FZJ80 Cost of baselining and ownership (1 Viewer)

[Feldrian]

An important, but hard to quantify part of the equation for me is that I love having a tangible project. I work on the computer all day and my brain doesn't always register that I've done much during that time. Working with my hands and building something that I can see, drive and enjoy scratches a primal itch and has a lot of value. Overlapping my need for a tangible project with my need for a vehicle just means I get returns in multiple different areas for any effort that goes in. Classic win win.

Couldn't agree with this more. My truck is much more than a project, it's therapy. I get an immense sense of satisfaction from being able to point at something tangible that I did with my own hands that I can then take out and enjoy.

Similarly, I spend all week in front of a computer, in zoom calls or in meetings. That isn't to say the work isn't valuable, but it can be very hard to point to my added value within that work.

 

[Bludozer]

I feel like a lot of people do go overboard and replace a lots of parts that aren't broken because they are "in there already" or they just want to replace stuff for the peace of mind.

 

[Feldrian]

I'm not going to question your numbers, but maybe question your sanity.

Weird. My wife says the same thing.

 

[Feldrian]

View attachment 3145761

My wife is down with it at this point. She's happy that it makes me happy. Pretty sure she's a keeper.

 

[Bludozer]

Similarly, I spend all week in front of a computer, in zoom calls or in meetings. That isn't to say the work isn't valuable, but it can be very hard to point to my added value within that work.

Hear you on that. Guessing we are in the same/similar industry - probably different roles though. Can't say I get the same level of satisfaction having to work on it, but I certainly do from using it.

My wife is down with it at this point. She's happy that it makes me happy. Pretty sure she's a keeper.

I am lucky here too; would be tough otherwise while owning any older vehicle.

 

[COYS]

My story began with a black LX450 from ih8 classifieds and ended up my 2nd that I've now owned for 4.5 years (crazy) and 61K miles (insane). I've never owned a car this old. I've never owned a car this long in my entire car enthusiast life. To say that it's taught me a lot is an understatement along multiple fronts.

Here it is in the FS ad on ih8 classifieds

Counting up my tab, I do rely on pro mechanics and do strongly adhere to an OEM is king philosophy. I buy into the Land Cruiser reliability lore 100% so will do whatever I can to refresh with the same parts of known quality so long as it's available. Every piece counts. I can count on one hand the # of aftermarket parts that are on my truck and it's mostly all suspension related due to the lift. I initially enlisted Toyota dealership mechanics (stupid expensive), but surely transitioned to specialist 4x4 shops to reduce labor costs.

• $22K with shipping + CA sales tax for a factory locked 80 w/ 229K miles at the time
• $40K on parts and labor to build and install a new 1FZ-FE long block + other items like power steering gear
• $15K first year on refreshing cooling bits, rubber pieces, fuel filter, PHH etc while paying Toyota dealership labor rates
• ~$15K on aftermarket suspension, OEM exhaust from manifold to exhaust tip, fixing spoiler rust on rear hatch, and misc factory pieces

Added up that's approaching six figs over 4.5 years or approx $25K per annum of fun now being amortized. If I ever get around to selling it maybe I'll recoup $70K of that? Keeping shiny side up, all that really remains in terms of bigger ticket items are refreshing the transfer case and transmission which are currently in good nick (knocking on keyboard). Comparatively, I'm about even with almost having bought yet another 200 series when it was refreshed to look more like an 80 series (ha!). I can tell ya having owned one, the 200 wasn't nearly as full of adventure and intrigue as my 80. There are no shortcuts to my results, period. It's truly a labor of love as y'all know so well.

I really enjoy following some of the ih8 mavens here like jpoole, malleus, feldrian, landtank, OGBeno, cruiseroutfitters, BILT, musthave, baldilocks, NLXTACY, mgudg, cruiserdan, kernal, SNLC and the like. I would've totally missed out on y'all's content if not for my '97. Megaton of free entertainment. Not worth one red cent.

jk Bravo, gents.

 

[Feldrian]

Hear you on that. Guessing we are in the same/similar industry - probably different roles though. Can't say I get the same level of satisfaction having to work on it, but I certainly do from using it.


I am lucky here too; would be tough otherwise while owning any older vehicle.

I'm super easy to find on LinkedIn. You'll never guess what the username is.

I like that there's no politics to deal with when I'm working on the 80, too.

 

[nickolai]

The best thing you can do baselining and maintaining an 80 is to buy a cheap corolla to run around in, and as a backup vehicle when you're waiting on parts / ordered the wrong thing!

 

[Bludozer]

I'm super easy to find on LinkedIn. You'll never guess what the username is.

I like that there's no politics to deal with when I'm working on the 80, too.

Think I found you, and if I did then I was way off lol.

The best thing you can do baselining and maintaining an 80 is to buy a cheap corolla to run around in, and as a backup vehicle when you're waiting on parts / ordered the wrong thing!

Or just be a WFH loser with no life and no real need for any sort of car anyway. Has seemed to work for me.

 

[SNLC]

For the record, I got about $55k or so in mine. Purchase price, parts, ect. No labor since I do my own.

I would not hesitate to jump in it tomorrow and drive it to the tip of S. America. It will not break down (positive of that) and I could just enjoy the drive.

Cheers

 

[cruiserloco]

I bought my last year for $26k and I have put another $6K in maintenance, accessories, etc. still cheaper that a new Corolla, with the prices of new cars this days.
At the end of the day I'm driving a Land Cruiser and that put an smile on my face, and that is priceless.

 

[Feldrian]

Think I found you, and if I did then I was way off lol.


Or just be a WFH loser with no life and no real need for any sort of car anyway. Has seemed to work for me.

I WFH predominantly ... It's just 2 homes. One in Seattle, one in Bentonville, AR. Means I need twice as many cars!

 

[Pericles]

I try to call my dad every week, or at least every other week. Since he's retired, he spends a lot of time working on his home place in MS. Every time we talk, without fail, he'll tell me about something he's having to fix on his tractor.

These trucks are tractors. They endure a lot of abuse (driving in stop and start traffic is abuse) and will require repair. If you're at all sensitive to quality, then the repairs will entail OEM or similar parts. That is expensive, but then again you are unlikely to need the same part for quite some time if ever. If you hire a mechanic who is worth his or her salt, then that only increases the costs.

These trucks have tractor engines. My dad has a 1952 John Deere that he bought for collection purposes (it's his birth year). It still cranks. When it doesn't, it's easy to work on and fix. If maintained, that 1952 engine will start and run for decades to come. These trucks are very similar.

My truck is 30 years old. I know that when I turned 30 my insurance premiums went up. I know they will continue to go up every year from now until the end of time. I know the costs of staying healthy will also increase with every new year. With every year, it takes more effort to maintain some semblance of health. These trucks are no different.

The costs of ownership will be steep if one wants to maintain these trucks in as close a condition as possible to original. For me, I must subtract from that cost the enjoyment I get from learning about automobiles, engines, and such, and from improved mechanical skills. In that regard, I haven't spent a dime.

My wife, however, may think differently.

 

[Feldrian]

The costs of ownership will be steep if one wants to maintain these trucks in as close a condition as possible to original. For me, I must subtract from that cost the enjoyment I get from learning about automobiles, engines, and such, and from improved mechanical skills. In that regard, I haven't spent a dime.

Mine just (re)forced me to learn CAD. The things I have to learn never cease to amaze to support the 80- habit.

 

[mudgudgeon]

View attachment 3145761

after reading figures in this thread, I'll never sweat my parts spend again!!


I agree with @SNLC on the $5-15k to baseline an 80.
I think at this point, anyone buying an 80 that hasn't had a recent refresh should budget to spend at least $5k on deferred, urgent PM in the first year or two.
Beyond that, another $5k to refresh all systems and restore that OEM ride, handling, reliability.
Then there's potential of more significant unforseen mechanical failures, or cosmetic improvements.

Then, if you start to customise and build up a rig , all bets are off.

I bought my current 80 for $5k (Aussie dollars) with the expectation of spend $5kb bringing it up to scratch.
I've had it about 4+ years, spent over $10k on it, and know I need to drop several grand into it to get it back in action now.
It's been a daily driver, but has spent over a year of that time off the road due to mechanical failures, and the time required for me to diagnose, source parts, and complete repairs with a busy stressful job that sees me often working long days and 6 day weeks.
I also don't have a great space to work on the 80. I have space, is just not quite conducive to working on a vehicle so stuff takes time.

I enjoy working on it, bringing it back to its best, and make little changes.
Big repairs can become a chore, but I get a lot of satisfaction out of fixing it, and frankly, don't know a shop I would trust to fix it right, and take the time to improve rather than simply fix things.

I've been lucky enough to be able to use public transport to commute to work at times when my 80 has been off the road. More recently, I bought a cheap s*** box as a daily hack for work to take time pressure away from repairing the 80
I sometimes find it a dilemma spending big chunks of money and time on an old car, but it suits my needs, suits my lifestyle, suits my recreational interests.
Sometimes it would make sense to farm out work to a shop, but I can never quite justify it.

They are definitely a lifestyle choice, even in Aus where they are far more common.
Finding people to repair a cruiser should be easy enough, but too many shops just want to churn through simple service on modern vehicles.
Or, you pay a huge premium for a shop with a reputation.
We pay huge markups (Toyota tax) on genuine parts through dealers here in Aus. Sourcing parts can be a project in itself.

 

[Bludozer]

What a lot people are saying ITT is true and it is genuinely expensive to bring one of these back up to speed if you do it right - to me that is important.

With that said, for every one of us here spending $10-$50k on a "baseline," there are hundreds of 80s still running around with 0 baselining, minimum maintenance and still going, going and going.

Sometimes I need to remind myself of that after I change out the 800th perfectly working part

 

[SaturnAscends]

What a lot people are saying ITT is true and it is genuinely expensive to bring one of these back up to speed if you do it right - to me that is important.

With that said, for every one of us here spending $10-$50k on a "baseline," there are hundreds of 80s still running around with 0 baselining, minimum maintenance and still going, going and going.

Sometimes I need to remind myself of that after I change out the 800th perfectly working part

Yeah I think it depends on how much tolerance you have for things like burning oil, sloppy steering, faded paint, etc. In many other cars, these would just be chalked up to driving an old car, but for the kind of people who might otherwise be driving a brand-new 200 series, they often not acceptable and consequently are fixed at great expense. I think there is a sentiment among enthusiasts that a Land Cruiser "deserves" this treatment moreso than say, a 1997 Tahoe or Camry.

If your only objective is to keep moving down the road, however, you can usually go a long way in these rigs as long as you keep it from catastrophically overheating or running out of oil. I doubt the rigs in the video below get top-shelf maintenance, yet they're still working in the harshest of conditions (at least they were when this was filmed).

 

[12bit]

has spent over a year of that time off the road due to mechanical failures

the true meaning of the term "off road"

 

[mudgudgeon]

Sometimes I need to remind myself of that after I change out the 800th perfectly working part

Mud OCD is a thing for sure.

You're right though, they will run and run and run with severe neglect. Eventually someone's gotta pay for that neglect either through a failure, or the death of a thousand cuts later

 

[mudgudgeon]

the true meaning of the term "off road"

My least favourite definition