- Joined
- Sep 9, 2004
- Threads
- 186
- Messages
- 11,054
- Location
- Boise - Idaho
- Website
- www.snlandcruisers.com
1984 FJ60 Land Cruiser
GM 350 RamJet v8
4" OME lift
35x12.5R15 MTR's - new
AA Ranger overdrive splitter box Ranger Overdrive
stock 4spd tranny
stock t-case
stock diffs but ARB lockers fitted, I was told 4.11 gears
SoR Aussie vinyl interior floor
SoR vinyl seat coverings
FJ62 steering wheel!
ARB front bumper with winch
Kaymar rear bumper
Long Range Fuel Tank
253,600 miles on the clock when I picked it up.
Well, over the weekend I traded my 04 decked out Taco for an old FJ60! The FJ60 is replacing my Taco as a DD, road trip truck and also as my overland vehicle. I drove the Taco to Panama 2x and I plan to take the v8 FJ60 down south too!
I had a 1987 FJ60 from 1990 to 92 or 93. I loved the truck and have always wanted another one. After several trips down south and back in the Taco I decided it just was not what I want for those kinds of trips. One big problem for me was not being able to sleep in the back, my Taco was a double cab with a 50" bed. Now I could have gotten a FWC but at over $10k I just didn't want to spend that kind of money for a place to sleep! The Taco is also a bit high profile for down south. The lower profile you are down south the better. The FJ60 is also a lot more simple and easier to work on. It lacks all the electronics that the Taco has too. Every little scratch, ding or dent I got on my Taco made me cringe! Not only that every time it got a scratch it dropped the value of the truck. My new FJ60 is clean but at 27yrs old it is not perfect which is just what I wanted!
So a few weeks back I saw this nice looking 84 FJ60 0n craigslist. I got hot on the idea of owning/replacing my 2004 Taco with an FJ60 TLC. I owned a 1987 FJ60 20yrs ago so kind of knew what I would be getting into. I knew it would be a down grade front he Taco in terms of comfort and all that jazz. But I feel I can compromise by putting in some really nice seats and so forth to still get a comfy ride. My aim is at least as good as the Taco if not better in terms of comfort cruising down the road. My Taco's seats were not comfortable to me so it shouldn't be to hard to beat it! Any ways, so I find this nice looking FJ60, I msg the seller and ask if he is interested in a trade. He replies that he is. I made arrangements to go see the FJ60 the next weekend. It was up in N.Idaho not to far from Lewiston. It was a Colorado Cruiser but had been moved to Idaho just a week or two prior. So I got my Taco ready for the trade and for the trip up to Idaho. A few email exchanges and phones calls with he owner of the FJ60 and plans were in motion.
Saturday morning 6-4-11 I get up about 6am and am on the road in the Taco by 7am. I knew it was about 600 miles and 10hrs of solid driving to get to where the FJ60 was located and I wanted to make it there before dark. The owner had offered to set me up for the night so that was also the plan but I wanted to view the FJ60 in the daylight. I get to my destination at about 6pm. We meet and then take the FJ60 for a drive. After a few hours talking about the two trucks and all this jazz we agree to trade. I get up the next morning, pack my gear and hit the road before 8am.
I drove the FJ60 straight home yesterday in about 10.5hrs. Before I get into how the drive went or the truck it's self I will post some pictures. As I said this is a Colorado FJ60, supposedly it's whole life. I wouldn't be surprised if somebody recognizes this TLC....
RUST!
This is super sweet!!
Video of driving the FJ60 home.....
YouTube - 1984 FJ60 LandCruiser‏
So what are my feelings and what do I know now that it has been 24hrs since I decided to trade and 600 miles of seat time in the FJ60. Well first off, I will miss my Taco but a lot of that is just because of memories from trips I took in the truck. I was told the build on the FJ60 is 2yrs old or so, I doubt that. It is looking to me more like 8-10yrs old to me for a number of reasons. #1, the RamJet looks to have MEFI-3 not the MEFI-4. I think the MEFI-4 has been in use since 2004 on the RamJet. I will have to confirm which one the truck has by checking part numbers from what is on the truck to a MEFI-4. There are other clues too such as; the long range tank is dated for 2002, the body is starting to show tiny bits of rust here and there and it looks like the FJ60 has seen some wheeling. Maybe as much as to have put the truck up against a tree or something. I didn't notice it until home tonight and washing the truck but it looks like it took some roof damage at some point and it was repaired, although not the best repairs I have seen. I did drag a magnet over the whole truck before I made up my mind on the trade and didn't find any large body filler any where. The seller said he thought some might be in the rear wheel wells but if so it is thin. From the moment I saw it and drove it I liked the truck. I did think it sounded odd though, like it has an exhaust leak.....
So to make this shorter and simply....here is the good, the bad and the ugly for the FJ60.
The Good!
-It is a fecking cool truck!
-It has the 350 v8. Have not figured out mileage for the 600 miles yesterday but it is at least 12-13mpg. This engine has plenty of power for this truck. 70-80mph down the hwy no problem at all. I love how it really doesn't lose any speed on grade changes. I love the sound of it, even with an exhaust leak! It is fun around town too.
-The AA Ranger box makes this thing overland ready as is. You can do good hwy speeds being able to drop from 1:1 in 4th to .73 or whatever. This makes it possible to do 80mph down the hwy and not be over 2500rpms. I shifted it a lot and used it not just for a "5th" gear.
-The tires, they are nearly brand new. Less then 5,000 miles on them for sure, still have nipples on the sidewalls.
-Clutch works well and I think it is all new.
-The truck tracks pretty straight and true down the road. No weird vibrations or rattle noises or whatever noises. No clunks and tires do not rub, although I have not flexed it up.
-It shifts pretty smooth into all gears, tranny feels somewhat solid. T-case shifted smooth into 4wd high and low and the hubs work great.
-The brakes work well but for this much power and how much the truck weighs stock brakes could be improved upon.
-The winch is a brand I am not familiar with, made in the USA I believe. It looks to never have had the cable out more then a few turns off the drum. We checked it and it works.
-Brand new windshield.
-ARB compressor and locker sin both diffs, all works well.
-Long Range Tank, not sure of brand, will have to figure that out, Aussie made I believe. I am guessing it is about 25 gallons.
-FJ62 mirrors
-Aussie Vinyl floor. It doesn't fit perfect but man I like it!
-ARB bar and Kaymar rear bumper. Truck also has a trailer brake controller that appears to work.
-The color, I like the silver. Paint looks a little old but is not in to bad of shape.
-Believe it or not I like that it doesn't have a perfect body! I don't want to worry about little dents and trail pinstripes.
-Really nice looking fuel pump and duel fuel filters. Have to check it out closer to see brand, ect.
-Nearly everything works; from the high beams to all the turn signals to the interior overhead light to cig lighter to the heater to the rear wiper! It all works fine!
-I am getting a full set of FJ62 doors with all the power window/lock stuff that are clean and rust free. They also have gray interior panels. Seller is hooking me up with this and also a clean tailgate. I just have to drive to Denver to pick it up.
-All four doors close really nice.
-Knuckles looks pretty good. Diffs not leaking any where I can see.
-It has a stereo, although old school and only a disc player. It is loud enough to hear over the engine!
-The heater switches look new and work pretty well, although stiff.
-Some of the turn signals and marker lights are new.
-It has an oh s*** bar which I think only came on FJ62's. Unfortunately it is brown!
The Bad
-I didn't like how the truck sounded from the first minute. I must just be a newbie to v8s or I am used to my S/C 5vz in the Taco. I knew it sounded like it had an exhaust leak and should have said something. When I got home and crawler under the truck, sure enough the exhaust pipe is broke clean in half where it meets the header, at the flange. Should be able to weld this up and call it good for now.
-The engine puked about a 1/2 quart of oil out of the filler cap on the drive home. The filler cap is a joke and leaks, it will be replaced asap.
-Truck ran at 210 most of the day, if the gauge is correct. But at higher speeds or under load it was running at 220-230. That is a bit hot for my liking. I would like it to run at 190 and not get over 210. The radiator looks nice and is aluminum. Fan shroud looks like ass. May have to look into a better shroud or electric fans.
-No 35" MTR spare. This kind of sucks. No place to put the spare either since the Kaymar doesn't have the carrier option on it. Good news is I can buy the option from a Kaymar dealer and then have location of spare solved. I can use my 5th 35" Maxxis Creppie as the spare. It is just on a 16" rim.
-Rims are 15". I dislike 15" rims, am a fan of 16" or 17" rims. But they are ok for now, will run them for at least a few years.
-Front leaf springs are pretty toasted. The RHS is real bad. I should be ok around town until I can get them replaced.
-The steering box needs a rebuild. It has tons of play/slop which makes driving down the road lame, like driving a boat. I checked tie rods and drag link and all seems good, so I think it is all in the steering box.
-I don't like the headers on it. They are kind of restricted in several spots.
-It is loud! I don't mind the howl of the v8 but the gear boxes whine a ton. It could use a complete sound deadening at the least!
-I need a control for the winch. Owner had gotten he wrong one. He is suppose to re-order the right one and send it to me. We jumped the posts on the winch to check it and make sure it works.
-No sliders. I realize now how much I like them for lifting a truck with a high rise jack.
-12-13mpg with a 25gal tank means 325 mile range at best.
-no snorkel, it needs one.
-A/C doesn't work. It is all there and seems wired. Needs re-charge at the least.
-All markings are worn off the turn signal/wiper switch.
-I ran the heater at full blast to see if it would drop temps when she was running at 220. It made it get nearly as hot as 230 just from running the heater! That seems out of whack to me.
-The vinyl seats are hot and not comfortable after 4hrs. In the Taco my butt and thigh would hurt. In this truck with the low backs it is my shoulders that hurt. I do like the high seating position, much better then my Taco. New seats are going to have to be done, when I have no idea!
-Frame has rust at rear leaf spring hangers, a common spot. It is just starting but has got a solid foot hold here. This is a bummer but the rest of the frame is really clean.
The Ugly!
-Headliner has got stains but is not torn. Rear panels are done and ugly.
-The dash has lots of cracks. I plan to just buy a new dash cover. Will go with gray.
-This truck used to be tan with brown interior. I dislike the brown interior compared to the gray. It has some gray with the seat coverings and vinyl floor but still has brown dash and door panels.
-I am not a fan of the large tach on the dash.
-The stock gauges all work, how well I don't know. They are sun faded and ugly though. The temp gauge is dead and it has an after market in the stock tach location.
-no window tint. I need a dark tint!
-Chrome. I hate chrome! Will have to black it all out except the emblems.
-It has had some body repairs to the roof. Possibly damage from a tree, doesn't look major enough to be from a roll over. Maybe a tree fell on it!? You can see a bit of not matched up paint on the roof and some wavy lines. Rest of body is straight over all with the exception of 27yrs of small dents.
-Overall the truck looks good but if looked closely at does show it's age.
That is a good sum it up for now! I am sure with more time working on, driving and all that I will have more to say!! I think this is going to be a perfect truck for me and for trips I like to do.
I will edit this and remove the typoes later, the last 4 days have been long and I am pretty tired. I will also add what my planned mods are and then update the thread as I do the mods or repairs or upgrades.
GM 350 RamJet v8
4" OME lift
35x12.5R15 MTR's - new
AA Ranger overdrive splitter box Ranger Overdrive
stock 4spd tranny
stock t-case
stock diffs but ARB lockers fitted, I was told 4.11 gears
SoR Aussie vinyl interior floor
SoR vinyl seat coverings
FJ62 steering wheel!
ARB front bumper with winch
Kaymar rear bumper
Long Range Fuel Tank
253,600 miles on the clock when I picked it up.
Well, over the weekend I traded my 04 decked out Taco for an old FJ60! The FJ60 is replacing my Taco as a DD, road trip truck and also as my overland vehicle. I drove the Taco to Panama 2x and I plan to take the v8 FJ60 down south too!
I had a 1987 FJ60 from 1990 to 92 or 93. I loved the truck and have always wanted another one. After several trips down south and back in the Taco I decided it just was not what I want for those kinds of trips. One big problem for me was not being able to sleep in the back, my Taco was a double cab with a 50" bed. Now I could have gotten a FWC but at over $10k I just didn't want to spend that kind of money for a place to sleep! The Taco is also a bit high profile for down south. The lower profile you are down south the better. The FJ60 is also a lot more simple and easier to work on. It lacks all the electronics that the Taco has too. Every little scratch, ding or dent I got on my Taco made me cringe! Not only that every time it got a scratch it dropped the value of the truck. My new FJ60 is clean but at 27yrs old it is not perfect which is just what I wanted!
So a few weeks back I saw this nice looking 84 FJ60 0n craigslist. I got hot on the idea of owning/replacing my 2004 Taco with an FJ60 TLC. I owned a 1987 FJ60 20yrs ago so kind of knew what I would be getting into. I knew it would be a down grade front he Taco in terms of comfort and all that jazz. But I feel I can compromise by putting in some really nice seats and so forth to still get a comfy ride. My aim is at least as good as the Taco if not better in terms of comfort cruising down the road. My Taco's seats were not comfortable to me so it shouldn't be to hard to beat it! Any ways, so I find this nice looking FJ60, I msg the seller and ask if he is interested in a trade. He replies that he is. I made arrangements to go see the FJ60 the next weekend. It was up in N.Idaho not to far from Lewiston. It was a Colorado Cruiser but had been moved to Idaho just a week or two prior. So I got my Taco ready for the trade and for the trip up to Idaho. A few email exchanges and phones calls with he owner of the FJ60 and plans were in motion.
Saturday morning 6-4-11 I get up about 6am and am on the road in the Taco by 7am. I knew it was about 600 miles and 10hrs of solid driving to get to where the FJ60 was located and I wanted to make it there before dark. The owner had offered to set me up for the night so that was also the plan but I wanted to view the FJ60 in the daylight. I get to my destination at about 6pm. We meet and then take the FJ60 for a drive. After a few hours talking about the two trucks and all this jazz we agree to trade. I get up the next morning, pack my gear and hit the road before 8am.
I drove the FJ60 straight home yesterday in about 10.5hrs. Before I get into how the drive went or the truck it's self I will post some pictures. As I said this is a Colorado FJ60, supposedly it's whole life. I wouldn't be surprised if somebody recognizes this TLC....
RUST!
This is super sweet!!
Video of driving the FJ60 home.....
YouTube - 1984 FJ60 LandCruiser‏
So what are my feelings and what do I know now that it has been 24hrs since I decided to trade and 600 miles of seat time in the FJ60. Well first off, I will miss my Taco but a lot of that is just because of memories from trips I took in the truck. I was told the build on the FJ60 is 2yrs old or so, I doubt that. It is looking to me more like 8-10yrs old to me for a number of reasons. #1, the RamJet looks to have MEFI-3 not the MEFI-4. I think the MEFI-4 has been in use since 2004 on the RamJet. I will have to confirm which one the truck has by checking part numbers from what is on the truck to a MEFI-4. There are other clues too such as; the long range tank is dated for 2002, the body is starting to show tiny bits of rust here and there and it looks like the FJ60 has seen some wheeling. Maybe as much as to have put the truck up against a tree or something. I didn't notice it until home tonight and washing the truck but it looks like it took some roof damage at some point and it was repaired, although not the best repairs I have seen. I did drag a magnet over the whole truck before I made up my mind on the trade and didn't find any large body filler any where. The seller said he thought some might be in the rear wheel wells but if so it is thin. From the moment I saw it and drove it I liked the truck. I did think it sounded odd though, like it has an exhaust leak.....
So to make this shorter and simply....here is the good, the bad and the ugly for the FJ60.
The Good!
-It is a fecking cool truck!
-It has the 350 v8. Have not figured out mileage for the 600 miles yesterday but it is at least 12-13mpg. This engine has plenty of power for this truck. 70-80mph down the hwy no problem at all. I love how it really doesn't lose any speed on grade changes. I love the sound of it, even with an exhaust leak! It is fun around town too.
-The AA Ranger box makes this thing overland ready as is. You can do good hwy speeds being able to drop from 1:1 in 4th to .73 or whatever. This makes it possible to do 80mph down the hwy and not be over 2500rpms. I shifted it a lot and used it not just for a "5th" gear.
-The tires, they are nearly brand new. Less then 5,000 miles on them for sure, still have nipples on the sidewalls.
-Clutch works well and I think it is all new.
-The truck tracks pretty straight and true down the road. No weird vibrations or rattle noises or whatever noises. No clunks and tires do not rub, although I have not flexed it up.
-It shifts pretty smooth into all gears, tranny feels somewhat solid. T-case shifted smooth into 4wd high and low and the hubs work great.
-The brakes work well but for this much power and how much the truck weighs stock brakes could be improved upon.
-The winch is a brand I am not familiar with, made in the USA I believe. It looks to never have had the cable out more then a few turns off the drum. We checked it and it works.
-Brand new windshield.
-ARB compressor and locker sin both diffs, all works well.
-Long Range Tank, not sure of brand, will have to figure that out, Aussie made I believe. I am guessing it is about 25 gallons.
-FJ62 mirrors
-Aussie Vinyl floor. It doesn't fit perfect but man I like it!
-ARB bar and Kaymar rear bumper. Truck also has a trailer brake controller that appears to work.
-The color, I like the silver. Paint looks a little old but is not in to bad of shape.
-Believe it or not I like that it doesn't have a perfect body! I don't want to worry about little dents and trail pinstripes.
-Really nice looking fuel pump and duel fuel filters. Have to check it out closer to see brand, ect.
-Nearly everything works; from the high beams to all the turn signals to the interior overhead light to cig lighter to the heater to the rear wiper! It all works fine!
-I am getting a full set of FJ62 doors with all the power window/lock stuff that are clean and rust free. They also have gray interior panels. Seller is hooking me up with this and also a clean tailgate. I just have to drive to Denver to pick it up.
-All four doors close really nice.
-Knuckles looks pretty good. Diffs not leaking any where I can see.
-It has a stereo, although old school and only a disc player. It is loud enough to hear over the engine!
-The heater switches look new and work pretty well, although stiff.
-Some of the turn signals and marker lights are new.
-It has an oh s*** bar which I think only came on FJ62's. Unfortunately it is brown!
The Bad
-I didn't like how the truck sounded from the first minute. I must just be a newbie to v8s or I am used to my S/C 5vz in the Taco. I knew it sounded like it had an exhaust leak and should have said something. When I got home and crawler under the truck, sure enough the exhaust pipe is broke clean in half where it meets the header, at the flange. Should be able to weld this up and call it good for now.
-The engine puked about a 1/2 quart of oil out of the filler cap on the drive home. The filler cap is a joke and leaks, it will be replaced asap.
-Truck ran at 210 most of the day, if the gauge is correct. But at higher speeds or under load it was running at 220-230. That is a bit hot for my liking. I would like it to run at 190 and not get over 210. The radiator looks nice and is aluminum. Fan shroud looks like ass. May have to look into a better shroud or electric fans.
-No 35" MTR spare. This kind of sucks. No place to put the spare either since the Kaymar doesn't have the carrier option on it. Good news is I can buy the option from a Kaymar dealer and then have location of spare solved. I can use my 5th 35" Maxxis Creppie as the spare. It is just on a 16" rim.
-Rims are 15". I dislike 15" rims, am a fan of 16" or 17" rims. But they are ok for now, will run them for at least a few years.
-Front leaf springs are pretty toasted. The RHS is real bad. I should be ok around town until I can get them replaced.
-The steering box needs a rebuild. It has tons of play/slop which makes driving down the road lame, like driving a boat. I checked tie rods and drag link and all seems good, so I think it is all in the steering box.
-I don't like the headers on it. They are kind of restricted in several spots.
-It is loud! I don't mind the howl of the v8 but the gear boxes whine a ton. It could use a complete sound deadening at the least!
-I need a control for the winch. Owner had gotten he wrong one. He is suppose to re-order the right one and send it to me. We jumped the posts on the winch to check it and make sure it works.
-No sliders. I realize now how much I like them for lifting a truck with a high rise jack.
-12-13mpg with a 25gal tank means 325 mile range at best.
-no snorkel, it needs one.
-A/C doesn't work. It is all there and seems wired. Needs re-charge at the least.
-All markings are worn off the turn signal/wiper switch.
-I ran the heater at full blast to see if it would drop temps when she was running at 220. It made it get nearly as hot as 230 just from running the heater! That seems out of whack to me.
-The vinyl seats are hot and not comfortable after 4hrs. In the Taco my butt and thigh would hurt. In this truck with the low backs it is my shoulders that hurt. I do like the high seating position, much better then my Taco. New seats are going to have to be done, when I have no idea!
-Frame has rust at rear leaf spring hangers, a common spot. It is just starting but has got a solid foot hold here. This is a bummer but the rest of the frame is really clean.
The Ugly!
-Headliner has got stains but is not torn. Rear panels are done and ugly.
-The dash has lots of cracks. I plan to just buy a new dash cover. Will go with gray.
-This truck used to be tan with brown interior. I dislike the brown interior compared to the gray. It has some gray with the seat coverings and vinyl floor but still has brown dash and door panels.
-I am not a fan of the large tach on the dash.
-The stock gauges all work, how well I don't know. They are sun faded and ugly though. The temp gauge is dead and it has an after market in the stock tach location.
-no window tint. I need a dark tint!
-Chrome. I hate chrome! Will have to black it all out except the emblems.
-It has had some body repairs to the roof. Possibly damage from a tree, doesn't look major enough to be from a roll over. Maybe a tree fell on it!? You can see a bit of not matched up paint on the roof and some wavy lines. Rest of body is straight over all with the exception of 27yrs of small dents.
-Overall the truck looks good but if looked closely at does show it's age.
That is a good sum it up for now! I am sure with more time working on, driving and all that I will have more to say!! I think this is going to be a perfect truck for me and for trips I like to do.
I will edit this and remove the typoes later, the last 4 days have been long and I am pretty tired. I will also add what my planned mods are and then update the thread as I do the mods or repairs or upgrades.
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