80 shopping (1 Viewer)

[Cruiserdrew]

If this is more appropriate for chat please move.

So, I'm driving home from work today and spot a nice looking 80 series for sale in a parking lot beside the road. It's a '91 with the mighty 3FE and 199k miles. Paint is perfect, interior must have been replaced because it looks weirdly new, I mean perfect and unworn. Undercarriage is clean, no rust as most cars are around here. Knuckles look pretty good too with no extra grease or goo. There is a significant oil leak in the region of the rear main seal-like big drips underneath. Has original wheels and hubcaps and no running boards-instead has the factory mud flaps. I have only looked it over and not driven it.

The asking price is $6900. My question is, is this worth a call? This would be a car for my daughter who starts driving soon (3 weeks). For you 3FE owners-anything to ask about? Is this a decent price? What about the tranny at this mileage? What would be a fair offer? I was thinking $5K to give me some $ to fix the rear main. While the tranny is out, does anyone know how much to just rebuild it? Thanks for any replies.

 

[ginericLC]

Price seems high to me. Only other real problem other than power with the 3Fe is an oil galley plug that likes to jump out and cause some problems. The tranny/transfer will most likely have a clunk when shifting from R to D. But I think this is to be expected at that mileage. My 91 has similar miles. Once I got used to the clunk I've sort of learned to drive so it almost disappears. Really other than the price of gas this is a pretty good first vehicle. Pretty good protection in an accident. Not too fast. Safety of Fulltime 4wd. Remember it won't have ABS. This is sort of tricky to get used to if you drive one without ABS and one with ABS. I've always felt the brakes were a little weak but with stock tires they are OK.

 

[DieselROCKS]

Wow, nice freakin ride for a 16 year old. You're one nice daddy

 

[semlin]

Drew, you are a v. nice parent.

I would very seriously upgrade the brakes on a 91 before letting a new inexperienced driver loose on it. As my wife recently discovered, a 91 is tough to stop in a hurry. Misjudging your braking is a very common rookie mistake and a 91 is a tough vehicle to learn on. Try locking the brakes on it and see if you can. There are posts here about adding slotted dba rotors and using 97 80 series pads or 100 pads ground to fit. Plus you can bleed the fluid.

I would leave the tranny alone unless it is showing some symptoms. I'd trust Mr. T's original assembly standards over a rebuild shop.

I wouldn't trust the knuckles from an external view. Mine looked not too goopy too, and had been serviced through the top plug, but they were bone dry inside the housing. Have you tried turning full lock under acceleration in 4-lo? That will diagnose whether your birfields are clicking.

Also, have you considered that you are potentially giving her the "party wagon" for all her friends to ride in in the form of a big cool vehicle? I seem to remember the kids with a vista cruiser, country squire and even a volare stationwagon being very popular on the weekends in high school. If she is responsible, fine. If you are not sure, maybe something smaller and less cool is a good idea.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

Thanks for the replies so far. I was thinking 5k was my limit for a car for her and the 80 is a big heavy tank with good integrity in the event of a crash. If she doesn't get something of her own, she'll be driving the 60 which has the same braking issues. I would plan on rebuilding the knuckles anyway since I can (and have) done that before. The alternative is something like a Honda Accord with 100k, but the early 80's were large, heavy and slow. She's a good kid, but we wouldn't let her carry friends in it for the first year. This car is cosmetically in such good shape, it almost seems something is wrong. I'll try to call later today.

 

[Doc]

Again, price is too high if bought at the asking price.

But- I can't think of a car I'd rather have a loved one driving. Plus, the fact that it is slow and safe makes for a pretty good car to learn on.

Also, if she'll be purchasing her own gas, it'll teach her the value of money and she won't be making too many frivilous trips to the mall.... yeah right!

 

[ginericLC]

Actually I found that my 60 braking was more effective than the 80. Maybe those few extra pounds made it a bit harder to stop? Or maybe it is the manual tranny that allows you to downshift to slow quicker? One other thing you might check on is insurance. 80s are real expensive to insure. My 91 was more than my 97 Tahoe. Still I'm thinking like a kid: expensive gas, expensive insurance, not the best when you are young and on a budget.

 

[tucsonlx]

My LX450 was a trade in because the guys daughter (just turning 16) didn't like it. She apparently got a new RX330. Now that is a nice daddy. Personally I am glad that little brat got her new car because I got her old one.
Aaron

 

[Riley]

>> Actually I found that my 60 braking was more effective than the 80.<<

I second that observation. I could easily lock up my brakes on the 60 (even with drums on the rear). I'm thinking like a kid as well and these gas bills I wouldn't want to force on anybody unless they have a real good paying job.

Maybe an Accord or Camry?

Now if it was a boy, how about a 40 series??

 

[AZcruiser]

Are you paying for her gas? Buy her a Camery/Accord save yourself the hassles.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

[quote author=Riley link=board=2;threadid=17237;start=msg166974#msg166974 date=1086044126]
Now if it was a boy, how about a 40 series??
[/quote]

Funny, I have a 40 and my son who is now 13 thinks he will be driving it to highschool. The problem is that the 40 is top-heavy and tippy. You have to drive it deliberately and slowly. I'm thinking that's not the best for a teenager. The sons of 2 of my friends have flipped Jeeps-one of them at low speed, the other was seriously injured and missed a semester of school because of a head injury.

This 80 is very nice, almost too nice for a kid. The fact that it burns lots of fuel is a plus-my daughter won't be driving that much, and it will keep her close to broke. That's perfect-less trouble to get into. The braking thing worries me though. I need to test drive it, but the owner didn't answer the phone when I called.

 

[AZcruiser]

my thought was she would be wanting to drive all over burning gas thus hitting your wallet!

 

[alaskacruiser]

If safety is your top priority, this 80 has little to offer over a midsize to large passenger car other than mass:

- You have no airbags, which you will find on any car 12 years old or newer

- You do not have side impact protection on the older 80s, which you will find on late model cars

- In emergency manuevers, the 80 will roll much easier than a passenger car

If she is using this to treck around campus, it sounds pretty impractical and not as safe as other alternatives. My 2 cents.

 

[Seminole]

Another 2 cents worth...
Thoroughly(emphasis) go through the brakes. I bought mine at similar mileage and have been steadliy chasing down the brake demons. Front brakes especially (calipers,rotors, hoses, wheel bearings, lots of fluhing and bleeding). Unless you have WELL documented and verified service records I would save some $$$ for that. The rear brakes too, especially the axle seal (which when it fails, fills the drum with diff fluid which turns to grease and is fun to get clean) . I bought mine from the original owner and the truck was local; serviced local with all records, yet he refused to run clean brake fluid. This caused cascade failures at about 200k and led to many replacement parts. I agree that the 91-92's brakes are a bit weak, but if they are redone properly and maintained... should have no problems stopping a stock truck. I say 4500-5000 if its in that good of shape.

 

[GXO]

Lifted 80s have braking problems due to the LSPV (especially 91-92s).

I have gone through my 91 and I can now lock up all 4 on pavement.

It wasn't easy, but it can be done.

Side impact protection?!?!?!! I think that is why we put big steel sliders on it.

Lifted, slidered....side impact = ouch for oncoming traffic

 

[ginericLC]

[quote author=DanKunz link=board=2;threadid=17237;start=msg167178#msg167178 date=1086092705]
Lifted 80s have braking problems due to the LSPV (especially 91-92s).

I have gone through my 91 and I can now lock up all 4 on pavement.

It wasn't easy, but it can be done.

[/quote]

Please enlighten us. What magic did you work? My 91 has been in our family since 52,000 miles and it has never been able to lock up the brakes. I'm running 100 series pads up front. New rotors. A correctly adjusted proportioning valve. Good rear shoes. Really most of the life of the rig it has had 31x10.50s on it.

 

[GXO]

I have a new booster, master, all soft lines, new pads, shoes....bled it all out, adjusted the LSPV about 15 times to get it just right....

Generally monkied with it for the past 5 months or so.

 

[Brentbba]

Andrew, you may want to rethink that big a vehicle for a brand new driver. My daughter just turned 16 and every piece of literature I've read says that a large vehicle is the last type of vehicle you should put a newbie driver into. I'd wanted to give daughter my 80 and get a nice little Miata (the new turbo six speed) for commuting. Wife didn't want to try to talk me out of it, just let me read an article in the weekly Auto section of the LA Times that quoted experts opinions on putting newbie drivers (male or female) into large SUV's. It was enought to change my mind. Things mentioned include what's already been mentioned in this thread about accident avoidance handling, size on the road, parking ability, etc.

My daughter and later on, my son, will not be getting a piece of my 80.

My 2 cents worth.

 

[doctorJ]

I haven't read that info on new drivers and big cars. My 16 year old learned to drive in my 97 and hates having to drive my Mom's old car (that my son drives now) a 95 Cadillac STS. She says she likes being higher up and the Caddy accelerates too fast for her! I guess it is all relative - she thinks my wifes YukonXL is too big to drive and we agree. All that said, I am looking for a Camry or 97-99 Tacoma to send her to school in.
Jay

 

[CDN_Cruiser]

A few comments from the peanut gallery...

This is one of those difficult things to comment on as there are pros and cons on both sides.

Many of us drive the truck because it is very safe (large mass, steel construction) and highly reliable which would imply that it makes a great vehicle for a new driver.

However, I tend to be in the 'be careful camp' on this one for a new driver. Any way you measure it, a LC is a huge/heavy vehicle that needs some experience to drive. If you live in rural x, or major suburban Y maybe it's not an issue. However, if you live in big urban city z - it may not be a great vehicle.

As others have noted - they are top heavy (relative to most cars) and you do have to know a few things about collision avoidance to keep the rubber side down (especially you have a lift, etc). Go to the Milford cargo barrier site and look at the testamonials of LCs that flipped when they droped a tire or two off the road onto the shoulder.

My wife, an experienced driver and used to driving a 60 for six years, managed to rear end a car (slowly thankfully) within the first few weeks of ownership (new pads and rotors - likely not fully seated) mostly from misjudging the weight/stopping distance.

The 'party wagon' factor is something only you will know about (so few of my friends had cars in HS that it's amazing we're all still alive given what we used to do when we did get a car).

Cheers, Hugh