I bought my first 100 series about a month ago, and I'm not sure how I've been living without one for so long! Anyway, I've done a few things to it. I finally got a chance to snap some pics, and I've included one "before" shot as well.
How I bought it: I shopped for a couple months, religiously checking just about every major classifieds website. I was willing to travel, but I wanted to avoid rusty states. I prefer to buy from private parties rather than from dealers, and I need to have confidence that the owner is a straight shooter. I live in Colorado, so Arizona, Texas and California were good options for me. Colorado Land Cruisers usually have either a kidney or a first-born child included in the asking price, so I wasn't hopeful I'd find something too close. I ended up finding this rig in El Paso on Cars.com. It had 96k on the clock, and the seller was the second owner. The first owner had it for the first 81k, and he had serviced it very regularly at the Lexus dealer in Santa Monica, including a timing belt change. The seller sent me 60+ photos, we chatted on the phone, and I flew down to El Paso, where he picked me up at the airport. Presto....just how every Craigslist murder story starts. Just kidding -- the dude was super nice and straight up, and it was a great experience! We even went out to eat at his family's restaurant afterward.
What it needed: I knew the truck needed some cosmetic help and had a few parking lot dents on both fenders. The AHC globes had recently been replaced with new OEM parts, so that was great. While the timing belt had been done, the serpentine belt needed to be replaced, the heater tees were leaking and one CV boot was leaking. It also looked so much like a soccer mom mobile that my wife was puzzled when I showed her the pictures. I've shown her a lot of Cruiser pics before, but she actually asked me if I was sure this was the "same kind of car." Here's the before:
What I've Done: First, I removed the running boards. Actually, the very first thing I did was buy a set of 2019 Tundra wheels I found on Facebook marketplace in Santa Fe as I was driving back to Colorado! What a world we live in, huh? I then had some 285/75/18 Falken Wildpeak AT3w tires mounted on the wheels. I am coming from a full-size 2003 Montero (for sale), and I have had the Wildpeaks on that for the last couple years. I love them, so this was an easy decision.
Next, I ordered Techstream, did the AHC lift (a little less than 2") and ordered some King rear springs (not yet installed). I cranked on the torsion bars to bring the AHC pressures into spec, and the system works flawlessly. I love it. I have always thought 100 series tires looked a little to "set in," so I put on some 1.25" spacers. Oddly, even after doing the lift, I had some rubbing of the right tire on plastic at the back inner wheel well when at almost full turn. I thought this was odd since many say 285/75/18s can be run stock. Maybe it's the spacers? Anyway, a little plastic trimming with a dremel solved it.
After that, I decided to splurge. This is not only an adventure mobile, but it's my daily driver, so I figured I'd pamper it cosmetically at least once. I had a professional paint correction and PDR done. This was not cheap ($1,000 combined), but it was worth every penny. I promise you that the majority of people on this forum would say this is one of the cleanest looking 100 series trucks they've ever seen, and it's because of this. It is a serious head turner, and it has a seriously deep shine that makes me turn around to get one last glimpse every time I walk away from it. Who knows how long I can keep it looking like this, but I'm glad I did this little extra step.
Finally, I went with an ARB combo bumper. I bought it from 4 Wheel Parts via Ebay, and I made the purchase at 4 in the afternoon. At 10 AM the next day, a delivery driver called me to say he was on the way! It was the craziest shipping experience ever, but I'm certainly not complaining.
What I Am Doing Shortly: I have a whole boatload of coolant hoses, heater hoses, belts, tensioners, heater tees, etc. on the way, and that stuff will be next. I went with OEM stuff since I plan to keep this truck for at least 100k more. I still need to install those King springs in the rear and do the CV boot. I am getting an alignment done tomorrow. Finally, I've decided to replace the two stock roof rack crossbars with two steel 1x2 bars with small mount plates welded on for my rooftop tent. I don't need a full rack, and I don't want to cover the sunroof, but this system should allow me to quickly install the tent. That has always been my least favorite part of taking the Montero out, but I think I have something in mind that should make tent installation super quick. As you can see, I currently have my ski racks on.
Within the next few months, I'll be doing the 4x4 service and a transmission flush and filter change as well. I'm also going to be adding a second battery (really just pulling it out of the Montero) and coming up with a good system for carrying our fridge and stove.
My wife and I already have trips planned to Sedona and Telluride for this spring and summer, and we have a few other small weekend trips planned for places closer to Colorado Springs. I climb a lot of 14ers, so this will also get regular use on the "roads" up to those trailheads. I may also take it up to the PNW for a trip in July. I can already tell that this rig was the perfect choice for me. It feels like a privilege to drive, and it just oozes quality. I'm a total homer for these trucks now. The only downside? Getting my infant daughter's car seat up into the middle seat of this giant ass truck!
How I bought it: I shopped for a couple months, religiously checking just about every major classifieds website. I was willing to travel, but I wanted to avoid rusty states. I prefer to buy from private parties rather than from dealers, and I need to have confidence that the owner is a straight shooter. I live in Colorado, so Arizona, Texas and California were good options for me. Colorado Land Cruisers usually have either a kidney or a first-born child included in the asking price, so I wasn't hopeful I'd find something too close. I ended up finding this rig in El Paso on Cars.com. It had 96k on the clock, and the seller was the second owner. The first owner had it for the first 81k, and he had serviced it very regularly at the Lexus dealer in Santa Monica, including a timing belt change. The seller sent me 60+ photos, we chatted on the phone, and I flew down to El Paso, where he picked me up at the airport. Presto....just how every Craigslist murder story starts. Just kidding -- the dude was super nice and straight up, and it was a great experience! We even went out to eat at his family's restaurant afterward.
What it needed: I knew the truck needed some cosmetic help and had a few parking lot dents on both fenders. The AHC globes had recently been replaced with new OEM parts, so that was great. While the timing belt had been done, the serpentine belt needed to be replaced, the heater tees were leaking and one CV boot was leaking. It also looked so much like a soccer mom mobile that my wife was puzzled when I showed her the pictures. I've shown her a lot of Cruiser pics before, but she actually asked me if I was sure this was the "same kind of car." Here's the before:
What I've Done: First, I removed the running boards. Actually, the very first thing I did was buy a set of 2019 Tundra wheels I found on Facebook marketplace in Santa Fe as I was driving back to Colorado! What a world we live in, huh? I then had some 285/75/18 Falken Wildpeak AT3w tires mounted on the wheels. I am coming from a full-size 2003 Montero (for sale), and I have had the Wildpeaks on that for the last couple years. I love them, so this was an easy decision.
Next, I ordered Techstream, did the AHC lift (a little less than 2") and ordered some King rear springs (not yet installed). I cranked on the torsion bars to bring the AHC pressures into spec, and the system works flawlessly. I love it. I have always thought 100 series tires looked a little to "set in," so I put on some 1.25" spacers. Oddly, even after doing the lift, I had some rubbing of the right tire on plastic at the back inner wheel well when at almost full turn. I thought this was odd since many say 285/75/18s can be run stock. Maybe it's the spacers? Anyway, a little plastic trimming with a dremel solved it.
After that, I decided to splurge. This is not only an adventure mobile, but it's my daily driver, so I figured I'd pamper it cosmetically at least once. I had a professional paint correction and PDR done. This was not cheap ($1,000 combined), but it was worth every penny. I promise you that the majority of people on this forum would say this is one of the cleanest looking 100 series trucks they've ever seen, and it's because of this. It is a serious head turner, and it has a seriously deep shine that makes me turn around to get one last glimpse every time I walk away from it. Who knows how long I can keep it looking like this, but I'm glad I did this little extra step.
Finally, I went with an ARB combo bumper. I bought it from 4 Wheel Parts via Ebay, and I made the purchase at 4 in the afternoon. At 10 AM the next day, a delivery driver called me to say he was on the way! It was the craziest shipping experience ever, but I'm certainly not complaining.
What I Am Doing Shortly: I have a whole boatload of coolant hoses, heater hoses, belts, tensioners, heater tees, etc. on the way, and that stuff will be next. I went with OEM stuff since I plan to keep this truck for at least 100k more. I still need to install those King springs in the rear and do the CV boot. I am getting an alignment done tomorrow. Finally, I've decided to replace the two stock roof rack crossbars with two steel 1x2 bars with small mount plates welded on for my rooftop tent. I don't need a full rack, and I don't want to cover the sunroof, but this system should allow me to quickly install the tent. That has always been my least favorite part of taking the Montero out, but I think I have something in mind that should make tent installation super quick. As you can see, I currently have my ski racks on.
Within the next few months, I'll be doing the 4x4 service and a transmission flush and filter change as well. I'm also going to be adding a second battery (really just pulling it out of the Montero) and coming up with a good system for carrying our fridge and stove.
My wife and I already have trips planned to Sedona and Telluride for this spring and summer, and we have a few other small weekend trips planned for places closer to Colorado Springs. I climb a lot of 14ers, so this will also get regular use on the "roads" up to those trailheads. I may also take it up to the PNW for a trip in July. I can already tell that this rig was the perfect choice for me. It feels like a privilege to drive, and it just oozes quality. I'm a total homer for these trucks now. The only downside? Getting my infant daughter's car seat up into the middle seat of this giant ass truck!
