Just picked up a 1997 LC (1 Viewer)

[VoodooLC]

Hey everyone, I recently picked up a new (to me) triple-locked 1997 Landcruiser with 225 thousand miles. I am new to this forum and to these vehicles, but I figured I would share some pictures since I've been reading up a good bit on here. It needs a little TLC but appears to be in pretty good shape. Any advice for a new owner would be appreciated i.e best place to get parts or good YouTube channels specific to the 80 series. I intend to use this as my daily for short commutes to work and not being mechanically inclined I will learn the easy stuff for basic maintenance and have a mechanic work on the more intensive repairs as needed.

 

[OffRoadScott]

Congratulations on the rig. Looks good.

 

[Kernal]

Advice #1: don't drive it through salt water. Also, beach sand is full of salt so maybe avoid too much of that IMHO.

Then spend a few hours days ---- reading through this section:

80-series FAQ for General Info, Modification and Repairs

The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for the 80/LX450 series tech section continues to be a work in progress. The goal is to have links in the below to other threads and tech articles. By having these linked, instead of pasting the text, the threads will remain live. The live threads can...

forum.ih8mud.com

Welcome to MUD!

 

[OffRoadScott]

or you can continue to drive on the beach and get yourself one of these.

Salt Shift Chassis Flusher

 

[SpenserAK]

Probably a broken record at this point, but one simple tip is to search via google instead of using the forum, which doesn't work as well. Keep keywords simple and add "80 ih8mud" or something like that. This place is a ridiculous wealth of knowledge, and virtually everything has been well covered. Combining the forum, the factory service manual (available for free download here), and videos, you can tackle just about anything with confidence. I've read many threads on many forums over the years for different vehicles, and to me, the land cruiser community is notably top-tier.

IMO, some of the best channels that have a lot of good videos on the 80 series are OTRAMM, 2nd gear low, and 6th gear garage.

First thing I would do is read into "baselining." Basically going through all the systems like cooling, brakes, tuneup parts and so on, to ensure you are reliable. These are incredible trucks, but there are a couple small things that can lead to bigger problems if left neglected. For example, one of the most infamous is the "pesky heater hose," or PHH as you will see mentioned often. No matter how good they are, the newest one is still 27 years old. Most baselining is fairly basic automotive work - much of which is not scary for those who have little experience.

 

[White Sheep]

Welcome to the addiction @VoodooLC.

Come checkout the Olde North State Cruisers NC- Olde North State Cruisers - https://forum.ih8mud.com/forums/nc-olde-north-state-cruisers.54/

Great bunch of folks, family friendly, tons of knowledge and experience of all levels, a sprinkle of military (all branches and expertise).

Stop by on the forum and let them know I sent ya. Looking forward to doing some wrenching and wheeling with ya.

 

[tmxmotorsports]

Where are you located in nc?

 

[VoodooLC]

Welcome to the addiction @VoodooLC.

Come checkout the Olde North State Cruisers NC- Olde North State Cruisers - https://forum.ih8mud.com/forums/nc-olde-north-state-cruisers.54/

Great bunch of folks, family friendly, tons of knowledge and experience of all levels, a sprinkle of military (all branches and expertise).

Stop by on the forum and let them know I sent ya. Looking forward to doing some wrenching and wheeling with ya.

Where are you located in nc?

Hey, Im near Camp Lejeune north of Wilmington

 

[VoodooLC]

Right on, I'll check them out. Thanks!

 

[Fj80Ringo]

Congratulations on your cruiser. You can download your factory service manual (FSM) rather than purchase one. Buy a spare fusible link and keep it in your rig. HAHA.