Newb Fuso FG 4x4 in US price question

[Head2Wind]

Hey everyone,
Being a total newb, and just joining here, located north of Seattle WA, USA. I have questions regarding a 1993 Mits FUSO 4x4 that is for sale locally. Seller is asking 6.5k USD, it has a 12' service box on the back that is in OK condition. The truck has 328k miles on the clock and seller says that is original and the engine has not been touched. It has a 5 speed trans and has a limited slip rear differential. PTO port (nothing attached). He purchased with the idea of using it as a base for a expedition/overland truck, but never started and is now "down sizing". The cab does not have any major dents or rust, everything seems to be pretty darn good shape for a vehicle that has 328k on it. Seller has service records. Claims that it runs/drives very well and has not experienced any problems other than minor issues. All tires (255/85/16) are pretty much done. Brake systems are supposed to be all gone through and fresh. Trans is said to "stick" in 3rd (could be linkage related, or internal?)
Questions:
1. is 6.5k a reasonable price? There are not many of these around so getting a reference point is hard to do.
2. how long do these trunks tend to live without needing major surgery? seller claims 500k + if maintained, is this true? I know, moving target, but...
3. can the stock engine be uprated ala the 12v Cummins 6bt via turbo/boost/fuel/intercooler/pump-injector changes or are the Mitz components not available to do this?

General insight or information related to questions greatly appreciated.
Ken


Pictures:

 

[Head2Wind]

argh forums....

why are they all different? I need to learn this interface/quirks and get these posted for real

 

[kerry]

Price doesn't seem that bad. Mileage seems somewhat high to me. The Aussies here can speak to the question of making the engine more perky, but I think most people in the US haven't bothered with that given the general market for the trucks and the limited availability of the 4x4 versions. Syncros are a pretty common failure point in the transmission. Later models have more horsepower and a higher top speed if my memory serves me correctly. I'd look for a later model (98(?) and up) and lower miles. Should be able to find something in the $12-16k range. It's not unusual to see these trucks for sale with 350+k miles on them but what has been done to the drivetrain during that time is anybody's guess. Mine has 180+ k miles and the engine was replaced under warranty at some time. I have no idea why.

 

[jhrodd]

That's about the lowest price I've seen for an FG, but it does look pretty thrashed. It seems to run alright, I used to see it driving around town quite a bit.

My FE

 

[Head2Wind]

It definitely needs attention. I think that I would ditch the service box, it adds ~2k LBS to the truck (according to current owner). The underside/frame looks like its in OK shape, no major leaks, cracks or the likes. the major stuff like engine/trans/transfer/shafts/axles appear (from the outside) to be in OK shape. the cab interior needs to be completely gone through, air-ride mounted Subie WRX seats are what I would put in it (cuz I have a pair already), dyna-mat and fresh carpet/floor mats would go a long way. Three point bed and then strap on our 11.3 Lance is the idea for now. Then pull a trailer for the 950 and 650 ADV bikes...

I just wonder if the engine is capable of pulling/hauling at speed the combined weights of camper/gear/trailer/bikes, target 65+ for freeway cruise, hopefully minimum 35+ for mountain passes

 

[kerry]

I'd check the cruising speed of the early 90's models. My recollection from what I have read is that they won't cruise at 65mph. The later 90's models are happy around 63-65mph. I have one with a service body and pop up camper. You can see pictures on here. I like the service body for it's storage capabilities. If you remove the service body, you'll have to construct an alternative bed for the camper and you'll have to consider some kind of pivoting system. So far, I've avoided that work by utilizing the service body. At around 11000lbs mine can pull Colorado's passes very well. I doubt a trailer with a couple of bikes would slow it down much.

Not sure I'd trust the general maintenance habits of someone who cuts a hole in the dash for a cupholder for his Big Gulp.

 

[kerry]

Here's a MUCH better deal for the same price:
http://cleveland.craigslist.org/cto/1482875633.html

 

[Head2Wind]

I agree, much better truck (upon description and miles) for the same asking price. Now I just need to get a hold of a buddy in Ohio to go take a look to see if its worth the trip..... I wonder if it will fit inside a standard semi trailer, probably not....

 

[kerry]

Should fit in a standard shipping container. May need to let some air out of the tires.

 

[Head2Wind]

Last year we were ~13k LBS fully loaded and all tanks full, 92 Ford F250 xCab 4x4 (8850GVW), 11.3 Lance, 10' WellsCargo w/ KLR065 and KTM950 + all our stuff for 3 weeks of exploring and riding in Mexico (chihuahua copper canyon, final destination). Ye Olde 92 460 gasser just LOVES to drink the fuel and 63-67 MPH is all you really can run it without getting 7-9 mpg, on top of that it just doesn't have the reserve capacity when you needed in the brakes, load handling or brute torque for mountain passes.

We did ~6k miles in two weeks with the truck and another ~2k on the bikes. Since then did another 2.5k miles with the truck/trailer (less time available to go exploring) and we keep coming back to needing/wanting a bit more truck that has better capacities.

 

[Amesz00]

ken,
i cant answer much in the way of 2nd hand pricing etc, as im in aus and we have different models to you.

however i believe this is a similar model to what we had in 93 odd. it says 'intercooled' on the cab, i would assume that it is turbocharged also? if so then this is a 4D34T, should be a 3.9LT factory turbo (similar to cummins 4BT and isuzu 4BD1T). this engine i believe is around 135hp and 360NM (266lb/FT). while this is not alot, bear in mind the extremely low gearing that these trucks come with.

the more modern version of this engine comes in the later aus versions with electronic injection. there is a mob in aus that does an upgrade chip for that engine, taking power/torque from 135/360 to 170/440. this is without any other upgrades to the very restrictive exhaust and intake setup, or the moderate factory boost settings.

i think that engine is completely mechanical, so chips or similar would not be applicable, however it shows that the motor can take a fair bit of extra power without detrimental sideaffects.

Andrew

 

[Head2Wind]

test drive

Well I drove it this evening. :smiley_drive: I have to say that for a mid weight truck the thing drives very well, tracks straight and didn't pull or do anything strange. It definitely needs attention though. 3rd and 4th syncros need to be replaced, 3rd more than 4th. It was liveable and I am sure with time I could learn to shift it w/o it getting a set of fresh syncros, however downshifts into 3rd where almost impossible to hit without dropping to sub 10mph and I only hit 1 out of 8, ended up shifting back to 4th to get rolling again. Engine started right up and ran very well, but I am not sure if its up to the task of hauling the loads I want it to with any ease.

The FG in Ohio sold yesterday (bummed about that), I am sure that someone got a good deal with that one.

The hunt continues....

 

[kerry]

Well I drove it this evening. :smiley_drive: I have to say that for a mid weight truck the thing drives very well, tracks straight and didn't pull or do anything strange. It definitely needs attention though. 3rd and 4th syncros need to be replaced, 3rd more than 4th. It was liveable and I am sure with time I could learn to shift it w/o it getting a set of fresh syncros, however downshifts into 3rd where almost impossible to hit without dropping to sub 10mph and I only hit 1 out of 8, ended up shifting back to 4th to get rolling again. Engine started right up and ran very well, but I am not sure if its up to the task of hauling the loads I want it to with any ease.

The FG in Ohio sold yesterday (bummed about that), I am sure that someone got a good deal with that one.

The hunt continues....

Double clutching will solve the downshift problem. Did you try it?

 

[Head2Wind]

Double clutching will solve the downshift problem. Did you try it?

yep, tried it. I am sure that I need to learn how to do it better as it has been a very long time since I have needed to do it as all my vehicles have functional synros. Aside from that, I am not so hot on this one truck considering the age, mileage, the need to work on the transmission, damage to the box RF corner, interior is used up and the asking price is too much (6.5k) even if I consider the unique/cool factors. Also, as I previously stated, I am not convinced that it has the power that I am looking for in its current form. I need to continue to research the possibility of turning up the boost and fuel to a reasonably reliable level to get more out of it. I am sure that this is what the ECM chips do for the modern ones, just with 1s and 0s. Also, with this in mind as evidence that the engine can produce more safely. The trouble may be finding the right parts (injectors/pump/fuel ramp/governor spring/turbo) to "turn it up" the old fashion way. It may very well be possible to shoe horn a 6bt 12 or 24v cummins w/ a Allison w/ a divorced TC between the rails as it appears that there is enough room forward of the intercooler to move it all forward by 2 cylinders. Maybe. I have some 6bt "resources" that I will be tapping in the next few days to see what they have to say.

The hunt continues.... :coffeedrink: