80 Series Buyers Guide? (1 Viewer)

In the market for a 80 series LC, looking for some information before I take the plunge. Read the forum FAQs/archive posts. My budget is ~$12K (US), looking for a locked 93+ FZJ80; I'm coming out of a modded(and now dead) Range Rover(Classic). Use is mostly street, with some light wheeling, and some towing (4500lbs race car+trailer).

1.) Any big trouble spots, things to watch out for? Any reason not to go for higher mileage examples? (assuming they're well maintained, of course)
2.) Easiest way to tell a locked LC - Dash switch? Any relevant VIN/ option codes? I'm located in Canada, so I'll be doing a lot of remote calling/emailing. Most people don't seem to know/list if the LC is locked or not.
3.) Any reason to look for a LX450 over the LC? Any specific reasons not to?
4.) How's the climate control/heater/AC? Can it handle hot weather/extreme cold? The RRC was really inadequate, do not want that again.
5.) Was there a factory tow package? What did it include? Why is the truck limited to a 5000lb tow rating? (my RRC was 6500). Is this Toyota just being super-careful?
6.) The TRD Supercharger still available? What's the going rate for it?
7.) This one's gonna sound stupid.. but how does it drive? How does it compare to a 99 Runner?(I've driven a friends 99 4Runner, and I wasn't impressed. My OME equiped RRC felt much, much better, both on road and off)

Thanks in advance for any help!

Not to discourage you, but most of the questions can be answered by reading or scanning over all 80 series tech forum/questions, except for maybe 4 and 7......

For more details seach the archives and/or read the newbie guide on www.sleeoffroad.com

RPG said:

1.) Any big trouble spots, things to watch out for? Any reason not to go for higher mileage examples? (assuming they're well maintained, of course)

Click to expand...

What do you consider higher mileage? You should be fine with what most consider high mileage...assuming they're well maintained.

RPG said:

2.) Easiest way to tell a locked LC - Dash switch? Any relevant VIN/ option codes? I'm located in Canada, so I'll be doing a lot of remote calling/emailing. Most people don't seem to know/list if the LC is locked or not.

Click to expand...

For the seller, if he/she is clueless? Dash switch. Otherwise check the vin tag on the door.

RPG said:

3.) Any reason to look for a LX450 over the LC? Any specific reasons not to?

Click to expand...

I have 2 LX 450s. Consider them the same as the same year LC. No reason to pick one over the other unless you have a hangup over the "L" on the grill as opposed to the "T" -- some people seem to have a problem with it.

RPG said:

4.) How's the climate control/heater/AC? Can it handle hot weather/extreme cold? The RRC was really inadequate, do not want that again.

Click to expand...

The heater gets hot enough. Rear heat gets hot too. A/C blows cold when fully charged.

RPG said:

5.) Was there a factory tow package? What did it include? Why is the truck limited to a 5000lb tow rating? (my RRC was 6500). Is this Toyota just being super-careful?

Click to expand...

Consider all LCs as having the tow package whether or not it has a hitch.
Legal (and DOT) reasons dictate U.S. tow ratings. The same model has a higher rating outside the US.

RPG said:

6.) The TRD Supercharger still available? What's the going rate for it?

Click to expand...

If you look hard enough, you can still find one. I saw one for around $3500...then there's another grand or so for installation.

RPG said:

7.) This one's gonna sound stupid.. but how does it drive? How does it compare to a 99 Runner?(I've driven a friends 99 4Runner, and I wasn't impressed. My OME equiped RRC felt much, much better, both on road and off)

Click to expand...

It drives great...but don't believe me...test drive a couple yourself. Bear in mind that the LX 450 will have a different feel than the LC. Not a limiting factor since most go with OME springs soon after purchase.

Well the darn fawkers here continue to spew forth a little here and there. If this post sticks around long enough perhaps we will FINALLY have a how to shop for an 80 thread. :hint: :hint:

Not sure where your located but kelly blue book's site has a used car listing by zip code...try here...
http://cars.kbb.com/go/buyIndex.jsp?zc=12020&co=NY091

Good sources are Your local newspaper, Autotrader, and even (yes) eBay. As with all used vehicles, make sure someone you trust looks at the behicle before you buy it, not a rep for the seller. I bought mine on eBay, and some nice Texans from this board looked it over for me before I bought it. I then flew down and picked it up.

I bought an LX450 on eBay after I originally started looking for an 80. My criteria was lockers, immaculate interior, lockers, no rust, lockers, well taken care of, lockers, in great mechanical shape, and did I say lockers. I would have bought the first 80 or LX450 that met my crieteria in a color I liked. Turns out, the LX450 with cmparable features was $1.5-$2.5K cheaper than the 80. I bought the LX450.

I saw 3 I liked on ebay across the country that after kind folks looked at I declined to buy. Rust, cigerrette burns, mechanical issues, etc. Be patient and wait it will come to you. I paid $13.5 for a 97 LX450 (w/lockers) with 98,000 miles that was in immaculate condition. 4 months later, I couldn't be happier.

You also need to consider what to do after you buy. The first thing you should do is baseline all your fluids. I changed the oil, diff fluid and did a fluid exchange in the tranny. You should also check you front axle to see if it needs to be rebuilt. If it has never beem done, then you should do it to baseline that. Its not hard and you can do it your self for about $200 or pay someone $1200 to do it. I also recommend you buy a Factory Service Manual even if you aren't going to do your own work.

The way you make these last 300,000 miles is to take care of them. Baselining takes you to a position where you know "most" everythings condition and are being proactive in care rather than waiting for something to break.

Now once you bought your cruiser, baselined and have had a Beer (or two) to celebrate your hard work, you can consider mods. I put bigger tires (285's) that still fit in the spare tire location, and installed a 2.5 inch OME lift from Slee off road. Since I plan on wheeling it, I will end up installing an ARB front bumper and sliders later on. Don't go wheeling with the running boards installed. The sliders and bumper protect the body and you from damage. I know a guy who hit a dear head on with an ARB bumper and suffered no damage.

Good luck and good hunting

RPG said:

1.) Any big trouble spots, things to watch out for? Any reason not to go for higher mileage examples? (assuming they're well maintained, of course)

Click to expand...

Rust: my '94 is not nearly as bad as the other 10 year old trucks I've worked on, but it's still there: bottom of the back window; below the rear quarter windows; on and around the running boards/rocker panels; rear shock upper mounts. It's also good to check the drain plugs on the underside of the rocker panels, water can collect in there and promote rust.

See if the PO (previous owner) has maintenance reciepts. Expect to do shocks, springs, u-joints, and other common items.

There are two steel pipes that feed the rear heater; they run from the back of the engine bay, behind and below the engine to the right (over the catalyst). These pipes will tend to rust out and leak. Some owners will disconnect them in the engine bay.

Front steering (axle shafts/seals, etc) and brakes tend to be troublesome (relatively).

Power windows (especially drivers side) tend to be troublesome...if they work, they work slowly.

I would NOT recommend buying a truck via ebay. I did this, got a decent deal, and have already lots of $ in repair & maintenance parts into it. I probably would NOT have bought this truck had I seen & driven it first.

RPG said:

4.) How's the climate control/heater/AC? Can it handle hot weather/extreme cold? The RRC was really inadequate, do not want that again.

Click to expand...

Climate control seems to be adequate for Massachusetts; I've driven it in abt 15F weather just fine.

One other thing....Think REALLY carefully before you buy a truck without the factory lockers. MOST folks who buy the locker package tend to take better care of their trucks; It also really helps the resale value, and you don't need to later justify $$$$ for an ARB locker kit.

G

gregc said:

I would NOT recommend buying a truck via ebay. I did this, got a decent deal, and have already lots of $ in repair & maintenance parts into it. I probably would NOT have bought this truck had I seen & driven it first.
G

Click to expand...

I did say if you buy on eBay you need someone you trust to check it out. In my case one of the Lone Star boys did me a favor. Also, when I flew down to pick it up, I could have declined it if I wasn't satsified and eaten $500. I know 3 others who bought on eBay and were happy. Should you be concerned , Hell yaeh! Be careful and check it out and be sure. Like I said I passed on 3 I would have bought but the inspection came back bad (All cruiser heads). I bought on eBay because I saved about $3000 over the local market for an equivelant rig.

Any used car you you buy you should expect to put some money into.

I agree on the rust. I ran a carfax on all, and the rusty ones came from the Northeast. The one I bought was a Texas 1 owner.

One more comment on the LX450. You can get the VIN and call any Lexus delare and they will tell you all the Lexus Dealer service on it that was done at any Lexus dealer nationwide.

You can tell if it's got lockers from the code on the door:

Rigs with lockers will have the code - K294,
Rigs without lockers will have code - K292

#4 and #7

I'll answer #4 and #7 + high mileage,

Heater on Drivers side and rear passengers(rear heater) are great, it's single digits here in WI and I rarely go above lowest fan setting before I'm sweating. A/C works well too. My wife always complains her feet are cold on the pass. side though.

How does it drive compared to 4runner, if you are comparing similar years as the FJ80 I think the Cruiser feels more solid, less topheavy, quieter, in general just more fun to drive in my opinion.

I bought a semi high mileage 95 with 126k, has 197k on it now, I wouldn't let mileage scare you as long as most maintenance has been done.

Thanks for the info guys.

Unfortuantely, in Canada, I don't have a big selection of trucks to choose from, and my chances to find/drive a couple of example's locally is pretty slim. I imported my RRC from the US, I'll probably end up doing the same for the LC.

I'll be doing my own maintenance, but for the really big, messy jobs (or when I'm feeling lazy) I've got a very competant 4x4 mechanic to fall back on.

Nobody specifically commented on it, but I'm guessing I won't have any problems towing my trailer/race car combo with an LC (4.5K lbs)?

You will be able to tow ok, but it will be slow at 4500lbs. You will want to upgrade the springs and shocks. I am assuming the trailer has its own brakes. A SC or turbo will improve tow ability.
Cheers,
Sean

Riley said:

You can tell if it's got lockers from the code on the door:

Rigs with lockers will have the code - K294,
Rigs without lockers will have code - K292

Click to expand...

This information indicates the tag is from a vehicle with diff locks.

Do look to be sure because nobody would ever forge information like that to boost the value of a vehicle. Nor would they stick a switch in the dash........

hmm, there are not many common 80 troublespots, and most are not as serious as they sound.

-unserviced birfields (front cv axles). Do a search on "birfield repack" for info. This is a necessary preventative maintenance issue on any high mileage 80 unless the owner has already done it, but you also want to know if you already have CV damage. You can spot the problem if you get clicking/clunking from the front when turning full lock hard up hill or downhill and it may sound even worse if you do it in 4-lo. A repack may or may not cure this. A new oem birf is expensive. A rebuilt or aftermarket birf probably won't last.

-sludge in the front diff. The front axle containing diff oil is separated from the front knuckle/birfs containing grease by an inner axle seal that can fail over time. When it fails either oil will migrate into the birfs stripping the grease away and causing wear to the birf, or grease will migrate into the diff gumming up the diff. You have to drain the front diff to check the diff, so it will cost you $10 worth of diff oil or a trip to jiffy lube to check this. Green thick diff oil coming out is bad news but can usually be cured by a birf repack and repeated diff oil flushing.

-rust in the upper rear hatch, especially around the window seam.

-rust around the roofrack mounts. The factory roofrack mounts are a rusttrap because the plastic wears away the roof paint and the mounting bolt holes are not well sealed. Better to find a truck with no roof rack.

-there are no other consistent rust spots and rust is not a big issue with 80s but obviously have a look around

-blocked or leaky sunroof drain. do a search here on sunroof for info. Symptoms are wet carpets in the driver and passenger floorpan.

-EGR problems. Do a search or read the faq. If you live in an emission testing jurisdiction or if you hate having the check engine light come on, this is an issue to be aware of. Checking the EGR modulator filter takes 5 seconds and will usually tell you if there is an issue.

-It is worth having autozone or similar pull any stored check engine codes on a 95-97 or pulling the codes yourself on a 93-94 (search paperclip to learn how).

-Bad cats and o2 sensors are not uncommon on high mileage rigs. o2 sensors can sometimes causes problems without throwing a code. If they are 100,000 miles old, expect to have to replace them shortly. 93-94 rigs do not have o2 sensors behind the cats so you will not know if the cats are bad until you try to pass emissions.

-head gasket problems. This is the only really serious common problem on a 93-97. Go to the newby section at www.sleeoffroad.com for info on how to spot it. Do a search here to see what's involved to fix.

-91-92 3FE motors do not seem to have head gasket issues. they do need regular valve adjustments or they sound even more like sewing machines than usual.

-leaky speedo seal. The transfer case often leaks where the speedometer cable into it. This can usually be fixed with a new cent o-ring. otherwise, usually trannies and t-cases don't leak.

-engine seal leaks. Main seal/pan arch leaks at the joint between the tranny and engine are common on 1fz and 3FEand not a concern unless they drip. Other engine seal leaks are less common and worth paying attention to esepcially if they drip. switching to a quality synthetic oil will often stop some seal leaks.

-oil consumption. Some consumption is normal. Opinions vary on how much is bad. I believe Toyota says 1 quart per 1000 miles is within "normal" range but that seems like the very limit to me. clear signs of burning oil is uncommon and very bad.

-pesky heater hose. Search "PHH" for more info. This is a necessary maintenance issue.

-mixed coolant. Toyota "red" coolant does not mix well with conventional green coolants and causes sludge build up in the coolling system and can cause overheating. If your rad coolant is neither red nor green, you need to do a thorough flush and you should be especially vigilant for head gasket issues.