One of the most intelligent statements I've heard in the 100 forum.
Considering a Purchase...
- Thread starter NicB
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One of the most intelligent statements I've heard in the 100 forum.
^Thanks GaFJC! Wish parts and maintenance depreciated too! Not bad if you DIY, but I don't have the time these days.
- Thread starter
- #23
Hi guys, I'm back again. Found a 2004 LC that looks clean as can be and has full service records from the dealership. That said, there is one troubling item on the service history, which is this:
"NEEDS CONVERTOR, MUFFLER & TAIL PIPE TO START $ 2280.94 + TAX TO START ~|~CHECK ENGINE LIGHT NEEDS DIAGNOSED ~|~"
I called the Toyota dealership and they indicate that service was not performed by them. Can anyone tell me if this is a common problem? It seems weird for a catalytic converter to fail at 140k, and even more strange that the muffler and tail pipe would need replaced along with it (unless it is one piece or welded together).
I think I'm just realizing that some of these higher mileage vehicles are going to have issues needing addresses, no matter how clean they look. Thanks in advance!
NicB
"NEEDS CONVERTOR, MUFFLER & TAIL PIPE TO START $ 2280.94 + TAX TO START ~|~CHECK ENGINE LIGHT NEEDS DIAGNOSED ~|~"
I called the Toyota dealership and they indicate that service was not performed by them. Can anyone tell me if this is a common problem? It seems weird for a catalytic converter to fail at 140k, and even more strange that the muffler and tail pipe would need replaced along with it (unless it is one piece or welded together).
I think I'm just realizing that some of these higher mileage vehicles are going to have issues needing addresses, no matter how clean they look. Thanks in advance!
NicB
I haven't heard of cats failing as a typical weak point on these vehicles. Having said that, I'd want to know this was addressed before proceeding. Can you talk to the prior owner?
- Thread starter
- #25
No way for me to contact the previous owner. As mentioned, I did call the dealership where the car we serviced and they indicated the owner did not perform the service. The car was sold immediately after. The current dealer said they drove the car from Pittsburgh to Ohio and there was no check engine light on. The dealer has five star reviews and appears to sell solid vehicles.
Even if the CEL is coming on, the vehicle would still be drivable I would think? I wasn't sure how to interpret the service entry indicating it needs a bunch of exhaust parts replaced "to start". Makes me a little uneasy.
Even if the CEL is coming on, the vehicle would still be drivable I would think? I wasn't sure how to interpret the service entry indicating it needs a bunch of exhaust parts replaced "to start". Makes me a little uneasy.
Tough to say - may have been the dealer taking the conservative approach to replace all exhaust components related to the CEL? May have simply been a pre or post cat O2 sensor? Call back the Toyota dealer and ask if you can get the contact info from the prior owner - worth a shot.
- Thread starter
- #27
Hi guys, I'm going to look at another LC today. It is a 2002 with about 135k miles. The service records look pretty clean from what I can see on Toyota's owners portal. They replaced a cracked exhaust manifold about 10k miles ago, but I figure it should be good to go since it was done at the dealership. Also had timing belt and water pump changed at about 110k.
Cosmetically, there were a couple things that I noticed. First, it looks like the rear bumper may be sagging or misaligned. See pics below. What do you guys think? Are there any adjustment screws? Could some rivets need replaced?
Also, the last picture is of an aftermarket AudioVox rooftop DVD player. I hate the look of it. Do you think if I pulled it out, there would be a bigger whole than normal where the door lamp would be?
Any thoughts you have are appreciated.
NicB
Cosmetically, there were a couple things that I noticed. First, it looks like the rear bumper may be sagging or misaligned. See pics below. What do you guys think? Are there any adjustment screws? Could some rivets need replaced?
Also, the last picture is of an aftermarket AudioVox rooftop DVD player. I hate the look of it. Do you think if I pulled it out, there would be a bigger whole than normal where the door lamp would be?
Any thoughts you have are appreciated.
NicB
The bumper looks about the same as mine did before installing the Slee. It may have just become loose over time. It's pretty easy to tighten it up.
I also had aftermarket DVD. No large cutout on mine, but I do have smallish holes in ht headliner where they drilled through (it was screwed into a piece of ply wood).
You might be able to feel around that area when the sun roof cover is pushed back. Otherwise, ask them to unscrew the DVD. you should be able to dismount it without messing with the wiring.
I also had aftermarket DVD. No large cutout on mine, but I do have smallish holes in ht headliner where they drilled through (it was screwed into a piece of ply wood).
You might be able to feel around that area when the sun roof cover is pushed back. Otherwise, ask them to unscrew the DVD. you should be able to dismount it without messing with the wiring.
I have been looking for two years now. I'm finally ready to purchase. If time is on your side, i would walk away as well. Its not easy to find the one thats right for you, but be patient and it will come when you least expect it.
Better not to have opened...
Better not to have opened...
- Thread starter
- #31
I have been looking for two years now. I'm finally ready to purchase. If time is on your side, i would walk away as well. Its not easy to find the one thats right for you, but be patient and it will come when you least expect it.
Better not to have opened...
The LC market seems pretty dry right now. If a slight sag on the bumper and an aftermarket DVD player are the biggest issues, I'm not too worried. Those would give me some fun weekend projects.
The rest of the car is clean and it has full service records including recent ones. Fully optioned with navi as well.
- Thread starter
- #32
I'm trying to find a clean 100 right now as well. I sold my built 100 4 months ago and was one of the biggest mistakes I've made. The 100 market is very slim right now and those for sale are the problematic vehicles that nobody wants.
- Thread starter
- #34
I bought it! After much searching and test driving, here she is, Black Beauty #2, a 2002 LC. I didn't really want another black vehicle, but whatever. The vehicle is optioned out. Heated seats, navi, tow package, sunroof, third-row seats. I know the 2004's have steering wheel controls and Bluetooth, but again, whatever.
I spent 30 minutes going over every inch of the vehicle and it looked pretty clean, especially mechanically. The suspension felt solid, engine and tranny were silky smooth, 4WD low and center lock differential engaged without problem, creaks and wind noise were all but non-existent. The vehicle originated from IL and IA, so the crappy Houston roads have not destroyed the suspension. I decided the LC was better than finding a Lexus LX because every LX I saw had hydraulic height control, which seems prone to failure. Plus, I like the Toyota feels ready for an excursion. The LX felt like I needed to go to the mall. The idea of putting a dead deer in a Lexus feels odd to me. Of course, I put one in my BMW so there's that.
There was a pretty full service history at Toyota dealerships as recently as 10k miles ago, the previous owner only drove it 10k miles in the past 18 months. The only things I could see may need addressed are pretty minor:
- Lumbar support is not working on driver's seat -- likely a bad switch?
- Burned out bulb on the rear left vent switch that controls the rear heater -- easy fix.
- CD changer cassette stuck. -- I can probably fix it, but I am asking the dealer to swap it out with that of a 2004 Land Cruiser they are shipping overseas.
- Only one key and no owners manual -- full owners manual online, and they are going to give me the manual out of the same 2004 LC.
- Rear bumper looks slightly misaligned or sagging in pictures -- when I was in person it looked normal and was sturdy as could be. I'll give it a more thorough look once I pick it up, but that would be an easy fix anyway (rivets / tighten bolts).
- The "D" drive light indicator is out -- a very common problem on these cars. I've heard of the infamous dash smack and will try that.
- Some minor stain spots on carpet consistent with age -- no need for fix.
- Looked like someone maybe spilled something in far back near trunk and never dried it. Very light surface rust on a couple non-essential pieces like bungee hooks -- no need for fix.
- Light wear on top of steering wheel -- adds character.
- Aftermarket rooftop DVD player looks super ugly -- I am going to take it down and see if the original dome lamp whole is the same size. If so, I will buy an OEM dome light and take it back to stock.
- Aftermarket cell phone holder -- I will remove the head unit and pull that crap out.
- Saw some aftermarket audio wiring under the carpet in the rear, which leads me to believe there was a sub-woofer in the car -- will probably leave that in just in case I want to put on some 20" rims and thump while I get my gangsta lean on. lol
- Tires are at probably 60%.
- Needs new wiper inserts.
The salesman/owner and I hit it off pretty quickly. He has a perfect sales history on eBay and to date has been the only car salesman I felt comfortable buying from. We took it for a long drive, I made an offer $800 below his asking when we got out; he countered $300 higher, then came down $100, done. Whole thing took 90 seconds before we went in to do paperwork. Blue book retail is about $2,000 higher than purchase, so I feel good about it.
I pick her up Monday after they retrieve the title from the bank. She'll be ready for excursions soon. Sweet.
Here is a link to pics: http://s199.photobucket.com/user/drbarbato/library/2002 Toyota Land Cruiser
I spent 30 minutes going over every inch of the vehicle and it looked pretty clean, especially mechanically. The suspension felt solid, engine and tranny were silky smooth, 4WD low and center lock differential engaged without problem, creaks and wind noise were all but non-existent. The vehicle originated from IL and IA, so the crappy Houston roads have not destroyed the suspension. I decided the LC was better than finding a Lexus LX because every LX I saw had hydraulic height control, which seems prone to failure. Plus, I like the Toyota feels ready for an excursion. The LX felt like I needed to go to the mall. The idea of putting a dead deer in a Lexus feels odd to me. Of course, I put one in my BMW so there's that.
There was a pretty full service history at Toyota dealerships as recently as 10k miles ago, the previous owner only drove it 10k miles in the past 18 months. The only things I could see may need addressed are pretty minor:
- Lumbar support is not working on driver's seat -- likely a bad switch?
- Burned out bulb on the rear left vent switch that controls the rear heater -- easy fix.
- CD changer cassette stuck. -- I can probably fix it, but I am asking the dealer to swap it out with that of a 2004 Land Cruiser they are shipping overseas.
- Only one key and no owners manual -- full owners manual online, and they are going to give me the manual out of the same 2004 LC.
- Rear bumper looks slightly misaligned or sagging in pictures -- when I was in person it looked normal and was sturdy as could be. I'll give it a more thorough look once I pick it up, but that would be an easy fix anyway (rivets / tighten bolts).
- The "D" drive light indicator is out -- a very common problem on these cars. I've heard of the infamous dash smack and will try that.
- Some minor stain spots on carpet consistent with age -- no need for fix.
- Looked like someone maybe spilled something in far back near trunk and never dried it. Very light surface rust on a couple non-essential pieces like bungee hooks -- no need for fix.
- Light wear on top of steering wheel -- adds character.
- Aftermarket rooftop DVD player looks super ugly -- I am going to take it down and see if the original dome lamp whole is the same size. If so, I will buy an OEM dome light and take it back to stock.
- Aftermarket cell phone holder -- I will remove the head unit and pull that crap out.
- Saw some aftermarket audio wiring under the carpet in the rear, which leads me to believe there was a sub-woofer in the car -- will probably leave that in just in case I want to put on some 20" rims and thump while I get my gangsta lean on. lol
- Tires are at probably 60%.
- Needs new wiper inserts.
The salesman/owner and I hit it off pretty quickly. He has a perfect sales history on eBay and to date has been the only car salesman I felt comfortable buying from. We took it for a long drive, I made an offer $800 below his asking when we got out; he countered $300 higher, then came down $100, done. Whole thing took 90 seconds before we went in to do paperwork. Blue book retail is about $2,000 higher than purchase, so I feel good about it.
I pick her up Monday after they retrieve the title from the bank. She'll be ready for excursions soon. Sweet.
Here is a link to pics: http://s199.photobucket.com/user/drbarbato/library/2002 Toyota Land Cruiser
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Here is a comparison I just found.
2001 Toyota Land Cruiser (landcruiser) $13750
http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/4751577538.html
via cPro Craigslist App
iOS: http://bit.ly/CL_iOS
Android: http://bit.ly/CL_android
2001 Toyota Land Cruiser (landcruiser) $13750
http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/4751577538.html
via cPro Craigslist App
iOS: http://bit.ly/CL_iOS
Android: http://bit.ly/CL_android
Another cheap one ready Offroad Makeover
2000 TOYOTA LANDCRUISER CLEAN TITLE AUTO TRANS $7500
http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/4727297778.html
via cPro Craigslist App
iOS: http://bit.ly/CL_iOS
Android: http://bit.ly/CL_android
2000 TOYOTA LANDCRUISER CLEAN TITLE AUTO TRANS $7500
http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/4727297778.html
via cPro Craigslist App
iOS: http://bit.ly/CL_iOS
Android: http://bit.ly/CL_android