1988 FJ62 Land Cruiser: More Evidence the ’80s was the Best Decade Ever
Classic looks, storage capacity, and all-terrain utility made the perfectly packaged FJ62 Land Cruiser totally awesome.
Ah, the great outdoors. There’s no place like it. Camping under the stars to the tune of crickets and flowing water would make a great night for any nature enthusiast. Even better, however, is getting to the hard-to-reach places; journeying into those off-the-beaten-path destinations. Deep into the national parks, where bison roam freely, light pollution doesn’t exist, and any semblance of a trail is nowhere to be found. You’re a hundred miles from the nearest soul, and you couldn’t be happier.
But you’re not going to get there a built-not-bought squatted Silverado with fake sidewall tread, offsets, and underglow. You need a truck for a real outdoorsman. Enter the Toyota Land Cruiser. And in 1988, there was no rig better equipped for off-road domination.
The ’88 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ62 represented the first model year in the second installment of the 60-series Land Cruisers. It’s a beast of a machine. Nothing else has ever quite reached the level of respect the Land Cruiser commands in the Overlanding (self-reliant adventure travel to remote locations) and off-roading communities. Land Cruisers were bred for just such expeditions. If owning a go-anywhere capable vehicle with retro styling sounds like a dream to you, you’re in luck. No need for Doc and Marty, to take you Back to the Future, because we found a Toyota time machine in this perfectly preserved two-tone FJ62 in Puerto Rico. Listed on Hemmings, no need to fret, the seller provides a shipping quote to the continental United States.
The FJ62 Land Cruiser came stock with the 4.0-liter inline six-cylinder 3F-E engine. This engine was an upgrade from the previous incarnation, the carbureted 2F. While still not suited for a drag race, the 3F-E added 20 hp and 10 lb-ft of quality, low-end torque. Perfect for climbing muddy slopes and getting un-stuck. Also, the redline jumped up by about a 1,000 rpm with the new transmission, so highway driving became much, much easier. The only downside was that the 3F-E was never mated to a manual transmission. Sorry, folks.
The engine bay is remarkably clean for a 200k+ mile rig. As evident in the photos, everything is stock or OEM, save for the aluminum radiator. But, that doesn’t take away from the overall beauty of this particular Cruiser.
Every inch of the vehicle has been well maintained, and there’s not an inch of roof rot- or any rust for that matter- in sight. So tick the box for rust-free on your pre-purchase checklist, the Achilles heel of ’80s Toyotas is nowhere to be seen. The frame is flawless, even verifying the VIN.
The carpeting along the door panels, floors, and cargo area are well-groomed and retain a near unblemished appearance. The seats lack the staple Toyota tear many of these models typically suffer from. Even the seat mounting brackets are free of rust and covered in paint which bodes to the quality of care. Lastly, the dash panel is free of cracks, an issue quite common in these vehicles due to sun-bake.
We could discuss how great the paint looks, but it’s quite evident. It’s a pretty sweet looking two tone job; so bonus points for cool factor. These are great looking rigs anyone can appreciate, but the grey on grey truly pops. The body panels, which ooze that ’80s boxy appeal and rugged outdoor capability we all know and love, are flawlessly preserved. Minty fresh.
While the odometer reads 247,000, these engines are built to last. You can expect to get quite a bit more of it before it dies–or you decide to swap it. The owner also states that the rig is driven 3-4 times per week, so no need to worry about turpentine in the gas tank.
It’s been in the current owner’s possession since 1999 and had a single owner before that.
Overall, this Land Cruiser appears to be a worthy addition to any collection or a ready-to-go daily driver for the bold and adventurous. It’s great to see well-seasoned rigs like this still kicking around at high mileage.
Photos: Hemmings