Am I being unreasonable, fair, or overpaying???? (1 Viewer)

[PFMFJ80]

Here is the link of the truck I was looking at:

1991 Fj80 Toyota Land cruiser

I must say, that I'm looking every website around and they are either more expensive or look considerably less well taken care than this one... If I pay the 3,500 he is asking for it means that I would need to put into it $100 in bearings, $75 aprox in the side lens, $75 in the seat belt, and $10 in bulbs. So it would be $3,785, plus me doing the work myself, which the only thing that would give me some work are the bearings, but those are not a big deal.... decisions, decisions.....

 

[LS1FJ40]

I have a few of thoughts on this. I don't think you are being unreasonable (other than asking a seller to help you with labor, I'd tell you to pound salt).

My thoughts:
1) The blown head gasket issue is a bit of a wive's tale. Is the 1FZ-FE more prone to HG failure than a 3FE? Yes. You have an iron block and aluminum head, different coefficients of expansion. Is it something that every 1FZ-FE will blow? No. There are countless people with 300k+ miles on the OG HG.

2) People dog on the 3FE as being underpowered. All 80s with stock motors are underpowered pigs. I've had my 92 since new and never felt the need for more power. Is it a motor that is losing support from TMC? Yes. But what ever fails on the 3FE?

3) If you are buying this to keep for 5 years what difference does $500 make? $8.33/month. $1000 is $16.66/month. And so on. If $15-20/month makes a difference in your financial security then you shouldn't be buying a 20-25 year old rig with questionable maintenance (every 80 has questionable maintenance no matter what the PO says).

4) Miles are irrelevant. 200k or 240k means absolutely nothing to me as far as value.

5) "Value" of an 80 is different in every town/state/region. And everybody has a story of how they got theirs for a much better deal than what you paid. Many of them are full of s***. I bought my 80 series 5 minutes after it posted on Craigslist. Well, I promised to buy it. Sight unseen. I wired the money to a fellow mudder that went and looked it over and gave him the cash. It was ragged out, 312k miles, smelled like s***, looked like s***, was green, but it was cheap. I flew out and drove it 2000 miles home and had the time of my life! The only thing that matters is what you value it at.

6) Have your cash ready to buy, find one you like, pull the trigger, drive the s*** out of it.

7) Maroon, Green, Black are the three worst colors on an 80. With maroon being the worst (barely edging out green). This is not an opinion, this is fact.

 

[dace voit]

Personally, I would hold out for a 95-97 1FZ-FE version. But others here REALLY dig the 3FE tractor engine and longevity of it.

This.

You can find a '95-'97 in similar shape for similar money, or better, especially if you're willing to travel.

Regardless, considering the weight of these trucks, I think the 1FZ-FE is the only way to go. The 2F in my 60 was fine, albeit weak. The 80 is heavier and the 3F-E is not much better the 2F, IMHO.

$4k for a truck with 235k on the clock that needs a lot of work seems high to me.

 

[PFMFJ80]

I have a few of thoughts on this. I don't think you are being unreasonable (other than asking a seller to help you with labor, I'd tell you to pound salt).

True, but he had mentioned he could help me with the bearings. I guess he meant if it was full asking price, which he never said. Otherwise I would have not mentioned it.

2) People dog on the 3FE as being underpowered. All 80s with stock motors are underpowered pigs. I've had my 92 since new and never felt the need for more power. Is it a motor that is losing support from TMC? Yes. But what ever fails on the 3FE?

I do not really care about power. I have a sports car right now that has enough power to get me into trouble, and just want to keep my current car in the garage as much as possible. Your comment about what ever fails on the 3FE is why I'm drawn to it. I would use the truck to go back and forth to the bus stop (4.5 miles round trip), the weekend trip to the Home Depot, and some fishing when times allow. I estimate around 2-3K miles a year, max.

3) If you are buying this to keep for 5 years what difference does $500 make? $8.33/month. $1000 is $16.66/month. And so on. If $15-20/month makes a difference in your financial security then you shouldn't be buying a 20-25 year old rig with questionable maintenance (every 80 has questionable maintenance no matter what the PO says).

True. It is more about overpaying and my concern was more because I missed a really nice one for the same price. But looking around it seems 3,500 is not unreasonable for one that is not neglected. And I agree, if $20 a month would make a hole in my pocket, I should not be thinking about old cars.

I appreciate your thoughts on this matter. Thanks!

$4k for a truck with 235k on the clock that needs a lot of work seems high to me.

I should clarify, the only things in my "not so good list" that prevented the car from passing inspection were the bearings, a side marker, and 2 bulbs. The other things in my list are things that I believe that should be taken into account when considering the price and that will need to be performed to keep the truck running in good shape (e.g., PM). However, those seem not to be uncommon when buying one of these trucks. Thanks for commenting.

 

[ppc]

Here is the link of the truck I was looking at:

1991 Fj80 Toyota Land cruiser

I must say, that I'm looking every website around and they are either more expensive or look considerably less well taken care than this one... If I pay the 3,500 he is asking for it means that I would need to put into it $100 in bearings, $75 aprox in the side lens, $75 in the seat belt, and $10 in bulbs. So it would be $3,785, plus me doing the work myself, which the only thing that would give me some work are the bearings, but those are not a big deal.... decisions, decisions.....

First off your are relying on the sellers statement of what repairs are needed. You need someone that can give you an independent opinion on the required repairs. Vibrations at 65-70 MPH are generally not attributed to bad wheel bearings. Second, rust is like icebergs, you can only see 10% and the other 90% is not going to be visible. Third your calculation for the amount of money you are going to sink into repairs is way low. You need to search the forum and the FAQ sticky thread for "base lining". In order to have a reliable vehicle most forum members are of the opinion that you can expect to sink an additional $2,000 for neglected maintenance within the first year on vehicles similar to what you are thinking about purchasing. That figure is assuming you are providing the labor and much higher if you need to use a repair shop. There are other threads about total cost of ownership, in the FAQ there is a link for "thinking of buying" with a link to the Slee-off-Road Newbie Guide that is a must read.

Personally, based upon your description of the vehicle I would only pay $1,500.

 

[LINUS]

7) Maroon, Green, & any of the mettalic base/clearcoat are the worst colors on an 80. With maroon being the worst (barely edging out green). This is not an opinion, this is fact.

FIFY

Black is a single stage /no metallic flake/clear & up here black sells like white sells in the S/SW. WA is where a crapton of new black Yotas sell.

And you can colormatch like a champ, heck - you only need 1 bombcan in the top of the rollaway

I do agree though - all maroon 80's need to be the ones given bedliner paintjobs.


Srsly, to OP - the reason I say 'all metallics' is because the clearcoat is 20-25yr old tech & isn't as UV stable as nowdays. Expect peeling clearcoat, easily remedied if you have intermediate paint skills.

 

[PFMFJ80]

First off your are relying on the sellers statement of what repairs are needed. You need someone that can give you an independent opinion on the required repairs. Vibrations at 65-70 MPH are generally not attributed to bad wheel bearings. Second, rust is like icebergs, you can only see 10% and the other 90% is not going to be visible. Third your calculation for the amount of money you are going to sink into repairs is way low. You need to search the forum and the FAQ sticky thread for "base lining". In order to have a reliable vehicle most forum members are of the opinion that you can expect to sink an additional $2,000 for neglected maintenance within the first year on vehicles similar to what you are thinking about purchasing. That figure is assuming you are providing the labor and much higher if you need to use a repair shop. There are other threads about total cost of ownership, in the FAQ there is a link for "thinking of buying" with a link to the Slee-off-Road Newbie Guide that is a must read.

Personally, based upon your description of the vehicle I would only pay $1,500.

Thanks for your comment. I'm not relying on seller's comments. The car has had two inspections. My estimate on repairs are forr those needed to pass inspection, per the failed inspection report. I've read some of what you've referenced, but thanks because I have not read all of it and I should. Thanks!

 

[DR71]

Everyone keeps saying this. I was inclined to get a 3FE because I'm on a budget so I'm likely in the higher mileage market, and had read that the 1fz-fe were prone to head gasket failure at higher mileage and wanted something that it is likely not to break. I'm a newbie, and I'm still learning, so my apologies if I have all this screwed up.

I paid $2500 for my '94, one-owner, triple locked with full records. It has 312K on the clock and runs like a champ. Here it is before I lifted it and added armor. My first LC which I still have is a 97 (stock) isn't locked has 100K less miles and I paid $5500 for it. I probably put $3k more in it to make it really nice. I probably over paid for the '97 but definitely scored on the '94. My point is take your time. Deals are out there, but you have to look every single day and be ready to pounce on the right deal.

 

[Sc0-]

I would have offered $1500-2k...

Hold out and keep looking, '93+

 

[Heckraiser]

I'm a little surprised to see all the "overpriced" comments. I would think any good running 80 in need of a little work should be worth $3500.

Allegedly, he bought it thinking he would like it (he is a 4Runner guy) but did not. Honestly, I think he just flips cars or keeps him if he likes them and he was honest while negotiating. For example, during the test drive he asked me to get the truck up to 65-70 to feel a small vibration at that speed caused by the bearings.

This is credible. After I rolled my first 3rd gen 4runner, I drove an FJ80 and hated it. Side by side, the 80 series feels like an anemic grandpa shuffling his way to the pharmacy to buy stool softener with tennis balls on his walker. Not just power, but overall feel/handling. Ended up getting another 4runner, and only after driving my TBI-swapped FJ62 for a while (down on power and very clunky) did the FZJ feel like a reasonable alternative. I wouldn't even be looking at 3fe, personally, unless maybe it had a manual transmission swap.

 

[Proven]

I paid around 6,000 for the 1996 White FZJ80 I have now. It isn't locked, but it was in above average to good condition with 150-180k on it at the time, can't remember. I flew to Texas to buy it after a mud member looked it over.

As with any car, buy what you can afford and get what you need/want without settling on what could be a disaster created by previous owners negligence and deferred maintenance.

 

[Marine7]

Keep your eye on the Raleigh Craigslist..... they often have 80’s listed on there south of $3000.
Don’t listen to the “haters” of the 3F..... I believe they are just pissed off, and lacking sleep because they spent all night in the garage fixing their HG’s, phh ‘s and other cooling issues, while us 3f owners got a great, full nights sleep. (They make the 95-up 80’s sound like rocket ships when the hp increase they have is marginal, at best!) My 3f has never had a problem running down the highway with ANY 80.
But...... in my opinion, $3500 is about $1500 more than I would pay for that. From the pictures I see a vehicle rated as “fair” condition at best. Pass on it.... watch Raleigh C/L!!

 

[White Stripe]

Keep your eye on the Raleigh Craigslist..... they often have 80’s listed on there south of $3000.
Don’t listen to the “haters” of the 3F..... I believe they are just pissed off, and lacking sleep because they spent all night in the garage fixing their HG’s, phh ‘s and other cooling issues, while us 3f owners got a great, full nights sleep. (They make the 95-up 80’s sound like rocket ships when the hp increase they have is marginal, at best!) My 3f has never had a problem running down the highway with ANY 80.
But...... in my opinion, $3500 is about $1500 more than I would pay for that. From the pictures I see a vehicle rated as “fair” condition at best. Pass on it.... watch Raleigh C/L!!

Their is nothing wrong with a 3fe as a motor itself. The problem is the 3fe in a 4500lb vehicle.

 

[White Stripe]

The description of this 3fe cruiser for 4k leads me to believe it's worth in reality 1k. You can buy a pristine 3fe 80 for 4k. The seller needs to come back to earth. I have a relative selling a 95 with 200k that wants 3700. Paint is rough, interior is beat. Runs fine. But u should be able to get it shipped to Virginia for 1k. Seat covers and some diy bedliner over the bad paint and your set. I'm sure it needs maintenance work. Pm me if interested.

 

[lumbee1]

Offer him $3000 cash and walk away. Join a local Cruiser club. Introduce yourself and get them to help with the bearings. You might even get parts for cheap. You will learn a lot about the vehicle from working on it and from others that have already fixed or replaced those parts on their own trucks.

 

[iptman]

Price is high for an FJ80 in that condition in this area. Ask someone in CLCC (their club meeting is going on as I type - Kilroy's in Burke) to check this one out or any other Cruiser you're interested in. Go for an FZJ if you can.

You flew right by this one but it's probably the most important post here. There are several knowledgeable cruiser folk in this area who would inspect an 80 and, if you're willing to get your hands dirty, help you fix it up. We do regular tech days to help newbies like you get used to working on your own junk. We even have 3 members in Burke. In your wanted post in the CLCC sub forum you mentioned you didn't want anything fancy, just reliability. It might help the 80 forum collective to know what your intentions are for a truck you intend to buy. If all you're going to do it daily drive it on the road then you may get different answers than if you plan to modify and wheel it. Also, what kind of "inspection" was done twice on this truck? A VA safety inspection does NOT count as an "inspection" in our minds. You need a pre-purchase inspection done by someone who knows these trucks.

 

[Marine7]

Iptman and Lumbee1 both make the most valid point..... get up with your local Cruiser or OffRoad club, and talk to them. Them guys always know the local 4x4’s for sale, what kind of cash they want for it, and if it has been thrashed or pampered on the trails. Plus, like BOTH of them said, they have wrenching sessions to help you learn how to turn a wrench. This is by far the best advice I’ve seen to you yet! Good luck!

 

[2 E L O]

I would venture to say that 95% (or more) of the people who say the 3FE trucks aren’t worth their time have zero experience with the 3FE. I’ve owned 80s with the 3FE and the 1FZ. The actual power difference is indeed noticeable; however, it is not significant unless you need to go 80mph on a regular basis.

I looooooove the simplicity and reliability of the desmogged 3FE. Is Toyota support decreasing? That’s what I hear, but I haven’t experienced it. Is that uncommon with collector cars? No. Ford doesn’t still make very many parts for my ‘69 Mustang.... So, I take those factors with a grain of salt, as well.

If you’re drawn to the 3FE, go for it! This truck does seem a little overpriced, but like @LS1FJ40 said, consider the lifecycle cost. What’s $500 over a few years? If you want it, buy it! With 80s, do not fret over hundreds of dollars... You’ll spend far more than that on baseline maintenance!