Looking for opinions on this truck. Purchase, or avoid? (1 Viewer)

Location

United States

Hi all,

A relative of mine is considering purchasing this truck in Florida. 2005 Toyota LandCruiser. He has asked me for my thoughts, and in general I think it looks OK. The attached CarFax shows low mileage and number of owners, pretty good dealer maintenance history, but also that it lived nearly its entire life in the NE so rust is an obvious concern. Some underside pics are attached - there is some rust and it looks like it was spray painted over to obscure its true condition. That being said, I've seen 100 series with a LOT more rust, so I'm trying to get a sense of whether this is an immediate non-starter, or just something to keep an eye on in the future. My thought is that it's the latter but I have never owned a 100, and definitely didn't enjoy working on a rusty 60 years ago. If the body is rust free, would you proceed?

Thanks,
Tighe

 

[Devils Paw 80]

I would recommend that he, you, or someone you guys trust take a look in person at the undercarriage. Yeah, someone took black paint to the frame.
Considering that the body looks good, it's unlikely the frame is too bad, but ya never know.
Nice that this one has been left in stock condition, not defaced with ugly modifications. The paint color is one of my least favorites for the 100 series, but then there's no accounting for taste and I'm not the one interested!

 

[Tighe]

I would recommend that he, you, or someone you guys trust take a look in person at the undercarriage...

Thanks for the reply. Yes, the current plan is to have someone local check it out and take it for a spin. I advised him to ask the selling dealer about the paint too - sometimes their response in a situation like this can be illuminating. Nice 80 btw. My old 80 is the car I most regret parting with...

 

[87warrior]

That frame is crusty. I am not one that is afraid of rust, but I do fear what a shady dealer might paint over. The exhaust piping probably rusted away and has been replaced with poorly fit aftermarket. Looks like the fuel tank skid has rotted away too. Based on the asking price, I'd give it a solid, "NOPE."

 

[Tighe]

That frame is crusty. I am not one that is afraid of rust, but I do fear what a shady dealer might paint over. The exhaust piping probably rusted away and has been replaced with poorly fit aftermarket. Looks like the fuel tank skid has rotted away too. Based on the asking price, I'd give it a solid, "NOPE."

Haha, thank you!

 

[Bisho]

I think its way overpriced given the rust. I hate working on rust. There should be plenty of rust free trucks to choose from in Florida, so I would pass. This truck will also be harder to sell later in Florida.

 

[nissanh]

I'd avoid vehicles for sale in FL.

 

[zgfiredude]

It's had some body work done....both front fenders (and likely the hood) have been repainted as they are missing the pinstripes. Also the passenger rear 1/4 and maybe passenger rear door have been repainted. I didn't look at the carfax, does it show accidents? That could be why the miles are lower as it spend some time being rebuilt.....it the title clear and not branded?

I agree that it's too much money most likely given the rust and body repairs at a minimum.

 

[Tighe]

It's had some body work done....both front fenders (and likely the hood) have been repainted as they are missing the pinstripes...

Wow that's really great insight, thank you very much! The CarFax indicates no accidents and a clear title, but who knows what the reality is. I would think that the 15-20k range would be able to get a decent 100 series, perhaps this one's not it.

 

[smoltz]

Pass.

 

[cruisin4bruisins]

Its obvious that they painted over some rust, it doesnt look bad but its definitely something i would have a pro take a look at, even if it cost $150 before a purchase. I would find a shop that does custom metal work, somewhere that deals with metal. If its bad rust it could be really expensive and might not even pass inspection in some states.

 

[NE Snowman]

Pass, yall live in the south. The paint on the frame looks more like cover up than proper sand and repaint. It’s going to trap moisture instead and accelerate the rust. You could stick a scope inside to see what that looks like in the frame rail. Drop the spare, almost always the worst area.

Carfax isn’t end all be all. Lots of missed stuff on them.

 

[smoltz]

Thing lived in mass for 15 years, thats all that needs to be said.

 

[NoogaCruiser]

Don't waste your time on this one, especially with where prices have fallen lately. For 17k you should be able to find a decent mileage, rust-free, well cared for example pretty easily. There's guaranteed to be much more rust than you can see. I'm thinking the rear hatch and tailgate are probably eat up too.

 

[Tighe]

Thank you all very much for the insights. I appreciate it! I will advise accordingly...

 

[jlm43]

I've been watching this one since last October when I hit a deer. It was originally priced at $19,900 and I probably would have went to look at it if I needed a replacement. After looking at those pictures, I'm glad I didn't need to. I'm in the northeast and up here they all end up looking like that, I just don't like starting from that.

I'll agree with the rest and pass on this one.