Considering buying a FJ80 (1 Viewer)

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I'm considering purchasing a 92 FJ80. The truck has a good service history and is currently owned by a mechanic. From talking to him it sounds like there is a small leak from oil pan area that still needs to be addressed.

I was looking around and noticed that a number of parts are no longer being manufactured for the 80 series. This is what ultimately stopped me from buying a very clean 60 (charcoal canister was rusted, couldnt find a replacement easily).

Should part availability be a concern, this may become my daily driver. The main reason I'm interested in the land cruiser is the longevity I've seen, but I am a mechanic as well and know that it will need parts and maintenance.

Thanks
 
I'm sorry you allowed a rusted charcoal canister from buying the 60. Those can be easily rebuilt, or you can swap in a chevy one in a couple minutes.

Most parts are available OEM or aftermarket. Also, most parts that you'd just replace in a normal vehicle, can be rebuilt in the Landcruiser.

What you need is specific info about Landcruisers. They are not consumer grade vehicles. Personally, I'd buy a 92 in a heartbeat, if one were available. The 3FE is pretty bulletproof.
 
These are amazing rigs, but in the end they are still 2 decades old! Parts aren't too bad to find from my experience. I would suggest picking up a 93-97 though because of the different motor. Just my opinion though! Good luck
 
The 93-97 has the 1FZ-FE. More power, better fuel efficiency, but you inherit a heater hose that will fail and requires a bit of annoying work to replace and a potentially weak head gasket.

91-92 has the 3FE, which has less power, worse fuel efficiency, but does not have the head gasket or heater hose issues. It depends on what you want.

I own a 96 1FZ-FE, which I like, but if I could do it again, I'd go for a 3FE rig.
 
I'm not worried with the performance or fuel efficiency. The charcoal can. didnt keep me from buying it alone, good to know though about the chevy option. I did some quick searching for the 60 and did notice a lot of parts on some website were just not available. Also the 60 I was looking at was more $ than this 80.
 
I have had zero real-world issues with parts availability. I'm thinking the parts that are being discontinued are mostly little stuff like interior trim, etc. Anything that you would likely actually need can still be found.

As for the parts problem with the 60's--yes, toyota is basically giving up on the 60 series from a parts availability standpoint. And that will probably be the case with the 80's in 5-10 years time. But that shouldn't stop you if you like the vehicle. There are always work-arounds, aftermarket parts or hermits hoarding gaskets in a barn.
 
If you end up passing on it, let @LS1FJ40 know on this forum. I'm pretty sure he is looking for that exact rig.

Yes please. I NEED another 92 FJ80.

I will only buy 91 or 92 FJ80s because of the 3FE motor. Yes it is slow. Yes it gets bad gas mileage. Yes it is bombproof.

I've owned 93-97 80s and won't again. But hey, there are hundreds of people that think I'm crazy. So take it for what it's worth.

If you don't buy it, let me know. Thanks.
 
I'm getting 14.5 mpg + highway fully loaded with tire pressure @ 50psi FYI, so the notion that the 1FZ gets superior mpg is a fallacy. Now if we're talking about climbing grades, well yeah, the 1FZ beats a 3FE hands down although 3000 + rpm in second gear will move you right along.
 
I'm going to look at a 92 LC tomorrow morning. Has 255K miles. Anything specific I should look for? I'm a newb so any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
 
Pm'd you LS1FJ40

Replied.

I'm going to look at a 92 LC tomorrow morning. Has 255K miles. Anything specific I should look for? I'm a newb so any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

There are a ton of things to look for. Does it run? It leaks oil (this is a given). Is it rusty? If it is rusty it will be a pain in the ass to work on. Does it stop? Other than that everything can be fixed. Figure a cool $2-3k to get her in good, safe, mechanically sound shape, assuming she is already running. Brakes, knuckle, belts, hoses, all fluids, tires, etc. It is 23 years old. She probably needs some love. Give her some love and wheel the s*** out of it!
 
Yep. That's it! Welcome to the forum. Look through the FAQ; there's lots of valuable info.... Oh and try not to hijack any more threads :flipoff2:

We're all on the same team! Hijacking threads is the Mud way! :flipoff2:
 
The problem with the Slee Newbie guide is that, I think, it glorifies the later model years of the 80 because of the lockers and more hp from the motor. I will contend that the vast majority of 80 owners don't need lockers (hell, it's been 23 years and I've never NEEDED them). You can add a lunch box locker from Spartan for $300 and a weekend to a 91-92. As for the 1FZ-FE motor, I personally don't care for them. They are a good motor but have their issues. And don't expect it to be a race car, even compared to the 3FE. It isn't. It's still a pig. haha.
 
I live in the Florida panhandle. This will be my two young daughters (both in car seats) and my vehicle. I need reliable and want 4wd for when they get a little older and we can use it for driving on the beach and doing some camping. Maybe some fun in the mud here and there. They're only 2 and 1 now though. So, ac is more important than lockers to me. I'd like to keep this around as a second vehicle later on.
 
There are a few available that I'm looking at. All are around the $5000 mark and are daily drivers. Just seeing if that's a good deal and what to expect. The links that were posted help a LOT! If these are super deals, please don't buy them out from me. Lol!!
 

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