I bought mine with 177,000 on it; repaired transfer case and replaced the front axle due to PO poor maintenance.
Replaced radiator. Probably $2000, total.
Replaced radiator. Probably $2000, total.
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23 years. Approximately $21,000 on maintenance (tires, brakes, hoses, belts, other wear and tear items, fluids). Zero catastrophic repairs. Never left stranded. Total cost of ownership, $60,000 including purchase price new in 1992. Monthly ownership cost of approximately $217/month (not including gas or insurance). A Corolla has an ownership cost of $325/month. So the life cycle cost of my 80 has been excellent. I'd hop in it tomorrow and drive it across country. 238k on the clock.[/QUOTET
You comparing a new vehicle vs a 23 yr old vehicle.
Best thing to do is buy one in decent shape for $5-10K and give it whatever it needs to be mechanically sound (new hoses, gaskets, radiator, BIRF rebuild, and even head gasket). Most you would likely spend is $5K then you have $45K to spend on a pole barn and 40 series and trailer to pull 40 with 80.
I have really only had one critical failure that shut me down on the trail in the 75000 or so miles I have put on it. Weird wiring problem stymied me in the boonies so got Tools to come out, in the rain, and spend a while looking at the schematics and reasons wires with a meter. Took a while. But Bazinga !!! He finally found a bad connector. Saved my bacon. It is a real good idea to carry the EWD on your phone or whatever!
Gotta keep in mind people on post threads when they're having a problem. That's why this board looks like it's nothing but problems and troubleshooting. Me, I've owned the truck for 3 years and even though I did have a HG failure (external leak), I wouldn't consider that a serious problem. I view that as a common wear-n-tear item. Seals, gaskets, switches, sensors and belt-driven accessories are going to go bad and you'll have to replace them. That's just how it goes doesn't matter what make/model you drive.
Serious problem to me is when your internals are toast, whether it be engine, tranny or transfer case. But it depends on who you ask. I remember a few months back a satchel-wearing manprincess was in here saying how his 80 was an unreliable POS because his power seats and windows/locks stopped working and he had to fix them. Naturally he got flamed pretty good. I think he ended up selling the 80 and put the money towards more scarves and skinny jeans.
What was it?
Me, I've owned the truck for 3 years and even though I did have a HG failure (external leak), I wouldn't consider that a serious problem. I view that as a common wear-n-tear item. Seals, gaskets, switches, sensors and belt-driven accessories are going to go bad and you'll have to replace them. That's just how it goes doesn't matter what make/model you drive.