Noob

[kramermic]

Hello all. I'm in the process of purchasing my first Cruiser. I'm looking at an 89 with just over 100k on the clock. I will be going to look at the car, and hopefully drive it home in the next week or so as the current owner will be out of town during the holidays. He said there are some small rust spots on the rear rockers and on the rear hatch around the glass. Aside from that the body is supposed to be clean and straight. Can you guys give me some pointers on what to look for. I will be going with my dad who has been a mechanic / machinist his entire life. We do a lot of work with Porsches and without specific knowledge to the cars the best mechanic in the world may over look something. I am assuming these are unique in a similar fashion. All help is appreciated.

When I get the truck, the first order of work will be fixing rust spots and new a/c compressor. When the a/c is in full working order how do they work. I live in FL and will want cold air. After that I would like to consider doing a slight lift 2 to 3 inches. What are my options with kits? If I chose to leave the susp stock for now, what is the largest tire that can fit on the car?

Looking forward to many years of fun with this car. thanks for any help.

 

[tsototh]

I'm sure you'll get lots of responses...

Look at the frame, make sure there is no more than surface rust. Drive it, get a good feel for the transmission, that is one of the weakest points of the 62. See if it already has an aftermarket trans cooler (if not, make that tops on your list of mods). Shift it into 4WD and make sure it engages. With that low of mileage, you should be good to go mechanically, but duck under the hood and look for newer parts to make sure it has been maintained.

As for lift you want, you'll probably want to go with OME (Old Man Emu). You could probably fit some 33s (just make sure you get the right backspaced wheels) with rubbing. I'd recommend going that route if you are going to lift it soon. If not, 31s are your best bet.

Good luck! Post up some pics. How much are you looking to pay?

 

[kramermic]

Looking to pay $2k for it. I've done some research and that appears to be a good price assuming it's in the shape it's supposedly in.

 

[kramermic]

Thanks for the info. I was looking at those kits. I'm not quite sure I want to go that high as this vehicle will be used more for on road use / towing a boat. If I went 33's what offsets / widths should I be looking for? Was planning on putting on BF all terrains on some simple black steel wheels. 31's would probably work for me so I ask the same question...offset / width?

Thanks.

 

[IrollwithTojo]

If you want a lift, can't go wrong with OME....

-Carl

 

[tsototh]

$2K is a good price. If you want a lift, then you're looking at about a 2-3" lift regardless of what you go with. An OME Med/ Heavy would probably be best for your needs. And with this lift, I think the consensus is a 33x10.5 BFG AT is the best size/ tire combo. As for backspace, do a search to be sure, but maybe 2" is best. Here's a good thread to check out:
https://forum.ih8mud.com/60-series-wagons/197678-bfg-tire-size-question.html

That will give you some pics for reference of size/ lift. OME looks killer on these trucks with the 33s (so does OME with a SOA and 37s - that is my setup ).

How big of a boat are you planning on towing? You'll find the 62 sluggish, boat or not! Not the best towing rig, for sure.

 

[kramermic]

Nothing Big, 22 foot pathfinder or something similar. We have an F250 for anthing bigger. It will also double in pulling my 911 to track events. Either way, under 4k lbs.

I haven't heard anything yet on the a/c system when fully functional. Is a/c in these non existent or do they actually blow cool, hopefully cold air?

 

[D'Animal]

Welcome to MUD!


Look at the top of the "A" pillars for rust as well as the front door hinge mount area. The FJ 60's are known to rust there but the FJ62's not so much.

As mentioned, look at the frame on both sides of the spare tire. It has a "C" channel sleeve in it in that area and can rust. Surface rust is not big deal. Metal seperating in layers can be a problem and is a pain to replace.

Pull the carpet up in rear cargo area. You are specifically looking for rust on the passenger side corner under the metal chrome trim at the tailgate.

 

[BG_TX]

Hello all. I'm in the process of purchasing my first Cruiser. I'm looking at an 89 with just over 100k on the clock.

Specific to the transmission and as other have stated, get a good feel for the strength of the transmission... 100k miles is low in my opinion which is good but if I were buying it I would get it on the highway for awhile and see how it performs. After running at highway speeds for awhile (30 minutes or so), place your hand on the side of the shifter base (mainly the screws) and see how warm/hot they are... if you need pull your hand/finger away then it has some cooling issues and it has been exposed to some high temps for who knows how long (which shortens the life of the transmission). Do the same in residential, stop/go traffic...

If you do purchase the vehicle, I would suggest installing an aftermarket transmission cooler and an AT temperature gauge to keep an eye on things.

I am a noob as well but my feedback is coming from personal/expensive experience...

Good luck!