Buying a "project" FJZ80.

[Concours14]

I have been lurking on this site for a little bit. I do some off-roading in my Jeep Commander. My youngest boy will be getting his license in about 2 yrs and I am thinking of buying a FZJ80 in need of work as a project vehicle we can work on together and have done when he is ready to drive (and do some remote camping trips). I am a former auto tech so I am willing and able to tackle mechanical work but am not too familiar with Land Cruisers. I have been looking at non running vehicles and am wondering if anyone has rebuilt the engine in the FJZ80 and if it is cost effective. I know it won't be as cheap as a small block Chevy but would it be cheaper then a $3700 reman engine.

 

[Concours14]

Let add a little more to this. I am looking between WJ Grand Cherokees and the FJZ80. The GC has light weight, good 4wd system (quadra drive) inexpensive buy in, easy to get parts. Minus' most wear items are remove and replace and not very heavy duty. From my understanding on the LC is seems like most of the wear items are serviceable and thus would take more PM but would last longer vs wear out and replace which is were I believe long term costs would be lower for the LC. Plus as I am teaching my kids when you do as much PM on your vehicles (new or old) yourself you find issues before they become problems. So in short is my thinking on LC in the right direction?

 

[Sempertoy]

here is my input as an owner of both at different times.

My jeep cherokee was my second 4x4, and my first modified vehicle. It had a small lift, an arb, a warn winch and some small super swampers. It was a really fun vehicle and very cheap to maintain as a high schooler.

I bought my cruiser a couple years ago and it has been much more expensive to own(not the cruisers fault, I couldn't leave it alone) there have been zero failed items that I have replaced, but have been steadily replacing things as pm, rather than having them fail.

In my opinion, I would buy your kid a jeep, teach him to wrench, teach him to drive and off road and then when he is good at those with his disposable jeep, have him upgrade to a cruiser. He will never go back.

 

[Concours14]

Sempertoy thanks for your reply and first off thank you for your service and "Semper Fi." I kinda want my kid to have a vehicle that he can hold on too. My 1st real car I bought I had for 10 yrs and kept til our 3rd child. I couldn't fit a third car seat in my 64' El Camino (the wife wouldn't allow a seat in the bed :smiley_drive) so it had to go. I have been trying to show my kids how hard work and pride in ownership is a good thing. As a former XJ and Wj owner and current XK owner they all have/do need a lot of up keep. I am just have been thinking if we are going to do the pm to keep a older vehicle going a LC will out live the Jeep and when the little one wants to get ride of it dad has 1st dibs.

 

[Sempertoy]

Sempertoy thanks for your reply and first off thank you for your service and "Semper Fi." I kinda want my kid to have a vehicle that he can hold on too. My 1st real car I bought I had for 10 yrs and kept til our 3rd child. I couldn't fit a third car seat in my 64' El Camino (the wife wouldn't allow a seat in the bed :smiley_drive) so it had to go. I have been trying to show my kids how hard work and pride in ownership is a good thing. As a former XJ and Wj owner and current XK owner they all have/do need a lot of up keep. I am just have been thinking if we are going to do the pm to keep a older vehicle going a LC will out live the Jeep and when the little one wants to get ride of it dad has 1st dibs.

That's a very good point. The LC will definitely hold it's value longer than an xj, and is an incredibly safe/reliable vehicle.

 

[AndrewP]

You don't really need to get that much of a project. Find one that still has a working drive train and start there. The 80 is an amazingly reliable machine, and as you say, the parts can all mostly be rebuilt. I'd have to say, that while the 1Fz-FE motor is a work of art, it wouldn't really be cost effective to rebuild. I'd just find another working one and swap. When the entire complete vehicle is worth $5k, a $5000 engine rebuild seems unrealistic.

Before you go too deep into this, remember that new drivers are usually monetarily challenged drivers, and the 80 series will burn fuel like a sailor on shore leave spends money. So unless you plan to subsidize his driving for the next 5 years, I'd think lighter and smaller.

My advice-get your kid an interesting vehicle that is fuel efficient. Even a mini-truck would be a better choice than a Land Cruiser.

 

[zelseman]

You're a good dad, my dad bought me a 90 honda!
I think a land cruiser is a great first car. The mpg will keep him close to home and out of trouble and like you said, he won't get rid of it.