1999 LC100 New Owner - Open to Suggestions for Mods/Maintenance (1 Viewer)

[Logsnog]

What's up fellow Land Cruiser enthusiasts. New to the site but have been browsing constantly since I purchased my (new to me) 1999 100 series Land Cruiser.

Alittle about the vehicle:

1999 Land Cruiser - Paid 6500$ USD. Champagne color. Southern vehicle with no rust. 300k miles, 4wd, automatic 4 speed, heated leather seats, locking differentials, optional 3rd row - the whole package. Found on FB marketplace in my local area and was used as a family hauler for all of its life. Never been off road or abused from seller history.

Alittle rough around the edges on exterior cosmetically - has some dings, minor scratches on bumpers, trim panels and fenders worn, paint clear coat is patchy, weather stripping is decaying around windows, roof rack paint is stripped, and rims are sub optimal in appearance BUT it certainly still has some life left in it with alittle TLC.

Interior wise is about the same - interior trim panels are worn around shifter/window controls and its dated (but i mean the car is 26 years old so who cares, its a Land Cruiser), carpet could use a good scrubbing but otherwise holding up well. Leather is damn near perfect and I'm amazed at the condition that the seats are in. All electronics work and everything is original. Heated seats work, antenna still goes up, rear vent windows operational, and AC/heat blows the doors off so I mean what more could a guy want?? From a functional standpoint everything is operational.

Underneath the hood (4.7 L V8) everything checks out but I have limited experience in anything engine related so hopefully this site will aid in any future issues that occur (fingers crossed they dont but who knows). Checked for any signs of oil leaks etc before purchase (and still havent noticed any) but didnt spot any so hopefully it holds up. Timing chain replaced at 285k, oil changed every 5k according to seller. Shifts well and is an easy riding piece of machinery - really amazed at how well built these vehicles are.

As far as I can tell the car still has original OEM for everything - zero upgrades - straight up kid hauler and grocery getter. Even has the old sticky juice on the seats to prove it.

Initial plan is just give the thing an overhaul of proventative mainetence so any suggestions on that would be much appreciated. So far I've gathered the heater T's, timing chain, and braking system are major potential issues that should be addressed up front. Anything else? fluid flush, suspension replacement - shoot me some advice on these issues please. Going to use this as my daily cruiser for work, hunting, and really whatever - I just enjoy being in the damn thing. My wife doesnt understand but I told her all that she needed to know is that this thing is cool and its the pinnacle of reliable engineering.

So far I've given it a much needed bath on the extrior and interior but it could definitely used a more intense detail. Removed running boards recently and slapped on a toyota front tag my dad had laying around. Tires are a must very soon so thats probably the next upgrade. +/- about upgrading original stereo and have been browsing possible OME 2 inch lift later on.

I've always been a LC fan and never thought I'd own one but the stars have aligned and I want to think I got a decent deal on a rig that has alot of potential. So far this thing has provided alot of enjoyment despite it having some minor issues - which makes it all the more fun cause I'm basically working with a blank canvas for the most part.

With that being said, glad to be here and am optimistic for what the future holds!

Thank you guys in advance for any advice or suggestions. This community has already revealed an insane amount of knowledge.

 

[G-Cat]

So far I've gathered the heater T's, timing chain, and braking system are major potential issues that should be addressed up front.

Tires are a must

have been browsing possible OME 2 inch lift later on

If the Timing Belt was replaced 15K miles ago, it’s good for another 75K…assuming the water pump and thermostat were also changed.

Is the radiator original? Post a pic of it. I always put a new OEM radiator cap and fuel cap on any used Toyota with mileage…if not a new radiator.

I’ve been impressed with Toyo and Nitto tires on the 100…less impressed with BFG.

If you lift it, factor-in new OEM CV axles. MUST be OEM or you will have nightmares.

 

[Trapper50cal]

G-Cat bringing solid advice. Welcome!

 

[Vthelexus]

I am new here too and this is what we did to our new to us 2006 with 177,000 miles. A little overkill? Maybe, but at least I have a baseline for the future maintenance regiment. So far we're in $1400 give or take. We did everything our selves and enjoyed doing it. 100 series is surprisingly easy vehicle to work on.

1- Flushed engine with Liqui Moly engine flush. Refilled with some cheap oil, ran engine for 5 minutes then drained again. Refilled with 5w-30 synthetic, added Liqui Moly Engine Saver to rejuvenate and swell up gaskets. Replaced oil filter.
2- Drained and flushed an entire cooling system several times with 9 gallons of distilled water then refilled with Toyota pink coolant.
3- Replaced thermostat with Aisin brand. Old one looked pretty bad (rubber was deteriorating). I don't think it was ever changed.
4- Drained and refilled power steering fluid by disconnecting return line method. Refilled with Toyota ATF/power steering fluid. Old fluid was pitch black.
5- Replaced PCV valve with Toyota oem one. The original looked gunky, probably never changed either.
6- Air filter, Aisin brand
7- Cabin filters, Wix brand. Old ones were disgusting.
8- Serpantine belt. Old one was noisy.
9- Hood shocks. Old ones would not hold hood longer than 3 minutes.
10- Cleaned throttle body.
11- Cleaned MAP sensor.
12- Ran a can of Berryman B12 in gas tank.
12- New key shells (eBay).
13- Spark plugs. Bought them from Lexus (don't trust Amazon or Ebay, too many knock offs).
14- New coils, Import Direct brand from O'reily, probably made by Denso (they look exactly the same).
15- Fuel filter, Toyota OEM
16- Hydraulic fluid flush with Toyota OEM
17- Differential fluid with Triax Synergy Gear Max 75W-90 GL5
18- Transfer case fluid with Triax Synergy Gear Max 75W-90 GL5
19- Transmission flush with 14 quarts of Aisin WS.
20- Rejuvenated leather with Kochchemie products

To do list:
1- Brake fluid flush.
2- Lubricate prop shaft
2- TPMS sensors.
3- New tires.
4- Heater Ts and 90 hose

Ours already had fairly new radiator, battery, timing belt and water pump installed by the previous owner, otherwise they'd be on our list. Enjoy your ride!

 

[excessive]

maintenance before mods. always. guys i know its temping to start shopping for a lift right away, but this is an old venicle. I think @Vthelexus list is a good start

 

[Roundup]

Vthelexus very good list. My 06 has 175,000 and been babied its whole life. It is all original. Running VIN thru Lexus history this week.

 

[Super77]

Timing BELT not chain in these rigs. As others have said, baseline your maintenance first. Plenty of threads on the topic, start with the stickies at the top of this forum. Drivetrain fluids are one good thing to put on the list. If your radiator is original, it’s a matter of when, not if, it fails. Same for heater tees.

My $0.02: discover the limits of your stock truck before putting money into a lift. So many people want a bro-dozer only to discover it’s awful on-road, costs thousands for a properly done job, and adds no resale value. Look at pictures of Land Cruisers in some of the harshest places in the world and count how many of them are lifted. If you want just a ~1” lift, you can do it for a couple hundred: crank up the front torsion bars, new rear springs, and an alignment.