Introduction and Looking for a Specific Previous 2000 owner St. Louis

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RyanStl

RyanStl

10 Year
Joined
Sep 29, 2015
Threads
12
Messages
448
Location
Kirkwood, MO
Hi all, I have only been here reading everything I can for about two weeks and this is my first post. I live in St. Louis County and I'm on the search for a 100 series. I have always been a fan of Land Cruisers and now I want to join the club. :beer:

I have a lovely wife and five kids ranging from 11 to 18 months. The wife has an Odyssey, so I want something for myself that can haul the family and be proud of. I'm into the usual bbq'n/cooking, beer making (when I can), camping wit the family, and reading.

When I find by 100 I'll be crossing into the dark side from Subaru.

I have been looking a LC for a couple weeks now and found a white 2000 at a local dealer called Weiss Toyota. The interesting thing is the salesman said they got the 2000 because they sold a new one to someone that had a 2006, that quickly sold to someone with a 2004, and then again the 2004 sold to someone that had the 2000. Any chance anyone here traded in their 2000 to Weiss back in June or July? Here is a link:

2000 Toyota Land Cruiser Base For Sale St Louis MO 10256886

I'm looking for the previous owner so I can ask questions. Isn't that what everyone dreams of? Finding the previous owner that no longer has a vested interest that can give honest answers to what is possibly wrong.

Ryan
 
Can't shed any light on the 2000, but I love the story of how each LC owner upgraded their LC to a newer LC! Talk about model loyalty. I plan to give my '03 to my son in 3 years when he starts driving and get a 200 lol.

I too have an Ody and an LC - great combination except when we look at the monthly gas bill!
 
RND1 said:
Can't shed any light on the 2000, but I love the story of how each LC owner upgraded their LC to a newer LC! Talk about model loyalty. I plan to give my '03 to my son in 3 years when he starts driving and get a 200 lol.

I too have an Ody and an LC - great combination except when we look at the monthly gas bill!
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When thinking about switching to a LC I compare gas mileage to the Ody, not my Subaru XV.

Thanks for all that looked at this thread. I didn't even know if this was the right place to put it. I am no looking for this owner because I have decided to pass. I am no longer gone go the dealer route because their mark up is too much. Private party sale for me now.
 
Right now I'm looking within a 10 hour drive and will do so if solid. I have a buddy in Nashville, so I would love to come across one there. I need to start looking at other City's Craigslists.

Anyway, the reason I made the original post was because I thought for sure someone that had a 2000 and traded it for a 2004 had to be here because why wouldn't he be? i look forward to joining this community.
 
RyanStl said:
Anyway, the reason I made the original post was because I thought for sure someone that had a 2000 and traded it for a 2004 had to be here because why wouldn't he be? i look forward to joining this community.
Click to expand...

Most LC's are mall cruisers and their owners don't even know or care that a forum like this even exists. That 2000 looks bone stock so likely just a solid family hauler for someone.
 
so true - admire your ingenuity RyanStl but I moved back to MO from AZ recently and the few LCs I see are mall cruisers. I check AutoTrader now and then and rarely find anything for sale within 200 miles. If you really want to do it right focus on the sunbelt states.
 
RyanStl said:
Right now I'm looking within a 10 hour drive and will do so if solid. I have a buddy in Nashville, so I would love to come across one there. I need to start looking at other City's Craigslists.
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searchtempest.com is super helpful, ime - found my long-searched-for Fj40 with it a few years ago...
 
Thanks for the tip about searchtempest.com. My problem is almost everywhere LC's in my range are at used car lots, rarely private party. Plus, there are only two within easy reach from me (not counting the LX470 I got a tip on). This site looks like it makes it easier to find private party.

Also, I really thought I would find this guy or gal. My reasoning is someone that has a 2000 must be troubleshooting. If so, I was told this was the best place to do so, and I agree. Two, he/she traded in the 2000 for a slightly newer, but older LC. I thought for sure that person would be here.

Big question here. I keep reading about go southwest to get your LC; no worry about rust. My biggest problem so far is pictures do not convey actual condition well. Also, the seller tends to oversell, so when you see the vehicle you are disappointed. No way would I travel somewhere that costs more money when I just might have to turn back around empty handed. How do you all do this without disappointment?
 
RyanStl said:
Big question here. I keep reading about go southwest to get your LC; no worry about rust. My biggest problem so far is pictures do not convey actual condition well. Also, the seller tends to oversell, so when you see the vehicle you are disappointed. No way would I travel somewhere that costs more money when I just might have to turn back around empty handed. How do you all do this without disappointment?
Click to expand...

This is a great community of very knowledgeable folks willing to help each other out. If you see a rig in a dry state that you're interested in, post up here or in the regional forums to ask a MUD member to take a look at it for you. I looked at an LX in the town over from me for a fellow MUD member - it was missing VIN tags indicating it was in an accident even though the carfax was clean and the dealer was selling it as a mint example.

Even with a thumbs up though, I would not buy one of these without seeing it with my own eyes and driving it. So you're at least risking the cost of a round trip flight and your time. If you have to ship it back, factor in an extra $800 to $1200 depending on distance. All of these factors are what led me to being patient and buying local. Good luck in your search.
 
Welcome to mud Ryan. You might have found some of these on search but here are a few things that helped me.
Read the FAQ about things to look for when buying.
CarFax was worth it. It helps weed out the dogs.
You can set up an account on Toyota and search by VIN for dealer service history. (This will help confirm dealer service claims but might not be 100% complete.)
I lucked out with a local dealer trade in but had been looking at southern and SW states for cruisers in my mileage/ price range know I could fly and drive.
I liked cargurus.com for the ability to filter search criteria.
Most importantly, the people on here are awesome and might be able to be the voice of reason or check out a cruiser for you.

Good luck!
 
RyanStl said:
Right now I'm looking within a 10 hour drive and will do so if solid. I have a buddy in Nashville, so I would love to come across one there. I need to start looking at other City's Craigslists.

Anyway, the reason I made the original post was because I thought for sure someone that had a 2000 and traded it for a 2004 had to be here because why wouldn't he be? i look forward to joining this community.
Click to expand...

RyanStl said:
Yes, too much risk to travel. I am now going to list a wanted ad in classifieds. Maybe that will shake some out.
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Don't sell yourself short and give up on traveling just yet. I found my LX in San Antonio, 1,400 miles from home. If the communication with the seller is great, you can get to a point where you feel comfortable traveling for it. Obviously, pictures, TONS of them, carfax, and service record history are things I verified before booking a flight. I had excellent communication between the seller, (dealer, not private party), and that really put me at ease. I scheduled a 3rd party inspection, and the dealer handled the logistics of the transport to and from 3rd party inspection place. It wasn't until after I had the pre purchase inspection report when I booked a one way flight. I was FULLY prepared to hav to buy a ticket to fly myself home if everything wasn't kosher, but it is possible and can be quite stress free to buy a car with a travel involved. Pictures. Pictures. Pictures. Carfax. VIN.

Not to mention the 1,400 mile trip home was an absolute great way to bond and get to know the ins and outs of the new truck.

Make a trip out of it. See some sights. Sleep in the back. It's a journey.
 
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