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- #21
80 Series Current Market Value Update/Discussion
- Thread starter CatchMoTrout
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Completely rebuilt original engine. Though I have a brand new short block and other stuff waiting for me to do it again.
I love the project!
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- #23
I would love to be able to do this at a point in my ownership. The task of pulling an engine seems extremely daunting to me without someone to do it with. I will have to study the FSM and prepare at some point. My engine is only at 184k so mine is a baby compared to yours! Haha
The cost of used cars in general has gone up a lot the past few years, old Toyotas in particular seem to have gone up in value. I just got a gen1 Tundra and they've gone up a ton in the past year or so.
Someone else mentioned Porsche and it's a similar reason. The cars in good condition are becoming harder and harder to find. When air cooled 911s shot up in value, a lot of absolute dogs that were rusted out, had broken head studs, etc showed up on the market. You'd sort through 50 to find 1 that was worth owning. When I bought mine, I spent months looking for one in good shape, same with my Tundra. The vast majority were rusted out or needed a ton of work.
I owned an air cooled 911 too (1982), that's a similar situation when it comes to finding a car, but the community generally sees the value and market values right. The clean ones that aren't rusted out are worth a lot more but some folks are still stuck in 2018 pricing. I listed mine and some guy told me I was "shooting for the stars" with my asking price of 65k, he offered me 35k. It ended up fetching 61k. The car would've been worth like 15k 15 years ago and some folks just can't get over it, but it also means a lot were neglected.
Finding these cars in good, clean shape is increasingly becoming difficult and it's reflected in the values. The Porsches are in a unique circumstance because they are actually fuel efficient, but parts are through the roof expensive and work is hard to find. The lead time on machine work for motors was 9 months last time I checked. The 80s are easier to maintain but not efficient on fuel, but a lot of YT channels have made them popular for overlanding
Someone else mentioned Porsche and it's a similar reason. The cars in good condition are becoming harder and harder to find. When air cooled 911s shot up in value, a lot of absolute dogs that were rusted out, had broken head studs, etc showed up on the market. You'd sort through 50 to find 1 that was worth owning. When I bought mine, I spent months looking for one in good shape, same with my Tundra. The vast majority were rusted out or needed a ton of work.
The FB groups are horrible about this. It's the reason I haven't posted mine there, I just don't wanna deal with the arguing. The Toyota community is the only car community I've seen where people want their cars to be worth less. None of their comments match the real values the cars are selling at either. They are stuck in 2018.
I owned an air cooled 911 too (1982), that's a similar situation when it comes to finding a car, but the community generally sees the value and market values right. The clean ones that aren't rusted out are worth a lot more but some folks are still stuck in 2018 pricing. I listed mine and some guy told me I was "shooting for the stars" with my asking price of 65k, he offered me 35k. It ended up fetching 61k. The car would've been worth like 15k 15 years ago and some folks just can't get over it, but it also means a lot were neglected.
Finding these cars in good, clean shape is increasingly becoming difficult and it's reflected in the values. The Porsches are in a unique circumstance because they are actually fuel efficient, but parts are through the roof expensive and work is hard to find. The lead time on machine work for motors was 9 months last time I checked. The 80s are easier to maintain but not efficient on fuel, but a lot of YT channels have made them popular for overlanding
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What one man can do, another can do.
Low mileage is definitely a beneficial factor for anything metallic that sees friction. However age and heat cycles DO matter to non-metallic items such as seals, etc.
The general market for older cars and trucks is also something to be considered. Example, I am currently fleshing out a future build, 67-68 C10 short bed. $10K buys you not much. It will most likely need cab corners or floor pans or inner rocker or outer rockers or door bottoms or fenders, or a tail gate or a mix or all of the above. It may be running, certainly not well. The entire suspension will either require a refresh or replacement with modern equipment. $30K evaporates in the blink of an eye. Same applies to most all vehicles say 30 years or older. Point being the 80 is no different, just the vehicle of choice for a very small percentage of people playing with older vehicles.
Also a factor is an emerging group of 25-35 year older that are buying older vehicles for what ever the reason, it varies. Another group are folks that would never buy a new car because of the depreciation factor. Many are very leery, with good reason, of 5-10 year old used cars due to electronics first and general cost of repairs being so high. A decent used car in that range can easily be $30K. Many are opting to put that $30K into something older, with fewer or no computers, maybe one on the engine and trans. So the 80 falls into that bracket as well.
Also a factor is an emerging group of 25-35 year older that are buying older vehicles for what ever the reason, it varies. Another group are folks that would never buy a new car because of the depreciation factor. Many are very leery, with good reason, of 5-10 year old used cars due to electronics first and general cost of repairs being so high. A decent used car in that range can easily be $30K. Many are opting to put that $30K into something older, with fewer or no computers, maybe one on the engine and trans. So the 80 falls into that bracket as well.
Some of the nice trucks do have high prices, even if you spend 20k in maintenance and wear items, drive an awesome truck for 10 years and then sell it you will likely be way ahead of many other newer SUVs when you factor in depreciation. Also no data harvesting. If anybody thinks it's too expensive maybe a 3rd gen 4runner would be a better option, they cost alot less to own.
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- #28
I (Gen Z) happen to fall into this same group of thought. New vehicles look like a nightmare to service or diagnose. The simplicity of older toyota design is definitely a big reason to me, that I don't need to be reliant on anyone if I can invest in the tools. Also, the fact they were designed to be completely rebuilt with every component serviceable is not a feature of new car design. As long as the frame doesn't rust, we're good!
I also just can't stand new vehicle interiors and screens. The 80 series and lack thereof of a space age user interface is so refreshing.
This is true because your average Toyota 4x4 owner doesn't want to sell the one they own --- they instead want to buy another so they can have two. Or three. Or four.
It is a whole different mindset.
I was just looking at a 95 triple locked that was far too clean with 122k odo original owner / garaged and they wanted 25k and all I could do from everyday from they day I found it and the day it sold is wonder if they would’ve taken 18k for it… I was close to having a “great investment” talk with the wife
she would’ve killed me, I could hear it now “ why do you need two of the same car! “
I bought my 80 for 1000$ but it needed a grip of freshening up. Full front and rear axle housing due to rust. Surprisingly the frame wasn’t as bad as the axle housings. After that a full on refresh of cooling system and tune up chit. Before you know it you’ve got a 1000$ cruiser that’s now worth 10k….. or you find some jabrone with more money than sense to buy it for 30k . I think some of the inflated prices are due to people who are selling them see one that’s in good condition and maintained maybe a little tastefully modified and they can’t tell the difference between the good one and the one their mom gave to them to drive in high school. I also blame marketplace for inflating prices.
. I think some of the inflated prices are due to people who are selling them see one that’s in good condition and maintained maybe a little tastefully modified and they can’t tell the difference between the good one and the one their mom gave to them to drive in high school. I also blame marketplace for inflating prices.
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- #32
Because you can, duh…I was just looking at a 95 triple locked that was far too clean with 122k odo original owner / garaged and they wanted 25k and all I could do from everyday from they day I found it and the day it sold is wonder if they would’ve taken 18k for it… I was close to having a “great investment” talk with the wife
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- #33
Marketplace specs are quite ridiculous. My truck initially debuted on FB for 16k. It sat for two months and the guy needed to get rid of it during a move, so he was desperate to sell. A PPI pointing out all the neglect, got him to come almost halfway down which was much more reasonable to me considering everything it needed. So yes this is 100% real due to FB.I bought my 80 for 1000$ but it needed a grip of freshening up. Full front and rear axle housing due to rust. Surprisingly the frame wasn’t as bad as the axle housings. After that a full on refresh of cooling system and tune up chit. Before you know it you’ve got a 1000$ cruiser that’s now worth 10k….. or you find some jabrone with more money than sense to buy it for 30k
There’s a decent 95 on market place he had it up for 15k I said good luck it’s now at 10k and I’m wondering how low he would go
. I need my own shop so I can buy and flip old yotas, the only problem is I’d want to keep them all.
The market for these is so strong that I have had multiple offers on mine. I stole my 97 in 2021 from the second owner for $4k with 281,000 miles, not triple locked. The seller was a friend of the original owner who had all maintenance and repairs done at the Toyota dealer. It needed front brakes, a/c compressor and the standard Land Cruiser engine oil leaks fixed when I got it, all of which I did myself and was driving it regularly after that. Since then I have done the head gasket, radiator, sealed the front and rear brakes, u-joints and viscous coupling. And will be replacing the front seat leather and adding seat heaters this weekend. So far I have less than $3k invested above the purchase price. 80 series are worth and money invested in my opinion. They are iconic, cool, comfortable and damn near bulletproof. And besides that if you do all the work yourself they can pretty much be rebuild for far less money that a brand new Tacoma.
Mine now has 286,000 miles and last week when I was washing it a guy in a brand new “real” Bronco pulled up and offered me $12k on the spot without knowing anything about it. Guys like that and their legendary status around the world are what really driving the market for them.
Mine now has 286,000 miles and last week when I was washing it a guy in a brand new “real” Bronco pulled up and offered me $12k on the spot without knowing anything about it. Guys like that and their legendary status around the world are what really driving the market for them.
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Sold one of mine in 20 minutes after listing it for sale for $55k.
Building up another one now that I bought as a parts truck for $2500.
Cheers
Building up another one now that I bought as a parts truck for $2500.
Cheers
My thoughts and experiences with the 80 Series .... I have always been into the off road scene. I've built some pretty capable Jeeps and have wheeled them like a $10 hooker on a payday weekend and had a blast doing it. Late night garage sessions in order to make a trail ride the following day, helping friends build their rigs, etc... all part of the fun and the overall off road experience. I have always wanted an 80 Series but never wanted to get one and beat it down like a dedicated wheeling rig gets treated...always thought an 80 series deserved a little better treatment. A couple years ago, I decided to sell my last Jeep and pursue the goal of getting an 80 Series. Main reason for selling the Jeep was somehow the off road scene changed. People buying a 50K JK and then financing another 25K in upgrades done by a shop and then hitting the trails with zero knowledge and running out of talent real quick and then having zero idea of how to fix their rig or recover it and clear the trail. It was like offroading went mainstream and the majority of the participants were complete asshats. Anyways, I found a 1991 FJ80 that needed some work (ok a lot) and started digging into it. Got it setup decently but ultimately I wanted a 95 - 97 model. Found one in really good condition that needed minimal work and was a two owner prior to me. Looked at it, spoke with the original owner and compared his notes to what I had from the second owner and a couple days later I brought it home. Spent the next three weekends swapping suspension parts, steering box, shocks, etc... from the 1991 to the 1997. Sold the 1991 and I plan on keeping the 1997 for a very long time. Relaxed trail rides with minimal fuss and cruising to the beach have replaced the previous years high intensity rides. I think overall we change and as we change our rigs change. Maybe people realize this and this is one of the reasons for the pricing currently.
Having gone to a major offroad park near here in multiple vehicles over the years, this is so true. I had to stop following a lot of Land Cruiser accounts because the majority of them just have no clue how to drive, one in particular I swear wheel spins at road speeds up stuff every time. With a little skill and effort, they should be able to crawl up and not risk breaking axles, diffs, or who knows what else. Back when I owned a Bronco, people were complaining about the tie rods breaking but when I watched them break them on trail, the only thing I could wonder is how that's the only thing that broke given what they were doing. It's like the default answer to these folks is to just hit the gas and wheel spin until something catches or breaks.
It's also one of the reasons I'm always skeptical about getting into groups. It seems like a lot of people just guide you up the wrong line or tell you to hit the throttle when more calculated line choices, better brake/throttle control, and proper setup (airing down) would get you up cleaner without risking damaging anything.
You can do a lot with some skill on stock trucks, frame mounted slider, and proper tires. Add traction boards and a hilift jack, more options open up if you are willing to be patient. The lift and bigger tires just gives you more options (which is nice on narrow trails tbf). The issue I see out where I wheel, is folks seeing those videos on YT of stock 100/200s climbing up features out west on street tires and thinking it works here. We got held up over 4 hours behind a stock LX570 at Windrock once, their tires couldn't clear the mud and they had to be winched up every feature.
There's no reason these trucks need to be beat to death, I'd argue the same with the 100s. You should be able to do a lot of technical trail rides in them without thrashing it, but like you said, folks just don't get it.