Anyone here ever owned an FJ80?

So lately I've started getting semi-serious about shopping for some kind of 4x4, meaning my usual Craiglisting habit has been steadily increasing in frequency and radius of search. My one and only 4 wheeled vehicle at the moment is my 4th gen Camaro, which has actually been pretty pleasant as a DD despite its many glaring flaws. The issue is I have zero desire to drive it in any amount of snow (especially on the 295 rear summer tires I just put on ) and there is a solid chance that heim joints may start magically appearing in the suspension in the near future, which I don't want to have to replace at 6 month intervals with the milage I put on. My parents were kind enough to let me borrow their "extra" truck for most of last winter, but have been politely hinting that they may not be so kind this year.

So I am looking for something 4wd that can be the winter warrior and split dd duties with the Camaro the rest of the year as well. I have been all over the place in terms of what I am searching for, but this popped up on the local CL this morning:

https://harrisburg.craigslist.org/cto/5082949577.html

I'very emailed the seller, however I am out of town for the weekend and wouldn't be able to go take a look for at least a few days yet.

FJ80 have definitely been on the short list, and this seems a solid $2-3k cheaper than most i've seen in comparable condition. What I like about them is their reputation for being basically indestructable, should be comfortable, wouldn't lose much value even if I put another 80k on it, can tow a bit (not that I have a specific need at the moment), and are supremely capable off road even in stock form. Owners seem to absolutely gush over these things online.

I am aware the fuel economy is atrocious, but what are the other downsides? I keep hearing people reference the high cost of maintaining one, but frankly I don't know that I see anything way out of line in terms of parts pricing on Rockauto. What supposedly costs so much to maintain on one? Death by nickels and dimes? I've poked around a bit on expedition portal and ih8mud, but really I don't know a whole hell of a lot about these. Learn me GRM!

I had a 92 with the old single cam straight 6. The DOHC engines had headgasket problems but with that many miles i would assume it has been done or it hasnt been a problem. mine was VERY slow, hard to hold 75 on flat ground kinda slow, but the DOHC trucks also have 50+ hp over the old engine so it probably isnt to bad, and mine also got 13 mpg highway.

drivetrain-wise they are built like tanks, fix any leaks and keep clean fluid in everything and it will go forever. Just keep an eye out for rust. They ride pretty well for being solid axles front and rear thanks to coils. they can also fit 33/12.50 tires and will go alot of places with ease

besides being slow it was one of my favorite vehicles ive ever owned.

Head gaskets, and what the FJ owners call the heater hose from hell or something like that, google it I cant remember right now. we had a guy who would always try to sell us his landcruiser with 380k for something stupid like 8,000$ at the last shop I worked at, ran great though!

edizzle89 wrote: drivetrain-wise they are built like tanks, fix any leaks and keep clean fluid in everything and it will go forever.

Quoted for truth. I've never owned one but know plenty of people who have. The "high cost of maintenance" should probably be better described as high cost of running, due to their thirst. If I found one in good condition, I wouldn't have an issue owning one, provided my wallet could afford the fuel bill.

Just received a reply from the seller, who states the radiator was replaced a month ago due to overheating problems...Thoughts?

Slow I am OK with, I have the bike and the Camaro to go fast in. Thirsty isn't ideal , as I commute 60 mi/day round trip, but it's a compromise I could deal with, especially with the other vehicles to split time with in the spring/summer/fall. Considering the price, expected resale, and longevity these are known for, fuel cost might not be that much of a penalty in the long run compared to some of the other vehicles under consideration.

Possibly the most bulletproof rig sold in the US. I'd snatch that one up if it drove well.

Swank Force One wrote: Possibly the most bulletproof rig sold in the US. I'd snatch that one up if it drove well.

I would be on my way to see it now if I weren't at the GF's parents for the weekend...

I've been thinking about these a lot lately. I drove one belonging to a friend and it tows great (later, DOHC motor). Other than that, I know a lot of people consider this to be the last true Landcruiser, and they are cheap right now, I wouldn't be shocked if prices on nice ones start going up soonish. I say this as a 1st Gen 4Runner owner who has seen the values on those trucks more than double in good condition in the last few years. If I could possible justify it to myself I would already own one.

I can't imagine justifying the fuel cost. Get a somewhat fun FWD economy car with snow tires for the winter. My 98 Neons go everywhere and get 32mpg at 75mph.

parker wrote: I can't imagine justifying the fuel cost. Get a somewhat fun FWD economy car with snow tires for the winter. My 98 Neons go everywhere and get 32mpg at 75mph.

Not going to argue the logic here, because honestly I cant. A cheap E36 M3box onsnows would do everything i need for less. I rocked an e36 through 2 upstate NY winters while in college without ever getting stuck. But that's just not what i'm looking for, especially something fwd (I don't buy the argument that there is an inherent advantage over rwd in the snow.) And especially a Neon...godawful tin can POS that they are. It's a throw away car that will retain zero value and any further investment in it is purely sunk cost.

So what does grm make of the aforementioned overheating issue?

Went to check it out tonight, here's the scoop...

Pretty clean on the outside and underneath, very little rust at all underneath and none on the body. Paint is in pretty good shape, appears to be garage kept currently and looks to have been for much of its past life as well. Apparently it leaks a bit at the base of the windshield.

Interior wasn't the cleanest, the guy obviously hauls kids with it. Third row seat is cloth, first and second rows are leather. The cloth looks to have been origional, since it matches the doors, but the leather seems to be in quite good shape, just ditry under the seat covers. Cold air, hot heat. Stereo seems to function. Buttons to make he antenna go up and down (yes it has that) don't work.

Front tires are ok, rears need replaced (is that an issue with full time 4wd?) Brakes are new and feel surprisingly strong. Radiator was recently replaced due to an overheating issue, says he didn't drive it while it was hot. Headgasket checks out ok. Leaks oil, looks to be towards the rear of the pan. Sounds like it has a bit of an exhaust leak from the manifold gasket. Has a bit of valve noise. Check engine light is on, apparently Autozone told him it was the gas cap but that didn't fix it.

Not sure if it's just oil blowing back from the leak or Trans fluid (looked more like oil), but the bottom of the Trans was a bit damp. I think the front axle seals were leaking. Low range works. It does not have lockers, unfortunately.

Drives impressively well for the milage, no shakes or shimmies. Slow, but that's to be expected. Trans shifted smooth at anything but full throttle, where it was just a bit abrupt. It was kind of fun in to drive, in that it just feels invincible. Build quality on these is unbeleiveable, rivals any thing I've ever been around, including several older Mercedes.

I'm still undecided. It doesn't appear to have been the best maintained example, but it's not the worst either and the shell is actually very clean. I think I could talk the asking price down to at least 2500, which would leave room to take care of he obvious needs. I left without making an offer, but told him I was interested and let him know one way or another by Thursday.

What say ye, should I be enabled?

I wanted a FJ80 or FJ100, ended up with a Montero. Similar world class bullet proof build quality, a lot nicer interior and was a lot cheaper. Mine is a 2003 20th anniversary. Still Thirsty tho (around 15mpg with 32" all terrains) I did get 22mpg highway when on the stock all seasons at 65 or so.

For that price, I don't think you can go wrong. I looked very hard at these for a while, ended up with a Suburban instead because the extra room and towing capacity were actually needed, but I really wanted to be able to get one of these instead.

The later engine is the way to go, IMO. These were designated FZJ80, and could be had with factory lockers on both axles. Look for the round knob on the dash on the left side of the steering wheel. There was an interior update that I think was a year after the engine change, but my memory is a little fuzzy. Been awhile since I looked at them. I think FZJs were '93+.

In reply to Furious_E:

Sounds solid enough to go for it to me.

It is almost impossible to find a running non-beat FJ80 around here for that price.

here is a nice little checklist to look at when considering buying one of these. http://www.sleeoffroad.com/newbie/newbie100.htm