Looking at a LC with over 200k, couple of questions (1 Viewer)

[rstl99]

Hi all, I looked at a 99 LC today. Body and interior in nice condition (no tear in leather seats, minor dings and scratches outside). Some rust indications underneath but doesn't look too serious for the N-E (from VIN check and Toyota records, the truck spent its first 8 years in Calif).

206k miles, which is getting up there but I gather these trucks can go a long way with good care. I am retired and no longer commute, so won't be putting major miles on this truck.

Apparently the TB was replaced less than 20k miles ago, not sure about WP (have yet to look at the service records). AC works. Recent new exhaust.

It drove well, engine had good power, transmission seemed to shift well, no major clunks or groans detected. All levels were good except the coolant overflow which was very low.

Oil pressure gauge shows below the first bar when idling, and is just under the middle bar when driving at about 1500 rpm. Is this an indication of possible low oil pressure and engine wear??

Anyway, I'll pay for a dealer mechanical inspection before agreeing to buy it, to find out what it needs now and may need in near future. In particular, I gather I need to check out the brake booster, steering rack, CV's, calipers. That and extent of rust damage to components underneath.

Anything else I should be looking at?

Thanks

 

[aljollano]

Oil pressure gauge is acting normal the way you are describing it.
A.J

 

[re_guderian]

That undercarriage has been painted/coated. Likely more rust than meets the eye.

 

[brooko]

Hi all, I looked at a 99 LC today. Body and interior in nice condition (no tear in leather seats, minor dings and scratches outside). Some rust indications underneath but doesn't look too serious for the N-E (from VIN check and Toyota records, the truck spent its first 8 years in Calif).

206k miles, which is getting up there but I gather these trucks can go a long way with good care. I am retired and no longer commute, so won't be putting major miles on this truck.

Apparently the TB was replaced less than 20k miles ago, not sure about WP (have yet to look at the service records). AC works. Recent new exhaust.

It drove well, engine had good power, transmission seemed to shift well, no major clunks or groans detected. All levels were good except the coolant overflow which was very low.

Oil pressure gauge shows below the first bar when idling, and is just under the middle bar when driving at about 1500 rpm. Is this an indication of possible low oil pressure and engine wear??

Anyway, I'll pay for a dealer mechanical inspection before agreeing to buy it, to find out what it needs now and may need in near future. In particular, I gather I need to check out the brake booster, steering rack, CV's, calipers. That and extent of rust damage to components underneath.

Anything else I should be looking at?

Thanks

View attachment 1102467 View attachment 1102468 View attachment 1102469

 

[brooko]

looks in poor condition from photos be wary

 

[rstl99]

I need to take another/closer look at the truck, look for any signs of rust or repair in the body, and go over the extensive paper records the seller said came with it when he bought it last year. Then I'll make up my mind about whether I want to go ahead and arrange for a PPI at Toyota dealer.

The undercarriage rust is indeed an issue, but I (and others here from N-E) have seen much worse. It's sad that these trucks suffer from rust down there when exposed to winters, road salt. Seems to be their Achille's Heel. I've owned 60 series LC's with serious frame and floor rust issues, and this is nothing like that. Still, the PPI will assess any structural rust damage, or issues with fuel/brake lines and such. At least up here in Canada we have oil spraying shops to keep rust under some control, and maybe the LC benefitted from such treatments during the years it spent up here. A 96 Dodge Ram that I bought 3-4 years ago with less than 60,000 miles on it had extensive rust all underneath, but I was able to get it under control after brake lines were replaced, and had no concern about it afterward. I didn't drive it in the winter mind you, whereas this LC would become my main car for year-round use.

I noticed the rear AC wasn't blowing nearly as cold as the front, so maybe there is a rusted line issue there.

Glad the oil pressure gauge reading is nothing to worry about, thanks for that indication.

The timing belt was replace 40,000 miles and about 4 years ago, so some life in that. Not sure if water pump was replaced at the same time, will look it up in the records.

BTW the truck has the rear diff locker option, which would be a good thing assuming it works...

 

[ylexot]

That undercarriage doesn't look too bad at all, especially for a NE rig. Looks like some grease or oil, perhaps from the cv boot, has gotten some bits dirty, but it appears to be just in the one area.

Good maintenance history including the tb/wp are the moan things. These things go a long way with a little care. The rear air may need a recharge. I've heard that the system is in the roof, so I doubt it is rust if that is the case. Check the temp setting right behind the DS middle passenger seat. Could be that it isn't all the way low. (One of my few complaints is that there isn't complete driver control over rear air. My boys will get big enough to figure it out soon.)

200k is well broken in, but I've seen a lot of these go 300+ with no major issues. I haven't seen or heard of many going 400k yet, but they're still kind of new. But they are also very pleasant to drive, so I expect the high mileage rigs today will keep Piling up the miles. There may be a fair amount of primary maintenance to do, but if it passes your inspection, thedealer inspection, and your gut, and fits your budget, then sounds good to me, for what that's worth.

One thing to know, in case you haven't heard, the 98 and 99 years have a weaker don't diff. Seems they don't hold up.well to spinning tires suddenly gaining traction. These are the only years that had the rear locker option though, so there's a trade off for you. 2000+ all have traction control, which seems to work pretty well. I prefer simple mechanical things myself, but ended up with a 2000 lx with all the do-dads and I love it.

 

[rstl99]

Thanks for the thoughts and information ylexot. Looks like you've owned a few 60 series too!
I must admit the ride in this LC was pretty nice, considering it's a 200K miles vehicle.
Good to know about the rear air, I didn't realize it's a separate system from the front. I'll check out the temp setting on it next time I look at the truck. Mind you, my kids have left the roost so I'll be largely driving this thing by myself, or with the dog heading up to the cottage, and she prefers having an open window to AC!

The paint code (1C3) indicates "riverock green mica" but the seller called his truck "grey" and it looked kind of grey to me. Maybe it's a nuance kind of thing, and not an indication that the truck could have been repainted at one time...

It has aftermarket black wheels. The rear door spoiler is gone. Bit of a dent under the fuel cap cover, otherwise the body looked quite good all around. There is a hitch which is covered with a generous coating of that black grease-oil that was put on some of the rust spots underneath.

I hadn't heard (yet) about the weaker diffs in the 98-99s. I suppose each year of LC has its pros and cons.

Anyway, will see what the paperwork reveals and take it from there. I'm in no rush, but don't want to needlessly pass up a good specimen, hoping for something better to come along (which invariably happens, though these vehicles are not exactly in plentiful local supply here, especially LC's of that era - more LXs in Canada obviously).

 

[rstl99]

A couple of other shots from underneath...

 

[PADDO]

I noticed the rear AC wasn't blowing nearly as cold as the front, so maybe there is a rusted line issue there.
...

The front and rear ac system uses the one common compressor, rear isn't independent, so if cooling is good at the front it's likely you don't have a leak. I've never bothered to measure the temp differentials between front and rear, personally I think the rear system is more of a supplemental system with smaller design capacity than the front main system and it can't remove BTUs at the same rate.

 

[Dog]

The paint code (1C3) indicates "riverock green mica" but the seller called his truck "grey" and it looked kind of grey to me. Maybe it's a nuance kind of thing, and not an indication that the truck could have been repainted at one time...

It has aftermarket black wheels.

That sure appears to be River Rock Green Mica from your pics, I wouldn't sweat it. Also, those are LX wheels, not aftermarket.

 

[montegofd3s]

I can tell you that my rear a/c does not blow as cold as the front, but it helps cool things down a lot faster and maintain temp on those 97 degree days like today. I have never really tested the difference between the two in a scientific way, but merely doing a hand by the vent test I can tell. Still use it all the time though.

 

[ponytl]

The miles would be an almost non issues.... dependent on price, everything has a fair value based on all factors, Being from a non rust zone we tend to run at the first sign of any rust, just because we can always find something without it... But if you are use to it as you say then you understand it and know how to value accordingly. What I can say is within 300 miles of me I could find a "like" truck with fewer miles and zero rust in the 8-9k price range that spent it's life most likely with a soccer mom or run to home depot dad (no snow & never been off road) I have seen an original water pump and timing belt @ 172k that still appeared to be fine... all in all Great trucks but only you know what it's worth to you...

 

[rstl99]

Thanks for confirmation on original paint color, and clarifying that it's normal for rear AC not to blow as cold as the front. This forum is always so helpful with information like that, I appreciate it.

You're no doubt right, Ponytl, and in your neck of the woods nicer, less worn LC's like this one are likely commonly available, no rust, pampered, and for the same price that they are selling up here (more or less). Location location location. I prefer to buy locally than to cast a very wide net (once flew to Labrador to drive back a Land-Rover but that's when I was a younger man), and certainly to go through the trouble of importing a "southern truck" as some other people do to avoid undercarriage rust of any significance.

There was an LX470 for sale locally about six weeks ago, 95 or 96 I forget, about same mileage as this 99 LC, no records, in sore need of front axle work, exhaust, all-season tires and God knows how much other neglected maintenance (female second owner who brought it up from the US and didn't seem to have much of an idea about maintenance of any kind - the oil was very old and dirty for ex), very worn front seats and door paneling, non-working AC. Anyway I was in the process of selling my Dodge truck that weekend so couldn't move on it, and someone from out of town snapped it up at her price ($4500) and apparently is shipping it to Africa! This LC is much nicer inside and outside, and has probably seen better maintenance than that LX in the last 4-5 years.

 

[rstl99]

Update: unfortunately there are no service records for this LC. The folders the seller had are in fact printed out copies of the FSM. It seems the PO was an engineer who did most of his own repairs on the truck, hence no shop service receipts.

I put a carboard under the drivetrain while we talked inside the running truck, and didn't see any indication of dripping oil or fluids (other than water from the AC).

My next step will be take it into Toyota dealership and have them do a thorough PPI so I know what I'm up against.

The dent in the driver rear wheel flare is more significant and noticeable than I had first thought - parking lot hit and run. Other than that, no sign of rust or body repairs, just very small surface rust spots (half-dime size) that were touched up with paint by the PO.

The truck has been thoroughly rustproofed in the past by one of the usual companies up here (they drill holes in bottom of doors and body panels, and insert long rods to shoot rustproofing oil in all the nooks and crannies, as well as undercoat the underside with this oil on an annual basis).

So it comes down to mechanical inspection and report at this point, and then agreeing on a price based on what needs to be done now and in the near future.

 

[ponytl]

Just curious is it a big deal to purchase a car in the states if you live in Canada? hoops to jump through? is it age dependent? good luck with the LC the suction cup dent puller they sell at Harbor freight for $10 might pop that dent out... it works better than my professional pump up glass installer suction cups....

 

[rstl99]

Just curious is it a big deal to purchase a car in the states if you live in Canada? hoops to jump through? is it age dependent? good luck with the LC the suction cup dent puller they sell at Harbor freight for $10 might pop that dent out... it works better than my professional pump up glass installer suction cups....

I used to look into this cross-border buying years ago, since "the grass is always greener" and "southern US trucks are always less rusty". But I never went through with it. Somehow a southern US vehicle like I was looking for always popped up around me, so I benefitted from someone else bringing one in. With Free Trade between our two countries you'd think it'd be easier, but I think it's more straightforward for car dealers to do so, and deal with import-export firms who handle the paperwork, duty issues etc. An individual has to look after all that himself. And there are safety requirement differences that necessitate some mods on US vehicles for licencing up here.
I heard that since our canadian dollar is only worth .80 of the US greenback, a lot of used cars in Canada are headed down for sale in the US, because there's apparently a big market for used cars (post-recession) and there's a buck or two to be made selling a canadian car for more money down in the States.

Yeah, a dent puller may pop that sucker out, with help from the other side. We'll see how things go with the LC deal. Seller is not in a huge hurry and is not dealing with competing buyers, so it's a bit more relaxing for me.

 

[djernie]

That undercarriage doesn't look too bad at all, especially for a NE rig. Looks like some grease or oil, perhaps from the cv boot, has gotten some bits dirty, but it appears to be just in the one area.

Good maintenance history including the tb/wp are the moan things. These things go a long way with a little care. The rear air may need a recharge. I've heard that the system is in the roof, so I doubt it is rust if that is the case. Check the temp setting right behind the DS middle passenger seat. Could be that it isn't all the way low. (One of my few complaints is that there isn't complete driver control over rear air. My boys will get big enough to figure it out soon.)

200k is well broken in, but I've seen a lot of these go 300+ with no major issues. I haven't seen or heard of many going 400k yet, but they're still kind of new. But they are also very pleasant to drive, so I expect the high mileage rigs today will keep Piling up the miles. There may be a fair amount of primary maintenance to do, but if it passes your inspection, thedealer inspection, and your gut, and fits your budget, then sounds good to me, for what that's worth.

One thing to know, in case you haven't heard, the 98 and 99 years have a weaker don't diff. Seems they don't hold up.well to spinning tires suddenly gaining traction. These are the only years that had the rear locker option though, so there's a trade off for you. 2000+ all have traction control, which seems to work pretty well. I prefer simple mechanical things myself, but ended up with a 2000 lx with all the do-dads and I love it.

This owner has over 450 thousand on his 100 and I am catching up to him. ryanundertrees. I will have my 99 LC forever.