Mods hurting the value? (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Joined
Nov 26, 2008
Threads
417
Messages
3,715
Location
Charleston, SC
My '77 FJ55 is mostly all stock, except the lift and 33" tires. I still have the stock suspension, actually. Anyway, my neighbor came by today, who has a 40 and about $500k in Porsches in his garage. Some
Of the most beautiful antique cars you've seen. I began telling him My plans of paint and body work, PS and a 5 speed tranny. He cut me off Immediately and told me that if I do anything other than the paint and body work, that it will kill any value the truck may bring in the future as it's so cool, and will only become more rare. He objected immensely.
I value his opinion, as he is very well
Connected with some of the nicest car clubs and is friends with many top notch restoration shops.
Before you ask, I love keeping my trucks as close to factory as possible, but I also use them as they were intended to be used. Eventually the vehicles will be gone and I always think it's best to keep them as they should be remembered with some light modifications. BUT, the devil on my shoulder wants more modern conveniences(PS, A/C, which I installed the factory A/C and possibly better tranny). Vicious circle I tell ya'. So,what say you?
 
Last edited:
Make it yours! I never understood people sacrificing what they want to please a potential buyer down the line. Unless it was bought to resell, have fun with it. My two cents.
 
Make it yours! I never understood people sacrificing what they want to please a potential buyer down the line. Unless it was bought to resell, have fun with it. My two cents.
What color red and white is your Cruiser? Any more photos of it?
 
What color red and white is your Cruiser? Any more photos of it?

I'm not sure what the color codes would be on my pig. I'm new to TLC's.

I should take more pics of it before I start changing things. I have some video of walking around it when I first bought it.

 
as long as things are done as the factory would have done them, you should be fine. keep it necessary and simple. yes, bolt on bling detracts from value, as does poorly executed permenant mods. on another hand, I love how speculators are always trying to make you keep your rig stock- like it wasn't meant to drive...some poeple have more money than plain sense
 
I think your Porschephile neighbor makes a good point. In most collector classes, with the exception of DeTomaso Panteras, the more original the vehicle, the greater the collector value. I've noticed that some unrestored barn finds trade even more than fully restored cars. It's kind of crazy.

Here's a couple of thoughts to consider:
1) The fork in the road: Mods of any type are a slippery slope. You start with one and the next thing you know you've got a Frankenstein on your hands. Since the vehicle's components work together in a system, one mod alters that system and necessitates another and another in the aim of re-engineering the system to accomplish whatever your goal is, be it Rock Crushing, daily driving or full resto-mods. Groups like FJ Company and Icon accomplish this very well. Their mods are tasteful and engineered with specific goals in mind from the get go. As a result, their trucks trade at nose bleed prices. However, for every one of those trucks, there's probably 1,000+ that end up bastardized. Your neighbor has probably witnessed this in the 911 world (ie. Singer & Urban Outlaws).

2) Collectors vs Drivers? We need to ask ourselves this question. Both are great, but they are very different. People collect a lot of things from fine art to shot glasses. They derive a lot of enjoyment from collecting. But driving is a pretty visceral experience that certainly appeals to me more than just cleaning and oogling over (like Cameron's dad in Ferris Bueller's Day Off).

2A) My two cents: Since I was 16, I've always wanted a mod'd out truck or car. Back then, I barely had gas money so mods were out of the question. Now that I'm older and can afford to mod, I've chosen mostly to avoid it. My reasoning is that these Japanese engineers did a pretty damn good job. My pig is almost stock with the exception of a weber carburetor and modern stereo. It's incredibly capable even with stock suspension and tires (I do off-road every chance I get). Of course there are some club runs that I'll need to avoid but I'm okay with that. I can still join in on most of them. Meanwhile, I have really come to appreciate what the truck can do and its overall design, including its shortcomings.

There's no wrong answer my friend. Just forks in the road. Choose wisely. As I mentioned on another board, I'm going to try out an electronic PS system on my rig. If it sucks, I can take it right off and be back to where I am today. For the most part, I love having an "old truck" to drive around. If I really wanted it to drive like a 200 series or a 4Runner, then I'd drive one of those.

I noticed this "stock" FJ55 crossed the auction block here in Arizona two months ago for $42,900.00. You be the judge.
1972 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER SUV - 201052- Barrett-Jackson Auction Company - World's Greatest Collector Car Auctions

Happy trails!
 
Get 2. One stock and mod the other.
.. x2 ,.have owned collector mopars that sold for 4x the new off the lot price , 8 fj40s that ranged from a stock 1964 to a full build 78 . None of what i have owned has brought the level of satisfaction of my fj55 . yes it is more 100 series with the heated seats and drivetrain . but is the most enjoyable to drive on a daily basis , So now i have the fj55 driver , a over the top built 86 4runner for trails (which i could not get 10% back on cost if it sells) and a 90 extracab toy truck for the hobby farm town runs , and a 08 dodge longbed diesel ,to pull all the toys . wife has a gx470 ,daughter has a 00 4runner . to boot i own a auto repair shop . ALL cars have a purpose . and in then end if you cant enjoy them they just rott out back in the ditch . Mod it make it confortable to drive for the family .........
 
I used to own a '61 dodge town wagon power wagon. Spent a lot of time on the dodge power wagon site. Several purists thought the only power wagon was an original one. A company called Legacy Power Wagons started building retro mod power wagons. Only thing still Dodge was the body. They are selling for major money ( $100,00 plus) and have a waiting list. As the owner of Classic Cruisers in Salida Colorado used to tell me, " make it yours, someone will always want it." That said, my 61 town wagon with a cummins , nv4500 and hydroboosted 4 wheel discs only got pennies on the dollar for my investment. I did enjoy 25+ mpg and safe driving though.
 
I think your Porschephile neighbor makes a good point. In most collector classes, with the exception of DeTomaso Panteras, the more original the vehicle, the greater the collector value. I've noticed that some unrestored barn finds trade even more than fully restored cars. It's kind of crazy.

Here's a couple of thoughts to consider:
1) The fork in the road: Mods of any type are a slippery slope. You start with one and the next thing you know you've got a Frankenstein on your hands. Since the vehicle's components work together in a system, one mod alters that system and necessitates another and another in the aim of re-engineering the system to accomplish whatever your goal is, be it Rock Crushing, daily driving or full resto-mods. Groups like FJ Company and Icon accomplish this very well. Their mods are tasteful and engineered with specific goals in mind from the get go. As a result, their trucks trade at nose bleed prices. However, for every one of those trucks, there's probably 1,000+ that end up bastardized. Your neighbor has probably witnessed this in the 911 world (ie. Singer & Urban Outlaws).

2) Collectors vs Drivers? We need to ask ourselves this question. Both are great, but they are very different. People collect a lot of things from fine art to shot glasses. They derive a lot of enjoyment from collecting. But driving is a pretty visceral experience that certainly appeals to me more than just cleaning and oogling over (like Cameron's dad in Ferris Bueller's Day Off).

2A) My two cents: Since I was 16, I've always wanted a mod'd out truck or car. Back then, I barely had gas money so mods were out of the question. Now that I'm older and can afford to mod, I've chosen mostly to avoid it. My reasoning is that these Japanese engineers did a pretty damn good job. My pig is almost stock with the exception of a weber carburetor and modern stereo. It's incredibly capable even with stock suspension and tires (I do off-road every chance I get). Of course there are some club runs that I'll need to avoid but I'm okay with that. I can still join in on most of them. Meanwhile, I have really come to appreciate what the truck can do and its overall design, including its shortcomings.

There's no wrong answer my friend. Just forks in the road. Choose wisely. As I mentioned on another board, I'm going to try out an electronic PS system on my rig. If it sucks, I can take it right off and be back to where I am today. For the most part, I love having an "old truck" to drive around. If I really wanted it to drive like a 200 series or a 4Runner, then I'd drive one of those.

I noticed this "stock" FJ55 crossed the auction block here in Arizona two months ago for $42,900.00. You be the judge.
1972 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER SUV - 201052- Barrett-Jackson Auction Company - World's Greatest Collector Car Auctions

Happy trails!

Note what Hank says about tasteful mods that are designed with the end in mind.

I think an H55 and 60-series PS can fit those criteria. They are Toyota pieces and I think if done correctly could reflect "The Pig Toyota Could Have Built..."

Will they make your Pig more driveable? Probably, if done well. Execution is a bitch, and the devil is in the details. Would it be easy to do wrong? Yes, that is how I do all my projects.

When I found my Pig, the 60 series PS was already done. I liked that, since I had recently done this conversion on my 40, so my Pig fir the bill. I knew I wanted to properly execute a 3FE swap, since I had a rotten Pig w/ the 3FE that was poorly done. So I was sliding down that slippery slope, but I had an idea of what I wanted. I still want to finish pairing my dealer installed AC with the 3FE. Would I do a 5-speed? Oh, the fantasies of an H55 FJ-55...
 
.. x2 ,.have owned collector mopars that sold for 4x the new off the lot price , 8 fj40s that ranged from a stock 1964 to a full build 78 . None of what i have owned has brought the level of satisfaction of my fj55 . yes it is more 100 series with the heated seats and drivetrain . but is the most enjoyable to drive on a daily basis , So now i have the fj55 driver , a over the top built 86 4runner for trails (which i could not get 10% back on cost if it sells) and a 90 extracab toy truck for the hobby farm town runs , and a 08 dodge longbed diesel ,to pull all the toys . wife has a gx470 ,daughter has a 00 4runner . to boot i own a auto repair shop . ALL cars have a purpose . and in then end if you cant enjoy them they just rott out back in the ditch . Mod it make it confortable to drive for the family .........

I didn't know you owned a shop, I thought you were a Toyota dealer tech. Will you PM me your shop info? Thanks.
 
I think your Porschephile neighbor makes a good point. In most collector classes, with the exception of DeTomaso Panteras, the more original the vehicle, the greater the collector value. I've noticed that some unrestored barn finds trade even more than fully restored cars. It's kind of crazy.

Here's a couple of thoughts to consider:
1) The fork in the road: Mods of any type are a slippery slope. You start with one and the next thing you know you've got a Frankenstein on your hands. Since the vehicle's components work together in a system, one mod alters that system and necessitates another and another in the aim of re-engineering the system to accomplish whatever your goal is, be it Rock Crushing, daily driving or full resto-mods. Groups like FJ Company and Icon accomplish this very well. Their mods are tasteful and engineered with specific goals in mind from the get go. As a result, their trucks trade at nose bleed prices. However, for every one of those trucks, there's probably 1,000+ that end up bastardized. Your neighbor has probably witnessed this in the 911 world (ie. Singer & Urban Outlaws).

2) Collectors vs Drivers? We need to ask ourselves this question. Both are great, but they are very different. People collect a lot of things from fine art to shot glasses. They derive a lot of enjoyment from collecting. But driving is a pretty visceral experience that certainly appeals to me more than just cleaning and oogling over (like Cameron's dad in Ferris Bueller's Day Off).

2A) My two cents: Since I was 16, I've always wanted a mod'd out truck or car. Back then, I barely had gas money so mods were out of the question. Now that I'm older and can afford to mod, I've chosen mostly to avoid it. My reasoning is that these Japanese engineers did a pretty damn good job. My pig is almost stock with the exception of a weber carburetor and modern stereo. It's incredibly capable even with stock suspension and tires (I do off-road every chance I get). Of course there are some club runs that I'll need to avoid but I'm okay with that. I can still join in on most of them. Meanwhile, I have really come to appreciate what the truck can do and its overall design, including its shortcomings.

There's no wrong answer my friend. Just forks in the road. Choose wisely. As I mentioned on another board, I'm going to try out an electronic PS system on my rig. If it sucks, I can take it right off and be back to where I am today. For the most part, I love having an "old truck" to drive around. If I really wanted it to drive like a 200 series or a 4Runner, then I'd drive one of those.

I noticed this "stock" FJ55 crossed the auction block here in Arizona two months ago for $42,900.00. You be the judge.
1972 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER SUV - 201052- Barrett-Jackson Auction Company - World's Greatest Collector Car Auctions

Happy trails!
If memory serves, your 55 has a lift with 33" tires, correct?
 
20170217_071611 (1).jpg
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom