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?
I stopped in Phoenix to meet another 'mud friend and fill up, and again in Wikieup, AZ. The truck runs solid on the freeway. She really likes 58mph. 
Much more than that and I got a little front end shimmy that kept things exciting. 
I've been slowly trying to decode the weatherstripping thread...that will be a big job to tackle. 
mechanic, so this will be a big learning experience. 
