100 Series For the Wife

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

C

Cruiser Man

Joined
Dec 25, 2008
Threads
13
Messages
126
Location
High Point NC
I am considering buying a 1999 100 series with 106,000 miles and wanted some input from the board. Any issues with this particular year model? It has front and rear factory lockers according to the seller. How are the 4.7's compared to the 4.5l inline 6 as far as power and reliability/longevity goes? How much would a clean truck be worth with above stated options?

Thanks for your input!!!
 
Cruiser Man said:
I am considering buying a 1999 100 series with 106,000 miles and wanted some input from the board. Any issues with this particular year model? It has front and rear factory lockers according to the seller. How are the 4.7's compared to the 4.5l inline 6 as far as power and reliability/longevity goes? How much would a clean truck be worth with above stated options?

Thanks for your input!!!
Click to expand...

They didn't come with front lockers from the factory.
They don't have nearly the after market support (not to say that an 80 has a lot to begin with)
They also don't have head gasket problems which in my book makes it more reliable than the 1FZ but no where near as the 3FE:grinpimp:
But on the second hand Clint told me that as part of the 100k service you have to replace the water pump. That right there shows me that by having to replace a major part of the engine that it also isn't that reliable. Anything would be reliable if you kept replacing engine parts before they broke. Just my two cents. Get the wife an LX450 she'll be much happier.
 
Last edited:
They do however have problems with cracked exhaust manifolds, very common problem. I would say the aftermarket support is much like the 80, not far different in available parts, just IFS vs. SA

03 and ups have a 5 speed auto vs 4 speed.
only other issue that may be a concern for you based on age of your kids is child restraint system, it is far different on the 98-99 than on the 2000+
 
I have to respectfully disagree with Al on this one. The 100 series is a much better vehicle for daily driving than the 80/450, particularly if you have a family. The V8 is smooth with plenty of power, the IFS makes for a comfortable ride, and the heated seats are real nice on cold days.

The 100 is not as maintenance intensive as the 80, but when you do have to service it there is generally a lot of labor involved.

At 106K the 90k service should already have been done. Of course, it may not and that could be why they are selling. This could be a negotiating factor. 90k is the first major service required on the 100. It calls for the water pump and the timing belt to be changed. This service is not cheap, but after that you are good for another 90k (which is going to be about 4 years)

The starter contacts are another maintenance issue that can be expensive because of the location of the starter under the intake manifold.

The coil packs will start to go around 100k. You will have that with any modern engine that has coil packs. These are easy to replace but are not cheap.

I haven't shopped for a 100 series in awhile, but you should be able to get it for under 10K.
 
I agree with Brad on most of the items. I would recommend reading the 100 series FAQ on the board and it will get you up to speed.

Issues:
1) Exhaust manifold cracks are common. Not a big deal, but it sounds bad. I have a cracked manifold on the DS and plan to fix it next year.

Maintenance:
1) 90k service: timing belt, water pump
2) spark plugs (iridium) need to be replaced between 90k-120k
3) Starter contacts wear like any, but tough to get to because under the intake manifold. Don't have any issue with mine and don't plan to touch them for a little while (probably ~120k).

My opinion is that the 100 series is a better truck for road driving than the 80, main because of more power from the V8 and the smoother ride of the IFS. I have only had our 100 on the beaches and it does well in the sand. We haven't had it out to URE yet. If you are buying the truck for your wife, I would recommend getting a 2000 or newer because they have skid control (98-99 do not). Of course the 2000+ don't have lockers, but they have traction control and I assume you can add lockers if you like.

I would assume a fair price for a 98-99 would be in the $10k-13k range depending on how it has been serviced.
 
If this is purely going to be a street driven vehicle for your wife then I take back my lx450 suggestion as I thought it was going to be something that hit the trails as well. In that case i'd say a tahoe/denali is actually a better choice. I've driven both and the more powerful V8 of the chevy feels nicer and gets the same if not better mpg. If you want to keep it all toyota i'd say a sequoia since it has more room and the same engine as the land cruiser.
 
I don't have any experience with a Sequoia or a 100 - but love Tahoes/Suburbans!
That will likely be the mom-mobile once the boys arrive - 2 dr Explorer Sport isn't going to cut it!
 
swampthing said:
I don't have any experience with a Sequoia or a 100 - but love Tahoes/Suburbans!
That will likely be the mom-mobile once the boys arrive - 2 dr Explorer Sport isn't going to cut it!
Click to expand...

Agreed although I love Land Cruisers I never really saw the point of a 100 when the Sequoia is around. Doesn't seem to offer better off road ability or much more luxury. (LX470 is another story on the luxury though)

For the road however i've never been as happy with 11 people in one vehicle as in the 04 suburban I drove for a week around tahoe back in 05. Got great (for the size and actually for any suv) MPG 17 and gave decent power. Most of the people I know that have them have had zero problems with them and if things do break the replacement parts are at chevy prices not land cruiser prices.
 
I have to admit that I have been looking at the Denali and Escalades. I just really like cruisers!!!
 
I will throw this out there, the GX 470 is a VERY plush ride!! We have had ours now for a couple months and best decision I have made. 4.7 is the same as the 100 you are looking at (not sure if mine is VVTi ) and plenty of HP. You can also do some towing, etc.

I like the 120 (GX / Prado) a bit more for the wife because it is not quite as big. Easier to park, etc. Of course if you want to save a bit of $$$ the 4Runner Limited should be nearly identical.

Avoid the Nav systems though / cuz if they go bad, very expensive to repair or replace!!!
 
The 100 just does everything well and it is the right size (medium large). The escalade and denali are ok but without low range, i would not consider it. We have a 03 GX470 and the ceo at the house prefers it over the 100, because of the much nicer interior, the get up and go and the fact that it is just a little smaller. Tahoes and Suburbans are just too big.

Also, after the 100 does mom duty, you can build it up as expedition wheeler with armor, lift and lockers.
 
Cruiser Man said:
I have to admit that I have been looking at the Denali and Escalades. I just really like cruisers!!!
Click to expand...


If it is just for comfortable on road driving I don't think you can go wrong with either.

They can have the t-case swapped out for lower gears and there are solid axle swap kits for them if you ever want to make it a wheeler. (and it isn't that much $$$ to do this) Only down side is the size. But the smaller denalis are really that big.

But I mean if you want a cruiser get a 100, not really a bad choice at all (and it is still a cruiser which is a big plus) just not really the best choice IMHO for any category. But the best choice is not always the best choice for the individual.
 
I'm not going to trash another brand, but I prefer Toyotas. I would personally prefer (hence the sig) to have a 100 series over a Sequoia because I like the full time 4WD. After driving a part time 4WD truck (4Runner) for many years, I prefer the full time for bad weather (snow, ice, or even rain).

Even though the 100 may not be as capable rock crawling versus an 80, at least there are aftermarket parts available. Good luck finding springs, bumpers, sliders, etc. for a Sequoia.

I have never driven the GX or LX470, but they are basically upgraded 4Runner and Land Cruiser. Nothing wrong with the added luxury, but it makes it even more difficult to find parts when needed. Availability of used parts is noticeably different between the 80 and 100 series.
 
I have run this debate through my mind a 100 times (pun). In the end, I really wanted a 100, but the more I looked at 100's I found I wanted an 2003. The 03's command a very high premium though, and seem to be hard to find for less than $20-24k. That's a lot of coin difference between that and an 80/450 for less than 7k. You could buy a brand new supercharger, full leather kit, lift, stereo, bumpers, do a HG, and STILL have money left over. Yeah, it won't ride as nice, but the insurance and taxes are cheaper, and if you ever want to wheel it, you have one of the most capable land cruisers ever built. Tough call, and ultimately the wallet wins with a shady economy.
 
Not yet....but working on them. I have a whole new world of tech to learn now. That's another thing to consider on the 80 vs 100 debate. If you like to tinker, there are nearly unlimited possibilities that are open to you with the 80. There are guys converting extra buttons to open their garage doors, power the winch, you can convert all the window switches to auto up/down, you name it. It's mind blowing how many creative people have dove into the 80 series and made them nicer than they already were. My first project will probably be adding seat heaters. Already did the 40, and it was very easy...and fairly cheap to do. www.warmseats.com Working on the fridge too. That way, the wife can pop the groceries in there if she has other errands, and if we take it on a road trip/camping whatever, you have the bonus of having the off-road fridge. No way, I could add all these nice things if I had spent 20 grand out of the gate...though the seat heaters probably would have already been in there.

Still, I really like the 100's and I eventually see me going there. I just need to wait for the 03's to come down in price like solid 80's have. Another oil crunch will do that pretty quickly.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom