Hi all,
Please forgive me if this is the wrong place to post a subject like this. New to the forum and also a new FZJ80 owner. I figured this was "technical" and would require some knowledge to answer.
My brother recently purchased a '93 Land Cruiser, threw a 4 inch lift and crammed 37s on. I got pretty jealous as I have been driving IFS 4Runners for years and always annoyed that I couldn't go above a 33 without MAJOR modifications. I had been using a 2006 4Runner for overlanding for a while, and was thinking about looking into different rigs with better aftermarket parts support (4th Gen 4Runners for some reason were cursed with very little aftermarket support). He kept saying I should buy a FZJ80, so I started browsing Craigslist. WOW I couldn't believe how much these high-mileage beasts were going for. This is not my first rodeo for buying used cars, and I knew the basics of what to look for in an 80 (at this point I had not discovered Mud yet). After searching for 2 or 3 months, I finally came across a 1997 LX 450 that seemed clean. I felt like I had a good sense for what a good price was, as most triple-locked 80's with 250k+ miles were going for over $11k.
I picked it up in Bend Oregon for $10,900 (I was in the area for hunting) and drove it down to Phoenix Arizona immediately. The Land Cruiser market in Phoenix is very limited, with most rigs listed in pretty rough shape and very overpriced, so I broadened my horizons and looked at most major west coast cities Craigslist ads.
Here's what was done to it before I bought it:
- 202k miles
- 2” OME standard in front then added 1” puck
- 2” OME med load in rear
- Front & rear Yukon 4.88 gears (it is pretty over-geared with now with 35s, I need some 37s!)
- New carrier & pinion bearings F&R
- New inner & outer wheel bearings F&R
- Front Marlin crawler Eco seal inner axle seals
- New inner axle seals in rear
- New birfield felt seal kit
- New front trunion bearings top & bottom
- Rear Yukon Grizzly locker
- Front locking hubs
- Slee part time t- case kit
- 3:1 t-case gearing
- 7th pin mod
- New water pump
- New thermostat
- Complete coolant flush
- Belt tensioner & belts
- Intake tube
- EGR vacuum solenoid (under intake)
- Cats removed built o2 cheater
- Trans fluid change (@approx 180k)
- Nice Wheels & 35" tires. Wheels are Eagle Alloys and tires are BFG KM2s with lots of tread left.
- New brake rotors & pads front and rear
- Rear gear oil changed after 1k break in.
- Driveline UJoints greased every 5k
- Pioneer touchscreen head unit & door
- Speakers. (Factory amp disconnected)
- Trailer brake controller & large 7 pin plug installed. + pin is hot when engine is running.
- Power port at tailgate, hot w/ acc on.
Additional details:
- Interior was in good shape minus the drivers bottom seat which had been crudely replaced with some janky pleather.
- Hood and roof paint is pretty bad. But everywhere else is good.
- All windows worked no problem
- fender and window black trim pieces in poor shape
- rear door locks broken
- Very clean underneath - almost zero rust.
- Oil EVERYWHERE on the sides and oil pan of the engine. Looked like it was the valve cover.
- Engine purred like a kitten. Drove great on the test drive. Transmission shifted firmly.
- Came with the Cats chopped off, previous owner lived in an area with no emissions.
Things I did as soon as I drove it home:
- Installed 2 in-line Cats to pass emissions
- Clean engine compartment and spray everything down with brake clean
- Valve cover gasket and spark plug tube seals
- Pesky heater hose
- I bought the Wits-End oil pump cover gasket and front main kit, but after fixing the valve cover gasket there doesn't appear to be any more new oil leaks coming from anywhere (besides a drop or two on the pavement from the rear main). Drove it 2000+ miles since doing valve cover.
- Replaced the rear door lock actuators with some $35 ebay ones, they actually work now
- Slee dual battery kit on the way
- Marlin Crawler steering upgrade kit in the garage ready to install
Additional plans:
- 4" lift
- 37s (it is pretty overgeared right now, I need these babys now!)
- Sliders
- Rear bumper with swing outs
- Front bumper with winch
What do you guys think? Did I overpay? Good deal? Fair deal? Do you think I am going to regret going with a Yukon Grizzly locked rig instead of triple-locked?
Immediately after the valve cover and PHH job, drove it up to Lake Powell for a camping trip! So much more room inside than the 4Runner for overlanding.
Please forgive me if this is the wrong place to post a subject like this. New to the forum and also a new FZJ80 owner. I figured this was "technical" and would require some knowledge to answer.
My brother recently purchased a '93 Land Cruiser, threw a 4 inch lift and crammed 37s on. I got pretty jealous as I have been driving IFS 4Runners for years and always annoyed that I couldn't go above a 33 without MAJOR modifications. I had been using a 2006 4Runner for overlanding for a while, and was thinking about looking into different rigs with better aftermarket parts support (4th Gen 4Runners for some reason were cursed with very little aftermarket support). He kept saying I should buy a FZJ80, so I started browsing Craigslist. WOW I couldn't believe how much these high-mileage beasts were going for. This is not my first rodeo for buying used cars, and I knew the basics of what to look for in an 80 (at this point I had not discovered Mud yet). After searching for 2 or 3 months, I finally came across a 1997 LX 450 that seemed clean. I felt like I had a good sense for what a good price was, as most triple-locked 80's with 250k+ miles were going for over $11k.
I picked it up in Bend Oregon for $10,900 (I was in the area for hunting) and drove it down to Phoenix Arizona immediately. The Land Cruiser market in Phoenix is very limited, with most rigs listed in pretty rough shape and very overpriced, so I broadened my horizons and looked at most major west coast cities Craigslist ads.
Here's what was done to it before I bought it:
- 202k miles
- 2” OME standard in front then added 1” puck
- 2” OME med load in rear
- Front & rear Yukon 4.88 gears (it is pretty over-geared with now with 35s, I need some 37s!)
- New carrier & pinion bearings F&R
- New inner & outer wheel bearings F&R
- Front Marlin crawler Eco seal inner axle seals
- New inner axle seals in rear
- New birfield felt seal kit
- New front trunion bearings top & bottom
- Rear Yukon Grizzly locker
- Front locking hubs
- Slee part time t- case kit
- 3:1 t-case gearing
- 7th pin mod
- New water pump
- New thermostat
- Complete coolant flush
- Belt tensioner & belts
- Intake tube
- EGR vacuum solenoid (under intake)
- Cats removed built o2 cheater
- Trans fluid change (@approx 180k)
- Nice Wheels & 35" tires. Wheels are Eagle Alloys and tires are BFG KM2s with lots of tread left.
- New brake rotors & pads front and rear
- Rear gear oil changed after 1k break in.
- Driveline UJoints greased every 5k
- Pioneer touchscreen head unit & door
- Speakers. (Factory amp disconnected)
- Trailer brake controller & large 7 pin plug installed. + pin is hot when engine is running.
- Power port at tailgate, hot w/ acc on.
Additional details:
- Interior was in good shape minus the drivers bottom seat which had been crudely replaced with some janky pleather.
- Hood and roof paint is pretty bad. But everywhere else is good.
- All windows worked no problem
- fender and window black trim pieces in poor shape
- rear door locks broken
- Very clean underneath - almost zero rust.
- Oil EVERYWHERE on the sides and oil pan of the engine. Looked like it was the valve cover.
- Engine purred like a kitten. Drove great on the test drive. Transmission shifted firmly.
- Came with the Cats chopped off, previous owner lived in an area with no emissions.
Things I did as soon as I drove it home:
- Installed 2 in-line Cats to pass emissions
- Clean engine compartment and spray everything down with brake clean
- Valve cover gasket and spark plug tube seals
- Pesky heater hose
- I bought the Wits-End oil pump cover gasket and front main kit, but after fixing the valve cover gasket there doesn't appear to be any more new oil leaks coming from anywhere (besides a drop or two on the pavement from the rear main). Drove it 2000+ miles since doing valve cover.
- Replaced the rear door lock actuators with some $35 ebay ones, they actually work now
- Slee dual battery kit on the way
- Marlin Crawler steering upgrade kit in the garage ready to install
Additional plans:
- 4" lift
- 37s (it is pretty overgeared right now, I need these babys now!)
- Sliders
- Rear bumper with swing outs
- Front bumper with winch
What do you guys think? Did I overpay? Good deal? Fair deal? Do you think I am going to regret going with a Yukon Grizzly locked rig instead of triple-locked?
Immediately after the valve cover and PHH job, drove it up to Lake Powell for a camping trip! So much more room inside than the 4Runner for overlanding.