Hi! And welcome back to Carriage House Chronicles, a series where we chat with our friends and yours about one of our favorite topics, old school cars. Last week, Marcus asked me all the questions about my Jeep Grand Wagoneer (Honey) and I figured we’d returned the favor and ask him the same about his old school car. After all, it’s only fair. So hang with us as Marcus answers all the things about his ride.
Carriage House Chronicles: Marcus Interview
1. What kind of car do you have?
A vintage 1988 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ62
2. What made you get this classic ride and why this particular model?
Land Cruisers have a reputation for being the most reliable and capable SUVs ever made. They last for. ev. er. The 60s model has this great boxy 1980s look that I love.
3. Tell us the story of how you acquired the vintage Toyota Land Cruiser.
I got really lucky with this find. For years I had been on Craigslist and other used car sites looking for a 60s series Land Cruiser, and to be honest, I don’t even know why. I had no money set aside to purchase one even if I found one I liked. When I saw this one, the price was very low for its condition, even with the high mileage. I reached out to the seller and agreed to meet in their town which was about 2 hours away. Victoria wanted no parts of this. We had recently gotten the Wagoneer and we hadn’t even begun to sort out it’s problems so the idea of spending money on another old SUV was less than appealing. The vintage Toyota Land Cruiser essentially filled the same role as the Wagoneer and would come with its own set of issues. I was sent on my own to check the car out and it was a bit nerve-racking. For large purchases I like the benefit of having you [Victoria] around so we can come to an agreement. But this one was all on me. The car checked out, very little rust, clean interior and one owner! She even had the original paperwork from the day she purchased the truck back in ’88. I shook hands with the owner and set a date to pick up the Land Cruiser and bring it home with me. Vic was not happy.
4. Any funny stories from your first few drives?
The day I went to register the car I could not get the key out of the ignition! I sat in the car sweating in the Carolina heat, worrying that I had been swindled, thinking “ no wonder the car was so affordable”. Eventually I remembered the key release button on the steering column before I passed out from heat exhaustion!
5. Has it been easy maintaining the Toyota Land Cruiser ?
Very easy! Knock on wood, I’ve had no major mechanical issues. I had to patch a hole in the exhaust, but that’s been it! I plan on giving the engine a much deserved refresh at some point but as for now, it’s been ok.
6. Now that you have it, what is your favorite part of having a vintage car?
I love so many things about having the Land Cruiser, but I’d have to say my favorite thing is the people it allows me to meet. There have been a bunch of times where I’ve gone to open my car door and someone stops me just to tell me how much they admire the truck. I always stop and give those people the time of day because before owning the Wagoneer and Land Cruiser I was the one to stop people to ask them about their car and loved when I met an enthusiastic owner.
7. How do you use your vintage car? (Weekends,Daily?)
Currently I drive the FJ once or twice a week. I pick days where I have some local errands or fish locally and use it then. The drivetrain on these old Land Cruisers are sturdy and bullet proof but they are not built for modern traffic. Driving the FJ is kind of like driving a tractor so you have to have a very patient mindset when driving it.
8. Do you have any other vintage cars you want besides the vintage Toyota Land Cruiser ?
Oh man yes! I really would love to find a vintage Ford Bronco and another vintage Toyota Land Cruiser, the FJ40 Land Cruiser.
9. Any advice for future vintage car owners?
My advice would be to buy the car that’s as close to your version of “done” as possible if you want to enjoy it quickly. I knew that buying an older vehicle meant that I’d have to be prepared to invest time and money into it to keep it on the road and beautiful, but I think because I had that mentality, I downplayed the piling costs of all these jobs. Painting the car, upgrading the interior, new headlights, new tires all cost money and, if you do it yourself, time. So when you find that ride and want to buy it, list out everything you’d like to get done to make it road ready and assign a price to that. Then you can really gauge the car’s worth.
Remember, these days, sellers sell things (especially sought after vintage cars) for a reason. A lot of times, the car is a problem for the seller for one reason or another and they want to use your eagerness to get rid of their headache while making a bit of cash doing it. I think if you remember this advice you’ll be a lot less likely to regret your purchase!
So there we have it. Another day, another car chat and more car chats to come. I can’t wait to share our next interview with you guys. You’re gonna love it. And if you have one you want to chat with us about, please do! We would love to tell your story of you and your cars’ adventures.
XO Victoria