Newbie looking for FJ80, buying advice?

[juicy360]

What to look for?

How important is the mileage? 151K vs 270K?
After x miles what kinds of things should I expect to be done, or need to do? Engine, Tranny, etc.

Mix of daily driver, and overland build. Main focus overlanding.

Better to buy one already built (bug maybe got abused?) or go stock and build my own (more costly?)

Thanks in advance!

 

[jpoole]

Welcome,

You've asked good questions but there aren't single "right" answers to any of them. The 80 that is best for you will depend on how you'll use it, how much you want to spend, how much you want to tinker, etc. If you research and learn enough you'll find your answers to all of your questions and figure out which 80 is ideal for you.

This is a good place to start if you haven't read it yet:

80-series FAQ for General Info, Modification and Repairs

The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for the 80/LX450 series tech section continues to be a work in progress. The goal is to have links in the below to other threads and tech articles. By having these linked, instead of pasting the text, the threads will remain live. The live threads can...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[bhsdriller]

two main things are previous maintenance and then depending on where you're located the rust.

Mileage doesn't really matter to me if it's been maintained (head gasket, cooling system mainly).

 

[amgraham]

Buy the one with the least rust. Everything else can be fixed.

 

[CaptClose]

Financially, you’ll come out ahead to buy one already built, baselined, and maintained. A turn-key cruiser ready to roll is a big plus.

However...

If you’re handy, and enjoy working on vehicles and putting life back into a project vehicle, there’s no better platform than a bone stock 80 series cruiser.

You’ll never find a built cruiser that has everything exactly the way you want it. There is no sense of pride and accomplishment when purchasing an already built cruiser, at least not the same as it would be after having built it yourself. You’ll probably spend on average $5k more going this route.

Mileage is not relevant on a 20+ year old truck. The baseline maintenance will all be about the same. All the front seals will need to be replaced and a top end rebuild is advisable. A complete refresh of the cooling system is smart too.

 

[Marco Lau]

How mechanically inclined are you? 80 series is probably by far the easiest platform to work with compared to most vehicles (IMO). If you love to wrench and tinker with things, i would say go with a bone stock 80 and go from there. If you get one already modified, it will save you $$$ in the long run, unless you are OCD like myself...Be prepared to spend 2X more if you are not mechanically inclined...

 

[Arizona Bill]

My experience in buying a bone stock 95FZJ80 with ~200K miles: aside from desired upgrades (OME suspension / ARB airlockers, compressor, lights, bumpers, racks, etc.), I've redone the head, done a valve job, replaced a few injectors, O2 sensors, replaced the radiator and pesky heater hose, the alternator, xfer case seals, miscellaneous hoses, etc. and on and on. I went into this purchase with my eyes open and expected that at ~200K miles, this level of rebuild would be required.

 

[fz1boxer]

look for maintenance records and no rust

 

[pigeonfarmboy]

These were very helpful for me:

80 Series Newbie Guide - Slee Off Road

As soon as the excitement of the purchase starts to fade, the questions start popping up. What modifications can I make? What are those 4 bolts on the back

sleeoffroad.com

 

[juicy360]

Just looked at one in my area. 1992. It was my first time driving one. It had 35 BFG's and a lift, but it felt really underpowered. I went up a street hill and floored it would only do 40mph. Does that sound right? Assume it would need to be regeared to fix that? Brakes were squishy, radiator leaked, oil leaks, tranny leaks. But no rust I could see. Interior was OK. Body straight. 270 miles

 

[Marco Lau]

Just looked at one in my area. 1992. It was my first time driving one. It had 35 BFG's and a lift, but it felt really underpowered. I went up a street hill and floored it would only do 40mph. Does that sound right? Assume it would need to be regeared to fix that? Brakes were squishy, radiator leaked, oil leaks, tranny leaks. But no rust I could see. Interior was OK. Body straight. 270 miles

Try look for a 93+ and report back.

 

[woodsman 44]

91-92 are pigs...get 93' and up if you want better power...3fe crowd will be here soon with "i can do 80 mph up a grade with 37's...lol

 

[Marco Lau]

91-92 are pigs...get 93' and up if you want better power...3fe crowd will be here soon with "i can do 80 mph up a grade with 37's...lol

65mph......

 

[UsedLuxury]

91-92 are pigs...get 93' and up if you want better power...3fe crowd will be here soon with "i can do 80 mph up a grade with 37's...lol

This is very true, I can do 80 with ease. I need to be going downhill but it can be done. The 3fe leaves a lot to be desired but it is reliable. It's not good on gas and doesn't have much in the way of horse power but it does start every morning.

 

[juicy360]

Just tried s 93. Way better. Wow. Thx

 

[juicy360]

Thank you all for the help. The 93 I was looking at had no maintenance records. It idled smooth, ran nice, seemed to drive well. Biggest issues were mostly cosmetic. No rust that I can see. 206K miles on it.

Issues I saw
- Missing 3rd row seats (how hard are these to get?)
- Batter was dead, but jumped OK and ran OK after (alternator works)
- Rear door window did not lock/unlock with power locks. Key did not work in it either (maybe not the original? Car was painted), was also missing Toyota key swing cover.
- Passenger side mirror mount broke (the inside mirror part).
- Washer fluid bottle cracks at top taped together
- Land Cruiser badge on back cracked in middle
- Carfax reports clean title, no accidents, some maintenance stuff but not extensive.


- No lockers
- ARB bumper
- 3" old man lift
- Roof rack
- Smithy built winch
Asking $9500. Decent deal?

Should I have a mechanic look at it first?

 

[CaptClose]

Thank you all for the help. The 93 I was looking at had no maintenance records. It idled smooth, ran nice, seemed to drive well. Biggest issues were mostly cosmetic. No rust that I can see. 206K miles on it.

Issues I saw
- Missing 3rd row seats (how hard are these to get?)
- Batter was dead, but jumped OK and ran OK after (alternator works)
- Rear door window did not lock/unlock with power locks. Key did not work in it either (maybe not the original? Car was painted), was also missing Toyota key swing cover.
- Passenger side mirror mount broke (the inside mirror part).
- Washer fluid bottle cracks at top taped together
- Land Cruiser badge on back cracked in middle
- Carfax reports clean title, no accidents, some maintenance stuff but not extensive.


- No lockers
- ARB bumper
- 3" old man lift
- Roof rack
- Smithy built winch
Asking $9500. Decent deal?

Should I have a mechanic look at it first?

All common issues, but the price is too high for a open diff 80. Hard pass unless you can negotiate a far better price.

 

[juicy360]

What would be the right price for this you think?

 

[juicy360]

All common issues, but the price is too high for a open diff 80. Hard pass unless you can negotiate a far better price.

What would be a fair price for open 80?

 

[CaptClose]

What would be a fair price for open 80?

Less than 5k, probably closer to 3500-3800