Best 80 Series ?? (1 Viewer)

[762fmj]

Guys,
I am gonna sell my 1980 FJ40 and am wanting to buy an 80 series LC. What is the best year to get? I am looking at one in Loveland Colorado that is a 1993 with 200K and a fresh engine.

Thanks in advance!!! Erik

 

[Nay]

Guys,
I am gonna sell my 1980 FJ40 and am wanting to buy an 80 series LC. What is the best year to get? I am looking at one in Loveland Colorado that is a 1993 with 200K and a fresh engine.

Thanks in advance!!! Erik

THe one where the previous owner has spent thousands doing all of the baseline maintenance plus head gasket and is already built just like you want it so you are buying your mods at pennies to the dollar and can put them in your loan.

Outside of that, 95+ have airbags.

 

[mainemike]

95-97 are considered the peak of engineering design on the 80s. But like Nay said, its always nice to buy one the PO has baselined, regardless of year.

 

[tntoyota]

https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/198816-92-fj-93-fzj.html


https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/193694-can-not-deside-91-lc-97-lx.html

...

 

[762fmj]

Is there anyone in Loveland that can look at one for me? Here's the link to the vehicle: View Inventory

 

[Atoyot1031]

THe one where the previous owner has spent thousands doing all of the baseline maintenance plus head gasket and is already built just like you want it so you are buying your mods at pennies to the dollar and can put them in your loan.

Outside of that, 95+ have airbags.

Nay,
That's so kind of you to refer to my rig as your favorite!!!
Thanks
Nick

 

[KgB]

same boat here

Guys,
I am gonna sell my 1980 FJ40 and am wanting to buy an 80 series LC. What is the best year to get? I am looking at one in Loveland Colorado that is a 1993 with 200K and a fresh engine.

Thanks in advance!!! Erik

selling my 79FJ-40,I wanted an 80 but saddened by the prices,and the quality of what's out there.
I am glad people are still willing to spend that much on and old toyota,that will help sell my 40.
After driving Toyotas for 25 years I am making the switch.
Mitsubishi Monteros are looking pretty good to me,

To answer your question IMHO the best year is going to be the one in best condition for your budget,I wouldn't buy a car with 200k miles too much stuff on the drivetrain to wear.I also wouldn't buy a car with any rust whatsoever it just makes maintenance a pita.
P.S there is a 1993 that looks pretty good in Aspen for 75000,

 

[firetruck41]

selling my 79FJ-40,I wanted an 80 but saddened by the prices,and the quality of what's out there.
I am glad people are still willing to spend that much on and old toyota,that will help sell my 40.
After driving Toyotas for 25 years I am making the switch.
Mitsubishi Monteros are looking pretty good to me,

To answer your question IMHO the best year is going to be the one in best condition for your budget,I wouldn't buy a car with 200k miles too much stuff on the drivetrain to wear.I also wouldn't buy a car with any rust whatsoever it just makes maintenance a pita.
P.S there is a 1993 that looks pretty good in Aspen for 75000,

Having had a 91 Montero, 93 FZJ80, and 96 FZJ80, the LC is head and shoulders above the Montero. I did like the form/function of the Montero, but they were known for valve problems (fortunately PO did the valve job before I bought it), and I finally ditched mine on a dealer trade-in after spending 9 months and tons of money chasing a intermittent electrical problem that would leave it dead in the water several times a week. The Monteros are cheaper, but the 80 series are not very expensive these days, definitely easy to find well under $10k.

As to the original posters question, I would get a 93+, and a 96+ if you can afford it, which gets you OBDII, which is good for chasing any emissions problems.

Good information at Slee's website: 80 Series Land Cruiser - Newbie Guide

 

[KgB]

10,000

Having had a 91 Montero, 93 FZJ80, and 96 FZJ80, the LC is head and shoulders above the Montero. QUOTe

I agree a LC is a better vehicle for "any" particular year.but they are more expensive,they should be better.
for the price of a clean low mileage 80 ($6000-20,000)
you could get a later model montero with more features.
it also depends what you want to do with it,if you are going to modify for more offroad use the LC is clearly the winner.
But for a stock vehicle with light offroad use there are other options these days.
I have been looking at 80's for a while now and really wanted to have one but I am over it.

 

[gotmud]

Just don't make the mistake of getting an FJ80, go for the FZJ80, which has the vastly superior 1FZ-FE

 

[corsair23]

Is there anyone in Loveland that can look at one for me? Here's the link to the vehicle: View Inventory

You can check in over at Rising Sun as some of our club members live up North and might be able to help and take her out for a test . Many are 80s owners...

 

[IdahoDoug]

Ben,

You've had good taste in vehicles over the years. My list also includes:

91 Montero
93 LandCruiser

DougM

 

[browndog]

If you do go look at that 93 make sure the walk away price is about $1000 less than advertised. My 93 is at least as clean, had 145K when I bought it, and came with factory lockers. I paid $7200 last year.

 

[BooKilla]

The best 80 with everything included (like price) is a '91/'92 with a 3fe. The best overall 80 solely for the vehicle is a '94 because it has more options than '93 and the old school 'toyota' on the front as well as no airbags (those things will kill you). The '95+ have the toyota symbol on the front and nobody likes that....

 

[ShottsUZJ100]

Best year? 2000+

 

[ats4x4dotcom]

Best year? 2000+

So you think the Venezuela built 80's are far superior to the japanese version????

Can you tell us what we are missing here, with the build quality, one vs the other please?

 

[ShottsUZJ100]

So you think the Venezuela built 80's are far superior to the japanese version????

Can you tell us what we are missing here, with the build quality, one vs the other please?

Ooops. I thought this was the 100 forum.

 

[Grolar]

If I had the choice, I would say a manual '97 HDJ80. With the poor choice we have in the US, a white '94 FZJ80 with cloth seats. I purchased one before I realized it was indeed the best year. Lockers have been discussed a gazillion times, but IMHO leather and airbags suck.

 

[e9999]

If I had the choice, I would say a manual '97 HDJ80. With the poor choice we have in the US, a white '94 FZJ80 with cloth seats. I purchased one before I realized it was indeed the best year. Lockers have been discussed a gazillion times, but IMHO leather and airbags suck.

May I ask why you think that airbags suck?
Probably not because of lots of reports of accidental deployment, I imagine.
Is it because of working on the column and dash issues?
Personally I want airbags in my vehicles whenever possible.

 

[on the rocks]

I know the guy who owns the place, friend of a friend, and he buys at auctions and sales overpriced vehicles to people who cant afford them and offer a crazy interest rate with the thought they will repo the vehicle. It probably wouldn't be a good place to shop unless you fit in that category. He started bringing them in because he saw mine.
He did sell a car for me and give me a great price on the car though and I would like to bring him business for it but I don't want to be a middle man on this one. Good luck and sorry but I will stay out of this one. The owner is a nice guy though and who knows maybe you could get a deal. I did drive by a few weeks ago and saw it while passing, seemed overpriced and didn't look very well taken care of but didn't look very close.
You should ask what they mean by fresh engine and how they know.