New 80 series owner - Did I make a Mistake? (2 Viewers)

[UPNorthBckWoods]

Hi all! I've been lurking on IH8mud for about a month now, and this seems like a great community.

I've recently purchased my first Landcruiser, a 97 FJZ 80 series. I'm both excited and worried. I'll elaborate a bit on how I came to purchase this rig. If you just want the pertinent info without the explanation, skip the next paragraph.

My '04 AWD MT Honda Element's unibody is about to fail due to rust, so I decided I'd better look for another vehicle to drive year round. I'm traditionally a GM guy, but have had a great ownership experience with my honda, so I was looking at Hondas and Toyotas as well. My family has recently grown to 4, so I started thinking something bigger and safer than an Element might be a better choice. I live in an area where we can get 300+ inches of snow a season, and half of the cars on the road are full size pickups with plows in the winter. I am also 100 miles from the nearest Honda or Toyota dealers. One day I happen across a 97 landcruiser on Facebook market for less than most 4 runners I've seen. The photos look better than most older Toyotas for sale locally, and it has front and rear locking diffs! My recollection of landcruiser's was that they were pretty stout vehicles - should get through the deep snow well. I figured based on my honda experience that repairs may be a little more expensive, and parts may be a day or two out, but all together reasonable. I figure it will be the same for a Toyota. A quick Google search shows these are very reliable highly regarded vehicles, and the asking price seems pretty good. According to youtube this is the most reliable and off road capable vehicle ever mass marketed and I can drive it from Michigan to Africa and back again! (Taken with a grain of salt). It was 9 hours from me, but much closer to my parents. Based on a test drive by my parents, and a conversation with the PO, I buy it. Excited about my new daily driver I start to learn more about it.... like it has a fork lift engine, a bus transmission, and front end hub assembly that was developed for use on lunar rovers. I start to worry about parts cost and availability...

So I find myself the proud and concerned owner of an FZJ 80 with a lot of rust (albeit little rust for the age and miles for where I live), and a lot of quirks. Most concerning is some play in the front wheel bearings?, and bad rear shocks. Annoying is the floppy parking brake that doesn't seem to be attached to the floor, the shift lock that always locks, the ABS light on the dash, the attena that won't go all the way up or down, the cigarette lighter socket that seems not to work, the rear window sprayer that actually activates the front sprayers, the very large tear in the drivers seat and the fraying seatbelt.

My intent for this rig isn't to cross deserts or rock crawl in Moab. It is to be a safe capable family hauler 4 seasons, no matter how bad the weather, that can explore some local trails in the summer within an hour of my house. I can't help but really like the Landcruiser. It's such a cool vehicle and I understand its following, but my question is do I keep this one, or put it back up for sale in the spring before something goes seriously wrong? Anything I drive in the winter here will eventually succumb to rust. I am a novice home mechanic- I've replaced rear shocks on a not rusty yukon, front quick struts on a rusty honda element, and have unbolted/ unplugged a few things that weren't working under the hood to replace then with things that were working. I only own a butane torch, I don't weld, and I know with rust something as simple as replacing a tie rod end can become a seemingly impossible task...

I took off the running boards ( the drivers side was falling off) and I plan to change differential and transfer case fluids this weekend. Also change oil and oil filter while I'm at it. I'll snap a few detailed pictures and some shots of the underbody while I'm there. If I keep it I'd finish baselining it, probably apply fluid film or similar after some wire wheel work, put new possibly upgraded shocks all around, and try to fix everything I could within reason. Would probably have to have the Birfield service done professionally as I think given the rust, it would be beyond my abilities. If I stick it back up for sale, will probably put OEM shocks in back, fix what little things I can without much expense, and hope to get back out what I'll have into it.

Thanks for the welcome and any experienced Insight provided.

 

[suzuguru]

Well... it really depends on how long you want to drive it. Sounds like pretty much everything you've heard about them is basically true. Parts aren't too expensive, though. I would say they are just typical. As far as rust goes, pretty much everything you're going to find will be the same in your area. (unless you just get extremely lucky and find the one that grandpa always kept in the garage during the winter) The lockers are a definite plus, especially when it's time to sell. However, they won't be much help to you in the winter, as lockers are usually a hinderance on snow and ice, rather than a help. (might be helpful in the snow, if you find yourself in a ditch or hung up on some rocks) On the flip side, they can be a tremendous help as long as snow and ice aren't a factor. My suggestion, would be to give it a good, solid baseline, treat it with fluid film, then drive it, while gradually working on the small details.

 

[greentruck]

Most concerning is some play in the front wheel bearings?, and bad rear shocks. Annoying is the floppy parking brake that doesn't seem to be attached to the floor, the shift lock that always locks, the ABS light on the dash, the attena that won't go all the way up or down, the cigarette lighter socket that seems not to work, the rear window sprayer that actually activates the front sprayers, the very large tear in the drivers seat and the fraying seatbelt.

If you're a novice mechanic, you can already handle most of that and learn the rest with the help you can find here is Search doesn't give you clear answers. The wheel bearing thing is both the most worrisome and the one that's a little more complex than most of the rest. We'll return to that in a minute.

Bad rear shocks are hopefully just bad. Soak everything you need to turn to get the old off for a week or more with your favorite loosening juice.

That parking brake...well they're all bad on the 80 series, after all that's why Mr. T gave us "Meriscan's all auto transmissions, so we'd have Park handy. Seriously, these can be a bit of a project and aren't all that good when all fixed up. Gotta keep your priorities in order, but there's probably a rust issue back at the rear wheels if you do want to deal with it.

Not sure about what shift lock is? The overdrive button?

That ABS light..,.probably need to clean the sensors that are in the front axle if you do go after those wheel bearings. Otherwise, they come out by loosening one bolt, wipe the face of the sensor clean and put back in. That may clear things up.

The antenna. If the mechanism is working it probably just needs a new mast, about $15 on ebay and you just feed it in after getting what you can of the old one out.

Ciggie socket? Check the fuse first, otherwise might dig behind that part of the dash, comes out with a little prying once you take the screws for the ashtray below and cubby hole/poor excuse for a cupholder above out. The connector may be loose or ? It's right there behind the dash.

The windshield washers front and back come off the same tank and pump. Which gets the soaking is controlled by a valve that is just in front of driver and a little lower on the inside if the fender from the brake booster. That thing will get cruded up and not shift to where you want it to go. R&R most likely is all it needs.

A seat cover is a good way to deal with that seat. The seatbelt, has just become available again, so long as you want gray.

Good luck. The 80 may run it's last miles under your hand, but that's a long way from now if you want it to be that way.

 

[White Stripe]

For a commuter a 80 series isn't the best choice. They lack many of the modern safety tech items and they are slow and get poor fuel mileage. A newer 4runner or Sequoia would be a better choice. They have airbags-lots of them. And they have abs systems that are very advanced. The fuel injection is also more efficient.

 

[NeverFinis]

This is from someone who has owned Toyotas for 30+ years, and I have owned a LX450 for the last 24 years.

I personally wouldn't buy an 80 series as a primary vehicle. Youtube might say they are reliable, but they are not, at least by modern standards. Was it reliable compared to its peers for the time? Sure, but they aren't even close to the reliability of a modern vehicle from any manufacturer.

These are 30 year old vehicles that need constant maintenance and care. Prepare to wrench, or prepare to pay someone to wrench.

I personally love to wrench, so I don't mind working on my LX450. But, I also have a commuter car (Ford Focus @ 205K miles) that I rarely ever work on, other than brakes, and oil. We had a Ford Fusion AWD 3.0 V6 go to 350K miles before we traded it in. We changed the serpentine belt once (150K miles), Spark plugs (every 100K miles), regular oil and air filter changes. That was it. No rust. No major mechanical issues. No reliability issues.

BTW, start soaking that undercarriage/frame in a rust preventative like Fluid Film.

 

[BILT4ME]

Hi all! I've been lurking on IH8mud for about a month now, and this seems like a great community.

I've recently purchased my first Landcruiser, a 97 FJZ 80 series. I'm both excited and worried. I'll elaborate a bit on how I came to purchase this rig. If you just want the pertinent info without the explanation, skip the next paragraph.

My '04 AWD MT Honda Element's unibody is about to fail due to rust, so I decided I'd better look for another vehicle to drive year round. I'm traditionally a GM guy, but have had a great ownership experience with my honda, so I was looking at Hondas and Toyotas as well. My family has recently grown to 4, so I started thinking something bigger and safer than an Element might be a better choice. I live in an area where we can get 300+ inches of snow a season, and half of the cars on the road are full size pickups with plows in the winter. I am also 100 miles from the nearest Honda or Toyota dealers. One day I happen across a 97 landcruiser on Facebook market for less than most 4 runners I've seen. The photos look better than most older Toyotas for sale locally, and it has front and rear locking diffs! My recollection of landcruiser's was that they were pretty stout vehicles - should get through the deep snow well. I figured based on my honda experience that repairs may be a little more expensive, and parts may be a day or two out, but all together reasonable. I figure it will be the same for a Toyota. A quick Google search shows these are very reliable highly regarded vehicles, and the asking price seems pretty good. According to youtube this is the most reliable and off road capable vehicle ever mass marketed and I can drive it from Michigan to Africa and back again! (Taken with a grain of salt). It was 9 hours from me, but much closer to my parents. Based on a test drive by my parents, and a conversation with the PO, I buy it. Excited about my new daily driver I start to learn more about it.... like it has a fork lift engine, a bus transmission, and front end hub assembly that was developed for use on lunar rovers. I start to worry about parts cost and availability...

So I find myself the proud and concerned owner of an FZJ 80 with a lot of rust (albeit little rust for the age and miles for where I live), and a lot of quirks. Most concerning is some play in the front wheel bearings?, and bad rear shocks. Annoying is the floppy parking brake that doesn't seem to be attached to the floor, the shift lock that always locks, the ABS light on the dash, the attena that won't go all the way up or down, the cigarette lighter socket that seems not to work, the rear window sprayer that actually activates the front sprayers, the very large tear in the drivers seat and the fraying seatbelt.

My intent for this rig isn't to cross deserts or rock crawl in Moab. It is to be a safe capable family hauler 4 seasons, no matter how bad the weather, that can explore some local trails in the summer within an hour of my house. I can't help but really like the Landcruiser. It's such a cool vehicle and I understand its following, but my question is do I keep this one, or put it back up for sale in the spring before something goes seriously wrong? Anything I drive in the winter here will eventually succumb to rust. I am a novice home mechanic- I've replaced rear shocks on a not rusty yukon, front quick struts on a rusty honda element, and have unbolted/ unplugged a few things that weren't working under the hood to replace then with things that were working. I only own a butane torch, I don't weld, and I know with rust something as simple as replacing a tie rod end can become a seemingly impossible task...

I took off the running boards ( the drivers side was falling off) and I plan to change differential and transfer case fluids this weekend. Also change oil and oil filter while I'm at it. I'll snap a few detailed pictures and some shots of the underbody while I'm there. If I keep it I'd finish baselining it, probably apply fluid film or similar after some wire wheel work, put new possibly upgraded shocks all around, and try to fix everything I could within reason. Would probably have to have the Birfield service done professionally as I think given the rust, it would be beyond my abilities. If I stick it back up for sale, will probably put OEM shocks in back, fix what little things I can without much expense, and hope to get back out what I'll have into it.

Thanks for the welcome and any experienced Insight provided.

View attachment 3532600

Welcome!

You can make your truck what you want it to be. Just because it was less expensive than most 4Runners, does not mean it will be a cheap vehicle to own.
Many here are saying to not Daily Drive (DD) it.
I DD mine to the tune of 15-20K per year.
Toyota parts are not as cheap as GM parts. For a reason. You need to shop your parts. You live 100 miles from the nearest Toyota dealer. That's not as big of a deal as it used to be. Your truck is 27 years old. Things wear out, Previous Owners (PO's) do poor maintenance or bad repairs.

You need to do a serious baseline, which you are starting with fluids. Get the RIGHT fluids for each component.
Download the proper Factory Service Manual (FSM) from the resources section above.
Buy tools.
Do the work yourself.

One of the great things about these trucks is that they are not hard to work on. They are pretty basic. I have taught at least one person how to work on his LC and he had no prior knowledge. By the time we were done, he replaced valve cover seals and rebuilt his front knuckles.

Search this forum.
Don't get butthurt.
Listen to what folks are telling you on here. We are here to help. We may call you an idiot or other creative names, but brush it off and get on with life.
These trucks typically do NOT like aftermarket parts from Friendly Local Auto Parts Store (FLAPS), although sometimes they are necessary.

There are threads on here dedicated to everything you need or want to do to your truck. Search for what you need. Read the threads, a lot. If you don't know what something means, ask. If you don't know anything, say so. If you know everything, say that too. Both things help us understand how to treat you.

Everything you listed in your first post is easily achieved by you with a bit of planning a few days of down time, and some patience.

Early warnings of some things to avoid or do immediately:
1) Do NOT use a WIX or NAPA Gold oil filter. Toyota YZZD3 is the right one for your truck.
2) Check your nuts. This refers to the 4 nuts on the bottom of each front knuckle. It takes a 17mm wrench and they need to be torqued to 71 LB-FT. These are known to work loose and the Right Front (RF) knuckle may fall off while on the road. Not kidding. This is a big deal.
3) Search for threads on where to buy parts. I know I have recently posted about my buying methods and locations that may help. The internet is your friend and you can have parts delivered to your doorstep fairly easily.
4) Download the FSM. Only use Toyota FSM and not Haynes, Chilton's or other off-breed manuals.
5) Safety is important. Seat belts, proper maintenance, lighting, tires pressures all are major contributors to this.
6) These are NOT cheap to own and operate. They drink gas (Mine gets 11.5 MPG average) Parts are expensive, but they can run very well on poor maintenance.
7) Don't just get on here and ask for part numbers for something. Do a F'n search.
8) Don't ask what oil to use. Do a F'n search. Read your manual. Read the oil fill cap on the engine.
9) Don't ask what are the best tires to run. Those people on the Left Coast think everyone lives on rocks and desert. Do a F'n search. You're close enough to Canada to run Blizzaks.
10) If you want someone to come see your post or ask a question of a specific individual, you can "call them" to a thread with the @ symbol in front of their screen name.
I have run for 150K miles with little other than gas, oil, tires, and basic maintenance. I am in the process of pulling together a major Preventive Maintenance (PM) project that will allow me to do another 150K with basics.

Pictures. We all like pictures. Lots of them. You can include pics of your significant other if you like.

Congratulations on being a part of the most unique vehicle forum you'll even experience.

 

[UPNorthBckWoods]

Thanks for all the great advice and information. I do realize that an old 80 series isn't the most practical commuter, but I am a bit of a car enthusiasts, old SUV enthusiasts more specifically, and having an interesting DD that I'm happy to get in and drive most days is worth some compromises. I think it is capable of serving my purpose. My wife's '11 suburban serves as our long trip family hauler and her DD. My summer DD's switch between a GMT400 Suburban and 2dr Yukon. They get 14 mpg on a good day.

I took a few more pictures of the rig, some details of the rust. I also took pictures of a couple plugs that aren't plugged into anything underneath. Anyone know what they are for?

Found out today I don't have a Cat, looks to have been deleted by the PO. I did the rear diff and realized there are crush washers I didn't have. Based on the Doorman generic washer the parts store gave for the oil plug, I heeded the advice and decided to order OEM crush washers for the diffs and transfer case online - the rest will have to be next weekends project. I already had an OEM toyota oil filter based on the info I previously read on here. The oil filter on it was a brand I'd never hear of, there was no crush washer on the plug, and the oil looked quite dirty. The rear diff fluid was black, opaque, and smelled burned. I don't think this rig was well cared for by the PO

I will try no to ask too many stupid questions, but I'm sure I'll ask a few and this may be one - It doesn't look like there is much room between the bump stops and the axle in the rear - is this due to the bad shocks, or can I conclude my coil springs are tired and need to be replaced as well?

Thanks in advance.

 

[greentruck]

Not sure about the unplugged plugs. There are some test points (?) scattered around the various harnesses, so may be inconsequential.

You're doing the right thing on getting the ciorrect crush washers on those diff drain plugs. Note that you can also get Allen head plugs to replace the standard bolt head ones that are less likely to be damaged and more likely to avoid getting rounded off.

Aiee, that rust. You won't hurt it much more by winter driving it IMO.

As for the coils, they are likely original and coils get tired. Replacing with new will likely improve the ride as well as keeping your butt from dragging. If OEM are not available, going with OME stock height coils is a good alternative.

 

[Kernal]

"It's such a cool vehicle and I understand its following, but my question is do I keep this one, or put it back up for sale in the spring before something goes seriously wrong?" (This)

"the floppy parking brake that doesn't seem to be attached to the floor" (Because it no longer is)

"the running boards ( the drivers side was falling off)" (Not a good sign)

"probably apply fluid film or similar after some wire wheel work" (change that to after replacing the frame and body)

"I started thinking something bigger and safer than an Element might be a better choice." (not if the frame cracks while driving at 70mph or the body comes off it's mounts due to rust)

"this is the most reliable and off road capable vehicle ever mass marketed" (not in it's current condition)

IMHO, it may be too far gone.

So one option is to sell the rusty one as soon as you can then find one in the South or Western US without rust, put temp plates on that one and drive it home.

But if you do find a clean rust free 80 Series have it professionally rustproofed (complete (ie Ziebart or similar) rust proofing treatment $1000-1500) (B E F O R E) you drive it in winter weather, ice, snow, salt, etc. IME rust free vehicles that spent their lives in the South or West rapidly develop rust after they enter the Dead Zone rust belt.

Expect to spend $10,000-15,000++ for a good one then spend another $5000 minimum to get everything right. What you spend is determined somewhat by what repairs/service you can do yourself versus paying someone to do it.

These are not inexpensive vehicles to buy, drive, or keep up.

 

[UPNorthBckWoods]

"It's such a cool vehicle and I understand its following, but my question is do I keep this one, or put it back up for sale in the spring before something goes seriously wrong?" (This)

"the floppy parking brake that doesn't seem to be attached to the floor" (Because it no longer is)

"the running boards ( the drivers side was falling off)" (Not a good sign)

"probably apply fluid film or similar after some wire wheel work" (change that to after replacing the frame and body)

"I started thinking something bigger and safer than an Element might be a better choice." (not if the frame cracks while driving at 70mph or the body comes off it's mounts due to rust)

"this is the most reliable and off road capable vehicle ever mass marketed" (not in it's current condition)

IMHO, it may be too far gone.

So one option is to sell the rusty one as soon as you can then find one in the South or Western US without rust, put temp plates on that one and drive it home.

But if you do find a clean rust free 80 Series have it professionally rustproofed (complete (ie Ziebart or similar) rust proofing treatment $1000-1500) (B E F O R E) you drive it in winter weather, ice, snow, salt, etc. IME rust free vehicles that spent their lives in the South or West rapidly develop rust after they enter the Dead Zone rust belt.

Expect to spend $10,000-15,000++ for a good one then spend another $5000 minimum to get everything right. What you spend is determined somewhat by what repairs/service you can do yourself versus paying someone to do it.

These are not a inexpensive vehicles to buy, drive, or keep up.

That's the thing that gives me pause with this. I don't mind spending good money to maintain or improve a vehicle that is going to maintain or even appreciate in value for that cost of ownership investment. I'm afraid this will have a high cost of ownership/ mait. cost (not really woried about fuel economy) and soon have little to no value due to the unstoppable rust issues. If I can buy something inexpensive ( this was relatively inexpensive), keep something running cheap, and not be out too much when it dies an inevitable rusty death, I can accept that also. I don't know if a Landcruiser can fit that bill now that I'm learning more about them. I could see myself getting one someday from somewhere without rust, enjoying working on it because bolts unbolt instead of break or disintegrate (broke an easy out on it tonight), and never putting it in the salt. As far as I'm concerned there is no way to preserve a clean vehicle while winter driving it here.

 

[CrabCake]

This is a tough one with that much rust...before my 80, I was interested in Audis...I got a "free" 2003 A6 w/2.7 twin turbo and 6 speed manual. Car was from NY state and had pretty heavy corrosion underneath. Top side and interior looked reasonably decent, so I figured it was worth some effort. In the end, spent about $8-10k in OEM parts and didn't even come close to getting it where I wanted to be (100% all my labor). Rusty parts, nuts, bolts, etc. were awful as every 30 minute project took 3 hours to 3 days instead. It was still a $1500 car when I sold it and got a garage fresh '03 RS6 instead for about $12k that was spotless and a joy to wrench on with no rust. Still took some money in parts, but more stuff that I wanted to do rather than must do. I put about $15k into that one including rebuilding turbos and doing a 6 speed swap...ended up selling for $25k.

I was getting back into the truck thing, and decided that the 80 was my choice for the hunt...found a beautiful one in AZ, drove it back to MD, and keep her in the garage. I do wheel it, but I also take great care of it. I guess you are in the same boat that I was with the Audis....always wanted one, got a cheap one to start, spent too much money on it, and ended up getting a much nicer one to replace it. It'll be up to you, but set some budgets and start off with the absolute necessities for safety (brakes, seatbelts, tires, etc.) and future reliability (fluids, hoses, etc.)...sounds like you are on that path now, but it's like gambling...just one more roll of the dice (or parts order) is all it'll take to get it over the finish line....

That said, welcome to the club...I think you'll be hooked no matter what the fate of this one may be for you.

 

[mudgudgeon]

Toyota parts are not as cheap as GM parts. For a reason. You need to drop your pants.

Whuuut?!

 

[mudgudgeon]

Yuuuuurkk!! I would not sink anymore than necessary into something that rusty!

As stated, bringing a 30 year old landcruiser up to scratch will take a decent sized investment of time and money.
Why put that into something so far deteriorated? It's doomed from the get go.

A cheaply purchased cruiser is likely to need a bigger outlay to baseline.
A better maintained/ better condition cruiser might cost more to purchase, but may already have a chunk of work done.

 

[greentruck]

SNIP If I can buy something inexpensive ( this was relatively inexpensive), keep something running cheap, and not be out too much when it dies an inevitable rusty death, I can accept that also. I don't know if a Landcruiser can fit that bill now that I'm learning more about them....As far as I'm concerned there is no way to preserve a clean vehicle while winter driving it here.

If you look at this from the point of view of keeping it running for cheap, it may not be as costly as it might seem with many of us here trying to preserve nice examples of the breed. There was a Canadian member back when I first started who did a lot of things on the cheap and managed to keep it going without any big outlays for several winters. Unless something clearly breaks that;'s vital, these are remarkably rugged and resilient trucks. There's nothing that really stands out as a show-stopper among its issues, especially if you do your own work to the extent possible. When it's time to go, someone will pony up some cash for those locking axles.

 

[Tachycardic]

Personally, I would cut your losses now and sell it. I understand that rust is an issue in the UP, but you are missing chunks of that car due to rust. I see that you're a Honda guy--get a used Ridgeline in decent condition and you'll be happier, and safer.

That being said, I DD my '94, do about 8k a year, and have only 1 regret--the fuel economy. I'm running a little lean atm and can get 18mpg in mostly highway driving, but it's still a lot to fill up especially with UK gas prices. I've owned a a couple of EVs (Tesla and Hyundai) and appreciate their creature comforts and performance, but truth be told, I just like the simplicity of an older car. I don't need a 15in screen and all the electronic nannies, and I don't need to go 0-60 in 3 seconds. They're all distractions. All I need is a radio, AC/heater, cruise control, and actual buttons and switches to control them. Just add an OBD reader and a cell phone for music/GPS, and I have everything I want.

I'm a shadetree mechanic as well. Biggest piece of equipment I own is a 5K floor jack. Maintenance jobs take me far longer than most people here. When the 80 is up on jacks, I have an '01 Honda Civic as a backup car. Should I use the Civic as a DD? Logic says yes, but I enjoy driving the 80 much more.

 

[mudgudgeon]

Life is too short to play with rusty trucks

 

[BILT4ME]

Life is too short to play with rusty trucks

Unless you already own it.

 

[Devils Paw 80]

Let's see a photo from underneath of the rear springs and shocks. If you decide to keep this one, I would NOT be buying new springs unless the current ones are broken or headed in that direction due to excessive rust.

 

[SHIfTHEAD]

IMO that truck is a trail rig now. The rust will make everything hard to do, and it will never stop now that it's that deep. What you can see is about 50% (or less) of the actual rust. If you were my friend I'd tell you to try to at least get your money out of it, make a little if you can of course, and find a different vehicle. I work on all my vehicles and my '97 80 series takes quite a lot of my time. I do drive it almost all the time, but it's a 30 year old vehicle now, and it was in at least a couple of winters. It has fairly minor surface rust underneath, but even that little bit of rust means almost every smallish diameter bolt breaks upon trying to remove it. It's needed a full exhaust, almost every rubber part has been replaced or will be in the next year or so (hoses, window seals, door seals, etc.), brake calipers were replaced because of rust on the pistons, brake lines (30 yr old rubber lines), LPSV (MAJOR PITA), little rust in the rear of the rocker panels needed fixing (I did the work myself), front axle seals replaced (super messy), oil pump seal, fan clutch, radiator, intake hose, seat leather replaced, seat gears replaced, to name all the big jobs. I was into the truck about $2800 because a buddy sold it to me cheap as he was moving overseas, I've spent double that (and likely much more) fixing all the bad stuff. And this is a truck that was way better off that yours is right now. So sorry man, I say cut your losses and find a better vehicle to start with from the get-go. Your mental health will thank you.

 

[Marvelicious]

I don't know... in that part of the country, it doesn't qualify as "rusty" until you can check the tire pressure on the passenger side through the rust holes on the driver's side. From the sound of things, I assume the interior isn't great either. That may be more project than it's worth dealing with. As rusty as that all it, even basic maintenance will be a massive chore - having to cut off and replace hardware every time you want to do anything.