Hi Chaps!
I'm a 33yo guy from eastern-europe, and chasing the dream of having a J100. Previously I had a Prado 120 and a Defender, but the Prado was too suv-like and the Defender was.. Well let's not talk about it. Both where high milegae (350k miles+, so I guess that undermined our relationship)
Anyways, I've always liked the looks, the comfort, and the message of the J100, and now that I've sold the Defender I might have the opportunity to buy one. It's not all sugar and sweets though..
Budget is around $16.000. I'd like leather & automatic & 1HD-FTE.
So I've found a 2000 one that has ARB (knock-off) bumpers front and rear, pristine body, non-adjustable suspension, pristine interior, clock reads 160k miles, it could be altered though, but.. (there is always a but, isn't it?!)
- While the body, rear axle and chassis (mostly) are pristine, there are some corrosion issues:
- Front suspension, including torsion bars & mounts, top & bottom arms & mounts are rusting. So is the front cross member near the front of the engine. (if that's what it's called)
- Radiator and IC is also corroded (but not leaking.. yet..)
- Engine is also corroded, especially the exhaust part, right after the turbo (can't even distinguish the nuts and bolts), brake pipes here and there in the engine bay a bit, even the connector and plate that feeds the climate from the engine bay to interior at the bulkhead.
- The spare carrier is non existent, as that had also rotten away
I somehow fell in love with this exact car, but the list goes on:
- Can't select low range
- Rear locker won't engage (or does it only engage in low range?), the light for it is blinking, then nothing, goes out.
- Engine has a slight knocking sound which may or may not be normal, don't know how they should sound exactly.
- There is a small clunk in the drivetrain when I select D or R
So I thought I should look at a better one, and that's what I did. Had a look a 2005 facelift, adjustable suspension one.. This one is almost double the price: $22.500. Same mileage on the clock. No rust, no clunk when I select D or R, can select low range (no rear difflock in this model), stock bumpers. I could afford it if I trade in my Prius, but then this has to be my one and only car + totally empties all of my savings. Right now there are no in-between options in my country.
Everything works, but.. engine has the same knocking sound, however maybe a tad quieter. And the other one didn't do this, but when I unscrew the oil filler cap, this one was smoking out of it - which I guess kind of breaks the deal.
So the question is. Should I save more money (that takes years for me) and wait for something in between? Or should I get the 2000 one and hope it won't fall apart / rot away in the upcomming 5-6 years? Maybe I can invest reasonable money ($500-$1000) to manage the rust, or would it take far more? Yearly I could reserve some $1000-$1500 (only) on maintenance. Usage dream-about would be long tarmac (100-140km/h) travel, around 10k miles a year, little to no offroad - which makes the lockers and low range obsolete anyway, even though it would be nice if they've worked. If it's a must I can use it in the city as well as a daily commuter, but I'd prefer the prius for that. Anyway, if there is no other option, I can talk myself into selling / trading in the prius and take the comfort hit by using public transportation and/or borrow GF's car when really needed, or just use the LC - which I'd rather avoid on short trips (and because of the city consumption compared to the prius). But I wouldn't like to do all of this for the 2005 one, that might have a pretty worn engine?
Didn't test drive either of them yet, as I'm not yet 50%+ commited to either.
Engine and drivetrain reliability is however a huge factor. I'd like to travel in peace of mind, not having to worry when or if the tranny or the engine goes kaboom, which was my main concern about both the 120 Prado and the Defender. Both had strange sounds, whiny diffs and what-not.
It very well could be, that this is out of my leauge, and should stop chasing the dream and leave it for the big boys with proper wallets.
Thanks in advance!
I'm a 33yo guy from eastern-europe, and chasing the dream of having a J100. Previously I had a Prado 120 and a Defender, but the Prado was too suv-like and the Defender was.. Well let's not talk about it. Both where high milegae (350k miles+, so I guess that undermined our relationship)
Anyways, I've always liked the looks, the comfort, and the message of the J100, and now that I've sold the Defender I might have the opportunity to buy one. It's not all sugar and sweets though..
Budget is around $16.000. I'd like leather & automatic & 1HD-FTE.
So I've found a 2000 one that has ARB (knock-off) bumpers front and rear, pristine body, non-adjustable suspension, pristine interior, clock reads 160k miles, it could be altered though, but.. (there is always a but, isn't it?!)
- While the body, rear axle and chassis (mostly) are pristine, there are some corrosion issues:
- Front suspension, including torsion bars & mounts, top & bottom arms & mounts are rusting. So is the front cross member near the front of the engine. (if that's what it's called)
- Radiator and IC is also corroded (but not leaking.. yet..)
- Engine is also corroded, especially the exhaust part, right after the turbo (can't even distinguish the nuts and bolts), brake pipes here and there in the engine bay a bit, even the connector and plate that feeds the climate from the engine bay to interior at the bulkhead.
- The spare carrier is non existent, as that had also rotten away
I somehow fell in love with this exact car, but the list goes on:
- Can't select low range
- Rear locker won't engage (or does it only engage in low range?), the light for it is blinking, then nothing, goes out.
- Engine has a slight knocking sound which may or may not be normal, don't know how they should sound exactly.
- There is a small clunk in the drivetrain when I select D or R
So I thought I should look at a better one, and that's what I did. Had a look a 2005 facelift, adjustable suspension one.. This one is almost double the price: $22.500. Same mileage on the clock. No rust, no clunk when I select D or R, can select low range (no rear difflock in this model), stock bumpers. I could afford it if I trade in my Prius, but then this has to be my one and only car + totally empties all of my savings. Right now there are no in-between options in my country.
Everything works, but.. engine has the same knocking sound, however maybe a tad quieter. And the other one didn't do this, but when I unscrew the oil filler cap, this one was smoking out of it - which I guess kind of breaks the deal.
So the question is. Should I save more money (that takes years for me) and wait for something in between? Or should I get the 2000 one and hope it won't fall apart / rot away in the upcomming 5-6 years? Maybe I can invest reasonable money ($500-$1000) to manage the rust, or would it take far more? Yearly I could reserve some $1000-$1500 (only) on maintenance. Usage dream-about would be long tarmac (100-140km/h) travel, around 10k miles a year, little to no offroad - which makes the lockers and low range obsolete anyway, even though it would be nice if they've worked. If it's a must I can use it in the city as well as a daily commuter, but I'd prefer the prius for that. Anyway, if there is no other option, I can talk myself into selling / trading in the prius and take the comfort hit by using public transportation and/or borrow GF's car when really needed, or just use the LC - which I'd rather avoid on short trips (and because of the city consumption compared to the prius). But I wouldn't like to do all of this for the 2005 one, that might have a pretty worn engine?
Didn't test drive either of them yet, as I'm not yet 50%+ commited to either.
Engine and drivetrain reliability is however a huge factor. I'd like to travel in peace of mind, not having to worry when or if the tranny or the engine goes kaboom, which was my main concern about both the 120 Prado and the Defender. Both had strange sounds, whiny diffs and what-not.
It very well could be, that this is out of my leauge, and should stop chasing the dream and leave it for the big boys with proper wallets.
Thanks in advance!