I'll throw in here since I bought my 2002 a year and a half ago, from a Toyota dealer in WA. My 2002 was extremely well cared for (by a mud member I was able to get in contact with on here after the sale), had 108k, a fresh 90k service, arb bullbar, OME 2.5 lift, clean carfax, showroom interior (minus a little wear on the drivers seat and steering wheel leather), no dings or dents or paint damage of really any kind (minus a chip or two), and no rust anywhere. I spent $13500ish.
With regard to you wanting lockers, you have probably done your research, but I would argue that the Atrac/vsc combo (in the 2000+ 100s) makes for a better system for everyday driving and once mastered is as good or better than lockers in nearly all off roading situations. There is a great write up in the FAQ that teaches you how to use Atrac in offroading situations. Combined with the stronger front diff (compared to pre-2k 100s with locker/s), and the fact that I have kids in car seats (2001 I believe is when Toyota added latch system to 100's) and my wife driving them around in snow and ice (the Atrac/vsc is much better for her in those situations), it was a no brainer to spend a little more for those improvements. I know the Atrac and vsc systems have saved at least 2 imminent accidents while my wife was driving in snowy weather. And, if you REALLY want the rear lockers, just add an arb airlocker later and have the best of both worlds. It seems like prevailing knowledge and experience from members here says the arb lockers are quite a bit better than the factory e-lockers anyway. Many mud member who own the 98-99s end up upgrading to the arb lockers eventually anyway.
It took me close to 6 months looking just about everywhere west of the Mississippi for the right 100, so I know your pain. You can bet that dealer has less than $10k wrapped into that LC. Although we love them, most people these days (especially in the uber Liberal PNW) are not willing to jump into an LC getting less than 13mpg on the freeway. Let someone else pay too much for it, or wait for the dealer to come down. I would say, for me, I would not spend more than $11.5k on a pre-2k 100. And due to abnormal tranny failure rates in the 2000 100's, I would steer clear of them altogether. 2001-2002 are the best years of the 100's before the new tranny came in 2003, IMHO.
Just my 2 pennies though, good luck with your search! When you find the right one for the right price you will be glad you waited.
...via IH8MUD app
