First 80 series test drive today (1 Viewer)

[TeeDiggs]

Well, after about two months of keeping an eye open to whats available in a 350mile radius around me, and learning about LCs here.... i finally test drove my first one today!

Kinda exciting, it was nice, but I walked away with not feeling like it was quite the right one. I'm hoping to look more, and maybe come back to it, possibly. However, I do have two questions...

One, when I was driving it, I found a dirt gravel road conveniently to test the 4wd Low just to listen and whatnot. I pulled the lever back but it wouldn't budge. The owner said it might need to be in Park and since my current truck requires you to drop it into neutral first I went ahead and tried it. It wasn't any easier to pull back into 4Low, but it did go. So basically, this seemed really hard to pull, 4Low seemed to work alright, but is this how hard it is to pull back the level or was this not normal? I know there isn't a way to describe how hard it was, but it definitely seemed a little too tough...

Second, there is another LC that I really like from the pictures about 30 miles away. Looks pretty well taken care of from the pictures that are posted, but the rig has 195,000 miles on it. I think it was a 96. I know these engines are durable as all get-out, but i wasn't overly ecstatic about going over 150k... what do you guys think? I guess it just makes me a little cautious...

Thanks!

 

[bpassmore]

as for the low gear shift, mine is very easy. In neutral or park. I think it is best to do it in neutral.

Something sounds fishy.

On the high mileage, - what is your budget? Keep looking. You should find the right rig for you.

 

[d0ubledown]

4L should engage rather easily...in P or N. as easy as going 4H to N at least. maybe its never been in 4L before..so the shifting might be a bit stiff. definitely post up your budget and location...theres always people on the lookout for these trucks. theres a beautiful locked/lifted LX in the classifieds now...

 

[TeeDiggs]

I was actually trying to go from 4H to 4L, so this wasn't even just from N to 4L. It was really stiff, to where when it went, it went straight from 4H to 4L, i skipped neutral just through the force of the pull! hmmm

Sorry about the lack of info, i've been lazy getting any info and an avatar up. Perhaps i need an LC to help. As far as location and budget. I live in northwestern Oregon, US. My budget is topping out at about $7,000 - $7,500, but if the ONE came along 8k might be OK. Ideally, $6,500 is what i'm aiming for, atleast after a little negotiation if possible. The one I looked at today was $8,000 so i was already feeling it was a little on the pricey side for what it was.

For my searching, I have primarily been using craigslist (via Craigshelper) to do a search for "Land Cruiser" and "Landcruiser" within 350 miles of me. I have taken a liking to 95-97 particularly, but it's not 100% a must

Seems like I havent found any place to really search for these, other than craigslist that turns up much. Auto trader has been pretty skim, and maybe i just dont know where else to look?


edit: just noticed the classifieds ads on here. (I knew it had to have one but have always been looking through the forum rather than an actually link...doh!!)

 

[89s rule]

You shouldnt have a problem finding one for that amount. I havent looked to see how much they are goign for now. But this summer when gas was high a lot of people got some great deals. Keep looking and dont forget eBay as well.

 

[ThePookieBear]

"I was actually trying to go from 4H to 4L, so this wasn't even just from N to 4L. It was really stiff, to where when it went, it went straight from 4H to 4L, i skipped neutral just through the force of the pull! hmmm"

You have to put the transmission selector in neutral, then shift from 4H to N or 4L on the T-case shifter. If you did that and I misread then I apologize. . Hope the search goes well.

 

[e9999]

from Neutral.

Mine is definitely quite a bit harder than the gear shift, I have to pull a bit and there is a resistance to overcome. But it's not hard as in "afraid to break it hard".

 

[zbuck]

I just took my 80 on it's first offroad adventure and put it through a pretty extensive test. It is a 93 with 238K miles on it. Here are my thoughts on your questions:

1. It was quite easy to get into 4L and back to 4H. I would definitely do it while in N.

2. I would not be worried about the mileage, cause like I said, mine has 238K on it and I felt the engine was bomb proof. I pretty much kept it in 1st gear and ran it wide open on all hills and in mud holes. Not a single problem. It is certainly not overpowered, but I am not woried about it crapping out on me. I drove it 2 hours to the woods, ran it hard for 8 hours, and drove it home all on 1 tank of gas. No issues. I had it in mudholes up to the hood and it never missed a beat and certainly never bogged down. Trust me, unless it has had some issues in the past, then the engine is as durable as any you will find.

 

[Filmpros]

Mine is tight and it takes some effort to move it. I recall thinking that it took a lot more effort than I thought it should but I did not feel Like I would break it. Then again, I figured this is a pretty tough truck and I for one would not be able to bust it that easily ... so I was not overly sensitive to putting some force behind it.

 

[jonheld]

The transfer case shifter is mounted to the tranny and is subject to road poop and debris. Mine siezed up completely. I removed, cleaned, lubed, and packed with moly grease and it is as smooth as silk to shift. 2 fingers can pull it down to low range. It's a bit of an ordeal to remove the assembly, but worth it IMO.

 

[maybe_a_80...]

no advice on the first question as I feel you already know how you feel about it...

on #2 - write down your criteria for the ultimate 80 you want in your driveway. then go find that one. you'll know when you see it/drive it.

if less than 150,000 miles is important, then perhaps a clean one with 193k is not the right call. it is becoming more challenging all the time to find one with lower mileage, so you may have to jump on one with low mileage without a full in-person inspection.

i bought mine by looking at certain things like the condition of the drivers seat leather and the front seat back storage netting, or the mileage (110k or less). basically, I was looking for a clean 80 that had probably been barely abused/used for anything other than showing clients property. of course I also wanted the magic dial and a stock roof rack cause I like the way it looks. oh yeah, I bought mine to use as a DD for the Rocky Mtn West, not for use as an off road oriented lifted affair.

happy hunting and you will enjoy "your" 80!

 

[johnsonf18]

Lube the linkage. My was seized up, after some lube it is engaging easily. You should engage it on a regular basis to make sure it good to go when you need it.