How serious are these issues?

[MtnMantologist]

Hi everyone - I'm new the forum and don't own a Land Cruiser yet. I've been lusting after 100 series LCs for a few years now though and have found one for sale that I'm considering buying. The truck is a 1999, dark gray with 185K miles, and comes with the optional locking diff. I'm 1,800 miles away from the truck so I had a pre-purchase inspection done at a highly rated shop near the car in Northern Virginia. They reported back that the timing belt has been done in the last ~40,000 miles or so, new tires, new brakes, no significant frame rust (I've asked for more pictures to see what that means). That's all well and good but they also reported problems that will need addressing before too long (according to them). They also gave me price estimates but said I could probably get the work done cheaper in Colorado compared to Northern Virginia. I've already called a shop in Denver to ask for price estimates but would love your thoughts and opinions since you arguably know more about Land Cruisers than this shop!

I'm hoping a newbie like me could reach out and get a 'gut check' on the issues they found and their pricing.

1. Steering rack leak - recommends replacing steering rack for $1,800
2. Valve cover leak - replace for $600
3. Exhaust has bad rust (but somehow frame does not, I've asked for pictures of the frame but haven't received them yet) - recommends replacing exhaust from manifold back to muffle ($2,500-4,000). This one in particular seemed excessively expensive. The huge range in pricing was due to not knowing how much needs to be replaced until someone gets in there and starts taking stuff apart. I'm assuming this is for OEM replacement parts - what do people usually do with a rusted out exhaust here? (Also, it appears the exhaust is rusting but I know/think? LCs come with thicker piping and it hasn't rusted it through yet so maybe this is a ways off)
4. Sunroof motor - stopped working a couple months ago and the shop said the motor is definitely shot and it may need an entirely new cassette(?) but they would need to take things apart to be able to tell what exactly needs to be done. Said this could run into the thousands if it needs a new cassette. At least the sunroof is stuck shut instead of open but it'd be nice to have it working!
5. LC has an aftermarket touch screen headunit that works fine - but if I wanted to swap a stock unit back in I'm curious how much that would set me back. That's a cosmetic issue though and not a determining factor.

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer! I've attached (or tried to anyway!) the three pictures the shop has sent me so far.

 

[AimCOtaco]

I say get them to knock all that off the price and you'll have a big winner!

1.Steering rack DIY is ~$600 for OEM.
2.Snug up the bolts a bit ~$0 or buy gaskets and DIY for IDK <$50?
3.Is the exhaust perforated? If not, I'd let it ride for now then change out a bad part here and there with universal parts and pipe, live long and cheap.
4.Sunroof can be an issue but as long as it's not leaking it's not a pressing issue (just have them knock off some $$ and take your chances?).
5.An OEM take off radio for this truck should run you anywhere from $0 to like maybe a 12 pack tops.

Not a lot to see in the pics but the frame and links pictured look nice to me.
Just my quick 2c.

 

[RND1]

1. I'm going through this right now with steering rack. My dealer is telling me the rack is leaking badly although I haven't seen any fluid on the ground. They said new rack is $1135 plus $883 labor so with alignment about $2100 ouch! So not a cheap endeavor. I know you can buy the rack online for $749 from McGeorge Toyota.

2. Can't comment on leaking gasket, but price sounds like they're applying 5 hours labor?

3. Exhaust quote is just plain rediculous. It doesn't even look that bad. The center muffler rusts out first and you can just get an 18 in or 24 in magnaflow from Amazon for $75 and have an exhaust shop weld it in for $85. If it needs additional piping they can do that too cheap.

4. Sunroof motor - I would try to DIY this one when you have time and can keep it in the garage (in case it has to be open for a while). Try car-part.com for a used motor.

5. Car-part.com for a used oem head unit.

Of course you can use their crazy estimates to get the buy price down.

 

[Aaron13]

These are my thoughts and I am sure all replies will vary...Bottom line up front...IT DEPENDS. If I were considering purchasing a LC sight unseen I would consider the following. PRICE..how much is this vehicle? What is so special about this LC..typical mileage, additional repairs, 1800 miles away?
I would personally not want to give more that 6-6.5k if those repairs are in fact all required. You may not care about ever needing to repair the sunroof and I have seen many exhaust that look like the pictures show that do not necessary need replaced. I have never had to replace mine and it is a 98, probably driven in similar conditions but I do know it is a pricey job if needed.
Personally speaking and this is just more of my opinion...ie. if I could have done it over scenario. I would look further South or out West as Northern Virginia is still considered IMO, part of the rust belt. This is really a tough question to answer because little is known about the vehicle and your reasons for considering this one in particular ( it seems like there would be dozens around you locally that fit this description)? If it were me I would feel uncomfortable pulling the trigger, but to each there own. Good Luck

 

[MtnMantologist]

Thanks for the input so far everyone!

I'm glad to hear the exhaust is about as big of an issue as I hoped (i.e. not a huge deal). I can live with the sunroof and head unit for the meantime, but the steering rack is definitely a big item and I don't have the tools, space, or know-how to go about tackling that myself at this point in time.

I haven't heard back from the Denver shop yet but I'm leaning towards offering $6,000 and seeing how it goes. I don't want to lowball the seller but I don't want to overpay either

 

[00fourseventy]

Those numbers seem pretty outrageous, especially the valve cover gasket and exhaust. I haven't done a steering rack yet (knock on wood), so I have no frame of reference there. I would personally stay away from the rust belt, as rust seems to be about the only thing that can kill these trucks. Also, I feel your pain- I'm in CO and was very actively shopping for a 100 for a year and change before I finally found a good one locally. Best of luck!

 

[sr5pickup]

On the sunroof it's very possible that the cables could be seized up, haven't heard of too many motors being bad, although if indeed it is bad that's a lot easier fix than the cables. Ask if they actually pulled the motor and verified, it's hidden behind the overhead console takes maybe 10 minutes to check. I thought I had a bad motor until I was able to remove it still connected and it ended up working, my cables ended up being seized.

I paid around $1600 for my steering rack job (dealership).

 

[MtnMantologist]

On the sunroof it's very possible that the cables could be seized up, haven't heard of too many motors being bad, although if indeed it is bad that's a lot easier fix than the cables. Ask if they actually pulled the motor and verified, it's hidden behind the overhead console takes maybe 10 minutes to check. I thought I had a bad motor until I was able to remove it still connected and it ended up working, my cables ended up being seized.

I know they did not pull anything apart. This was just an issue the seller noted and I asked for the shop's opinion as part of their inspection.

Seller says the motor still makes a sound if you try to open the sunroof but the sunroof doesn't budge. The shop said something about contact points and amperage burning out the motor. I would've expected the motor to not make any noise in that case but I'm not a mechanic or an electrical engineer...

 

[sr5pickup]

I know they did not pull anything apart. This was just an issue the seller noted and I asked for the shop's opinion as part of their inspection.

Seller says the motor still makes a sound if you try to open the sunroof but the sunroof doesn't budge. The shop said something about contact points and amperage burning out the motor. I would've expected the motor to not make any noise in that case but I'm not a mechanic or an electrical engineer...

I would almost bet that the cables are seized, pretty common issue with these trucks, especially if they aren't used often due to moisture. Replacing the cables requires pulling the entire cassette out of the truck. Took me about 10-12 hours to do mine.