That's why I've been hoarding FGs. I started with an FM, which was "everyone's" recommendation on another forum. $100 for the camera, and another $125 to get it cleaned, lubed, and adjusted (if you can find someone who can do it and has the parts). Then I came upon an FA for just about free, but spent another $240 on that one for a complete overhaul (if you can find someone who can do it and has the parts).
At that point, I did a search and did NOT rely on people's recommendations, but simply looked for the Nikon that didn't have any particular problems and was common. It quickly became evident that any of the most simple electronic ones without LCD screens were the most reliable. And undesirable to history or mechanical-only people, too! You can buy an N2000 for $10, and it's a great camera, but noisy winding (motor). The FG had A priority, Program, and TTL flash metering, and nothing to go wrong--a very sophisticated camera, for the time, and built like a little tank.
I also discovered that on the used market they're common, and because they were marketed as amateur cameras (though much more sophisticated than everyone's favorite OM1, for instance), most of them are nearly new, and often don't even need dusting off, they're so clean, outside AND in (spotless viewing systems, most of them, since the previous owners probably never changed the lens even once). So, for a while I bought every one that I saw for around $40. Now, I figure I have enough to last me until the end of film, and if they break (which they don't actually seem to ever do), I'll just throw out that one and pull out another nearly new one.
Another sleeper is the N90 or N90S. Very recent, but orphaned by digital. Fast AF and works with ALL current and past lenses except early non-AI (unlike most of the other NXX cameras), and mine cost me $29. They were wedding fleet cameras, and often blown out really cheap, because the very thin sprayed-on rubber under the right thumb peels revealing smooth plastic--no mint-condition snob appeal, again, so cost like dirt. I use it when I want AF on film.
