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Paint job does not look meticulousThis is a diesel.
Sorry down here normally 'f'j is petrol and 'h' j is diesel.
Got pics of the engine and underneath, springs, driveshaft , transmission leaks, steering linkage? Gone for a drive?
If indeed diesel, hz engine with the timing belt in front? If original mileage the engine should be good. What does the oil look like? Coolant? Power steer fluid?
Hard to tell from pics if the body has something hiding but the graphics and colour matches the era. Looks neat from the pics, but..
The rear door latches suggest a respray, they were originally zinc passivated. So beware.
If you have the time check the colour code on the plates under the hood and then look up if the colour matches the colour code.
Looked under the aftermarket pvo carpet, especially the floor pans?
Put a magnet around the lower edges of the front windscreen and rain gutters to see if bogged up. wheel wells and sill cavities with a magnet. Try to find spots where the original paint is visible like internal cavities.
At least the rear chassis frame is straight and looks neat. I have seen a few which have been yanked out of bogs and have damaged or cracked the rear cross member, then hidden by covering it with something non factory.
The rear bumper is not factory, so it maybe hiding something.
Troopies have become a bit more rare. In Oz, Victoria I have not seen a good diesel troopy for less than $20k aud for a few years. Queensland and W.A. cheaper. but normally pretty rough.
Have no idea how many troopies went to Europe or what sort of life they had. From the pics it looks like it has had a fresh respray which can cover lies.
Often hj, hzj troopies are getting similar prices as 2008 vdj troopies (one on ebay here for $20k aud). I prefer the older models myself and much prefer an older diesel.
To me it was worth looking patiently for a year. Better to buy without respray and see the original paint.
If it is good it should last your life time.
Kind of annoys me when dealers pretty up the outside and neglect attention to the engine bay. They take folks for idiots, as if it does not need to be clean and shiny there. They assume you won't look, at least hope not. It is not honest, they would rather sell to a young impatient idiot fooled by glossy paint, money burning hot in their hands.
The engine bay does not look loved at a glance. The same attention to pretty the outside has not been paid to the engine bay, which can mean the engine is neglected. Probably even more so the drive train.
If the pvo cared for it, usually the engine bay looks better than the body. If an honest sale, the external cosmetics match the engine bay, where indeed you see the original factory colour, unfaded from uv.
Looks like a hz to me, someone else would say for sure. The timing belt is in the little plastic box at the front of the engine. To me it is a hzj75 not an fzj75. They are a good motor. Always insist for a dead cold start, not when the engine is already warm. Then you can see if the engine smokes from cold.
I heard a used car dealer state in Oz, everyday 2 million people are in the market looking for a car. That was when the population was 22 million.
At present, in Oz there is 20 million cars registered, pop. 27 million. Nearly everyone has at least one! Hard to do stuff without a car in Oz.
Since covid, imports slowed down, so the car market pool shrank. This elevated the status of the 'used car dealer, who have always been known as untrustworthy. Now they wear suits and get top dollar for the same lies and dodgy practice.
Not sure how it went in Europe, but I can imagine there is dodgy dealers too.
I would be wary at that price for $32k aud personally. If you wait long enough, next year, the rust will re-emerge from this one I am guessing.
When you think of how many cars you shall buy in your life, it is worth being patient.
Best is original paint, even a few honest scratches and bumps for it's age. Even some visible rust is almost preferred than shiny all over, something is going to be hidden under the gloss. At least if you fix rust yourself, you do a good job.
Look for a good chassis, bodywork is easier to fix than chassis, and preferably a loved motor and drive train. To me, chassis, engine and gear box are the most important and valuable, everything else is easy to fix and not too expensive.
Looks like a dealer to me, they are professional liars. Better to buy direct from pvo. Ex council, ex farm, ex government or nato or whoever used them in Europe.
By all means have a look, but be wary, fools rush in. No idea of how many troopies are in Europe, which does influence you. Also depends on your finances and time , willingness to do your own work.
I love the configuration of my good troopy, work, camp and play, people bus too. Just for another perspective, I bought another hj75 troopy wreck for $2500 aud, year and half ago. But I shall spend at least $10k aud fixing it, maybe $15k without counting my time. But I do a good job, ready for biodiesel.
Looks quite Ok. Price is about normal for Germany. Troopies are rare in Germany. Most came from Iberia or France.
The green tag on the rear number plate is from the mandatory technical inspection (HU, also referred to as TÜV), which is due every two years. Green indicates either 2018 or 2024. I can't read the year in the middle of the tag. The tag below (with the code of arms) is the validity stamp. When a registration is ended or withdrawn, those get scraped off. They are intact here, suggesting the vehicle is registered, so I guess also the inspectionnis recent (done 2022, valid until 2024)
In Germany it is common to ask a fresh technical inspection (HU) from the seller, as this is required to get the registration switched to the buyer.
It also is certified as a historic vehicle (the H at the end of the registration number), which also gives it a significant tax exemption in Germany (fix 192€ for the certified historic vehicle vs about 1150€ for a 4l diesel with no emission control). This can be done earliest when the vehicle is 30years old. As it is a yom 1991, this was earliest 2021 then. The certificate requires a special authorised expert's inspection, which includes and goes even beyond the normal technical inspection (HU).
So likely, this vehicle successfully passed an in depth technical inspection by a certified automotive expert organisation and gained its H certificate just recently (2022). Probably it was only imported recently...
That means:
Normal HU: All aspects relevant for roadworthiness, brakes, lights, steering, rust in bearing parts and frame, emissions test (gives a good Info on engine health) etc. have been checked and are ok.
H certificate: Vehicle is allmost original, no major mods, no significant rust (also on non-bearing parts). Respray is permitted.
Non of these inspections include a judgment on maintenence condition and wear, though. Only functional check and appearance as is.
The H also comes with special discount tarifes for insurance (as it is assumed such a fancy vehicle is not used as a daily driver). Insurances often ask a valution of the vehicle, issued by a vintage vehicle expert organisation, to get those tarifes. Common is Classic Data. This includes another in depth inspection and rating of the condition (now also addressing subjects like bondo, bodywork and paint) as well as a statement on the fair market price for the particular vehicle. Having this is not mandatory, though.
I suggest (beyond what others had suggested, which all holds true) :
- Take a German expert with you. It's 5h from my place, so I can't do it, but you might post in forum.buschtaxi.org and ask for help. There are J7 enthusiast in that area, too.
- Ask what the history and origin of the vehicle is.
- Try to find out what the nature of the seller is. Gaining profit (import, pimp & sell), Toyota expert / enthusiast, long term owner ...
- Carefully check the paperwork. The title holds the history of owners as well as the registration history and history of regular TÜV inspection. Any mods (e.g. suspension lift, different rims ...) must be mentioned and approved there. (All in German, so expert advised)
The title also indicates if and when the vehicle had been imported. If so, you need to check the foreign title's history then.
- Ask if there is a valuation certificate (e.g. Classic Data)
- Normally you could do a test drive and stop by a certified inspection authority (TÜV, DEKRA, GTÜ) and ask for a quick experts look on the lift. When not to busy, they usually help for a tip into the coffee kitty, in particular on such rare vehicles, which they also admire. May require prearrangement and approval by seller.
Good luck Ralf
PS: Did you really make up your mind alreaday what is the right vehicle for you? If it comes to Toyota, in particular J7, I still recommend to attend Buschtaxitreffen on September 9-11 in Ohrdruf near Erfurt. Lots of vehicles there and plenty of opportunities to talk to experts, see, touch and even testdrive various models. (I'll be there, too)
Das Buschtaxi-Treffen / The Buschtaxi Meeting
Das nächste BTT / next Meeting: 6.-8. September 2024forum.buschtaxi.org
Yes, there are. Troopies are rare in Germany. Almost all have been imported, mostly from Iberia, The Netherlands or France. Troopies of that age, from loving original owners, are like non existing here. If one of those rare specimens gets sold, they are rather advertised in forums like buschtaxi or get sold by just spreading the word.Not sure how it went in Europe, but I can imagine there is dodgy dealers too.
PM sentI will definitely attend if my work schedule permits, would be great to meet you if nothing else. My first choice is an original condition Troopy, 70 or 80 series. 80s seem to be more than I’m willing to pay anyway so I’ve been focusing on 70s series.
By the way, I found this Troopy listed by the PVO, that last photos re from his posting, which is also listed 1200 euros less than the dealer. I want to call him but my Duetch is horrible to nonexistent. Lol