First LC! (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Apr 10, 2011
Threads
6
Messages
37
Location
Longview, Texas
I've been lurking around these forums for a while, but holding out for an what I perceive to be the perfect 80.

I didn't want leather seats (we have dogs that always ride with us and tear them up) and I wanted factory lockers. I don't mind high mileage, as long as it's a Toyota :)

I found a 1997 Moonglow Pearl FJZ80 in Dallas, about two hours away, yesterday, and went to check it out and ended up bringing it home. It has the factory lockers, 208K miles, and is amazingly/ ridiculously clean (one owner, too) for the age and mileage. All of the electronics work, the interior is nearly flawless, the exterior has just a couple minor scrapes and a single golf ball sized dent. It runs and drives perfectly. It has the dark blue/ grey interior, and all it needs is a new driver's side visor, because it keeps falling down (anybody know where I can source one? It is currently being held up by 3M Velcro Tape).

I went through it more thoroughly today and found it needed brake pads on both axles. I found the rear ones locally but nobody had the fronts, so I installed the rears and ordered the fronts from Amazon. They're almost on the wear indicators.

I also found what I believe to be a rear main seal leak, where a tiny amount of oil is dripping through the breather hole in the transmission bell housing from time to time. In the time I've had it, it has dropped about a half dollar sized patch on the concrete. The part is cheap, but I don't feel like dealing with it right now. That might have to wait. :( It was also overfilled when the dealer performed an oil change, so I'll be keeping an eye on that.

This isn't a DD, but a weekender and something that I can load up with stuff from Lowes for my home improvement projects. I've always wanted one and am quite inspired by what ExpeditionLandCruiserFZJ80 has done to his.

6995_1997_Toyota_Landcruiser_255dfa53bec74b58e419_8.jpg
 
Welcome and congratulations on your purchase!
 
I found several places that sell replacement visors, but they are expensive (like $150-$200). Best solution I found on MUD is to insert a powerful magnet into the ceiling through the sunroof opening and then place a metal clip on your visor such as the garage door opener. I actually place another magnet inside my visor. Works great. Search and you will find the thread on this.
 
visor

Congratulations and welcome. I would just keep an eye on the mud classifieds. I got my visors used for $15 each about 6 months ago.
Or check with ACC in Atlanta. They sold me some used parts for a good deal.
Cheers
Greg
 
First thing i would do is cancel your order with amazon and call up Beno or Cdan and get some 100 series pads and OEM rears. My brakes were terrible and squeaked like crazy with the POS lifetime pads that the PO had installed at Midas. Once i swapped the pads out, the brake feed back was amazing and it actually stopped instead of fading. The price was only $56 at set, about the same as premium pads at a autoparts chain store.
 
Damn you!! You found my white whale. Moonglow, lockers, no roof rack, no side steps. Nice find man. Mind sharing how much you bought it for? Are you saying it has cloth interior? Didn't think any of the '97s shipped to the US with cloth. Like the rest have said, American Toyota parts department is a great resource for OEM parts which is what most, if not all, on here recommend. Iron Pig Offroad and ACC are great supporting vendors too.

Welcome and post more pics!
 
Damn you!! You found my white whale. Moonglow, lockers, no roof rack, no side steps. Nice find man. Mind sharing how much you bought it for? Are you saying it has cloth interior? Didn't think any of the '97s shipped to the US with cloth.

This is it on the dealer's website. They were asking $6,995 for it but I threw $5500 cash including TT&L their way and they went for it - right before close on a Friday night. When I got there, the salesman's breath reeked of beer :grinpimp:

Lots of good pictures of it on there, too.
 
Score!

Great looking truck - this the same color I have. Mine is locked too but I have leather seats (phew!) - would rather have cloth, but after 5 months of fruitless searching I went for it but had to settle for Leather seats. Great find.

Good luck - hope you find some time/money to base line it. It should serve you well.

Welcome -
James
 
Very nice 80. congrats and good luck with the build.
 
Representn the moonglow my man ,nice truck I got the same color. Welcome!
 

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