Found an 80 need some opinions (1 Viewer)

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Mar 27, 2011
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It is on the craiglist near me. Here is a copy of the add

1997 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ80 4WD 6cyl - 205,000 HWY Miles - Leather - 3rd Row 7 Passenger Seats - All New Tires - Moonroof - Roof Rack - Tow Package - Rear Air - CD Player w/ Subwoofer/Amp - Rear TV - Remote Start/Keyless Entry - Running Boards - Cold A/C - New Brakes Overall a great vehicle, Oil changed every 5000 miles, Does not have locking differential, Interior is in great shape with exception to seat leather begining to separate and crack, Paint is still glossy but has scratches throughout and a couple dents, Email me with your name and number and I will answer any questions Thanks

Now the head gasket has not been done. But it sounds like it was just used as the DD.

What would be a fair price to offer him?

It is dark green, with grey interior.
 
He is asking 6900, and he has records back to 05 which is when he bought it.
 
White 1997 Lexus LX450 4x4 7-seat SUV. All options, including electric locking front and rear differentials. Well maintained, always garaged. Very sharp looking. 2nd owner (9 years). 166k miles. Does leak engine oil, but is totally reliable.

This is another one i found. I emailed him and he thinks it is the rear seal that is leaking.

Now if i were interested in this one i would like to get it checked out he is asking 6700 for this one but his price is negotiable.

So far these are the two i am most interested in.
 
I'd go for the White LX w/166k. 80 prices seem to plummet when gas gets above $4 like it did in 2008, so he may be willing to work with you on the price.
 
do you guys have a ballpark number i should offer him?
 
Have the birfs or HG been done when he says "well maintained"? If not, those are high dollar jobs even if you do them yourself it's $2k easily. I'm now a firm believer in HG as PM.
 
Have the birfs or HG been done when he says "well maintained"? If not, those are high dollar jobs even if you do them yourself it's $2k easily. I'm now a firm believer in HG as PM.

I asked him in my last email.. so i am waiting for a reply on that. and the guy before that with the LC w/o differentials hasnt done the head gasket.
 
Where are you? Have you seen the trucks? Take a look at the prices asked in the "for sale" section here. $6700 actually isn't bad, but you're going to get bombarded with tales of "good deals" from other mud owners. Offer him what you can afford, I'd give him full price for it if it's good, but negotiate for say $6400? These trucks aren't cheap to maintain. Ned
 
Where are you? Have you seen the trucks? Take a look at the prices asked in the "for sale" section here. $6700 actually isn't bad, but you're going to get bombarded with tales of "good deals" from other mud owners. Offer him what you can afford, I'd give him full price for it if it's good, but negotiate for say $6400? These trucks aren't cheap to maintain. Ned

I am in missouri so both i have found have been in the midwest. One is only a 20 minute drive, the other is a 4 hour drive. I havent seen the trucks in person yet, as i am at school right now i would have to wait until next weekend to take a look at them. I know they arent cheap to maintain, but i pay around 100$ an hour for labor with what i have right now. So i was going to try and do a lot of the oil changes and things like that myself on the LC to cut some costs.

So if it all checks out you think i should offer him 6400 for the lx?
Brandon
 
I am in missouri so both i have found have been in the midwest. One is only a 20 minute drive, the other is a 4 hour drive. I havent seen the trucks in person yet, as i am at school right now i would have to wait until next weekend to take a look at them. I know they arent cheap to maintain, but i pay around 100$ an hour for labor with what i have right now. So i was going to try and do a lot of the oil changes and things like that myself on the LC to cut some costs.

So if it all checks out you think i should offer him 6400 for the lx?
Brandon

Oil changes and minor maintenance are the "cheap" parts of owning an 80. It sounds like you have looked into the cost of ownership thread, but in case you haven't, if you pay someone else to wrench a HG will cost anywhere from $2300-3500 and the front axle rebuild is around $1200-2000 depending on what needs to be done. The axle will likely need to be done shortly after you buy it since I have yet to see a non-mud member pay the ridiculous price to have a dealer do it. The HG should probably be done too, but opinions vary on HG as PM vs. wait for it to blow on it's own.

$6000, maybe slightly less for the LX sounds like a reasonable price if you are going to have to dump thousands into it to get it up on it's maintenance.

The problem is that many of the general population owners abuse the heck out of these rigs because they will run a long time with little to no maintenance. Thus the burden is shifted to the 2nd or 4th owner who has to deal with 100-200K miles worth of maint. neglect, yet some still expect top dollar after they have run the truck ragged.
 
Beware of the " fully loaded" and "well maintained " statements. It seems every cruiser I see hasn't had axle or wheel bearing service. or new springs. or factory parts for that matter. ..and fully loaded doesnt mean ff/rr e lockers . Um bs caus if the people placing their ads actually knew their vehicle they would know to list what wasnt on their option list instead seeing most 80's have moon roof ...running boards . etc.
 
I would go for the LX for sure. Cheaper and lockers and less miles and white = Winning! (Sorry Charlie). I hope it is the closer one... I would start at $5700 unless he has the HG or birfields done. You can always go up, but if you start at $6400, you probably won't get it for less!
 
The first one doesnt have the HG done. So I will probably cross that one off. The lx is the further one, and it seems like he wants to sell it rather soon so im sure if i gave him a reasonable offer hed take it. 5700 would seem like a pretty good deal, im still waiting on him to respond about the HG though. If that has been done I will absolutely give him a good offer. I am selling my car so it will give me some $ to play with on the LX.

Anything else guys? I have read the stickies up top so i know what i am getting into. It seems like once the HG and birfs are done it is a very maintainable car.
This site has already given me a bunch of knowledge, so im hoping when i do find the one you guys will still be here to help me out! :cheers:

So is the overall consensus the LX is the better pick?
 
Ok so the LX owner messged me back. He has precise records up until the 120k mark. After that he didnt keep records as well as he was because the warranty ran out on it.

He had both front wheel hub assemblies pulled and greased during a rotor replacement a while back.

He says he will be flexible on price, but he has been getting oil changed every 5-7k he says. He will be sending me more pictures later today.

The head gasket has not been done though. So i am just wondering if everything else looks good with it like no rust and etc. would a little under 6k be a good starting point for negotiations?
 
Buy the Lexus it's a no brainer.
Less miles, better resale and over all more options as a rule.
 
Just as a comparable, I paid $4300 for a 96 LX with 210k on it and about $4000 worth off bumpers, lift, tires etc. No lockers. Records to 80k at dealer. I know it needs some PM, but I can justify repairs to my wife, but not always extras like bumpers. People need cash these days, so don't be afraid to make a low offer. I would be reasonable though as karma can be a bitch!
 
well i appraised it on edmunds and it came out to about 5600 as is. I figured I would offer him around 5700. Since I will most likely be doing the HG before i hit 180k. And i will get that leak fixed, but that should be a pretty inexpensive one. I feel like if i can get it with lockers and everything for around 6k wit those miles that it would be a good deal.

I will post some of the pictures on here so you guys can tell me what you think.
 
When you do the hg better to get all new hoses and get a new 3 row radiator and have that replaced aswell.
 

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