I’ll start by saying I’m a 100-series noob but spent a lot of time here when I had my 62, and I owned a 40 before that, so not new to Land Cruisers or all of you fellow addicts 
Neighbor is selling his 99. Gunmetal, 141k miles, second owner, fully original, dealer serviced and suburban driven, local (WA) truck with no rust that I can see. Years of service records, supposedly (haven’t seen yet). Says it got rear-end tapped once, I see no immediate concern.
He’s letting me hang on to it for the weekend so I’ve got a good slow inspection to look forward to. It’s mine to lose, but he wants $16k unless I convince him otherwise. It’s in decent but not show-ready condition. Straight body, good gaps, worn leather. Handful of minor dents and scratches, nothing worth fixing at this point.
I’ve been over the FAQ and I know how to inspect cars in general, but anything SPECIFICALLY on the early J100’s that I should look for in my driveway? Known vulnerabilities? And how do we feel about the early -100s? Sometimes, vehicles get better as a model progresses, sometimes the simpler earlier ones are easier to deal with. For example, my GX-owning overlanding buddy suggests avoiding the integrated HVAC/nav and air suspension in the later GX’s, when I was considering one.
I loved the simplicity and reliability of my 40 and 62, but hated that they rode like a stagecoach. Looking for that sweet spot in the middle of modern feeling and easy to wrench on, and fun to trail.
Much obliged.

Neighbor is selling his 99. Gunmetal, 141k miles, second owner, fully original, dealer serviced and suburban driven, local (WA) truck with no rust that I can see. Years of service records, supposedly (haven’t seen yet). Says it got rear-end tapped once, I see no immediate concern.
He’s letting me hang on to it for the weekend so I’ve got a good slow inspection to look forward to. It’s mine to lose, but he wants $16k unless I convince him otherwise. It’s in decent but not show-ready condition. Straight body, good gaps, worn leather. Handful of minor dents and scratches, nothing worth fixing at this point.
I’ve been over the FAQ and I know how to inspect cars in general, but anything SPECIFICALLY on the early J100’s that I should look for in my driveway? Known vulnerabilities? And how do we feel about the early -100s? Sometimes, vehicles get better as a model progresses, sometimes the simpler earlier ones are easier to deal with. For example, my GX-owning overlanding buddy suggests avoiding the integrated HVAC/nav and air suspension in the later GX’s, when I was considering one.
I loved the simplicity and reliability of my 40 and 62, but hated that they rode like a stagecoach. Looking for that sweet spot in the middle of modern feeling and easy to wrench on, and fun to trail.
Much obliged.
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