80 For Sale w/out Lockers Any Ideas

kayaked56 · 01-22-07, 09:00 PM

I have been looking for a LC for quite some time. I finally located a very nice and locally ownew LC. I had promised myself that I would like a truck with locking Diffs. This truck does not have them. I have researched all options to add the (ARM) and know the costs.

My question is how big of a deal is this? Am I looking to hard into having factory lockers?

Other than the obvious fact of the factory lockers being 10 years old could need to be replaced?

Any advice would be appreciated.

90 4'Runner

*********************************UPDATE*********** *****************************************

So I finally met with this Mall Driving RealEstate Agent selling the car.

I look the car over and it is REALLY CLEAN, #245 or #3000 97 LC Anniversary edition.

The car has no Scratches, Dents, Dings, missing parts (other than the Antena wont come down $100 quick fix), or anything usually associated with a 10 year old car, especially if I had owned it the last 10 years.

As I mentioned before, ONE PROBLEM, no LOCKERS. Which the seller seems to be NOT AN ISSUE, he did not even know how to put the LC into 4Low.

I live next to Slee OffRoad, and I know for $2K, I can have my Non-OEM Lockers.

I offered hit $10,000 and he quickly turned me down, and placed the offer somewhere in the $12,500-13,000 range.

So I need your expert advise, Keep looking and continue to pimp my 4-runner, or haggle with the RealEstate Agent?

Living in the CO Mts, and needing to scout out far and away rivers to kayak, I need a great ride, with alot of tough traits.

Thank you!!!

Romer · 01-22-07, 10:05 PM

Since you live here in Denver, I would recommend you wait unless your only use will be to go to the mall. There is a large Toyota club here in Denver with lots of runners, 80's, 40's, 55's and even 2 BJ70's.

An 80 with lockers is the best 4WD vehicle made. Take a look on the Rising Sun local club page.

My lockers are 10 years old and never have given me any trouble. Just took them apart to regear and they are still in excellent condition.

corsair23 · 01-23-07, 12:03 AM

x2 what Romer says...

I have yet to run across an 80 owner wishing they had not bought an 80 with lockers but you see plenty wishing they had. ARBs will cost you a lot of money even if you can install them yourself. You could go cheaper but assuming the 80 will also be your daily driver then selectable lockers is the only way to go IMO.

Unless you find a non-locked low mileage mall cruiser with detailed records that is exactly what you want for several grand less than comparable locked rigs I'd keep looking. They are out there (once you buy one they'll see to come out of the woodwork

) it just takes patience, determination, and a LOT of searching.

Then again, if your offroading plans don't call for needing lockers then the above doesn't matter. Resell will be easier on an 80 w/ lockers but if you plan to be buried with the 80 then that doesn't matter either

Thermodyn · 01-23-07, 12:26 AM

An 80 w/o lockers is a fine and capable machine. Head and shoulders above all other makes with unmatched quality and reliablity. Reliability is THE single most important factor. All else is secondary.

However, an 80 with lockers is formidable!

So if you don't want to wait any longer...

buy an unlocked 80. You'll be emjoying it sooner if you do.

If you wait (I looked for nearly three years and then found two with lockers within six months of eachother) one will turn up. It's only a matter of time.

reffug · 01-23-07, 03:25 AM

What you want to accomplish with the vehicle would be the deciding factor on how big a deal lockers are...........

PACNW96 · 01-23-07, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thermodyn

Reliability is THE single most important factor. All else is secondary.

Well said...

agomez · 01-23-07, 09:21 AM

get lockers you will need them for the mall........

Beowulf · 01-23-07, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kayaked56

My question is how big of a deal is this? Am I looking to hard into having factory lockers?

Other than the obvious fact of the factory lockers being 10 years old could need to be replaced?

First, you have to decide if you really need lockers. Assuming you have already made that determination, then...

I would accept one without the F&R diff lock option if it was ~$1,500 LESS than I expected to pay (which is rarely the case.) This would give you a start toward retrofitting ARB lockers. Another factor that might sway me to an unlocked truck would be if my IMMEDIATE goal was 35+ tyres and lower gears. Fitting ARBs is more cost effective if you are planning a regear at the same time.

If those criteria are not met then you should keep looking for a locked truck and expand your search area to surrounding states or wherever you can get a cheap flight.

Good Luck!

-B-

Jason YY · 01-23-07, 07:02 PM

I just passed on a 96 lx450 with lockers and 125k on the clock for 10200 bad color. And missed a lx450 for 10K Black it sold (with lockers) same day a listed on craigs.

It s worth it to be patient. Selectable lockers at a later date will cost at least 2000.00. Be patient.

But thats my opinion

kayaked56 · 02-08-07, 07:41 PM

I have been looking for a LC for quite some time. I finally located a very nice and locally ownew LC. I had promised myself that I would like a truck with locking Diffs. This truck does not have them. I have researched all options to add the (ARM) and know the costs.

My question is how big of a deal is this? Am I looking to hard into having factory lockers?

Other than the obvious fact of the factory lockers being 10 years old could need to be replaced?

Any advice would be appreciated.

90 4'Runner

*********************************UPDATE*********** *****************************************

So I finally met with this Mall Driving RealEstate Agent selling the car.

I look the car over and it is REALLY CLEAN, #245 or #3000 97 LC Anniversary edition.

The car has no Scratches, Dents, Dings, missing parts (other than the Antena wont come down $100 quick fix), or anything usually associated with a 10 year old car, especially if I had owned it the last 10 years.

As I mentioned before, ONE PROBLEM, no LOCKERS. Which the seller seems to be NOT AN ISSUE, he did not even know how to put the LC into 4Low.

I live next to Slee OffRoad, and I know for $2K, I can have my Non-OEM Lockers.

I offered hit $10,000 and he quickly turned me down, and placed the offer somewhere in the $12,500-13,000 range.

So I need your expert advise, Keep looking and continue to pimp my 4-runner, or haggle with the RealEstate Agent?

Living in the CO Mts, and needing to scout out far and away rivers to kayak, I need a great ride, with alot of tough traits.

Thank you!!!

kayaked56 · 02-08-07, 07:48 PM

Spoke to soon, he posted on Cars.com, now you can see yourself.

://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp;?tracktype=usedcc&searchType=21&pageNum ber=0&numResultsPerPage=50&largeNumResultsPerPage= 0&sortorder=descending&sortfield=PRICE+descending& certifiedOnly=false&criteria=K-%7CE-%7CM-_47_%7CB-100000000%7CD-_428_%7CN-N%7CR-75%7CI-1%7CP-PRICE+descending%7CQ-descending%7CZ-80202&aff=denver&paId=220504320&recnum=20&leadExis ts=true

RAYJON · 02-08-07, 08:03 PM

he is dreaming 13,500 is about 4 or 5k too much.. ... keep looking .. remember miles don't seem to hurt cruisers, poor maintainence does. Keep looking You will find one sooner or later...even place a add at Slee with what you are looking for and what you will pay... just a thought..

If you have a freind in so cal, Houston or any other major Land Cruiser market have them keep their eyes open I look at every crusier I see for sale for lockers. You are limiting your options and you are in a market where the number of people who could afford them new was less than say LA or Houston.. Just a thought to help in your search.... Good Luck and keep looking

bstain · 02-08-07, 08:17 PM

Trader has a 95' w/164k and in one of the pics I think i see that sought after switch left of the steering wheel. It looks like there is a couple. Do an autotrader search with in 100 miles of Denver. Check all the pics for the switch, some people will have them and not know it so they wont put it in the write up for the vehicle.

Beowulf · 02-08-07, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kayaked56

Other than the obvious fact of the factory lockers being 10 years old could need to be replaced?

The locking diffs don't "wear out" and even if they don't work when you test them, 90% of the time they just need to be exercised to loosen up the old hard grease inside the motor and gears.

-B-

619TOY · 02-08-07, 08:34 PM

Just remember, impatience is not your friend. When I was looking for mine, it took months. Here in SD I never even found one one that was nice (lockers or not, and I had to have lockers). I had to expand my horizons and eventually found exactly what I wanted in AZ. I spent a day flying and driving and am glad I didn't have to make a hasty decision.

Ting · 02-08-07, 08:48 PM

13.5K is not bad.

Angel? · 02-08-07, 09:01 PM

Do a San Francisco Craigs List search. The South San Francisco Bay Area is the land of the "soccer-mom" TLC. Most have seen nothing but pavement and the Toyota dealer.

RAYJON · 02-08-07, 10:14 PM

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/car/270778846.html

corsair23 · 02-09-07, 12:52 AM

Personally, I'd keep looking. If the seller won't negotiate down (and many won't since they have no clue about lockers nor the value - sometimes a good and a bad thing for a buyer) then to make this a locked 80 you are now talking about a $16K+ vehicle and you haven't even started modding it yet. Even if the seller was willing to drop the price to $12K (seems unlikely) your still looking at spending $14K+ total by the time you get it 'locked'.

About a month ago there was a locked Anniversary Edition (dark green) FZJ80 for sale up in Eagle. Miles were around 80K and the seller was looking to get $16K for it. I traded emails with him and he was willing to drop down to $15K ish but no less. Here was his auction:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...1985623&rd=1,1

Not sure if he ever sold it as he stopped responding to my emails after I offered him $12.5K for it

. He figured per KBB it was worth $17K+ and that I needed to do more research on the value of the vehicle. Sellers want the max $$ out of the sale just as much as a buyer wants the max value (i.e. least expense) out of the purchase. Sometimes the two just don't meet.

Anyway, what you are looking for is out there and you will find it if you are patient and even more so if you are willing to branch out. Murphy's Law states that you will find it IMMEDIATELY after buying one that wasn't quite what you wanted

Value wise though you will find that any FZJ80 or LX450 in CO seems to carry a higher 'price' just due to the area and the limited supply (or so it seems). What seems to be a high price to those in other states is just typical for CO. Buying out of state you have to factor either vehicle transportation or going to get it yourself into the equation.

sleeoffroad · 02-09-07, 07:17 AM

You have to compare local prices. $13k for that truck is not bad. Yes there is the locker issue, but you are not going to find a low mileage truck that easy. I see a lot of people stop by the shop with the "unicorn $7k 1997 80 with lockers" and I can assure you that in most cases the trucks the bought are basket cases or trashed.

You are going to spend money on it in any case. If you are going to add gears, lockers is not that bad in the overall scheme of things. It is easier to add lockers than to find a low mileage excellent condition truck.

Call them politely and tell them what you would pay for it. Explain to them that you would like them to sell the truck for as much as they could get, but of after a while they are not able to, to please give you a call. Don't let them think you are low balling them. Only offer them a sure sell if it does not work out for them otherwise.

If they sell it for asking price then that is the current market and you have to deal with it. If they don't they will remember you as being polite and you might get a call back. I hate it when buyers try to make you feel like you are crazy for what you asking for a vehicle. You might think it, but don't express it.

You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

PS, there is a 1991 with 13k original miles on Denver Craigslist. Asking price is $9k.