Buying an 80 warning/advice (1 Viewer)

[Trunk Monkey]

This isn't much tech, but it is 80 related. Three stories for you:

- guy in our club is looking for an LX. Finds one in Chicago, does it have lockers?, "Yes". Arranges to have the guy drive it from there to Denver, he'll fly from Salt Lake and meet him in Denver. They'll swap and go home. Well, they meet and it turns out lockers is the OD button on the shifter.

- I go look at an 80 for a fellow mudder. Seller told him it had lockers. I get there, see no dial, ask about it and the guy gleefully starts punching the power lock/unlock button.

- another guy in our club finds an 80 in Kentucky. Got lockers? Yes. Flies out and finds out it's just the CDL ('93 truck), no axle lockers.

So, the moral is, GET PICTURES. I think it was Junk that'd heard of a truck that had the dial, but no wiring, so I'd even suggest a good close pic of the whole VIN tag, and look for the magic 294 number.

 

[Junk]

These stories have all been heard before. Not only pictures, but also get a pic of the data plate that will indicate whether or not it was issued with lockers. Also keep in mind that as these things continue to age that the liklihood that someone did an axle swap is going to increase. It's still pretty remote, but if I was buying an 80 I'd make sure

 

[tucker74]

When I bought my '94 it had the rotory knob, had the actuators, but someone had swiped the wiring harnesses. Have someone who knows 80s look at the truck before you buy, I've done it twice here locally for people.

You never know what's out there!

Tucker

 

[cc93cruiser]

At least you guys knew what to look for, when I purchased my '93 about 3 years ago, I thought all fzj80 series cruisers came with lockers. So I assumed they were already there. It is not untill I heard that most didn't come with that option that I stopped what I was doing and jetted to my cruiser, this is what I found:

ohhhhhhh! sy of relief!

 

[cc93cruiser]

what a lucky bossssturd!

 

[hatfieldcb]

also get a pic of the data plate that will indicate whether or not it was issued with lockers.

What's the location of the data plate, please? I'm going to look at a 40th Anniversary edition tomorrow. Looked at one yesterday and it turns out they all don't have lockers, either. I thought they would have.

Chris

 

[tucker74]

What's the location of the data plate, please? I'm going to look at a 40th Anniversary edition tomorrow. Looked at one yesterday and it turns out they all don't have lockers, either. I thought they would have.

Chris

Drivers door - I'd just peek under and look for the actuators beside the pinions ... and the knob if you're gonna be there though. Never know what's missing

Tucker

 

[mabrodis]

What's the location of the data plate, please? I'm going to look at a 40th Anniversary edition tomorrow. Looked at one yesterday and it turns out they all don't have lockers, either. I thought they would have.

Chris

I think Junk is just referring to the VIN sticker (lower part of driver's door)...on the sticker there is a axle code "AT/P" I think it says, followed by a 4 digit code:

K292 = No Lockers
K294 = Lockers

A good way to ask about this without tipping your hand or easily letting them BS you is to ask what the 3 digit number is after the K. Don't tell someone what it should be, just let them read it, so they don't know what is a 'good' number...

Best way obviously to buy a Cruiser is to test drive it, lock the lockers, so you are sure everything works...ofcourse that eliminates remote purchases though, which kinda sucks...

 

[Kaderabek]

When I bought my wife's now ex 80 (Sangamo's truck now) the lady who owned it said it had lockers. Drove over to Columbia (SC), no lockers, CDL switch only. Good truck though, extensive service records, suited me just fine with that one exception. So she knocked $1,000 off the price and made me lunch and I bought it. Good truck, still a good truck, now with an Aussie locker in the rear. Just rambling.

TJK

 

[hatfieldcb]

Can't wait! I've got an appointment to have it checked out at a Toyota repair shop tomorrow afternoon.

Chris

 

[Kaderabek]

"As long as you're skating on thin ice, you may as well dance!"
'69 FJ55 "The Gray Pig" , '69 FJ40 "Project Orange" , 1997 FZJ80 That I'm About to Dump a Ton of Money Into



TJK

 

[hatfieldcb]

Got the feeling I've already bought the thing? As long as it doesn't look and sound like the Blues mobile and has lockers, I probably have!

Chris

 

[Junk]

I can guarantee you not all 40ths came with lockers. Mine is a 40th special beater edition and I stuck ARBs in it. BTW, there are now at least 2 80s that I know of that have the rotary dial switch and the data plate will still indicate they have lockers BUT THEY DO NOT.

One was sold to a bud through ebay where the dude put a pic of of the switch in the ad, and the other was when a bunghole named Robin Hood sold his to a dude up here in NY that he had bought then swapped the axles with. He even gave the guy my contact info : angermanagementdoesnothelphere: because he could not get the all the bugs ironed out first .

So be carefull when you are buying these things. There is more to worry about than just mushro

 

[elmariachi]

look at a 40th Anniversary edition tomorrow. Looked at one yesterday and it turns out they all don't have lockers, either. I thought they would have.

Chris

One would think 40th and CE trucks would have been loaded; quite the contrary. From what I can tell, as much as half of them didn't even have the faux woodgrain. I assume this is known, but the 40th and CE option was a concoction of the USA Toyota marketing guys, not Japan, and it came after the model year began. Had it been done right, every 40th and CE would have been loaded full tilt, including lockers. And they should have gone ahead and added some of the non-USA trick items (like rear air and auxiliary gas tank.) So this is why the 40th and the CE are "just another truck."

Jim

 

[Vitesse_6]

Hi... My name is Brian, I have a 80 that I thought had lockers :whoops: Its didnt !!! I asked 3 times but never thought about pic's double Ive been a TLCA member since 98, I never took the time to check this MB till I got home with said locked 80 from KY. the dumb didnt know what he had, He picked me up in a BMW X3...er something. I didnt know where the locker switch was till I found a few on ebay that had some.
Like Cory and many others have said "do your research" and "Get your pic"
This is like the 12 step thing through TLCA Kinda like AA
I feel much better
Have fun

 

[914Runners Son]

Wow looks like Ive got my work cut out for me finding a TLC with lockers around here. Swell.

This FAQ is quite helpful though!

Thanks

 

[Kaderabek]

Who you buy the truck from is as important as what you buy. Buy the truck from the right guy, you get what's advertised, even sight unseen. Buy the truck from an asshat in Alaska, you get hosed.

TJK

 

[hatfieldcb]

Well, NO JOY, so far. The 40th Anniversary Edition here in Denver I looked at today was a bust. 86k miles and no lockers. It was kind of trashed, too. Big split right in the middle of the driver's seat. The owner has dogs. It was kind of messy. The guy didn't even know he didn't have lockers!! The code on the factory tag has been the best tip I've gotten regarding looking for a locked vehicle. The LX450s have the same tag.

I'm even considering a 100 series now. Does anyone know if they had locking diffs? A 100 listing I saw quoted locking diffs.

Still 80-less in Denver.

Chris

 

[Kaderabek]

Factory rear locker in my wife's 100. No fronts available.

TJK

 

[hatfieldcb]

Factory rear locker in my wife's 100. No fronts available.

TJK

Hi Todd,

Is that standard or an option?

Chris