BUILT FZJ80 or BUILD an LX450 (2 Viewers)

[Tigerstripe40]

I am looking at buying a DD truck to be used for mild wheeling, and more expedition type use, as well as occasional tow rig use for the FJ40 (with a flat bed equipped with TRALER BRAKES). THe FJ40 is going to be my hard core trail rig.

My budget is about $16-$19k
I am considering 2 different trucks.
One of them is a BUILT FZJ80.

http://www.sleeoffroad.com/for_sale/carl/carl.htm
It's got 5" of lift, 35's factory lockers with 4.88's, ARB bull bar, winch. the seller listed the truck for sale without the slee sliders, kaymar rear bumper, or the ARB roof rack, though I want to consider the truck with those parts. This truck has 132k on it

The other is a local, bone stock 1996 Lexus LX450, this one DOES have factory lockers, however, and has 92k on it, all service records, etc.

So, which one should I be considering? I kind of like the idea of building an LX450, and bashing on something with a lexus badge on it.

However, the other truck is more built for my purposes.

Both trucks are within $500 of each other.

Pros? Cons?
Thanks!
-James

 

[Arya Ebrahimi]

There's nothing like building a truck yourself. Yes there is a monetary advantage to buying a pre-built truck, but there's the reliability disadvantage. Also there's tons of little things that the previous owner knows about a built and wheeled rig that will take you a long time to learn. If you can afford to build it yourself, I would definately build it myself.

 

[Junk]

Since it's going to be your DD too, I'd be more interested in the mechanical condition of both trucks. Yes, the mods are free, but if they are done to a pos then you still have a pos. Not saying it's a pos as I have not even opened the link you posted, but just saying the mechanical condition of the truck could more than make those 'free mods' seem insignificant.

Then again, if it's a truck that Slee Off Road worked on, and they think its solid, I'd be coining up quick.

 

[ginericLC]

James,

You don't want an 80 with 35s on it if you want to tow a 40. If I was going to buy an 80 or LX for the use described I'd try to keep smaller tires and a lower lift on it. OME Heaviest 2.5 and maybe a 285/75/16 and I'd do a gear swap to keep the rig powerful for towing. Maybe even the supercharger? Towing a heavy trailer is a real PITA with an 80. Especially probably the kind of towing you want to do. A heavy trailer over winding mountain roads with a 40 in tow right?

Just my 2 cents!

Eric V.

 

[Junk]

gineric, you forget that the first time he does wheel the modded 80 he will sell the trailer and the 40

 

[G-Cat]

The rack, rear bumper and sliders are already sold (I believe).

My 80 has OME 2.5" lift, 285 BFG TA's and stock gearing and I WOULD NEVER consider towing my 40 on a flat bed behind it.

 

[ginericLC]

gineric, you forget that the first time he does wheel the modded 80 he will sell the trailer and the 40

Oh yeah! I forgot about that part. I do occasionally miss my 40. Sometimes I miss my 60 too (nothing replaces the V8 rumble).

One other plus to building a rig is I think the rig and the driver can grow together. Sort of a bonding thing. I'm not sure if it happens with 80s so much, but I've seen a lot of 40 and 60 owners buy more rig than what they were ready for. Then bad thing happen like rollovers etc...

 

[Beowulf]

James,

There is a guy in my local club with a built '97. Factory lockers, 6M1, MT/R's w/5k, Slee front and rear with tyre carrier and Hanna sliders. It's built for expeditions and is in your price range. He has it listed on AutoTrader right now but he told me he planned to put it here on IH8MUD. I checked a few minutes ago and it isn't listed here.

-B-

 

[Tigerstripe40]

James,

There is a guy in my local club with a built '97. Factory lockers, 6M1, MT/R's w/5k, Slee front and rear with tyre carrier and Hanna sliders. It's built for expeditions and is in your price range. He has it listed on AutoTrader right now but he told me he planned to put it here on IH8MUD. I checked a few minutes ago and it isn't listed here.

-B-

Isn't it in Mississippi? I am in Salt LAke. That's a *little* far for me. I wouldn't be to against going to Portland or SEattle, but I would really prefer something closer.

As far as the comments go to building it myself vs buying it built I can totally reason with that... Though, the emphasis is to build the FJ40.

As far as Towing goes, I can't justify a dedicated tow rig, though something that would serve a couple of purposes (long range, self supported camping trips, DD use, occasionaly tow use, etc) woudl be alot better.

 

[TomH]

One thing to keep in mind is the additional cost to build the stock rig. I'm sure Carl's rig has several thousand dollars worth of parts. Just start adding up all the parts he has listed. The stock rig would require you spending additional money to build it up.

I saw Carl's rig and talked to him last Sunday. It's a good looking truck and it sounds like he built it right. Of course I didn't drive it or go into all the details. For the price, I think it would be hard to go wrong.

Oh, and I can guarantee you that he no longer has the rack, sliders, or rear bumper.

Tom

 

[drohweder]

Within $500 with or without the sliders and rear bumper?

 

[bjowett]

I'll sell you my rig for $16000 with all spares (engine, tranny/tranfer, spare diffs) delivered. 93 w 139k, 4.88, factory lockers, OME lift with dual Koni shocks, 36" swampers, custom winch w/ mount, rear bumper/carrier, waaaaay to much to even think about listing.

Older pic... flares removed these days. Search around here for many more pics.

 

[Kaderabek]

I don't know whether you bought Carl's truck or not (it did sell), but my stance (which you probably don't give a s*** about) is that if you can get a well built truck from a reliable source, it will be cheaper than building one from scratch. And that's from experience, although I built a 55 and bought a well built 80. Of course, if it's the building you want to do then the choice is obvious.

TJK

 

[Arya Ebrahimi]

I think a lot of it has to do with whether an individual has experience with building trucks and with driving/'wheeling built trucks. If the person is well versed in the issues and quirks of building/driving/using a built truck, then buying a pre-built truck is not such a big deal. However if a total newb wants to buy a built truck because of the cost savings, I truely think that is a big mistake.

There is a lot of knowledge to be gained from building a truck step by step the first couple of times(even if you are not the one physically doing the labor/installs) because you adjust your mentality to that of driving a modified vehicle.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Ary

 

[Kaderabek]

That may be true, I built first, then bought. Wheeled a lot in the middle. But from a cost standpoint, unless you totally botch it, better to let someone else take the hit on aftermarket parts and labor than to buy the parts yourself. Bumpers, sliders, tires, lockers, racks, batteries, superchargers, all that stuff's expensive. That's my story anyway....

TJK

 

[Arya Ebrahimi]

I guess I should reword that to say suspension and driveability mods. I could give a sh!t if a guy has put sliders/bumpers/skids/etc etc on and sells it like that. In that case you are right, and I would jump on that deal as well. However once you get into suspension, motor, etc, I think one should endure the learning process at least once.

Ary

 

[Kaderabek]

I think that's less true with a coil sprung 80 than say a sprung over 55, which is what I slowly built. The trail experience carries over to my 80 (mainly in the form of making me very nervous about being off camber) but the buildup of a 55 as related to what I do with my 80 now seems pretty well disconnected.

TJK

 

[Beowulf]

>> Isn't it in Mississippi? <<

There are no foothills in Mississippi. The truck is in New Mexico. We're one of the 50 states. Utah and New Mexico share a tiny corner so we're basically neighbors.

-B-

 

[Junk]

Me thinks no one was paying attention when BJowett said he'd sell his rig. Brian, what's up with that?

 

[mabrodis]

I think the 'building' process for a 80 is so minimal that anyone could do it. Honestly by 'building' we're talking about putting new springs and shocks on, maybe some spacers, and maybe new front control arms, but for most people that's it. Not exactly rocket science. I see far more learning in the maint issues (birfields, starter, PHH, etc) than in the offroad stuff.

I definetly think buying a prebuilt truck is cheaper, might be harder to appreciate what you have and the blood/sweat/tears that went into certain aspects of it, but as far as $$$ I'd go prebuilt. I didn't and kinda wish I had. My bro did with a Rover, all decked out for about what a completely stock one would have sold for, since there is a very small market for lifted/4wheeled vehicles the resale is far less than the sum of the parts. And that sum can go up and up..

Oh, having said all of that, buy a LX450, only a fool would buy a FZJ!!