Is this worth taking the risk? Help! (1 Viewer)

[grssm1]

Hey you guys!

First time posting here so excuse me if I'm in the wrong place! I'm interested in this land cruiser near me and need some advice as would be my first LC. The owner says it's been sitting a few years. The battery is dead and he believes the fuel pump has gone out. This presents some challenges if I go see it. I plan on bring a compression gauge to see how healthy the engine is with the 270k miles but with a dead battery that alone could prove problematic if I'm trying to jump it and test it right? I might be able to get a battery to bring along and negate that but I'm not sure yet. I'd also do the paper clip trick to see if the fuel pump is really the problem or if maybe a filter is clogged or something else. Then comes the real problem because if I can only start it for a few seconds using starter fluid there's no way for me to check the drivability components as well as interior components like heat and A/C etc. I've been scouring the web to see if there's an easy way to jimmy-rig a fuel pump to get the car running for a least a short while. I'm almost thinking of writing up a contract, dropping the tank and changing the filter right there but that's a lot of commitment and I'm trying to ball on a budget right now; I'd like to offset the LC with the sale of my Xterra. I can manage with the dirty interior and fading clear coat for now but I really don't wanna buy something that's gonna be a money pit right off the bat, although I'd like to restore/upgrade it soon enough. Got any tips??? Thanks so much!

Here's the CL link(first time post so they're gonna watch this post huh??) 1990 Toyota Land Cruiser

 

[Michael Hanson]

Hi, This mileage is about when all our auto transmission started acting up. Radio is gone. Wheels aftermarket. I'd look at this carefully. Mike

 

[BlackCat]

I’d never pay that much for a truck that didn’t run. Just my opinion.

 

[fl4031003]

Looks nice and straight. Price would be double if it ran. Worth taking a chance on it.

 

[Michael Hanson]

Will this be your only car?

 

[Devils Paw 80]

I'm almost thinking of writing up a contract, dropping the tank and changing the filter right there but that's a lot of commitment..

Indeed it is. If it comes to that, see if he'd agree for you to do this, and if it doesn't run then you'd reserve the option to back out with him reimbursing you for the pump.

 

[grssm1]

Good to know about the AT! Yeah honestly the car is in a lot for a towing company, so I mean it could be the fuel pump or the fuel pump and something worse. My plan would be to get this in good running order and then sell my other car. I thought it looked nice and straight but if you notice the right side headlights look a little crooked and there's a gap between the hood and fender(quarter panel?) that's larger than the left, maybe a crash? He gave me the VIN but I don't know if it's even worth paying to check that out. I think it's a big risk, I've got a lot of bargaining power with those issues though. Who knows, if he'd take 2500 I could probably swing a rebuild or really have the money to go through it...Thanks for the thoughts so far!

 

[grssm1]

Mismatched tires, rims, paint, interior, fuel pump, and possibilities of it being non drive-able from the get go...I'm leaning towards too much risk...or maybe a good ol' swap? Lol I wish

 

[FJACS]

You said you don’t want to buy something thats going to be a money pit right off the bat.

This is going to be a giant money pit. If it’s ended up in a tow lot with mismatched tires and missing parts and you have a goal to make it your sole vehicle... Run. Don’t look back.

 

[grssm1]

You said you don’t want to buy something thats going to be a money pit right off the bat.

This is going to be a giant money pit. If it’s ended up in a tow lot with mismatched tires and missing parts and you have a goal to make it your sole vehicle... Run. Don’t look back.

I think this is the answer I needed, I'm just a little overambitious as to what I can do myself... I think the guy is trying to sell it for the towing company because the title is in their name. Maybe I'll offer 1k bucks haha, I don't think I could go wrong there haha

 

[FJACS]

It’s a crapshoot for sure.

I looked at a car once where the owner said it needed a fuel pump. What it actually needed was fuel to pump.

I find non mechanical people like the fuel pump as a reason for a car not starting. I think it’s an easy part to suggest.

If you land it for cheap. For a 3fe there are a few things that could cause the engine to fire on ether, but not run on its own. Download a factory manual and work through the various FI system tests before you jump to dropping the tank. That’s the last resort.

 

[grssm1]

It’s a crapshoot for sure.

I looked at a car once where the owner said it needed a fuel pump. What it actually needed was fuel to pump.

Ya know I was thinking that! Especially with it having sat for so long! I told him there was too many red flags and if they(I said they because I think he's lying that it's his car and really just selling it for the company) would take 1000 bucks for this project car to let me know.

 

[RodrigzCrzr]

Offer a price that you are comfortable with and be able to fix it. Don’t sell your current car cause if this is going to be a project you want another car to go fetch parts with.
I bought mine 400 miles away!
And it was sitting for 10 years with all the windows open. I managed to buy a battery and start it. Even with bad fuel. Once I knew it had started I pAid her the money and told her the shipping company will pick it up in a week. Fast forward 5 years and she is up and running daily!
Just be ready to dish out lots of $$ to baseline it. Good luck!

 

[mattressking]

It’s a project, 270k and sitting for unknown time. If it’s dry and little to no rust, buy it and bring it to life. If you’re a good wrench or have the desire to bring something back to life, you won’t get many better deals these days on 60 series trucks. Use issues as a bargaining chip and bring a trailer just in case.

These trucks are legos and so simple to get replacements for, if you have the time and resources to work on it, do it.

 

[diesellibrarian]

I would say that if you start with the assumption that any and every part of the truck could potentially need some work (or at least a thorough inspection), and if you are ok with that, then it will almost certainly be a fun project. I bought my 62 about a month ago, and I have had to rebuild the front axle, mess around with the vacuum and electrical systems to get the 4wd working, replace the front brake calipers (including bending a bunch of new brake line), chase down some electrical gremlins, etc. None of these things showed up during my test drive, but given the age of the vehicle and the mileage, I knew that I was in for a bit of a project.

I paid the equivalent of $USD2600, and mine has 200k miles, and a lot more rust.

 

[cruisermatt]

I doubt the pump is bad but even if it is it’s only a 2 hour job to replace it. Not sure why people get so hung up on this or Jerry rig pumps or what not.

 

[emac]

In that condition you are taking ALL the risks. If it was as easy as replacing a fuel pump he would have done that. What do you do when you get it started and the tranny slips? Offer 1k and be worried he might take it!

 

[BlackCat]

In that condition you are taking ALL the risks. If it was as easy as replacing a fuel pump he would have done that. What do you do when you get it started and the tranny slips? Offer 1k and be worried he might take it!

Exactly. What if the motor knocks AND the trans slips? Huge risk at that price point, especially for someone who, in the original post, said they don’t really want a money pit. It’s like a heroin addict buying heroin while saying they don’t want heroin.

 

[2mountainfish]

You asked, so here goes. The asking price is way out of line for a non running LC. Like others have said, it will not be cheap, no matter what, to bring it back to life. It does look like it has decent bones , and would be a good candidate to bring back to life. With that being said, you must have time to do it right or you will never get a good baseline. Using it as a primary driver would be risky without doing a lot of work first. Everything will have to be touched and that is hard to do when it has to be running everyday. If you can get it for $1000-$2000 and work on it until it is dependable, it could be a good truck. Just remember it will cost more and take longer then you think.

 

[Cruzerman]

I’d never pay that much for a truck that didn’t run. Just my opinion.

I totally agree. Non-op vehicles are not worth nearly as much due to risk. I would offer half at most.