Cobble or cuddle?

[Skivvy]

Have a too common dilemma. I have a running 86 FJ with 25k on it but haven't kept up with maintenance. Its all there with decent plastic and newish rubber but the forks leak, clutch slips, leaking fluids have trashed the finish on the oil filter, clutch and brake master and slave cylinders. Anodizing is rough, etc, etc, etc.

Having just bought a 89 with 4k on it I am now faced with moving the old FJ on to its next home or parting it out. Seeing it needs so much work I am worried its worth way more in parts than as a running bike. I just hate to see another classic ride sent to the glue factory when so many folks keep up their FJ's like a member of the family.

[FJmonkey]

Have a too common dilemma. I have a running 86 FJ with 25k on it but haven't kept up with maintenance. Its all there with decent plastic and newish rubber but the forks leak, clutch slips, leaking fluids have trashed the finish on the oil filter, clutch and brake master and slave cylinders. Anodizing is rough, etc, etc, etc.

Having just bought a 89 with 4k on it I am now faced with moving the old FJ on to its next home or parting it out. Seeing it needs so much work I am worried its worth way more in parts than as a running bike. I just hate to see another classic ride sent to the glue factory when so many folks keep up their FJ's like a member of the family.

First post eh?
Not sure what you are asking? The bike is worth way more $$$ to someone that wants a complete vintage classic FJ. You could part it out to the same owners and likely get more than the sum of it's parts. Bust it into bits and one more bike is lost. Maybe one more bike is given a rebirth...... Are you trying to keep the bike complete and preserve it, or sell it for the most profit? Just curious....

[ribbert]

Have a too common dilemma. I have a running 86 FJ with 25k on it but haven't kept up with maintenance. Its all there with decent plastic and newish rubber but the forks leak, clutch slips, leaking fluids have trashed the finish on the oil filter, clutch and brake master and slave cylinders. Anodizing is rough, etc, etc, etc.

Having just bought a 89 with 4k on it I am now faced with moving the old FJ on to its next home or parting it out. Seeing it needs so much work I am worried its worth way more in parts than as a running bike. I just hate to see another classic ride sent to the glue factory when so many folks keep up their FJ's like a member of the family.

The bike you describe (with only 25k) is still a baby.  The repairs needed are both minor and cheap to fix.  The general finish looking a bit unloved is also easy to spruce up. Your view of it is probably tainted by the much smarter looking one now parked next to it.  What you describe could well apply to many of the bikes here, mine for example,  with higher mileages.  Go ahead, make someone's day and get them happily involved with an FJ and sell it complete.
Noel

[Pat Conlon]

Welcome Skivvy. I am glad you asked for our opinion. Here is mine.
Sure...You could disassemble the '86 and part it out, but you will end up with little money and a lot of extra parts left over. A lot.
There are not that many parts that are desirable off the '86, unlike the '89+ FJ's.

The issues you mentioned are not insurmountable, in fact, very doable with a little time and effort. We can help you.
If you are handy with basic tools, why not get them fixed, then splash on some paint stripper on the aluminum to take off the yellowed clear coat followed by a light buffing with some steel wool, spray some heat resistant satin black on the engine and a dab of silver on the frame and sell the bike?  You will get the most money that way. $1,000+ Nice, well maintained FJ's are running $2k-3.5k

If you do not want the hassle, ok then just sell the bike as it is... Figure $200-500 depending on condition of the plastics.
Over at the Yahoo FJ board there is a guy named George Bowers who buys non-running FJ's and fixes them up for resale.
He makes money on these because he does the all work himself, and he does nice work. http://autos.dir.groups.yahoo.com/group/yamahafj/

You could do the same.  

[bugboy]

Where is the bike at? Someone on here (possibly me) might be looking for a project bike.

Kurt

[weymouth399]

Where is the bike at? Someone on here (possibly me) might be looking for a project bike.

Kurt

Ya what he said.

Bob W

[andyb]

Or take it apart and fix it.  The experience and mistakes you make (and we all make em when we learn) will help you to do great work on the newer bike as it needs it.

Give it to the kids as a project and teach them to ride a big bike.

Give it to the wife

Make it into a dragbike.

Make it into a touring bike.  You could have one for going fast and one for going far.



Parting it out honestly is just going to leave you with a ton of leftover bits and probably less money than you wanted for it.  Getting it into the best shape you can may or may not help you sell it for a good price, depending on what you spend to do the work, you could make money in the process.  Parting it is going to work for some very misc bits, the motor, and the body.  Not a lot of demand for most of the rest, unless there's very specific stuff on it (a corbin seat for example).

[Dads_FJ]

Have a too common dilemma. I have a running 86 FJ with 25k on it but haven't kept up with maintenance. Its all there with decent plastic and newish rubber but the forks leak, clutch slips, leaking fluids have trashed the finish on the oil filter, clutch and brake master and slave cylinders. Anodizing is rough, etc, etc, etc.

Having just bought a 89 with 4k on it I am now faced with moving the old FJ on to its next home or parting it out. Seeing it needs so much work I am worried its worth way more in parts than as a running bike. I just hate to see another classic ride sent to the glue factory when so many folks keep up their FJ's like a member of the family.

Forks leak:  Not too bad a job, and with this list you can learn how to make fork protectors out of mouse pads!
Clutch slips:  Try adding an extra clutch spring, might be just enough to keep it going for a while and not too expensive.
Clutch Slave:  This is a two-fer.  Randy at RPM can supply you with a rebuilt Clutch slave and spin on filter.  win win. 
Anodizing is rough:  Yea well, once you see the light and the potential, you'll actually enjoy polishing etc...

I like having two bikes, tinker with one and ride the other.  And I agree with the group in that parting out bikes always leaves a pike of stuff you have to get rid of.  (I parted out an '84 that was wrecked...)

[Skivvy]

Thanks for all the suggestions especially the pros and cons on parting out. The FJ is a special bike and like so many classics you just hate to think of another one gone forever. For anyone who might be interested I live in the DC suburb of Hyattsville just south of University of MD. 

You all can probably relate but I would rather the bike to go to an enthusiast so it doesn't suffer the same fate as the 89 I now have. Its a sad story, shocking really. Pristine Midnight Blue FJ, garage kept for 20 years with only 3k on the clock passed onto a handyman for 500 bucks. For the next year it was treated... well, like a $500 beater bike, then flipped on ebay.

That being said, as much as I'd like to make the 86 back into a classy GT for some discriminating rider, I already have a project bike that probably deserves more of my time and $. Not to mention the mistress of the house has said "no" to two bikes and her logic is pretty sound. So, any suggestions on how to find a proper home for this unstoppable (literally) hoary dribbler?

Fwiw, It comes with a newish Corbin seat which iirc was close to $200.

[Pat Conlon]

Take a bunch of pictures, upload them to the Gallery and post the bike for sale on this Forum (it's free) and attach the pictures to your post.

Best wishes and welcome again!