Re: 1988 LandCruiser infromation sought, please!

my '90 ('89) FJ62 Landcruiser was purchased in 1999 with 119,000
miles, now at 135,000--am told engine is good up to 300k..

I use Castrol 20w-50--change oil every 6 months regardless.

items replaced:
new Old Man EMU suspension, new gas tank, new fuel pump, new (all)
hoses, new brake rotors/pads, steering stabilizer, one new brake line
(recently), new Mean Green starter motor, tailgate upper hinges
(rusted out), new spark plug wires, etc.

my truck is very rusty--major deterioration in several areas
(especially the lower rear body panels and bottom ridge of lower rear
tailgate , minor in several other places...but over all it is a rust
bucket.

I bought impulsively..and rust areas had been painted over and were
not noticeable, plus I failed to look underneath at the bottom of the
body...will not disclose how much I paid as I am embarrassed to tell
you.

BUT, the truck has made 2 round trips from DC to Nantcuket and has
performed flawlessly.

It is a bit of a gas hog......:-(

For some crazy reason I love my truck and its reverse snobbery
appeals to me.

Hank in Reston VA


On 10 Dec 2003 01:03:13 GMT, [email]rtw918@aol.com[/email] (RTW918) wrote:
[color=blue]
>Just purchased a 1988 Toyota LandCruiser with 150K miles on it. An automatic
>trans and looks to have had very good care and servicing. Everything is factory
>and nothing is Mickey Moused. No black, white or blue smoke. Runs out nicely, a
>bit "truck-like," but then it's a truck. Anyone ever had one of these and can
>give me some estimates as to what I can expect in terms of length of life on
>this thing, motor and trans, and what items that one would suggest that I pay
>attention to the most. The owner moved out of the country and sold it to me for
>about 2 grand. I just couldn't pass it up, as I've always wanted a cruiser. So
>far I'm enjoying it, and i have to assume that this thing is going to eat a bit
>of gas. I think that since so much of it is original, that I should focus my
>efforts on replacing the thermostat, water pump, heater hoses, and fan clutch
>which seems weak. It never over heats and stays very cool during any given
>drive, but likes to start to creep up into the 1/2-3/4 way range (out of red)
>when at idle after driving. I certainly don't want to ever subject it to the
>possibility of an over heat condition and possibly blow a head gasket. I'm
>thinking that I need to adjust the valves too. Is this done while the car is
>actually running, or is the adjustment done at operating temperature with motor
>off. Sure would appreciate anyone's help and advice on where and how to proceed
>with this new vehicle. It seems to be a great truck! and I'm looking forward to
>whatever life is left in it. Oh, I've also been thinking about switching to
>pure synthetic motor oil (yes, all 8.2 quarts), is this advisable with this
>kind of mileage on the clock, or am I asking for trouble? I'm also using Napa
>oil filters at the moment and have drained the oil and installed Castrol HD
>30wt. monograde oil for right now. Also am using Bosch Platinum plugs. Thanks
>again.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Jay N. Beechcraft[/color]