100 Newbie looking for help on purchase

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R

rando

10 Year
Joined
Mar 24, 2014
Threads
18
Messages
49
Location
Austin, TX
I've been an FJ60 guy for a while now, but the 100 is calling my name. So I've been camped out on AutoTrader for a few weeks and found one that's in the Boston area that meets my criteria. It's a little over-priced, but I plan on getting them down a bit.

2004 Toyota Land Cruiser 4WD Canton, Massachusetts | Done Deal Motors Inc
CARFAX Vehicle History Report for this 2004 TOYOTA LANDCRUISER: JTEHT05J742062867

It's been on the lot for a long time (almost 200 days) which scares me, but what else should I be looking for on the 100s pre-purchse? I'm in Texas and can't fly out just to look at it.

Any help would be awesome.
 
Nice color combo, but I'd be a little cautious about a vehicle that had lived it's whole life in the northeast, and sitting for 6mo doesn't help.

There are usually a number of LX/LC available in Texas and I'd suggest being patient and watching Trader/CL/eBay/Mud for the right one.
 
When I was looking I found a number of nice trucks in Texas. I would skip the NE trucks too. We don't see rust here in Seattle and one truck I looked at that was a transplant from NY was gorgeous but underneath was a rusty mess. Lots of corrosion in the engine bay and entire undercarriage. Never would have known from the pics. Be patient.
 
I just went on Craigslist Austin and typed "LX470" into the search bar ("Landcruiser" only yielded some 80 series and older). There were a couple of good prospects that look much more promising than the link you provided:

2005 Lexus lx 470
2002 Lexus LX 470

There's another in San Antonio. I'm with the others. Avoid upper Midwest and Northeast vehicles is at all possible. They will rust out from under you.
 
Thanks for the feedback and help. Here are some pics of the undercarriage from the one in NE. Definitely see some rust.

White 2004 Land Cruiser - Undercarriage 5.webp


White 2004 Land Cruiser - Undercarriage 4.webp


White 2004 Land Cruiser - Undercarriage 3.webp


White 2004 Land Cruiser - Undercarriage 2.webp


White 2004 Land Cruiser - Undercarriage 1.webp
 
I'd be patient. Texas is probably one of the best places to find a clean, rust free hundy.

I actually found mine in Austin.
 
I live in the Boston area and would be happy to take a look for you if you're serious, but i agree with the others that you should be able to find a rust free TX truck for the same money.
 
I got mine in Naples, Fl last year and the older couple barely drove it and paid for the thick undercoating. it still looks brand new under there!
 
Is this a good deal? It was a NE vehicle (NJ, PA, CT until July of this year). I need an affordable, reliable vehicle for me and my two young daughters (ages 1 and 2). All info is greatly appreciated!

LEXUS LX470 4WD
 
How many miles, clean car fax? If i high miles and it was NE all it's life , u will prolly have rust issues... Look in Naples and Sarasota.
 
clean car fax and auto check. 189,000 miles. I see these things run well in to 300,000 miles. I have my buddy checking it our for me tomorrow. Specifically told him to check for rust because it was a NE vehicle
 
Have him test the AHC -( height control) too.
 
Just off the top of my head

AHC Works? (expensive repair)

Sunroof Works? (expensive repair)

All gauges/lights/buttons/switches/levers work as they’re supposed to?

Timing belt done on schedule?

Any hack job electronics (Stereo/Alarm/etc.)

(2) Master Keys?

Body damage (Check under bumpers too)?

Rust (underbody/engine bay/lift gate/ around windows )?

Evidence of paint work/body work?

Factory marked glass? SN etched?

Evidence of fluid leaks?

Evidence of interior water leaks?

Excessive play in the steering?

Any strange sounds or smells?​
 
Thanks for the feedback! So, if AHC doesn't work, does it just stay at one height? I'm not planning on doing much offroading for now. Maybe later use it as a beach 4x4 but, I'm in Florida, so I won't be doing any extreme offroading. Maybe just some thick mud on rare occasions. If sunroof doesn't open but doesn't leak, I'm ok dealing with that until I can replace the motor. I'm mainly concerned with reliability and longevity. Being a single parent, this would be the primary vehicle for my daughters and I. I need it to be there for us should I decide to purchase.
 
Whiskey74 said:
Thanks for the feedback! So, if AHC doesn't work, does it just stay at one height? I'm not planning on doing much offroading for now. Maybe later use it as a beach 4x4 but, I'm in Florida, so I won't be doing any extreme offroading. Maybe just some thick mud on rare occasions. If sunroof doesn't open but doesn't leak, I'm ok dealing with that until I can replace the motor. I'm mainly concerned with reliability and longevity. Being a single parent, this would be the primary vehicle for my daughters and I. I need it to be there for us should I decide to purchase.
Click to expand...


If the AHC starts acting up, you're probably going end up on the bump stops. Not real pleasant, not really drivable. You probably don't want to buy a vehicle that already has issues with its AHC.

If the sunroof doesn't open, you can't really clear the drains, so it will end up leaking. The cost here is the labor to drop the headliner and everything above the glass. The usual cause is rusted cables, which aren't that expensive, but you have to get to them to replace them.

You should be aware that these were relatively expensive luxury vehicles when new, and the parts/labor costs to maintain them is about the same as a new luxury vehicle. If you have your heart set on one of these vehicles, you are much better off spending a little more time and money to find one in tip top shape, than buying the cheapest one you can find.
 
Whiskey74 said:
What's the typical cost to repair these should they need it?
Click to expand...

A buddy of mine got a $2000 quote to repair his frozen sunroof, along with a remark of "we really don't want to do it even at that price".

Depends on the problem with the AHC here's a thread with some sample costs Sources for AHC Accumulator Globes

Sometimes the easiest/cheapest repair is to convert from AHC to a conventional suspension. As a rough estimate $1000 for an OME spring and shock kit plus the labor to remove the AHC components and install the OME kit.

90,000 mile timing belt replacement $1000-1500.
 
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