to pick it up.
This is the first truck I've ever bought sight unseen, and I have to admit, I was more than a little nervous. Originally I'd planned on waiting a month or so and shipping it. It really wouldn't cost much more to have it dropped on my doorstep. After much thought and harassment by the folks in TUT, I decided to do the fly and drive. From Tucson to Vegas, 430 miles. The owner had counted on the pig to get him out and back into the remote desert...so I figured it had to be solid, right?
I've been dreaming about owning a FJ55 for years. Recently my family has gotten a little larger; we had our first child, and there is no way we can fit the three of us in my little Tacoma. I considered 4 door tundras, and 100 series cruisers, but I kept coming back to the thought of an FJ55. I needs me a vehicle with some character!!
Originally the game plan was to bite the bullet and find a completely restored cruiser, with the work done and ready to drive. There have been several beautiful trucks that have come up recently for sale that I considered, but the more that I looked, the more appealing building my own truck became. I needed a fairly rust free truck that's mechanically solid, at a price point that allows some wiggle room for rebuilding and restoration. Ideally as stock as possible. Sounds like a pipe dream.
Last month I found it on craigslist, a 1976 FJ55, 175k miles, second owner. The owner was a rather chatty real estate agent who used it to get out of town and explore the desert. He was pretty fanatical about maintenance and keeping it mechanically solid. I had a friend and fellow mudder Maddbaggins check it out for me, and eventually make the transaction and hold the truck until I could make the trip down to pick it up.
This is the first truck I've ever bought sight unseen, and I have to admit, I was more than a little nervous. Originally I'd planned on waiting a month or so and shipping it. It really wouldn't cost much more to have it dropped on my doorstep. After much thought and harassment by the folks in TUT, I decided to do the fly and drive. From Tucson to Vegas, 430 miles. The owner had counted on the pig to get him out and back into the remote desert...so I figured it had to be solid, right?