You can't have no in your heart...
No's not an option brother.
---Joe Dirt
No's not an option brother.
---Joe Dirt
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I suggest you keep your jeep and buy a 60 series under $10,000 and use it as a weekends or in the evenings for a cruise.
I can point you to a very nice original 83 ( may be an 84) white one with 120ish on the clock for under $10k. It's a TX truck but been in KC the last 6 years. My buddy is tired of it sitting in his garage collecting dust. Has 85% original paint on it. It has a slight hesitation when idling. Otherwise it runs great. Hell of a baseline 60 to start with. Bone stock. Actually, anyone else looking for something like this, let me know and I'll turn you over to him. He's not active on MUD.
And BTW...my father in law gave us our first 60 a decade ago and my job, family and everything else has suffered ever since. My shop and MUD has consumed my life and I have been officially diagnosed as having a problem
I am coming up on 20 years of owning my 60 that I bought for $1000.00. It is a project and a puzzle although it has served as a daily driver. Over the years it has been broken almost sold, nearly scrapped and now currently in parts. The best solution, especially in southern california is to have a second good gas milage car.
My fleet average is about 25mpg, they are both manual but the wrong one is diesel.
My fleet average is about 25mpg, they are both manual but the wrong one is diesel.
That 60 you are interested in would be a great one to own. It's beautiful! Buy it. Keep your Jeep though, or at least get a beater Honda to daily drive.
Funny, my motto is always say no because it's easier to change a no to a yes than a yes to a no. The PO has so much hesitancy at this point, he might as well stick to the no and live w/ kicking himself until he's 70 and bored.
Shoulda, woulda, coulda. A lesson from the old folks I care for geriatrics; do it now!
I cannot agree with all of this.
The first line, if you find a good old school shop (like many of the sponsors in here) then you are all set.
A garage is important if just to change your oil. But that goes for any vehicle where you do your own work.
If i do not have a spare vehicle and my current ride breaks then I am screwed. Ford had my F150 for a week the last time (5 more months and that is sold). I only had that vehicle at the time.
faultless transportation?!? Meanwhile my neighbors brand new Lexus left her stranded on the highway due to some sensor.
I have driven many old cars as daily drivers
1967 TR4a
1965 Austin 1100 (bought for $100 and drive it for 4 years, could not put more than 2 quarts of oil in it or it would pour out due to a hold in the pan)
1978 Mini 1000
1974 TR6
1968 Cadillac (drove that from Vancouver, BC to Miami Fl.)
1970 Delta 88
1970 Chevelle
1976 T-Bird
1979 SAAB 99
1985 Bronco (drove from Florida to DC)
1987 FJ60 (drove it from Colorado to Virginia)
1986 FJ60 (my current ride being semi restored)
1974 Toyota Celica (had not run in 2 years, Drained the gas, cleared the carbs, new fuel filter started right up)
As I have had a lot of vehicles (this list is nothing) so I will stop there.
You get the idea, just because it is old does not mean it cannot be a good daily driver. It all depends on you. Yes out side of the T-bird, Delta 88 and Caddy, the rest sucked for ride and comfort, and again out side of the 3 mentioned all were noisy as hell. But that was the charm.
I will say if you want reliability do NOT buy an old British Layland build vehicle. The electronics alone will scare the hell out of you (I mean really, 4 glass fuses for a 1978 Mini). I replaced the harness in all of my British vehicles (except the 1100 it just worked if you NEVER touched anything).
But all in all everyone of them were reliable daily drivers. I can think of 2 times i was broken down.
1. The Triumph TR4a. A mechanic fixed the front brakes and packed the wheel bearings (so they say) and the drivers side inner bearing seized to the spindle.
2. The Caddy after a 6000 mile trip blew the upper rad hose. I cut and spliced it. That lasted for another 1000 miles until Ii managed to replace it.
If you want a life experience, drop the Jeep, buy a FJ60 (go with the manual trans) avoid the V8 and keep it Toyota. Put in a 5-Speed if it does not have one and enjoy it. Basic maintenance, some preventive Maintenance (check the fluids, fix the leaks). If something does not look right, fix it do not wait till it breaks. Remember this wiring is older so do not over load it (relays are your friend). Keep these things in mind and the Cruiser will outlast you.
I look at my neighbors 4 door jacked up poser jeep and hate it. Head to head I will take my blue tractor any day.
My comments are mine take them as you may and if you do not like them.....piss off!
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Gretsch
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- #69
Buying my 60 was one of the best things I've ever done. As far as vehicles go, it's been my best investment yet. I can't imagine not owning one now.
But If i read this thread before I bought my Land Cruiser, I don't think I ever would have purchased it. You guys are making me wonder if I really should have bought it at all
Yeah I appreciate all the feedback. Luckily all the reality rolling around in here has not yet fully talked me out of this scheme. Given me food for thought for sure. Despite the negative comments on the trials of owning an FJ, I still think I could swing it. Foolish, perhaps, but again I was told lots of the same stuff when I bought the Rubicon. Seems the overall message here is logic is out the window with FJ ownership. I am good with that.
Another angle I have taken in the past is to buy a modern SUV these days would be north of $40,000. $40,000 gets you a pretty nice resto-modded cruiser. Money way better spent IMHO with how gutless they build things these days.
I'm just going to leave so 60 porn here for you to think about...
One thing I can say is my 60 ALWAYS put a smile on my face when I drive it and I could care less how much money it cost me to get her running and the cost of gas. My kids are already fighting over who gets to drive it enough said.
Gretsch
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- Thread starter
- #73
I would have to agree. If you love what you are driving then you will love the drive. Its really up to the person. My wife says she cannot understand how I drive my Jeep every day back and forth to work. Says she would go crazy doing that in that thing. I am a different kind of cat I guess.
Any vehicle requires downtime, old, new, whatever. As I said modern is no guarantee of reliability. My wife has a 2010 Nissan Pathfinder with every switch and knob available and loves it. It cost way more than any of the cruisers I am looking at and with under a 100000 miles was in the shop for a week with a blown head gasket. Luckily the warranty I bought covered most of that but no doubt with out that I would been paying through the nose to fix it. She still loves it though. Last repair on my Jeep was a full lifter replacement. Has 160,000 on the clock. A Full week down for that one. They just don't make them like they once did.
Gretsch
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- Thread starter
- #75
So here is another question maybe the FJ experts could help me with. I would like to get a better feel for how an FJ60 does off road with stock drivetrain and in mostly stock form. As I mentioned I travel to Colorado several times a year and do some light wheeling when I am there. I am sure many of you are familiar with the southwestern part of Colorado (Silverton, Ouray, etc.). It seems to me that the FJ60 is a little long to travel on a lot of the trails around this area without significant modification. Does the stock drive train have the power to climb up some of this stuff? Some of the trails reach just under 13,000 feet elevation. I know some of these trucks came equipped with HAC controls to help with altitude but not sure if that's enough. I see a lot of cruisers around this area so it seems like they have no issue. Just trying to get a feel for how well these trucks do off road and at altitude. My trail days are most likely coming to a close as I am getting to the age where its not the thrill it once was, so if the answer is 'these trucks are ill-suited for off road travel of this type', then its still not too big a deal. If they can do some of the trails then its more a bonus than a requirement anymore. Anyone with experience with FJ60s in the part of the country I would love to hear how they perform on road and off. Thanks all for the feedback. Just that alone has me leaning towards an FJ. Thanks.
It's what they're built for.
Unless you're talking about really technical rock crawling, the FJ60 can do it. Even better with a small lift and 33" tires.
As I mentioned I travel to Colorado several times a year and do some light wheeling when I am there. I am sure many of you are familiar with the southwestern part of Colorado (Silverton, Ouray, etc.). It seems to me that the FJ60 is a little long to travel on a lot of the trails around this area without significant modification. Does the stock drive train have the power to climb up some of this stuff? Some of the trails reach just under 13,000 feet elevation.
If you're going to hang big bumpers, winches, roof racks, and all your junk on it, you will find the vehicle performance lacking at 13K feet. It just comes with the territory. This is one reason I haven't added a ton (literally) of mods to my truck. I live at 7K', and it's a dog every day of the week. But, a lovable dog.
Offroad-wise, last summer, I did Tincup and Hancock passes, with my stock '62 and 31x10.5s and suffered no body damage. A lot of it is driver skill, as you know. The truck will wheel all day long and shrug it off - it's what it was engineered to do. Not as nimble as a '40 or a Wrangler, but it's not like 'wheeling a Suburban, either. All you can do is try it and see! With mild lift, lockers, and 33s, it would be even more capable, but I prefer stock-ish trucks for the 'wheeling I do.
If you're going to hang big bumpers, winches, roof racks, and all your junk on it, you will find the vehicle performance lacking at 13K feet. It just comes with the territory. This is one reason I haven't added a ton (literally) of mods to my truck. I live at 7K', and it's a dog every day of the week. But, a lovable dog.
Offroad-wise, last summer, I did Tincup and Hancock passes, with my stock '62 and 31x10.5s and suffered no body damage. A lot of it is driver skill, as you know. The truck will wheel all day long and shrug it off - it's what it was engineered to do. Not as nimble as a '40 or a Wrangler, but it's not like 'wheeling a Suburban, either. All you can do is try it and see! With mild lift, lockers, and 33s, it would be even more capable, but I prefer stock-ish trucks for the 'wheeling I do.
I think the question has gone from 'should i?' to 'which one?'. That one in you posted looks like it's been repainted and I see possibly hidden rust coming back up at the bottom of the tailgate.