decision help on 80

[under_psi]

got a 94 LC i am looking at. it is red with oem lockers. 157k miles. seems pretty nice. idles a little rough, fuel smell at canister area underhood, and really just needs some tune up goodies.

its been a while since i have had a paid for car, and i like the idea. however, its a tough nut going from new with warranty to nothing.

i have a friend that says they are pretty damn solid.

premise for buying is two fold. one, to save some money (i currently pay 450/mo for my 2010 TT Fj) the other is to free up that $ for new baby and other car project.

i now drive for my job. anywhere from 30-150 miles daily, some less and some more.

i would like some more opinions on whether this would be a decent ride for me for a year or two whilst using it as a DD. i like the room it offers bc i hunt and fish and also tote my dogs around........

can anyone just throw out some opinions........i can be swayed either way, i really just need a little time with the LC to look it over and see if its for me........

thx

 

[Salt Cruiser]

Rough idle and fuel smell sounds normal. Mine has both symptoms. Rough idle could be due to cracked air intake hose. If you are trying to save money, make sure you consider the poor mpg on the land cruisers. Best case you might get 15 mpg on the highway. More likely 13-14 mpg and you drive a lot of miles a day!

 

[under_psi]

thanks for the reply. unfortunately, my 2010 FJ gets a best of 15.4 with the baja rack on the roof and the lights......

its the overall age and potential for large scale repairs that bother me. dependability seems good, i see more of these with 150k miles or more than almost anything else......

 

[under_psi]

also, in refrence to the charcoal canister smell, i noticed a hissing/popping sound from that general area. if that throws up any flags......

 

[1FZFE]

I would counsel against getting it for a daily commuter. Fuel is becoming prohibitively high to contemplate those amount of daily miles. That's my own frugal opinion

 

[arndog123]

x3 on the gas mileage thing. An 80 would not make a good DD which is why I only drive mine once or twice a week.

 

[Red Sox Cruiser]

Great for everything you want except a daily driver. Your gonna spend your $450 a month on fuel alone if your driving that much a day maybe more.

 

[Rallyroo]

For daily driving with your 30-150 mile per day requirement, I'd avoid the 80. Sell the FJ Cruiser to get rid of your payments and pick up a used economy car. And maybe pick up the 80 as a project/weekend car.

I only drive my 80 on trips that take me off the beaten path. Else I drive my subie on the weekends. Whereas my daily mode of transportation during the work week is by bicycle.