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Don't worry guys, Im not going to do something stupid. (yet) but does anyone know anybody who's bought a vehicle on ebay. Seems it would be easy to get burned but there are also a lot of cruisers on there sometimes. Also another open ended question. What is a ballpark figure for what one could expect to pay for a 93ish 80 in normal shape. Also, at what point does high mileage become a factor. Get ready, this is just the beginning of lots of dumb questions I'll be bugging you guys with. ???
 
Of course the most important thing is to inspect the truck in real life, or have a local friend do it. This board and others (there are A LOT of Cruiser boards and email lists out there) will often contain someone knowledgeable and willing to inspect a vehicle for you.

It all depends on what you're shopping for. If you're going for a '93-'97 FZJ80 with low miles you almost can't go wrong, other than maybe paying too much. These trucks are practically new and there are very few lemons out there. Look for one from a non-rusty climate and you're set. If you're shopping for a '70's FJ40 it's a little different - they tend to have had A LOT of modifications by previous owners and you could get a piece of junk pretty easily.

See my other post in your "VIRGIN" thread.

good luck!
 
I've been buying stuff on e-bay for a couple of years and have never had a problem. I always check the sellers feedback for positives, also vehicle pics can be very deceiving, so if you bid make sure the seller understands if it isn't what he or she said it is then you aren't buying. I also would advise against sending all the money at once, make sure the seller is OK with a small deposit before you see it. I also would compare prices in the local paper, autotrader online etc.
 
I think you can get a decent buy on Ebay, and I would trust most of the people selling on there, long as their feedbacks good. but like Eric says, check out other options. I found a 91 fj80 on autotrader listed for 6500 and got it for 6000
wasnt seeing a whole lot of same vehicle going for less than 7000 on ebay at the time. almost bought one with a big dent for 6700 on ebay before finding that. and it ended up being closer so I didnt have to pay for shipping on it.
After 200,000 miles or more id expect a good price drop. and make sure to check out service records on anything over 100,000. if the price is right, you can always drop in a new engine or tranny, but I dont think 200,000 or 300,000 miles is a problem with these vehicles. good luck
 
I've noticed prices on cars.com are a little more competative, too, and you can usually find some decent-sounding rigs on their site.
 
I haven't spend this much $$ in ebay, but if I am buying a vehicle that will cost this much, I wouldn't want to go the ebay route (just me). The earlier FZJ80 should be around the low to mid 10K, at least that's the price here in the NW. My '95 had 128K miles when I bought it. Now it reads 171K+ miles, and it has no problem at all. Just thought I'd shared.
 
yeah,
another thing about the cars.com site (that's where i found my 40) is it's run through local newspapers. i was lookin all over for a cruiser, and ends up i bought one that was 10 minutes from my house, rather than 10 hours.

and i was that close to drivin to alabama. thank you cars.com for saving me. ha ha.

good luck,
jonathan
 
You can also check traderonline.com thats where I ended up getting my 40. Pricing appears to be competitive...Although I did have to drive to Alabama...20 or so hours for me. Worth it for me because IH8RUST :eek:
 
Don't forget about your area SUV trader classifieds, available at any convience store. Thats not where I found mine, but I keep a lookout for steals and deals, and for an area with proportionatly few cruisers (southeast) there are normally 3 or 4 for sale in just the GA edition. Then again just keep your eyes peeled on the way to grandma's. 8) :D ;)
 
if youre still looking for someone who got screwed you can ask me anything you want to know.  I bought an 85 FJ60 for a killer price.  I talked to the guy and picked his brain for a few hours.  Everything looked legit.  it arived needing a total engine rebuild and rusted wheel wells.  aparetnly he used the help of photoshop to trick whoever bid on the truck.  I will never make a big purchase on ebay again without driving the car or whatever else first.  As soon as the car arived the guy got kicked off ebay.  he had sold something like 100 cars before with no neg feedback. aparently hes saved up all his lemons and then did them all at once.  he sold like 20 ripoffs in 4 days.  

on another note:  my buddy bought a honda b18c5 (for those of you who dont speak rice that means over 200HP in less than 2 liters) on ebay.   He payed the dude but never got a motor.  
 
if youre still looking for someone who got screwed you can ask me anything you want to know.  I bought an 85 FJ60 for a killer price.  I talked to the guy and picked his brain for a few hours.  Everything looked legit.  it arived needing a total engine rebuild and rusted wheel wells.  aparetnly he used the help of photoshop to trick whoever bid on the truck.  I will never make a big purchase on ebay again without driving the car or whatever else first.  As soon as the car arived the guy got kicked off ebay.  he had sold something like 100 cars before with no neg feedback. aparently hes saved up all his lemons and then did them all at once.  he sold like 20 ripoffs in 4 days.  

on another note:  my buddy bought a honda b18c5 (for those of you who dont speak rice that means over 200HP in less than 2 liters) on ebay.   He payed the dude but never got a motor.  
Isn't that the whole point of Ebay, and using your credit card? So that they will act as a mediator and 1. get you your stuff or 2. get you your money back.?? ???
 
Ebay is good for a lot of stuff, and for the most part people are honest and do their best. But, for a few, both buyers and sellers, it is an opportunity to take advantage of someone you've never met. Ebay has arbitration, and some protection up to a certain amount (I think it is $250), but the arb process is arduous and takes a long time. And, it is easy for someone to just disappear. I, too, have been screwed on a high cost item, so I know how it is. They said "sorry" in the end, and I was out some real cash. Then I turned it over to the Postal Inspector, because it involved mail fraud, too. Never heard back on that one. Guess they were too busy looking for anthrax.

Anyway, I would have a hard time buying a whole vehicle on EBay, unless it were a parts vehicle, or unless I, myself, or a trusted assistant could inspect the vehicle. To be honest, I wouldn't want to buy or sell any vehicle sight unseen, Ebay or any other method.
 

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