Why an FJ80 over a FZJ80?

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ToothDr said:
I'll take this guys word for it.
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That's all hunky dorie but there are many 1FZ-FE parts that are discontinued too.

The OP stated he wasn't going to wheel it hard so FF axle and locker are moot points. As for ABS and disc brakes, well, there are numerous guys that have disconnected their ABS because it is s***. And the disc brakes I've never found necessary.
 
One thing I've noticed is the prices on the clean FZJ's are going up substantially lately it seems like, maybe with the drop in gas prices again.
 
If maintained the 1FZJ. Hard to argue with better performance.
If not maintained, choose the tractor motor (3FE) and bus transmission.
 
Either way your gonna have to figure a decent chunk of cash to sort out any unknowns and baseline the vehicle especially if you go with the older 3FEs like I did. After my base price of $2200 for the actual truck (with known problems) I've dumped at least another $1500 into preventative maintenance stuff. And I still have to rebuild my front axle! But man it's nice looking at my bone dry valve cover without worry.
 
Like stated above, I would factor in future motor work on both. The 3FE is older tech and getting long in the tooth and the 1FZ is not far behind, in most cases a refresh would not hurt. I would be looking for the best overall shape I can find.

I shop for different 80s than most but I am looking for a straight frame, straight body and clean interior over drive train.
 
If I had no need for power, I would get whichever truck had the best combination of price/condition/miles/maintenance history.

However, I am a real human being who drives on the highway, so I wouldn't consider a 3fe cruiser except as the base from which to start a motor swap project.
 
Hornd said:
If maintained the 1FZJ. Hard to argue with better performance.
If not maintained, choose the tractor motor (3FE) and bus transmission.
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93-94 cloth seat obd1 1fz-fe best of both worlds.
 
if ABS and Air bags are important to you the newer are needed. Slee's guide will have year cutoffs options but those options started in 95 with OBDII. I looks for and bought a newer one for those reasons. plus more were sold so there is a bigger pool to find exactly what your after.

pricing - people always think they have a unicorn and they are always for sale (because they rarely are or sale quickly if at all) but you will not notice them until your looking to buy then you will see them still a year after you find what you bought. be patient one will pop up that meets your criteria.
 
I wouldn't buy a cruiser based on if it has a 3FE or 1FZ... like others have said, take all things into consideration when searching for your ideal cruiser. Interior, color, options, etc. all come into play. The engines aren't too far off from one another to make a huge difference to me.
 
They both would operate identical as far as flat towing is concerned.

The 3fe is a great motor, super simple, easier to work on in my opinion.

The 91-92 rear drum/semi float axle is considered a negative, but 60 guys run v8s through those axles all the time and they hold up well, especially if your not going over 35'' tires. That being said, the full float 93-97 rear axle is even better! But it sounds like you will be doing light wheeling at most so your not going to be disappointed with either type of 80.

Find a good clean one, and have it checked out by a knowledgeable mechanic and ramble on!
 
The only negative to the semi float rear is that it's harder to service. However, since it needs to be serviced once every 20 years of so, it's not really on the radar.
The strength of the axles themselves is not an issue, nor is the load bearing capacity. The axle shaft diameter is very large and the bearings are massive.
Rear drum brakes are fine, but they need to be maintained properly and the handbrake should be adjusted correctly and used often, as this keeps the shoes in proper adjustment.
Say what you will about the 3FE, but I've owned one for 25 years. Yes, the 1FZ will outperform the 3FE (duh), but a proper running and well maintained 3FE is just not that bad. I've driven mine cross country twice pulling a trailer. She'll sit at 70 mph all day long.

As previously mentioned, find the best one you can. Even the youngest one is now 19 years old so go into it with your eyes wide open. Any truck is going to need some TLC.
 
I'll NEVER own an FJ, only FZJ's.
 
I enjoy the comments about rear disc brakes on the '94-97 1FZs. Don't get me wrong, I prefer disc brakes, but does ANYONE think their 80 stops well, disc brakes or not? My '93 was an oddball transition OBDI model that had the 1FZ and earlier transmission, and also had the semifloat/drumbrake rear axle so I did have a direct comparison for braking with my current '95 with discs. Personally I feel no discernible difference in braking.

as for the rest, I personally will deal with the drawbacks of the 1FZ (already did the HG) for the better power and driveability as well as OBDII
 
Heckraiser said:
However, I am a real human being who drives on the highway, so I wouldn't consider a 3fe cruiser except as the base from which to start a motor swap project.
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I must be an "unreal human being" then, because I don't think I'd mind the lack of power.

Of course, I'm one of those sub-human rural dwellers that fails to rise to the value level of your typical urbanite.
 
Box Rocket said:
I enjoy the comments about rear disc brakes on the '94-97 1FZs. Don't get me wrong, I prefer disc brakes, but does ANYONE think their 80 stops well, disc brakes or not? My '93 was an oddball transition OBDI model that had the 1FZ and earlier transmission, and also had the semifloat/drumbrake rear axle so I did have a direct comparison for braking with my current '95 with discs. Personally I feel no discernible difference in braking.

as for the rest, I personally will deal with the drawbacks of the 1FZ (already did the HG) for the better power and driveability as well as OBDII
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I don't have an issue with how my truck stops. I bleed them fairly often, including the ABS unit. The master cylinder is always overlooked too.
 
My 97 stops really well since I attended to all 4 corners, but my 91 stopped well also.
However I am very anal about brakes because it is way more important to stop than it is to go. I only use OEM parts, replace the rotors with new as opposed to turning them, bleed the system once a year, and keep the calipers in good shape.
 
My trucks stops "fine" too for what it is. I use OEM parts and bleed it regularly too and I think given the factory setup it's stopping as well as it can. I just think it's still a far cry from something that has great brakes. A couple of sports cars ruined me I guess.
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Neither here nor there and not trying to start a braking discussion, I just think it's a moot point of comparison between the FJ80 and the FZJ80.
 
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