First post...gonna be long...a lot happened really quickly.
I've always loved the FJ60s, but just never had the time/$$/know-how to own one. Well, that recently changed. I just bought my first FJ60, a 1987 with 197K miles on the original 2F and 4-speed manual transmission. I wasn't really serious about buying, but was cruising the inter-webs and while dreaming about eventually owning my very own. I ran across one for sale at a small independent dealership in Charleston, SC. The pictures looked pretty good and nothing raised any flags except that it had been listed for about a month...almost too good to be true (I was actually pretty sure it was a scam because it was buried so deep in the Google pages). For reference, I did not grow up a "car guy". I understand theoretically how it all works but have never stepped foot in a machine shop, welded, or taken on anything more complicated than replacing a water pump gasket. Yeah I learned how to do the basic maintenance stuff, but my family has a woodworking background (cabinetmaking etc). Fortunately my wife grew up with a dad that built hotrods and is not a stranger to having project cars occupying the garage. After talking about it and reviewing some finances, she convinced me to not pass it up and regret a lost opportunity later even though I didn't "need" it. I called the dealership, asked a bunch of questions and decided it was worth the 3 1/2 hour trip to test drive it and inspect in person (I'm currently stationed at Ft Bragg in NC).
I took the day off from work (my boss is great and thought an old LC would be awesome; happily gave me the time to make the trip) and test drove it. I was hooked after the first mile, but tried to remain calm. Afterwards I spent about an hour going over it in the parking lot. This thing looked great...no rust, all electrical worked, no seat tears, no evidence of leaks, new paint only 1yo, blah, blah, blah. Only things I could find were broken washer reservoirs, inop tachometer, shredded spare, dinged bumpers and the suspension was beginning to look tired. The dealer also handed over copies of the service records from a local shop dating back to 2012 (it was a Cali truck before that). On the way home I stopped by and talked to the mechanic to ask if he had any concerns about the truck. Nice guy...long talk...to paraphrase, he said "getting into these trucks, most guys have a list of the things they know they'll be doing right away....rear main seal, tie rod ends, etc. The big plus on this truck is that I've done all this in the last year or two on the PO's dime." Got the PO backstory to explain why this thing was on the market...older gentleman that loved it as his DD, but a rapid eyesight degeneration condition forced him to sell it and use a more modern vehicle with all the lane change sensors etc. Here's what was recently done:
New battery, spark plugs, starter, water pump, clutch fan, clutch master cylinder, power steering gearbox and pump, radiator, all radiator hoses, front crankshaft seal, all drive belts, A/C idler pulley bearing, rear brake shoes and cylinders, brake pads, break master cylinder, front tie rod ends, rear sway bar, stabilizer bracket, transfer case, Oil pressure sensor, front and rear driveshaft u-joints, valve cover gasket, pushrod cover gasket, distribution o-ring, air intake hose, A/C expansion vale, A/C evaporator, A/C compressor, A/C condenser, fuel pump, fuel filter, and oil filter.
On the way home I decided to pull the trigger and not pass this one up and commit to the dealer. Fast forward a couple weeks after a delay from the stupid hurricane and she's mine!!! Here she is about an hour after picking her up...(wife drove me down to SC on the condition I take her out for a seafood lunch in the "new" LC)
During the couple weeks I had waiting for pick-up, I started my build list in my head. Since so much of the mechanical stuff was done recently, it has mostly fallen into the "preventative" and "cosmetic" categories.
First up...strip interior, look for rust, clean up, coat in bedliner, add sound deadner, install new carpet (new carpet really just because). I was lucky enough that my father-in-law was in town to help so I took a week off from work to dedicate to the initial work.
Interior strip down
Overall great shape, but found one small spot rusted out on the DS wheel well...
From here it escalated quickly. As previously stated, not a car guy and basically zero automotive repair experience. Next thing I know my FIL has talked me into buying small 120v MIG welder, helps me practice for half an hour on an old steel target, finishes dinner and he heads back to his RV with a departing "your car, your job...good luck". It was late and I didn't feel like tackling it in the dark, so I packed in until the morning. 8am I was out there welding up the spot I'd cut out and had it finished by the time my FIL came over after breakfast. I know it was only a little 3-4inch patch, but a pretty big leap from where I was 24 hours prior. No picture because it was in the upper 90's all week and I wanted to move before the sun was completely blazing.
On to the bed liner and sound deadner for the next 2 days...
Con't.....
I've always loved the FJ60s, but just never had the time/$$/know-how to own one. Well, that recently changed. I just bought my first FJ60, a 1987 with 197K miles on the original 2F and 4-speed manual transmission. I wasn't really serious about buying, but was cruising the inter-webs and while dreaming about eventually owning my very own. I ran across one for sale at a small independent dealership in Charleston, SC. The pictures looked pretty good and nothing raised any flags except that it had been listed for about a month...almost too good to be true (I was actually pretty sure it was a scam because it was buried so deep in the Google pages). For reference, I did not grow up a "car guy". I understand theoretically how it all works but have never stepped foot in a machine shop, welded, or taken on anything more complicated than replacing a water pump gasket. Yeah I learned how to do the basic maintenance stuff, but my family has a woodworking background (cabinetmaking etc). Fortunately my wife grew up with a dad that built hotrods and is not a stranger to having project cars occupying the garage. After talking about it and reviewing some finances, she convinced me to not pass it up and regret a lost opportunity later even though I didn't "need" it. I called the dealership, asked a bunch of questions and decided it was worth the 3 1/2 hour trip to test drive it and inspect in person (I'm currently stationed at Ft Bragg in NC).
I took the day off from work (my boss is great and thought an old LC would be awesome; happily gave me the time to make the trip) and test drove it. I was hooked after the first mile, but tried to remain calm. Afterwards I spent about an hour going over it in the parking lot. This thing looked great...no rust, all electrical worked, no seat tears, no evidence of leaks, new paint only 1yo, blah, blah, blah. Only things I could find were broken washer reservoirs, inop tachometer, shredded spare, dinged bumpers and the suspension was beginning to look tired. The dealer also handed over copies of the service records from a local shop dating back to 2012 (it was a Cali truck before that). On the way home I stopped by and talked to the mechanic to ask if he had any concerns about the truck. Nice guy...long talk...to paraphrase, he said "getting into these trucks, most guys have a list of the things they know they'll be doing right away....rear main seal, tie rod ends, etc. The big plus on this truck is that I've done all this in the last year or two on the PO's dime." Got the PO backstory to explain why this thing was on the market...older gentleman that loved it as his DD, but a rapid eyesight degeneration condition forced him to sell it and use a more modern vehicle with all the lane change sensors etc. Here's what was recently done:
New battery, spark plugs, starter, water pump, clutch fan, clutch master cylinder, power steering gearbox and pump, radiator, all radiator hoses, front crankshaft seal, all drive belts, A/C idler pulley bearing, rear brake shoes and cylinders, brake pads, break master cylinder, front tie rod ends, rear sway bar, stabilizer bracket, transfer case, Oil pressure sensor, front and rear driveshaft u-joints, valve cover gasket, pushrod cover gasket, distribution o-ring, air intake hose, A/C expansion vale, A/C evaporator, A/C compressor, A/C condenser, fuel pump, fuel filter, and oil filter.
On the way home I decided to pull the trigger and not pass this one up and commit to the dealer. Fast forward a couple weeks after a delay from the stupid hurricane and she's mine!!! Here she is about an hour after picking her up...(wife drove me down to SC on the condition I take her out for a seafood lunch in the "new" LC)
During the couple weeks I had waiting for pick-up, I started my build list in my head. Since so much of the mechanical stuff was done recently, it has mostly fallen into the "preventative" and "cosmetic" categories.
First up...strip interior, look for rust, clean up, coat in bedliner, add sound deadner, install new carpet (new carpet really just because). I was lucky enough that my father-in-law was in town to help so I took a week off from work to dedicate to the initial work.
Interior strip down
Overall great shape, but found one small spot rusted out on the DS wheel well...
From here it escalated quickly. As previously stated, not a car guy and basically zero automotive repair experience. Next thing I know my FIL has talked me into buying small 120v MIG welder, helps me practice for half an hour on an old steel target, finishes dinner and he heads back to his RV with a departing "your car, your job...good luck". It was late and I didn't feel like tackling it in the dark, so I packed in until the morning. 8am I was out there welding up the spot I'd cut out and had it finished by the time my FIL came over after breakfast. I know it was only a little 3-4inch patch, but a pretty big leap from where I was 24 hours prior. No picture because it was in the upper 90's all week and I wanted to move before the sun was completely blazing.
On to the bed liner and sound deadner for the next 2 days...
Con't.....
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