How important is it to pre-baseline? Looking at buying an '03 LC100 (1 Viewer)

[shizam]

I'm looking at buying my first 100 series, its an '03 at ~150k, tastefully upgraded but it has a spotty Carfax, no detailed maintenance history and is currently on the 5th owner who has only done basic oil changes and has no idea what significant maintenance has been done in the past. My question is, say I take it to a pre-inspection and they say everything looks "fine" and nothing is obviously needing attention, how important is it to just go ahead and replace "baseline" items (valve cover gaskets, heater ts, power steering everything, water pump, starter, control arms, bushings, ball joints, swaybar links, ABS, blah blah) vs waiting until they're beginning to look like they need to be replaced. Should I just handicap the price by the entire cost of replacing all these bits? The price is pretty premium and my gut (based on owning a '91 vanagon for many years) is telling me to walk away unless there is a considerable discount.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

There's only a couple things in your list that I would actively do as preventative items, the rest I would replace as needed. You telling a seller this truck potentially needs thousands of dollars in service isn't going to fly. Any used car might.

 

[shizam]

You telling a seller this truck potentially needs thousands of dollars in service isn't going to fly

Agreed, I only bring it up because it seems like the price of any given LC I've been seeing is increased by 1) low mileage 2) upgrades 3) maintenance history and #3 seems like the best indicator of how much of a money pit its going to be over the next 5+ years and that gets factored into the sale price. So if this LC is priced like a well maintained one but all I can tell is "it runs well" then I'm trying to bake that into my offer

 

[AARONTLC]

I'm looking at buying my first 100 series, its an '03 at ~150k, tastefully upgraded but it has a spotty Carfax, no detailed maintenance history and is currently on the 5th owner who has only done basic oil changes and has no idea what significant maintenance has been done in the past. My question is, say I take it to a pre-inspection and they say everything looks "fine" and nothing is obviously needing attention, how important is it to just go ahead and replace "baseline" items (valve cover gaskets, heater ts, power steering everything, water pump, starter, control arms, bushings, ball joints, swaybar links, ABS, blah blah) vs waiting until they're beginning to look like they need to be replaced. Should I just handicap the price by the entire cost of replacing all these bits? The price is pretty premium and my gut (based on owning a '91 vanagon for many years) is telling me to walk away unless there is a considerable discount.

I would say only a couple items are "Emergency Baseline" items. #1 item would be pulling the coils and checking that the sparkplugs are tight (So simple). If there is no sticker for a timing belt and or you don't trust the sticker then that is a #1a item. Then heater T's, change oil, fluids, bearings, blah, blah...

 

[GerLC100]

I'd also concentrate on brakes and liquids, spark plugs first and then go from there.

What's the ballpark price you're looking at?

 

[shizam]

$30k with RTT, winch, lift, racks, and its physically/visually in good condition. After 6 months of looking here and elsewhere across the country I'd say if it had good maintenance logs on it's 2nd owner it'd be a good if premium price especially since I don't have to drive it home from Texas (where all the great LCs seem to have migrated to )

 

[YotaWagon]

$30k is a lot for spotty maintenance records and an owner that shrugs when you ask what's been done.

 

[whitec13]

This is a Land Cruiser, it is a money pit by default. Whether that be in maintenance, which OEM is higher priced than any other Toyota model. Or adding bells and whistles, which we still pay a bit LC tax for accessories. That said, it’s a money pit that is an investment. Take of her and she will take care of you - and likely your kids and maybe even grandkids should you take extra care of her.

Ps - 5 owners scares the sh!t out of me if there is no significant records from any of them.

 

[xeuxaz]

30k without proof of maintenance seems wrong.

 

[shizam]

Thanks for confirming my suspicions, like I said, I got a '91 Vanagon Syncro and its less a money pit and more a religion that expects 10% of my income as a tithe so I get it but I got a physical stack of records all the way back to the window sticker from the previous owner so 5 owners and no records for the LC feels sketch.

I'll keep hunting.

 

[GerLC100]

160k with 5 owners and 30k... wow! I wouldn't do it!

Comparison: I was looking for the past 6-9 months and found 250k vehicles around the Bay for 15-17k. Eventually bought a 270k one for 8.5k.

 

[xeuxaz]

I consider any money into my 100 series a sunk cost and I don’t care.

 

[Dirt Ferguson]

I think the OP brings a line of thinking that many people who are new to LCs have in their heads. They hear that these vehicles are built to last, super reliable, hard to break, etc. Which in some ways is true, but what they don't hear or choose not to hear is that they NEED regular updated maintenance and replacing parts regularly. It's a vehicle with 150K+ miles on it. Most vehicles (non-Toyotas) would blow up and be in a junkyard by then.

When I bought my 97LX, I learned so much about fixing and working on my own vehicle. I was green af before that, now I have confidence and a larger skill set than I did before.

Baselining is our religion and if you want your 100 to last, it will need to be yours.

Or you can pay someone to do the baselining, which, in the Bay Area, is going to be rough on your wallet. And if you find one for sale fully baselined and dialed, it will also be rough on your wallet.

Neither one is easy, but that's what makes these rigs so special.

 

[BullElk]

The price is pretty premium and my gut (based on owning a '91 vanagon for many years) is telling me to walk away

I would agree

This is a Land Cruiser, it is a money pit by default.

Well dagnabit! .....I've been owning the wrong ones the last 28 years.

 

[77pantera]

This forum is a riot, sometimes I think I'm on the Land Rover forum by mistake.

Comparison: I was looking for the past 6-9 months and found 250k vehicles around the Bay for 15-17k. Eventually bought a 270k one for 8.5k.

I've been looking across the west for a few months and ya, $30k is insane. There's clean, rust free 03+ with ~200k on them for ~15k and detailed service history/carfax if you search hard enough. Of course I was only looking for bone stock ones, I have no interest in someone's "overlanding" build.

 

[xeuxaz]

I mean it’s subjective. Slee front and rear bumpers is easily 10k before shipping and installation. Add in a modest baseline, a Gamiviti rack and a suspension refresh and you’ll be 20k deep before you buy the truck.

 

[MountaineerLC]

A couple of thoughts:

1. I may be in the minority here, but 30k for a 21 year old vehicle is crazy, LC or not.

2. I’d rather buy a stock truck and build it myself. The build is half the fun! Secondly, you never know if the mods were done correctly or not unless you have receipts from a known shop such as Slee.

 

[BullElk]

I mean it’s subjective. Slee front and rear bumpers is easily 10k before shipping and installation. Add in a modest baseline, a Gamiviti rack and a suspension refresh and you’ll be 20k deep before you buy the truck.

Although there really are much more important issues in our lives these days to contemplate, I will say my “issue” with this thread topic and thinking is not… a hundy owner being well aware and wanting to spend serious coinage on baselining clean fluids, buying expensive mods, being religious with 93 octane, etc etc. My unimportant issue is when the same owner then is convinced these vehicles are money pits and expensive to own. Just not true.

They are expensive to own only if….you just have the desire to spend more than is needed for maintenance for the fun of it, you are sort of addicted to modifications and spend the money for the fun of it. or if you happened to find the only lemon Land Cruiser I’ve never heard of, And other than the latter, that’s just the cost of those choices.

Now back to more important issues to contemplate… selling land, bowhunting swine and praying to the Creator of both.

 

[xeuxaz]

Although there really are much more important issues in our lives these days to contemplate, I will say my “issue” with this thread topic and thinking is not… a hundy owner being well aware and wanting to spend serious coinage on baselining clean fluids, buying expensive mods, being religious with 93 octane, etc etc. My unimportant issue is when the same owner then is convinced these vehicles are money pits and expensive to own. Just not true.

They are expensive to own only if….you just have the desire to spend more than is needed for maintenance for the fun of it, you are sort of addicted to modifications and spend the money for the fun of it. or if you happened to find the only lemon Land Cruiser I’ve never heard of, And other than the latter, that’s just the cost of those choices.

Now back to more important issues to contemplate… selling land, bowhunting swine and praying to the Creator of both.

All valid points!

 

[shizam]

Of course I was only looking for bone stock ones, I have no interest in someone's "overlanding" build

Yea I've been having a hard time finding an '03-'05 that is, lets say mildly upgraded (tires, lift, bumpers, roof rack, maybe RTT, maybe headers), I find most FJ80s are quite upgraded and most '03-'05 are relatively stock so I am admittedly looking for a difficult to find truck, for instance (one, two). I toyed with buying "bone stock" but they tend to be high teens and looking at the price of upgraded rigs I'd rather buy somebody's upgrades at $0.25 on the dollar.

is convinced these vehicles are money pits and expensive to own. Just not true

Agreed they don't have to be and I will 100% admit some of it is just for fun but at the same time I want a truck that doesn't make me anxious to drive and my read on the situation is similar to any 20+ year old car: sometimes you get a tank, sometimes you get a lemon and everything in between but you should anticipate the lemon and have the skill or money or both to support it or be ok driving "as-is".

I don't mind a truck with a mysterious past and sketchy service history, I just want that to be reflected in the price