Lots of variables.
Collector car? Maybe, maybe not. I think these are "collector cars" for a lot of us here in the sense that we're never going to sell them. They don't make vehicles like 80s anymore. But the only ones that are really gaining or retaining a ton of value are late model unmolested, bone stock, rust free low mileage 80s. And the market has been pretty soft lately since the covid rush.
Occasional off-roader, sure. Amazing offroaders. But if you're not careful you'll end up in the garage more than you're on the trail. 80s are reliable and rugged and all but it really comes down to how well it was maintained by the previous owners. My 80 is pretty clean but I still find myself with a laundry list of to-dos just because 30 year old vehicles get old and stuff breaks. But on the upside, once you replace a part with new OEM toyota stuff, you're good for another 30 years.
I've seen people buy 80s thinking they're great for offroading (which they are) and they end up not enjoying the experience because they have a 2 hour drive to a graded forest road, and they realize it would have been a whole lot easier to buy a new 4Runner, spend all the money they would have spent on 80 series maintenance on a bunch of "overland" accessories and call it good.
Wife/kids - just be aware that many 80s don't have airbags. I'm not even sure how effective 30 year old airbags are, but it's something to be aware of.
Will you be doing your own work, or outsourcing to a mechanic? Outsourcing gets pricey fast, and there aren't many shops I'd trust with my 80. DIYing it is 100% doable but it's a commitment. I've never taken my 80 to a mechanic and I didn't grow up working on cars. Learned how to do everything on this forum, YT and the factory service manual.
As far as the cars you're looking at, I'd say adjust your search to Texas and don't even bother with Illinois cars. Too much salt and corrosion up there. If you're looking for a collectable car, you have to find one that's rust free or else you'll be chasing rust issues forever.
#1 - Gonna be slow. You might hate it. Early models aren't really collectable. Other than that, sounds decent but the price is high for an early model.
#2 - Gonna be a little less slow. Half-baked frame off restoration sounds weird, and rust is the #1 Toyota killer. I wouldn't touch it honestly. Also the price is too high for something with that accident history and high mileage
#3 - Cool engine for sure, I have a 1HD-FT in mine and I love it. Seriously the best engine (right after the FTE) but again I wouldn't bother if it has rust. Plenty of clean rust free 80s out there if you look. Also RHD opens up an entirely different can of worms. I did a writeup here:
Should you? Should I? Should anyone? I’ve been asked this enough times both in real life and online that I thought I would attempt to put together a “guide” to owning an imported cruiser. I hope this helps someone and I can contribute a little to this forum that has been so helpful to me.
I’m not an expert of course, just wanted to share some of the insights and knowledge I’ve gained over the past couple years owning a ’97 HDJ81 - that’s a diesel 80 Series from the Japanese domestic market (JDM) with the 1HD-FT engine.
It seems like the idea of...
Take a look through the classifieds on here. If I was in the market I would rather buy a well-maintained enthusiast's car.
Classifieds : Toyota FJ80 / FZJ80 / HDJ80 Land Cruiser / Lexus LX-450
forum.ih8mud.com
The Land Cruiser 80-Series Options
