1993 3x Locked Budget Restoration - Ranch to Road Worthy - Advice Welcomed! (1 Viewer)

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Beauski100

SILVER Star
Joined
Dec 6, 2018
Threads
13
Messages
183
Location
Waco, TX
I have recently purchased a 1993 Land Cruiser that has 175k miles. Feels like a steal, but time will tell once I start to clean it up. Currently, daily driving a 2000 LX470 but I have never owned an 80 series. I check Facebook and CL regularly always open to a great deal, which seems to be an increasingly difficult task. last week I saw this come up on Facebook. The seller only included 2 exterior pictures (see below) with a description that read something like, "1993 land cruiser. Rebuilt motor. Interior really rough. Your wife will not want to drive this." I instantly sent him a message and set up a phone call. That's when I found out came with working factory lockers! After the seller sent me a few videos of him driving it around his ranch, we set up a meeting time for the next day and towed it back home to Waco, TX.

LC 93 Ad.jpg
LC 93 Ad 2.jpg


Some Potential Red Flags and Flaws
  • The PO had the whole motor machined in 2015 by a performance shop in Lubbock (See the receipt) and he reassembled and reinstalled it himself... Then it sat for 4 years with him starting it periodically.
  • He said that he has not driven more than 250 miles on the rebuild. Still has the break-in oil.
Items that need to be addressed
  • DEEP CLEAN - West Texas dirt and dust is everywhere!
  • Baseline fluids- For oil - I am thinking 15w40, but welcome to other suggestions.
  • Needs a new windshield
  • Front Knuckles need to be rebuilt.
  • I have to figure out what to do with this Yellow Bedliner. -Please submit all your ideas on this one
  • Much more will be added to this list over the next coming days.
Interior.jpg

Land Cruiser.jpg
 
That's a good question. I finished my complete rebuild 2 weeks ago. My labor was "free." Parts and machine work was at least 3x that invoice. YIKES
Me too. Not a cheap trip. Looking at the prices on that slip I think it's safe to say that they went with some cheaper stuff with many parts. Doesn't mean it'll be an issue but I cant help but wonder on the bearings. I'll assume they meant main bearings.
 
Yeah no idea on quality of parts used. But it seems to run nice. I am new to these, but it sounds pretty good for a 6 cylinder. 🤷🏻‍♂️
 
Was the previous owner colorblind? :D

For oil, consider Mobil 1 0W-40:

 
With the seats out I'd pull that carpet and pressure wash it
I took out the rear and thought I could the keep the front piece in. scrubbed it with carpet cleaner but might still take it out too. Dash and doors are cleaning up nicely.

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Kinda hard to salvage the color cheaply. I'd be inclined to keep the yellow and paint over the green with white. Looks like some decent aftermarket bumpers, with tire carrier on the rear.
 
Kinda hard to salvage the color cheaply. I'd be inclined to keep the yellow and paint over the green with white. Looks like some decent aftermarket bumpers, with tire carrier on the rear.
Yeah, I am starting to look if it is even possible to paint over bedliner? Might try using a HF spray gun with Sherwin Williams Kem 400?

The bumpers are solid. NW Trail Innovations. The spring-loaded lock pin on the rear gate is seized and will drop in to lock gate in place when open. Also another disappointment with the bumper... No tow hitch. I'll have to figure that out later.
 
Yeah, I am starting to look if it is even possible to paint over bedliner?
If it were me, I'd tape it off, scuff the bed liner, spray it with a sealer coat of thinned, tinted epoxy primer (~$50 for a quart from your local auto paint supply shop), then paint it with something like Blitz Black with Valspar hardener. That's what I do to most stuff that I want a low-key, durable, cheap finish on.
 
Kinda hard to salvage the color cheaply...paint over the green ...
WOW That IS green.
Thought it was black till you mentioned. (who's colorblind🤔)
Kinda makes the combo funnier and more ridiculous.
What the actual where they thinking? Is that road stripe paint without the reflectant??

If 'K294' is on the door sticker and overall mechanical condition and performance meet expectations as such, you have a winner there anyway imo.
Is it a long term keep?
 
WOW That IS green.
Thought it was black till you mentioned. (who's colorblind🤔)
Kinda makes the combo funnier and more ridiculous.
What the actual where they thinking? Is that road stripe paint without the reflectant??

If 'K294' is on the door sticker and overall mechanical condition and performance meet expectations as such, you have a winner there anyway imo.
Is it a long term keep?
Dark Green and Bright yellow. This would be a perfect rig for a Green Bay Packers fan.

I really am not sure about the long-term plan. Right now I am just cleaning it up as if I am keeping it for it forever. I have no idea what it would be worth if I tried to sell it. What does "K294" mean? Looking it up now...
 
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Alright here we go. After I shut off the engine I could smell gas in the engine bay. Upon initial inspection it looks like it could be leaking from the delivery pipe / injectors? Impossible to see under there. Slid my phone through and snapped a few pictures.

It doesn’t seem to run rough, so i wonder if
It could also be from a return line?

I have never tried to really worked on an engine before. But this has me excited to jump in and learn!
 
View attachment 2837647Alright here we go. After I shut off the engine I could smell gas in the engine bay. Upon initial inspection it looks like it could be leaking from the delivery pipe / injectors? Impossible to see under there. Slid my phone through and snapped a few pictures.

It doesn’t seem to run rough, so i wonder if
It could also be from a return line?

I have never tried to really worked on an engine before. But this has me excited to jump in and learn!
The thing closest to you that is black is the fuel filter, annoying to replace but easy enough to throw and wrench on and see if tight. It has banjo bolts/copper washers that are one time use so if you replace make sure you get new. The orange/pink tipped thing above and below your intake manifold are the injectors, you have 6 (one for each cylinder) The first two are visible the rest get buried as you move back.

If you have fuel smell, I would first check the charcoal canister. They have a lifespan and most have gone bad at this point. You will get pressure in your tank when you go to refill if it is failing. Gasoline is going to “clean” anything it touches so that is helpful to track leaks.

I’m a neophyte here and have only owned an 80 for two years but this forum is impressive and many smart people abound.
 
Looks like a lot of dust on the engine for 250 miles since rebuild, but if it's only been on ranch roads, maybe not.
Either way, change out oil and filter straight away.
Don't use Wix filter, they are an engine killer, search here to see why.

I'd 100% take the time to remove front carpet and pressure clean the lot.
I've pressure washed carpet I thought was unsalvageable. Wash with truck wash and pressure washer worked miracles.
 

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