My 1985 FJ60 was purchased sight unseen via EBay in October of 2004.
I had been looking for a wagon for quite some time and looked at many, but none in my price range or mechanical state EVER. The intent for the 60 was to build a reliable, sprung over wheeling/fishing rig that could go anywhere and haul muddy dogs, kids and friends in and out of some of my favorite inaccessible spots.
I surfed EBay religiously and one afternoon, up popped this one owner, New Mexico wagon. It was, at the time, in Slidell, La and growing mossier by the day in the hot and humid air of Lake Pontchartrain.
The original owner was moving off shore to some tropical island for his underwater photography business and he and his wife did not need two vehicles……..the 60 had to go.
I won the auction with a high bid of $1,875.00 and it was mine.
For some reason, there was very little bidding action on this rig which looked pretty meek in the auction pictures.
I shipped the tired rig back to Indianapolis, IN and to my surprise despite it being very mossy, dirty and second hand smoky, it was in SUPERB condition.
On the drive home from where I had the truck dropped off, the front right caliper seized requiring a tow truck drive home to get it to my garage. What a way to say hello huh?
My oldest daughter Anna and I started cleaning out the inside of 19 years of second hand smoke clad interior pieces, carpeting and headliner……YUCK.
It had been in Louisiana for about 3 years or so and never really was driven, so it sat in the owner’s driveway.
To our surprise, as we were cleaning, two chameleons crawled out from under the passenger seat. A true bonus!!!!
I had been collecting parts for my FJ40 for a few years and knew they would wind up on this rig as soon as I got her cleaned up and rolling.
The front axle was stripped down, sent to Badlands Off Road Machine Shop for a cut and turn.
4x4labs supplied the High Steer kit and I buttoned up the spring over fabrication at Indy Custom Machine.
I scored a set of new 37x12.5x16.5 GoodYear MT2A Military OZ tires and Hummer wheels for my FJ40 build up and realized that they were perfect FJ60 tires, so I contacted MRW for a set of custom 16.5” x 8” bead locks with the Toyota 6”x 5.5” pattern.
I primed and painted the beadlock rings brown and assembled the combo which really complimented the stance and ride of the wagon.
I am very impressed with the ride quality and wear characteristics of these tires and would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone needing a solid tire for all around use.
In September of 2005, I accepted a “temporary” position in Portland, Or and had the rig shipped out there without logging any real mileage on it. This proved to be a true test for the recently completed spring over and just what a daily driver 60 is all about. I packed the rear of the wagon with my trail toolbag, two locked third members and a set of unused Longfields and away it went……
Without rear shocks yet mounted and 3.73’s still in the unlocked thirds, the rig arrived unscathed and so began my love affair with this FJ60 I call “The Turd”.
Being out in the Pacific Northwest with a sprung over FJ60 is, IMHO, as close to Nirvana as a Cruiser Head can get.
I hooked up with the Cascade Cruisers and Mark Hawley of MetalTech to get to know the right people with the same mindset. What a great group of families to wheel, wrench and hang out with!!!!
I attended the Cascade Cruisers Bearing packing party and wound up flushing and replacing all lubricants, swapping out the 3.73’s for the Detroited and ARB’ed 4.11’s and the Longfields all in one afternoon. What a wrenchfest! Thanks Duane!!!!
W and James of Over the Hill 4x4 whipped a great tune up on the rig as well as some Rancho RS9000’s shocks and a new clutch for me and it was closer than ever to being the way I wanted it.
I wheeled quite a bit up and down the Oregon Coast, the Cascade Range, the Tillamook State Forest, Mt Hood Wilderness area but never got down to the Bend area and I regret it to this day.
Mark and LT from Metal Tech Cage used my gutted 60 as a guinea pig for a new cage for FJ60’s and I am very impressed with the design, install and fabrication of this tight unit and have had many compliments from the folks who have seen it.
I added the Safari Snorkel to the rig on my most recent trip out to Oregon and wheeled the Coast from Astoria to Neskowin as a last Oregon trip for the Turd.
I shipped the rig back to Indiana in June and just recently got her back as my daily driver.
Immediate plans are rear disc brakes and a fresh exhaust.
The Scion headunit swap out is in the works.
I love my FJ60!!!!
Pics to follow
john
I had been looking for a wagon for quite some time and looked at many, but none in my price range or mechanical state EVER. The intent for the 60 was to build a reliable, sprung over wheeling/fishing rig that could go anywhere and haul muddy dogs, kids and friends in and out of some of my favorite inaccessible spots.
I surfed EBay religiously and one afternoon, up popped this one owner, New Mexico wagon. It was, at the time, in Slidell, La and growing mossier by the day in the hot and humid air of Lake Pontchartrain.
The original owner was moving off shore to some tropical island for his underwater photography business and he and his wife did not need two vehicles……..the 60 had to go.
I won the auction with a high bid of $1,875.00 and it was mine.
For some reason, there was very little bidding action on this rig which looked pretty meek in the auction pictures.
I shipped the tired rig back to Indianapolis, IN and to my surprise despite it being very mossy, dirty and second hand smoky, it was in SUPERB condition.
On the drive home from where I had the truck dropped off, the front right caliper seized requiring a tow truck drive home to get it to my garage. What a way to say hello huh?
My oldest daughter Anna and I started cleaning out the inside of 19 years of second hand smoke clad interior pieces, carpeting and headliner……YUCK.
It had been in Louisiana for about 3 years or so and never really was driven, so it sat in the owner’s driveway.
To our surprise, as we were cleaning, two chameleons crawled out from under the passenger seat. A true bonus!!!!
I had been collecting parts for my FJ40 for a few years and knew they would wind up on this rig as soon as I got her cleaned up and rolling.
The front axle was stripped down, sent to Badlands Off Road Machine Shop for a cut and turn.
4x4labs supplied the High Steer kit and I buttoned up the spring over fabrication at Indy Custom Machine.
I scored a set of new 37x12.5x16.5 GoodYear MT2A Military OZ tires and Hummer wheels for my FJ40 build up and realized that they were perfect FJ60 tires, so I contacted MRW for a set of custom 16.5” x 8” bead locks with the Toyota 6”x 5.5” pattern.
I primed and painted the beadlock rings brown and assembled the combo which really complimented the stance and ride of the wagon.
I am very impressed with the ride quality and wear characteristics of these tires and would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone needing a solid tire for all around use.
In September of 2005, I accepted a “temporary” position in Portland, Or and had the rig shipped out there without logging any real mileage on it. This proved to be a true test for the recently completed spring over and just what a daily driver 60 is all about. I packed the rear of the wagon with my trail toolbag, two locked third members and a set of unused Longfields and away it went……
Without rear shocks yet mounted and 3.73’s still in the unlocked thirds, the rig arrived unscathed and so began my love affair with this FJ60 I call “The Turd”.
Being out in the Pacific Northwest with a sprung over FJ60 is, IMHO, as close to Nirvana as a Cruiser Head can get.
I hooked up with the Cascade Cruisers and Mark Hawley of MetalTech to get to know the right people with the same mindset. What a great group of families to wheel, wrench and hang out with!!!!
I attended the Cascade Cruisers Bearing packing party and wound up flushing and replacing all lubricants, swapping out the 3.73’s for the Detroited and ARB’ed 4.11’s and the Longfields all in one afternoon. What a wrenchfest! Thanks Duane!!!!
W and James of Over the Hill 4x4 whipped a great tune up on the rig as well as some Rancho RS9000’s shocks and a new clutch for me and it was closer than ever to being the way I wanted it.
I wheeled quite a bit up and down the Oregon Coast, the Cascade Range, the Tillamook State Forest, Mt Hood Wilderness area but never got down to the Bend area and I regret it to this day.
Mark and LT from Metal Tech Cage used my gutted 60 as a guinea pig for a new cage for FJ60’s and I am very impressed with the design, install and fabrication of this tight unit and have had many compliments from the folks who have seen it.
I added the Safari Snorkel to the rig on my most recent trip out to Oregon and wheeled the Coast from Astoria to Neskowin as a last Oregon trip for the Turd.
I shipped the rig back to Indiana in June and just recently got her back as my daily driver.
Immediate plans are rear disc brakes and a fresh exhaust.
The Scion headunit swap out is in the works.
I love my FJ60!!!!
Pics to follow
john
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Great pics, man. Bring that awesome rig back to Ory-gun!! There's unfinished crawling to be done.