Need Help Deciding between Two FJ40s and a third option (1 Viewer)

[elum]

Here are the options ladies and gents:

1) Buy a '73 clean completely stock FJ40 for $5k
Pros: have a nice oem fj40, good restoration product, 6 hrs from home
Cons: won't wheel it hard, won't get to mod it, might be "scared" to drive it

2) Buy a slightly modded '77 FJ40 for $4k
Pros: attractive price, fun project, will wheel
Cons: 1200 miles from home

3) Don't buy an FJ40 now b/c of the Mrs and the baby due in Sept
Pros: get more peace at home, save some cash for now
Cons: will still want one, will be "mad" at spouse, will be thinking about it non-stop

 

[bandy rooster]

crawlerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

 

[Poser]

No option for this:



Congrats on the child being on the way. Be safe while you are away, and thank you for your service, as you doing your job, is why many others can enjoy the freedoms we have today.



First, I think that your focus should not be on some silly vehicle bud. You have a family on the way, and are going to be deployed overseas. Stay safe while you are over there. Focus on that and your family. You will have plenty of time later when things have sorted themselves out a bit to be able to commit resources of time and money to it later. There will be other vehicles, trust me.


Good luck!

-Steve

 

[jjhancock]

Crawler all the way. if you don't get one before the baby is born, you might not ever get one...

 

[elum]

So far there's been 9 votes or so.. I'm glad I did this as well for all your input.. Sometimes what's best isn't really what I want.. sad but true.

Why do I feel like them FJ40s I stare at all the time are suddenly going to all vanish off the face of the earth next week and I need to get mine today..

Better reason for me to focus on my studies (so I can hopefully go to grad school), sell some of my other stuff, and spend time with the familia...

 

[brian]

i went for the '73.
there's plenty you can do and still keep it stock looking, while giving it better offroad manners though it will not be a hardcore machine.
plus it's closer/easier to get home.

 

[Mozzio]

I would have to agree with Poser.
And thanks for what you do.

 

[oldIron]

I would have to agree with Poser.
And thanks for what you do.

...X2

 

[bandy rooster]

family first but def. do the crawler...

 

[FJ40fiji]

I'm with Poser. I'd start saving now and stay focused on the family and school. You aren't going to get to drive the 40 while you are gone, and in my experiance free time gets shorter the closer you come to a deployment.

HOWEVER, depending on what branch you are in, what kind of unit, where you are headed and how much pull you have, you may want to look for a cruiser overseas. They fit fine in shipping containers and there is some cool non usa stuff around. Suppose you find your self in Afgahnastan, or somewhere you might at least start a collection of non-usa carbs and transmissions, or diesle engines and the like. One tri-wall full of non usa parts could buy a nice 40, and the wife wouldn't have much to argue. Plus you'd be really popular on Mud!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE ,AND STAY SAFE!

 

[albee]

Relax and just wait for the right deal to come along. Dont force it to happen right away. Maybe start a seperate cruiser fund, so you fell like you are working toward your goal.

 

[HogDriver]

Being a military man for the last 15 years. I say by the stock one. It will give you more options down the road. Granted you have a child on the way and your focus should be a reliable primary vehicle for the wife but if thats in order then get a LC. I've had my LC for 14 years. I bought it about a year after I came in. I only had a wife then but now I have 3 kids all trying to "work" on the landcruiser.

It one more thing to come home too when your done with your rotation....

Wife, kid, and the LandCruiser!!

Cheers

 

[nuclearlemon]

wow...i don't even like kids and yet i chose three.

barring the family life, i'd say go with the stocker cause you don't know what the po did to the modded one.

 

[Josie'sLandCruiser]

Hi All:

Well, all three options have their merit!

As Steve, aka "Poseur" mentioned, it is just a car; perhaps with a baby arriving in the near future, and you departing on a "float" soon, you have other priorities to keep you busy.

I would normally vote for the 1977 FJ40 over a '73; the early model has better sheet metal, while the '77 has a better drive train. A lot depends upon what "mods" were done on the '77.

Good luck, and stay safe!

Alan

 

[Dennis@Moab]

I would go with the 73' .or maybe shop some more and find a better deal. The deals are always out there!

 

[sonoranfun]

I went with option one, having a almost 100% stock FJ40 as well as one with a 350 Vortec, Lift, 33s, Power everything and all the sweet mods I will say that the stock FJ40 with a driver that had 1,000 offroad miles under his belt could go places the other with a driver that had 200 miles under his belt couldn't...

Also, you and your wife are going to need a break from a new baby, I've been there.. There is nothing more fun then rolling around on a warm night topless (I'm talking about the 40) and getting out together.. If you can find a reason to have it bring you two closer together or bond over it, you can justify it!

Husband and father of three talking here..

 

[thorvald]

i voted no. 3
if i was to choose though, I'd go with the 73 and build it how you want it.

 

[brew8]

I have had a cruiser all the time my kids were growing up, but I used it for fishing hunting, camping, and lot's of family outings, my kids loved it and still do, my son in law gave up his cruiser for the kids and fells the loss every day, but he proable did the right thing for his family and I'm sure you will as well, Cheers, Larry

 

[3jvj]

I voted for the stocker. Odds are it will take less time and money over the course of the next five years; your money is spent on diapers and wooden toys (congratulations).

After years of doing nothing but turning the key to have a good time you might not want to modify it anyway.

As a father of two (5 and 2; boys) who just bought a $5,000 dollar converted fj- you will spend another thousand in the first 3,000 miles you own it just keeping it up to snuff, and satisfying your fears that it won't leave your family stranded in bfe.

I also concurr with the "wait; there's another one out there" theory. There is ALWAYS another one out there.

Good luck, and thank you for keeping my family safe.-Josh

 

[DSRTRDR]

I vote for the crawler, because I have so much fun wheeling my rig. It came with many of the modifications I would have wanted.

I don't have kids but I see other wheelers taking them on trips, and they have a blast.

Otherwise, I personally would only advise to buy a cruiser if you truly have disposable money just lying around.