Need some advice

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nick9871

nick9871

15 Year 10 Year
Joined
Dec 1, 2006
Threads
1
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3
Hello,

My younger brother (17 y.o) is looking for a used SUV. He needs something that is good in the snow, he snowboards, and is easy to drive. He is also a large kid and his friends are very tall, so no compact SUV's are really worthwhile. I want him to get something that is reliable and easy to drive in incliment weather.

Do you think a 1991 to 1996 FJ80 may be too much truck for him? I have had full size bronco's, lifted grand cherokee's, and my buddy has jeeps as well. I have done all my own work.

My plan is for him to get something and then I will do a whole bunch of preventitive maintanence on it, and hopefully it will be reliable.

The 4runner's were another option but they seem to be pretty spendy for what you get and it seems like pre 1995 models are not very reliable.

Any opinions would be great!
 
I just purchased a '92 FJ 80 with 180,000 miles on it. The FJ runs perfectly, passed my emissions test here in TN with 40HC's (max is 400), and drives better than my '01 Ford truck ever did. These trucks are amazing. I don't think you can find a better rig for your brother. The only thing that would keep me from buying the 91 to 92 model year for a younger driver, would be the lack of airbags. I think they added airbags in the '93 model FJ's. I'm sure many will chime in here soon with tons more knowledge than I have. I'm just new to the FJ thing.

Check out the FAQ just above for all the info you'll ever need on the 80's.

Welcome to MUD.
 
MJADDICTION said:
I just purchased a '92 FJ 80 with 180,000 miles on it. The FJ runs perfectly, passed my emissions test here in TN with 40HC's (max is 400), and drives better than my '01 Ford truck ever did. These trucks are amazing. I don't think you can find a better rig for your brother. The only thing that would keep me from buying the 91 to 92 model year for a younger driver, would be the lack of airbags. I think they added airbags in the '93 model FJ's. I'm sure many will chime in here soon with tons more knowledge than I have. I'm just new to the FJ thing.

Check out the FAQ just above for all the info you'll ever need on the 80's.

Welcome to MUD.
Click to expand...

Airbags didn't make it on the cruiser until 94 or 95.
 
Start Here - 80/LX450 FAQs

Read as much of the FAQs as are applicable to what you need to know (like Slees noob guide) but don't mire yourself in all of the mods and what not that can be done yet.

Then, once you've digested as much as possible but still need some clarification on issues pop back in and ask. Most important though would be to get your brother in an 80 and have him drive one to see how it "fits" :D

Oh, and welcome to MUD :flipoff2:
 
I read through the faq's. They were great! But I was wondering what I should pay for a rig like the ones i listed. I do not think the first one has lockers...
 
nick9871 said:
I read through the faq's. They were great! But I was wondering what I should pay for a rig like the ones i listed. I do not think the first one has lockers...
Click to expand...

Definitely would consider the maroon one over the other but more for the year which since you read through the FAQs makes sense to you why I say that....$10K seems high IMO unless you are looking for an already modified rig and this one fits perfectly. Seems like the owner has done a lot of the required maintenance items but also left some things un-done (caster correction)?

Just looking quickly over the mods I would say the owner has $3K to $5K worth of mods on it that you may or may not be interested in paying for. 99% of the time an owner will lose money when they mod a vehicle and then go to sell it. You never get your money back :frown:.

If things aren't exactly what you want then you will spend precious $$ swapping stuff out.

On the color...Is that the original paint? Maybe it is just the lighting making it look more rust color than maroon...
 
P.S. You don't state where you live but have you looked at the for sale section on MUD? There are some built 80s for sale that may be options for you/your brother.
 
My 1st vehicle was also 13 yrs. old. It was 13yrs old and on its last leg. The great thing about the cruisers is that 13 yrs. (like one of mine) is like a person turning 40. There will be a little more maintenance compared to when we were in the mid twenties, but there are still a ton of good years left. I can't think of a better vehicle for what you describe he needs. What other rigs in that price range can handle snow and other driving conditions with the grace of the 80's? You buy an 8 year old rover or heep and you are playing with fire (maybe literally w/ the rovers electrical issues). There could be some very spendy repairs in your future. With the 80's and your ability to wrench compared with the prices of QUALITY OEM parts for great prices from Dan, you will be hard pressed to find another equal opportunity. The 80's are not perfect (possible head gasket issues, PHH, gas mileage), but their flaws are a lot more easily overcome (repaired) than many others. I know electrical issues can be demons (read $ and time) and that alone would keep me away from the rovers. If you are not in a hurry, great deals can be had (my 93' was purchased 14 months ago with 84,000 miles no lockers for $9600 in fantastic shape. My 97' LX was purchased last Dec. with 85,000 miles, locked and loaded in PRISTINE, dealer maintained condition for $14,500 OTD. I am happy with both purchases but in both cases I was able to negotiate for a month before buying.

Just do your homework and really inspect each vehicle to make sure that the PO/POs cared for the rig and you/your brother could enjoy 10+ more years out of a 13yr. old vehicle.

BTW IMHO, avoid 1991-1992 if going through mountains is on the agenda.

Smit
 
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Both of those are decent deals

That seems to be what the 91/92s go for in the PNW in the winter, but the mileage is kinda high on both of them
 
The maroon one would be my choice of the two. Hell if you dont like the ARB, you could sell it here for $600-$700 easy. The CDL would be great for the snowy mountains. If it is/was maintained as led to be believed, that motor has a lot of life left (so does the other one for that matter). hanna sliders could also fetch some coin on here if you didn't want them. And it is locked, which to me is worth paying and extra grand (but maybe not to you)

just my $.02

Smit
 
Nick,

An 80 will be a great choice for him. Try to shop in areas with little rust.
 
I live here in Spokane and they want a lot for them over here, depending on how comfortable you feel with ebay and such I bought mine in texas, had the seller take it to a local toyota dealer, payed $120 for them to give me a detailed breakdown of the whole rig and after shipping and everything I bought my 97 for $10,500 to my door step.
 
nick9871 said:
... He is also a large kid and his friends are very tall, ...
Click to expand...

I really don't think an 80 is suited for four bigger than average kids/adults. If the front seats are all the way back, the people in the back better be short. I'd check out the comfort if that is an issue.

People in the Seattle area seem to think their Land Cruisers are gold plated or something. Prices seem extremely high. I find it hard to believe people are actually buying at the listed prices.

Tom
 
It is important to remember that the 80 series was a very expensive vehicle when sold new and it carries that over when it comes to looking after one properly. The prices for complete vehicles have dropped a great deal but replacement parts and other ownership costs have not. In fact they continue to rise. A new fender costs more now that it did when a 50,000 dollar 1997 80 was brand new.

The bottom line is that to properly care for and feed one is not cheap. Who is paying for that?
 
The craigslist ads seem in line with the PNW. The maroon one actually seems like a deal if in good condition, IMHO.
 
a 91 and 92 limited power would be a plus for a 17 y.o. I would think....
 
The maroon one looks like a good deal :

center diff lock switch
electric lockers front and rear <LOCKERS!
 
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