Buying/Selling - what year, how much, etc. - ask for opinions here

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How do I weigh the pros/cons when purchasing a used LC

Hello,

I'm new around here, this is my first post after I have spent some time looking for answers.

I am considering purchasing a supposedly gently used stock 2004 land cruiser. It has 57,000 miles on it and is priced approximately $28,000. It appears to be stock. I have not yet visually inspected it as I live a few hours away.

My question revolves around simple practicality. I suppose it's a psychological question, but I guess i need convincing this is a decent deal. My only issue it feels silly to spend this much money on a truck that is soon to be 8 model years old.

This will be my daily driver as well as my utility vehicle (towing a boat, etc.); however, I would love to do more (trail riding), but have never had the opportunity.

Perhaps someone could shed some words of wisdom on my situation.
 
This post will probably get moved to the buying/selling section up top.

28k seems a bit high for an 04 even with 57k miles. Don't hesitate to expand your search further away. Almost all LC's in the 28k range are going to be super clean. This is the summer and dealerships are eager to get these gas guzzlers off the lot with prices the way they are. It does seem like a pricey purchase for an older vehicle, but it's going to be a super reliable rig for many years. Most people keep these forever and wind up giving them to their kids.

For Example: A year ago I bought my 04 with 64k miles for $23.9 from a dealership and it's super clean. I purchased it sight unseen (except photos) from 2000 miles away and had it shipped to me.
 
I was pretty much in your position 3 weeks ago. Looking for a gently used 2004 100-series, albeit a LX470. I also heavily weighed the GX470 option (Dad has an '06 GX470 Sport). I sold my '05 4runner 4x4 Limited with 57k miles to trade up into a 100-series primary because of space. The SUV is our 3rd car/family vehicle.

I wound up with an '06 LX470 w/ 57k miles.

The architecture of the LX470 is indeed older than even my '05 4runner or Dad's '06 GX470, even though they are roughly the same years. You can tell this in the NVH and general feel/features of the vehicle that it's a late 90's design. This is not necessarily a bad thing frankly because - they just don't build them like they use to.

Modern cars are overly optimized to be sized, spec'd, and built to be 'just enough' to meet requirements. Older designs are much more overbuilt and I can feel this every time I drive the LX. It's a very comforting feeling of durability and strength. With materials that I know will go the distance and time. Not cheap optimized synthetics and plastics that will age and crack.

If you're trying to qualify the purchase of an old vehicle relative to new, I wouldn't because even an 8 yr old 100-series will outlast most new vehicles.

You will NOT get this level of capability and durability in a new vehicle at that price. Nor the satisfaction. It's a good value IMO. The only thing that isn't quite as practical is the gas mileage depending on your commute.
 
My commute really isn't a variable. We live in a relatively rural community - my commute is approximately 3 miles or 5 minutes. That will change soon, as we plan to move to a larger home as our family grows (no children yet).

Perhaps the root of my question is what year(s) and at what mileage/condition would be the best bang for the buck if someone were looking to purchase a LC/LX470? If I were to say I had a budget, it would be around $36,000 or less, preferably less.

Ideally, I am looking for something I can drive for 5-6 years, putting another 100K on the odometer and then retiring the vehicle to off-roading/utility work.

Thanks,
 
I'm a newbie to 100 series vehicles, but just went through the process and bought a '99 LX 470.

These were my criteria:
Vehicle from the desert southwest its entire life (NO rust issues).
Low miles
One owner
No accident history
Meticulously maintained
Color combination I liked. Some flexibility, but not much.

I looked off and on for about 18 months before finding the right vehicle.

I firmly believe in those criteria. I grew up in the rust capital of the universe (Vermont) and after spending time in Arizona while in the USAF, I saw firsthand the difference in vehicle condition.

A vehicle meeting those criteria typically commands a premium and I believe it's worth it, particularly if you intend to keep it for many years.

There's a very interesting article floating around featuring an interview with Takeo Kondo. He was the project manager for the '98-'07 LandCruiser and the article discusses what the objectives were in terms of design and engineering. That article substantiates exactly the point TeCKis300 makes in his post.

Good Luck!
 
You searched for quite a long time. I fear I maybe late to the party to find a quality 100 series with my requirements...

I sometimes still consider a GX470, as I can find them in my price range in the condition I am searching for; however, I really want the larger LC/LX470.
 
alteredform said:
I am considering purchasing a supposedly gently used stock 2004 land cruiser. It has 57,000 miles on it and is priced approximately $28,000.
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Just wanted to comment on range of pricing. If I took the advice on pricing for a 100 on this forum, I'd never have landed a 100. Prices vary quite a bit throughout the country and living in CA, we are surely on the upper end. I generally pay more for my LC's than others on this board but I've also sold them for more than average. In any case, I'd avoid LC/LX's from the rust bucket areas when there are so many rust-free ones out there.
 
KlausVanWinkle said:
The day has finally come. I'm driving 5.5hrs tomorrow to buy a 2000 Land Cruiser with only 80k miles in the color I want, Silver. For $14.9k Seems like a good price from the other 4 i've looked at were the same price and in way worse shape.

The local Toyota dealership's service dept inspected it today and said that everything was surprisingly perfect.

The only downsides so far other than $4.5/g gasoline is that the emblems are gold, and it only has one master key though. I can make a valet key for pretty cheap right?

Has anyone tried stripping the gold badges and getting them chromed? I'm thinking about painting the back ones in black pearl.

6B566A56-BFDF-419B-834E-A0C54A7B815D_1.jpg
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Just replace them with chrome emblems. I recently did this and have an extra set of chrome emblems I'd sell. I accidently bought two sets. Let me know.
 
hoser said:
Just wanted to comment on range of pricing. If I took the advice on pricing for a 100 on this forum, I'd never have landed a 100. Prices vary quite a bit throughout the country and living in CA, we are surely on the upper end. I generally pay more for my LC's than others on this board but I've also sold them for more than average. In any case, I'd avoid LC/LX's from the rust bucket areas when there are so many rust-free ones out there.
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^ This. Bottom line: know the market! After you've looked at 100 land cruisers online you'll get the feel. You'll also miss out on the first few you want because you have unrealistic expectations of how low you can get it for. If you find a good cruiser within a reasonable price range then buy it! It's not like these things are Civics - only about 8,000/year were imported. Oh, and ebay should not be part of your reference pricing. Most of those vehicles are on there for a reason, like the dealer couldn't unload them in person. Lastly, don't buy sight unseen. I bought mine out of town, but I also flew there to see it first.
 
alteredform said:
Well...

I am very close to pulling the trigger on a 2004 TLC with under 30k miles for $30,000. Decent deal for my future daily driver?
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I would note that it was barely driven (obviously), has every option, and is almost perfect minus a small dent in the hood and it's a two owner versus a one owner. A carfax indicates regular maintenance and emissions checks.

It's a lot of money (for me) but seems like a decent deal if you give a little consideration for it's condition. Am I off base?
 
Update

OK, I'm now seriously considering this purchase. Guy called me back said we could 'talk' at around $10k. Only 130k miles.

Car is pretty immaculate. clean inside and out. Needs new tires ($1000) and new windshield (cracked, $100 ins claim). Carfax is clean.

Other than that, I can't find anything really wrong. To keep this from being a non-technical thread though, i do have the below questions and pics:

Pic 1: Console is loose on the back...looks like it should just snap in, but it won't. Is this an orderable part from CDAN?


Pic 2: All the trim around the shifer is beat up and faded. Is this an orderable part from CDAN?


Pic 3: Are the wheels from this 98 compatible with my 2006LC? I would love to just swap them...


Thanks!
photo.webp
photo3.webp
photo4.webp
 
man that's a good looking ride for the $$.
 
Buy it and enjoy before the guy changes his mind. We have a 99 with 204k miles on the clock. Best vehicle that I have ever owned. The rear of the center console may be missing a couple of screws. As for the gear indicator, that is a cheap piece from the dealer, after a couple of days of driving it, you won't even notice it. We run Michelin LTX tire on our LC. We get about 60k miles a set on them. We are on set 4 now. There are many options, those work best for us. Good luck, get ready for gas price sticker shock. The only downside to the 98 and 99 is the requirement for premium gas, I believe that you can use regular on later years. Now go get it. Phil
 
The only negative would be the AHC, could be costly if it goes on you. Give that a thorough inspection before you buy. Unless of course you want to trash it and put in a coin holder and an OME suspension instead.

I can't speak for the suspension, but I love the coin holder on my non AHC vehicle.
 
alteredform said:
Well...

I am very close to pulling the trigger on a 2004 TLC with under 30k miles for $30,000. Decent deal for my future daily driver?
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just because the miles are low it doesn't justify that price. I would think in the $25k range would be high but reasonable for a one-of-a-kind pristine example. $30k? no way!
 
OregonLC said:
just because the miles are low it doesn't justify that price. I would think in the $25k range would be high but reasonable for a one-of-a-kind pristine example. $30k? no way!
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I have never seen a TLC at that price point that didn't have a slew of miles on it. I guess I was thinking this might be worth it due to it's excellent condition. It looks new.
 
I just did a quick crazedlist search and found an 04 with 97k miles at a dealer asking $24.8k. I bet you could get that one for $22k with the current fuel prices. Also found an 06 with 64k for $33.9k. Again, I bet you could get that for $31k and you get the 275 hp VVTi. A 2005 with 89k for $29k. A 2005 with 72k for $29.9k. And those were just the top 5 listings that showed on a Land Cruiser search and all were dealer asking prices.

oh and here's a great one: a 2003 by owner with 91k on the clock for $19,995! that right there should give you huge bargaining power! 2003 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER I'm actually really tempted on that one!

I'm not trying to burst your bubble or make it sound like it's way easy to find the perfect LC for a sweet price. Quite the contrary. I've posted here many times that if you find a good rig for a reasonable prices then buy it. If you use MUD as your reference you'll always find someone claiming to get a better deal on a better truck. However... I do believe that $30k is too much for that vehicle. They're trying to capitalize on the low miles. If it's that important to you then maybe it is worth that price to you. But these rigs go 300k and an extra 30k on the clock would be nothing to me to save $5k in price. Either way I wish you the best in your purchase and urge you to pay cash if at all possible.
 
OregonLC said:
I just did a quick crazedlist search and found an 04 with 97k miles at a dealer asking $24.8k. I bet you could get that one for $22k with the current fuel prices. Also found an 06 with 64k for $33.9k. Again, I bet you could get that for $31k and you get the 275 hp VVTi. A 2005 with 89k for $29k. A 2005 with 72k for $29.9k. And those were just the top 5 listings that showed on a Land Cruiser search and all were dealer asking prices.

oh and here's a great one: a 2003 by owner with 91k on the clock for $19,995! that right there should give you huge bargaining power! 2003 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER I'm actually really tempted on that one!

I'm not trying to burst your bubble or make it sound like it's way easy to find the perfect LC for a sweet price. Quite the contrary. I've posted here many times that if you find a good rig for a reasonable prices then buy it. If you use MUD as your reference you'll always find someone claiming to get a better deal on a better truck. However... I do believe that $30k is too much for that vehicle. They're trying to capitalize on the low miles. If it's that important to you then maybe it is worth that price to you. But these rigs go 300k and an extra 30k on the clock would be nothing to me to save $5k in price. Either way I wish you the best in your purchase and urge you to pay cash if at all possible.
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Thanks for the advice. Maybe I was giving to much credit for the low miles.
 
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