Still Searching for the "Perfect" 80 (1 Viewer)

[Grizzilion]

Checked it out in the rain 9 at night so didn't get a great look but it started up nice, idled smooth, no smoke out of tailpipe, no rust on body or frame. Some sort of oil leak going on, can see residue underneath engine bay. Going to try and pinpoint the leak and take pics to get opinions. Going back today for a test drive and better look through.

 

[Cass007]

Try this unicorn on for size ...

JDM 1991 RHD Toyota Land Cruiser turbo diesel 4WD

 

[Mountainpassing]

Oil leaks are 95 percent the arena of P.M in my opinion.
I agree with dude that said look for somethin solid and not beat to hell...then do your own P.M ,OEM parts.
When we pick up a part at the dealer the parts guy inquires about buying my 40th--no chance at all-

All oem ftw--

 

[Grizzilion]

Alright here are the pics and review after test drive.

The Good:

170K miles. Starts up right away. Smooth idle. Shifts through all gears very smooth when hitting freeway on ramp. Definitely not a race car but I'm not in to cruisers for the checkerd flag. No smoke or rich smell from exhaust. Brakes were just done so stops on a dime. Very slight pull to the left and that's just me being nit picky. Suspension feels good, no noticeable noises that scare me. All electronics seem to work, windows, sunroof, A/C, heat and stereo. No rust as it came from Texas and been in CO for a short while. Paint is in good shape, no fading on hood or roof. Body in good shape, couple minor dents/scratches.

The Bad:
No Lockers
Check Engine light is on. Owner says it has been on before they owned it and mechanic can't seem to pin down the code for why it would be on. Guesses it is an O2 sensor?
A noticeable oil leak (see pics). Owner says it doesn't leak when it is sitting, just when it is running. The little research he's done on it he Thinks it could be with some pressure valve?
No records of service or work done on it in the past. Owner says they have only had to do a little PM and rewiring of the light bars.

Current owner has had it since June. Selling because his high school daughter thought she wanted a Toyota but realizes she can't afford the gas bill that comes with it.

They are asking $7,000. I'm super comfortable buying at $6,000 but don't want to feel like I'm reaching to early in my search by paying 7K.

 

[Grizzilion]

More pics

 

[Grizzilion]

Last pics

 

[BigAxeJack]

Oil leak looks to be the usual suspects.

-distributor o-ring
-oil pump cover o-ring
-oil level sensor
-valve cover gasket

These are all easy fixes with the exception of the oil pump cover, which is a bit more involved, there is a good write-up on here.

 

[Grizzilion]

Oil leak looks to be the usual suspects.

-distributor o-ring
-oil pump cover o-ring
-oil level sensor
-valve cover gasket

These are all easy fixes with the exception of the oil pump cover, which is a bit more involved, there is a good write-up on here.

Thanks for the info, I'm gonna start researching each of those and study up. Im not that worried about the leak, any 23 year old car should have some oil leak. But I'll be excited to pinpoint it and get the bay looking like it did in 94!

 

[ewillis]

Belts and rad cap are not OEM. Replace that original heater valve if you buy it. Knuckles might be dry...lot's O funk on the arms.

 

[ppc]

It looks like front end service is going to be needed. The grease and dirt still hanging on the tie rod joints is not a good sign. I would assume someone just cleaned up the ball and was too lazy to do the rest. That's not the end of the world as any new owner should plan on having to do that service. Alternator belts are cheap non-OEM cogged belts that like to make noise. A Fram oil filter would scare me and looks dirty on the outside so oil may not have been changed recently. Why a seller would not at minimum change oil and oil filter for good appearances is beyond me. Any good mechanic familiar with Toyotas is going to know how to retrieve the error code so I'd say the seller is cheap and does not want to spend the money on new O2 sensors. There could be multiple error codes that you can very easily retrieve with a paperclip or short piece of wire. Don't get hung up on lockers as they can be added later. Personally I wouldn't pay more than $4k so use the necessary repairs as leverage to negotiate. I can see spending $3k beyond normal base lining to get this one in shape.

 

[Mountainpassing]

Meh looks about perfect-

- get rid of brush guard
- get rid of fram oil filter
- valve cover gasket doesnt actually appear to me to be leaking but might could use a re-torque
- get dizzy o-ring
- get oil-pump seal
- get crankshaft seal
- get new diff fluids
- knuckles dont look too dry and thats good but clearly your breather is clogged and you just throw it away and get a new simple one
- new knuckle grease and rebuild kit as needed
- get the checky engine codey and zoom wit it
- replace all coolant hoses
-get new heater valve
- check t-stat
-check fan clutch
- get pcv valve
- from here clean motor well and see if you still got leaks
- ignore no lockers cuz plenty believe arb are better and stock lock are overated

Offer low cash and budget 2-3 grand to make it backcountry reliable (expedition accessories not included) then sit back basking in pride of ownership!

 

[Mountainpassing]

And yes those belts need to go but on the good side at least there are currently 2 installed

 

[landonridge]

Oil leak looks to be the usual suspects.

-distributor o-ring
-oil pump cover o-ring
-oil level sensor
-valve cover gasket

These are all easy fixes with the exception of the oil pump cover, which is a bit more involved, there is a good write-up on here.

where is the oil level sensor located

 

[ThomasMore66]

Should have looked at the one in Centennial. IMO, this one will be a $hit-ton of work. I err on the pay-more-buy-less-problems side of things.

 

[BigAxeJack]

where is the oil level sensor located

It is on the driver's side of the upper oil pan, just above the lower pan seal. I don't yet know if it's an o-ring or a gasket or what, but I know mine is leaking...

 

[Grizzilion]

Well... Owner is pretty firm on price as of now. It's only been listed a week and they have had around 5 people interested so far. After hearing your comments on the issues and PM it would need I dont feel comfortable paying $7K. I think my happy place would be right around $5,500. So we will see if it stays on the market long enough to bring the price down...

On a side note I've just seen a FJ62 listed with a Chevy 350 small block conversion. Anybody got any opinions on that? I know this is the 80's thread but thought I'd ask anyway. 160K Miles on body, 35K miles on engine

 

[Grizzilion]

Description of FJ62

Chevy 350 small block V8 conversion. 160k miles on truck, 37k on engine, rebuilt with new Cams and Pistons.
Recent work:
• 9/2017 - New Starter
• 9/2017 - New Battery
• 11/2016 - New Brakes F/R
• 4/2016 - New Alternator
• 2/2016 - Knuckle Seals and Bearings, Front Differential replacement
• 9/2016 - New Tires
• 8/2015 - New Shocks

 

[Mountainpassing]

5500 sounds good... 60 and 62 are groovy but VERY rusty models abound. Personally i couldnt manage with those brakes in my country..

That said they are awesome

 

[Red Merle]

I would personally stay away from anything with a SBC. If I wanted a Chevy, I would buy one.

As for the price on the 80 you looked at, $7K is a little steep, but I see about three weekends worth of work and maybe $1000 worth of parts to get it pretty well dialed in. So $8K. For a rust free 80 with those miles, I am afraid that is what the market supports right now. I have $12K into mine and although I removed and replaced a lot of rusty parts, I still have rust underneath. I doubt I could get that much out of mine, but I don't care because I bought it to last for the rest of my life. I may buy another vehicle at some point, but I won't sell the 80 unless I am destitute for some reason or they stop allowing gas vehicles on the road for daily usage.

 

[Grizzilion]

Pics of the 62. Was converted by previous owner in mechanic school.