Used 1988 Land cruiser

[Capt Eddie]

I have always wanted an old Land cruiser. I have found one for sale. It is a 1988 with 200000 miles on it. Damaged front grill. But it is only???? $1750.00. How hard and expensive are the parts to fix it up. I found a 2003 Jeep wrangler In mint condition for $3850.00 What should I do? I know the jeep will be more FUN to drive but the LC is a classic I could fit all our gear with two kids. I could tow the Jeep behind the F450, or I would want to take the LC and the kids without the camper. Two differant styles of camping but they are both fun. I would have to spend enough money on the LC to make it dependable$$$$ Any input will help. Thank you.

 

[Pskhaat]

I remember reading the original design specs in LA years ago in the lat 1980s for the LC line. As I recall, it was 1.5 million kilometers with 2 full engine rebuilds with enough for a 3rd. This means about 500k km or over 300k miles between.

Would I be afraid of a 200k mile LC? not at all. I'm sure it would need some maintenance and a good run-through to check for heavy abuse but theoretically this is at the teenager years. Check the compression and learn how to get the 3F-E computer to read you any error problems. Last 60 series I drove went 240k and drove like a dream, sold now and I know it is still going strong somewhere in SW CO, likely without being rebuilt yet.

With the fam, would you even be able to fit into the Wrangler?

Parts for the LC are easy and they're good Toyota parts too. http://cruiserparts.net and http://sor.com ($) and ebay, &c.

 

[Grease Cruiser]

I have always wanted an old Land cruiser. I have found one for sale. It is a 1988 with 200000 miles on it. Damaged front grill. But it is only???? $1750.00. How hard and expensive are the parts to fix it up. I found a 2003 Jeep wrangler In mint condition for $3850.00 What should I do? I know the jeep will be more FUN to drive but the LC is a classic I could fit all our gear with two kids. I could tow the Jeep behind the F450, or I would want to take the LC and the kids without the camper. Two differant styles of camping but they are both fun. I would have to spend enough money on the LC to make it dependable$$$$ Any input will help. Thank you.

I would not let the mileage scare you. I had a 1988 FJ62 like you are considering. I bought it with 280K miles on it for $500. I thought it would be a nice beater and an in between vehicle. I drove it for about a year and let my mother in law drive it for about 2 months while her tranny was being replaced on her 100 series I sold the Cruiser with 289K miles as I did not need it any more but it still ran great. I sold it locally and it is still running around. I think it has 302K on it, the last time I spoke to the current owner.

As far as going with a LC wagon or a Jeep, I'd go with the LC but I'm a little biased. You can haul your entire family along with all your stuff. They will last forever if you take care of them. If you don't... they will still last a long time.

 

[Fantom]

Granted my experience is with diesel Landcruisers but there are a few gassers up here in Canada as well with way over 200,000Kms that are still going strong. I guess the main things you need to look at is, what condition are each of the vehicles you're interested in? minor body damage is nothing, how do they look inside and out? mechanically, leaks, worn parts, etc? but the most important is which would work best for you? Granted the Jeep is cheaper to fix and parts are everywhere (there is a reason for that) and the Landcruiser will be more expensive and parts, including aftermarket, will be less available. What do you want the vehicle for? I've had mine for over 6 years, it's a '84 BJ60 and I've abused it, it's all stock running gear with a lift and never let me down. I've gone through trails and towed out domestics with broken parts and my truck kept going. That's reason enough for me to stick to a Landcruiser, you might have a different view, just be careful, it turns into an addiction before you know it.

 

[Hltoppr]

200+ K is no problemo....heck, my FJ45 has 315K km on it and runs like a top! Toyota parts are more expensive than Jeep stuff, but you don't have to replace things often.

I had a 1989 Wrangler for a while through college and grad school....started falling apart at 100K miles, even with meticulous maintenance....bought an FJ40 with 180k on it and never had a problem....

-H-

 

[MoGas]

My DD 1993 FZJ80 has 220+ and my wife's 1988 FJ62 has 204+. No problems.

 

[MoGas]

200+ K is no problemo....heck, my FJ45 has 315K km on it and runs like a top! Toyota parts are more expensive than Jeep stuff, but you don't have to replace things often.

I had a 1989 Wrangler for a while through college and grad school....started falling apart at 100K miles, even with meticulous maintenance....bought an FJ40 with 180k on it and never had a problem....

-H-

Even the Chevy stuff worked on that one.eepwall:

 

[Pskhaat]

Even the Chevy stuff worked on that one

Ohhhhh! Can it be true? Hltoppr I certainly hope this was prior to your Toyota enlightenment?

 

[rusty_tlc]

Just to get brand bias out of it lets say you are talking about an FJ62 and an FJ40. The down side of any short wheel base rig is for camping it's basically a two passenger vehicle. Even so you need to be very careful packing. So you tow it behind your truck and take trips from a base camp. This can be a lot of fun if you have the right trails in your area.
The up side of the wagon is you aren't tied to a base camp. Around here this works out a lot better since a lot of trails end many miles from the trail head.
If you tend to set up a base camp and stay put I'd go with the SWB rig. If you want to move around and explore go with the wagon.


Now consider the dollars and cents.
$3850-$1750= $2100 that's a lot of mods like roof racks, tires, body armor etc. How much would you need to invest in the $3850 rig to get it trail ready?

One more thought, the F450 would tow the FJ62 as easily as the SWB rig. You could have your cake and eat it too.

Just my thought on the subject, hope it helps.

 

[MoGas]

Ohhhhh! Can it be true? Hltoppr I certainly hope this was prior to your Toyota enlightenment?

As long as I've known him (Wrangler days), he has had 2 Chevotas. A 40 and a 60. He never really mentions them much, though.

 

[jessewmcgregor]

i currently have an 88 fj 62 and love it, wouldnt give it up for anything. that being said there are some things to keep an eye on. the trans kind of sucks in my opinion, if maintained they will last but i would look at that more than the engine. the motor is probably a 3fe which has its pros and cons, the most common problem i have seen or heard of is a rough idle issue that can be a bit of a mystery. if it were me i would go with an early model lc over a late model jeep without question. not because i am a brand snob, but because they have been proven time and again world wide. sorry to the jeep owners, no offense intended just my two cents.

 

[Hltoppr]

[T]he trans kind of sucks in my opinion, if maintained they will last but i would look at that more than the engine.

I might clarify a bit...

The A440 behind the 3FE is a pretty bulletproof transmission, even in the early 80 series. Like many Toyota transmissions, they have been known to fail if not maintained (by changing fluid) for 200K miles then having a "flush" done, particularly with a chemical agent to "clean" the transmission.

If in doubt, I'd suggest just doing a fluid replacement by a drain/fill process....drain from the pan, refill to full, drive for a couple of days, then redrain/refill....

I did that on my A440 with no problems. Stay away from the flush. Keep the kickdown cable adjusted (easy 10 min. job) and you're golden.

-H-

 

[jessewmcgregor]

I might clarify a bit...

The A440 behind the 3FE is a pretty bulletproof transmission, even in the early 80 series. Like many Toyota transmissions, they have been known to fail if not maintained (by changing fluid) for 200K miles then having a "flush" done, particularly with a chemical agent to "clean" the transmission.

If in doubt, I'd suggest just doing a fluid replacement by a drain/fill process....drain from the pan, refill to full, drive for a couple of days, then redrain/refill....

I did that on my A440 with no problems. Stay away from the flush. Keep the kickdown cable adjusted (easy 10 min. job) and you're golden.

-H-

well said and very true, the other consideration is that the A440 draws alot of power. the H55 conversion is a great option down the road and seems to be universally agreed upon as "the best mod ever".