Noobie FJ60 Owner (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Aug 27, 2013
Threads
7
Messages
79
Location
Winfield, PA
Hey all

I'm happy to have Learned of this forum and excited to share that I'm the proud new owner of a 60! My father bought one new in 1984. After he used it to pull a large farm tractor out of the snow, that was being used for plowing, as a 7 year old boy, I was quite impressed. Needless to say I've wanted one ever since. I've got lots of questions that I will save for down the road, but the first question is getting your thoughts on allowing the local Toyota dealer to work on it. They have a master mechanic there who has been working on Toyotas for 30 years. Other than a land cruiser mechanic 70 miles away, I haven't been able to find anyone else.
 
What is your location? Dealership should be fine but there could be other options as well.
 
I'm about 10 miles north of Reading Pa which is about 70 miles northwest of Philadelphia.
 
I would interview this 'master mechanic' (a bit) before letting him go on your truck. You should ask in this forum for advice about any of his suggestions, especially those that cost thousands of dollars.
 
I would interview this 'master mechanic' (a bit) before letting him go on your truck. You should ask in this forum for advice about any of his suggestions, especially those that cost thousands of dollars.

Definitely agree with this. Hit the local club up and see who they recommend as well. What needs to be done?
 
Thanks for the suggestion. I actually have an appointment with the mechanic tomorrow morning. I agreed to pay one hour of shop time to meet the mechanic and have him thoroughly go over the truck. A few of my initial concerns are:
* temp gauge not working
* spitting black liquid from exhaust when cold
* clicking sound from front end. Stops when braking.
* oil drip forming on oil pan. Can't tell where it originates.
* a lot of play in steering wheel.
 
Here are my $0.02 cents on a dealer - ensure that they have a good parts guy, who is willing to dig around and find the parts you WILL need, and ensure that you have some capacity to identify the issues to repair. Not all dealerships have this arrangement, but many service writers are paid on a commission basis. They have have a 30 year master mechanic, but if it gets routed through a service writer who tacks on a few odds and ends what could have been a smaller repair could turn into a larger one.

I usually have a "line in the sand" where I am willing to take my Cruiser to someone; I don't have the time, tools, expertise, or all three to address something I know needs to be done. I have a local, one man shop where I know the mechanic, know the quality of his work, and will take my truck to him and only him. We go through what I need/want to have done, I source the OEM parts, and he does the work.

Good luck!
 
Good points! I'll see if I can't work with this Toyota mechanic outside of the dealership. If anyone could refer me to a local shop, I'd be in debt to you!
 

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