SOLD Oklahoma City, OK: 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser (232k+ miles) (1 Viewer)

RJH · Jan 9, 2021

Sold pending funds

RJH · Jan 15, 2021

Buyer backed out, back up for sale. Can deliver on a trailer for additional cost. My cell is 8062550471. Give me a call or shoot me a text.

cahill · Jan 16, 2021

Any undercarriage and engine bay photos? Thanks.

aphil · Jan 16, 2021

RJH said:
Buyer backed out, back up for sale. Can deliver on a trailer for additional cost. My cell is 8062550471. Give me a call or shoot me a text.

Just to be clear, I backed out of the purchase due to the vehicle not being as described.
I was told it had a new paint job just over 1 year old but that there was one spot where the paint was scraped off on the driver front fender (picture was provided). I was also told mechanically it was sound and needed nothing and ready to be driven anywhere with the exception of a new starter you could put in before the purchase which was done. A few other interior flaws were specifically pointed out beyond what was seen in the photos which I was prepared for, and was told everything else was in good shape. When I arrived the LC was missing 2 lug nuts on 3 of the wheels and 1 on the 4th wheel for a total of 7 missing lugs. The rear anti sway bar end link was broken and making a lot of clunking when driving. The paint on the roof was oxidized, peeling and chipping as well as multiple other spots where the paint was peeling and flaking off. Keyhole for passenger door was missing. Multiple trim pieces and all speaker covers missing. The sunroof gasket/seal was popped out and coming apart. Rubber fender seals missing or falling apart, Engine had a very heavy vibration at idle and engine oil was much thicker than what I'm used to seeing (oil cap looked good though as well as all other fluids looked good). I was also told I would need to check the coolant "a few times" on my 2 hour drive home due to seller being unsure if there was enough coolant.

Due to the condition of the rig being far more of a "project" than what had been described, I had to back out of the deal we had made. I gave you $50 for gas and we both left disappointed. This might be a the perfect project rig for someone because mechanically it did appear to be in good shape, but I had to pass on it once I saw the amount of cosmetic work that it really needed.

RJH · Jan 16, 2021

aphil said:
Just to be clear, I backed out of the purchase due to the vehicle not being as described.
I was told it had a new paint job just over 1 year old but that there was one spot where the paint was scraped off on the driver front fender (picture was provided). I was also told mechanically it was sound and needed nothing and ready to be driven anywhere with the exception of a new starter you could put in before the purchase which was done. A few other interior flaws were specifically pointed out beyond what was seen in the photos which I was prepared for, and was told everything else was in good shape. When I arrived the LC was missing 2 lug nuts on 3 of the wheels and 1 on the 4th wheel for a total of 7 missing lugs. The rear anti sway bar end link was broken and making a lot of clunking when driving. The paint on the roof was oxidized, peeling and chipping as well as multiple other spots where the paint was peeling and flaking off. Keyhole for passenger door was missing. Multiple trim pieces and all speaker covers missing. The sunroof gasket/seal was popped out and coming apart. Rubber fender seals missing or falling apart, Engine had a very heavy vibration at idle and engine oil was much thicker than what I'm used to seeing (oil cap looked good though as well as all other fluids looked good). I was also told I would need to check the coolant "a few times" on my 2 hour drive home due to seller being unsure if there was enough coolant.

Due to the condition of the rig being far more of a "project" than what had been described, I had to back out of the deal we had made. I gave you $50 for gas and we both left disappointed. This might be a the perfect project rig for someone because mechanically it did appear to be in good shape, but I had to pass on it once I saw the amount of cosmetic work that it really needed.

I didn’t intend to mislead you on anything. Shoot me a text or call if you’d like to talk about how I mislead you and I’ll apologize. You told me that the vehicle is as good as sold, I turned down your offer to make a security deposit, and told other buyers that it’s sold pending funds. I sent many photos and a video of a cold start. I’ve told anybody else that is interested that the paint appears to be a cheap paint job to keep expectations low. I recommended you to check fluids as you drive home since I did recently do the PHH and haven’t drove it more than 30 miles since then and thought it would be worth mentioning to you PRIOR to you buying it. Thanks for the $50 for gas, I appreciate it.

Open to allowing anybody to see the vehicle prior to purchasing it, take it in for an inspection, take it on an extensive test drive, not hiding anything here.

The vehicle is ready to be driven to a new home AS IS. I’ve driven it as is for a year or so, minus the rebuilt starter and PHH that were done in the last couple weeks. The wheels will not fall off.

RJH · Jan 16, 2021

@cahill I can text videos if you want.

aphil · Jan 17, 2021

RJH said:
I didn’t intend to mislead you on anything. Shoot me a text or call if you’d like to talk about how I mislead you and I’ll apologize. You told me that the vehicle is as good as sold, I turned down your offer to make a security deposit, and told other buyers that it’s sold pending funds. I sent many photos and a video of a cold start. I’ve told anybody else that is interested that the paint appears to be a cheap paint job to keep expectations low. I recommended you to check fluids as you drive home since I did recently do the PHH and haven’t drove it more than 30 miles since then and thought it would be worth mentioning to you PRIOR to you buying it. Thanks for the $50 for gas, I appreciate it.

Open to allowing anybody to see the vehicle prior to purchasing it, take it in for an inspection, take it on an extensive test drive, not hiding anything here.

The vehicle is ready to be driven to a new home AS IS. I’ve driven it as is for a year or so, minus the rebuilt starter and PHH that were done in the last couple weeks. The wheels will not fall off.

I never said you intended to mislead me, just that the vehicle was far from how you described it over the phone. When I arrived and pointed things out to you, you seemed completely unaware of the issues which I found odd considering it only took my buddy and I 5 minutes to notice most of them. I think it's important you spend a little more time getting familiar with the true state of your 80 before describing it to someone.

Paint: I specifically asked about the paint because in the pictures it looks good and that I was looking for a truck that did not need any paint work. You said "it had a full paint job just over a year ago and the paint was in great shape with the exception of one spot on the front driver fender" You sent a picture of that and I was aware of it. You never said anything about it being a low quality paint job. When I arrived, the roof paint is oxidized and chipped over a 2 to 3 foot area, the front right fender needs a complete re-paint, the rear driver quarter panel paint is bubbling and flaking off and needs a repaint, the front bumper looked like a poor rattle can job and rear bumpers paint is cracked and peeling and needs a repaint. Window trim pieces were also peeling and all needed to be painted.

Lug Nuts: I asked you if this was mechanically sound to hop in and drive across the country and you replied yes once you installed the new starter. To arrive and it be missing 7 lug nuts is a major issue to me. This would have been so simple to disclose and I could have picked up extra before I drove over. But, to try and tell me that it's safe to drive 75mph for 2 hours home missing 7 lug nuts is quite the stretch. Missing 1 lug on a wheel is fine for the short term, but missing 7 overall is a major problem. I called my mechanic on the test drive to ask if it was even safe to take the thing on the highway for a test drive and he said not to drive over 40mph until I had all the lugs on it. I called 2 Autozones to see if they had lugs that would fit and neither had them in stock.

Anti-sway bar end link Broken: Within 30 seconds of the test drive we had to pull over due to there being so much clanking coming from the rear axle. We had to pull over to verify what on earth was causing that noise. Verified it was the anti-sway bar end link that was busted. You claimed you had no idea, but there is literally no way to drive it without hearing that something is obviously not correct.

Sunroof: I specifically asked about the sunroof and it's condition and you told me it was a little finicky and you recommended not opening it because you were worried it might not close. I was fine with that, but you should have taken that opportunity to tell me that the gasket/seal was popped out and coming apart which causes concerns with how much water has gotten in already and how much work is it to replace that gasket/seal?

Fender flare gasket: I asked if the fender flare gaskets were new with the repaint and you said it was all good. When I arrived, most of the gaskets were gone or falling apart. There is no way these were replaced a year ago with the repaint. It was tough to tell from the pictures which is why I asked about them

Interior: The interior was the closest to how you described. I was prepared for leather seats in very rough shape, poor carpet, and trim panels in the rear that would need to be put back, missing rear seatbelts as well as it needing a very deep clean. However the door panels were in much rougher shape with multiple punctures, and tears and material pulling away from the edges. I had also asked about the plastic over the gauge cluster to confirm it was just dirty and you said it was just dirty. After seeing it in person... it appears to actually be damaged.

Engine: stated the engine was very smooth and ran perfectly. You provided a startup video and video of the engine running. It sounds fine, but I was not able to feel the very heavy vibration that it has at idle. I've driven quite a few 80's and they don't have that heavy vibration. I don't know what it is but it's not typical. Maybe this is the only one you've driven and you assumed it's normal?

So, from my perspective... that is A LOT to have been overlooked by you when describing the vehicle. Overall, it could have all been avoided if you had spent a little more time really looking over you rig - so that you could more accurately describe the condition of all these items when asked. Better yet, It would be ideal for you to list these items in the For Sale post.

RJH · Jan 17, 2021

aphil said:
I never said you intended to mislead me, just that the vehicle was far from how you described it over the phone. When I arrived and pointed things out to you, you seemed completely unaware of the issues which I found odd considering it only took my buddy and I 5 minutes to notice most of them. I think it's important you spend a little more time getting familiar with the true state of your 80 before describing it to someone.

Paint: I specifically asked about the paint because in the pictures it looks good and that I was looking for a truck that did not need any paint work. You said "it had a full paint job just over a year ago and the paint was in great shape with the exception of one spot on the front driver fender" You sent a picture of that and I was aware of it. You never said anything about it being a low quality paint job. When I arrived, the roof paint is oxidized and chipped over a 2 to 3 foot area, the front right fender needs a complete re-paint, the rear driver quarter panel paint is bubbling and flaking off and needs a repaint, the front bumper looked like a poor rattle can job and rear bumpers paint is cracked and peeling and needs a repaint. Window trim pieces were also peeling and all needed to be painted.

Lug Nuts: I asked you if this was mechanically sound to hop in and drive across the country and you replied yes once you installed the new starter. To arrive and it be missing 7 lug nuts is a major issue to me. This would have been so simple to disclose and I could have picked up extra before I drove over. But, to try and tell me that it's safe to drive 75mph for 2 hours home missing 7 lug nuts is quite the stretch. Missing 1 lug on a wheel is fine for the short term, but missing 7 overall is a major problem. I called my mechanic on the test drive to ask if it was even safe to take the thing on the highway for a test drive and he said not to drive over 40mph until I had all the lugs on it. I called 2 Autozones to see if they had lugs that would fit and neither had them in stock.

Anti-sway bar end link Broken: Within 30 seconds of the test drive we had to pull over due to there being so much clanking coming from the rear axle. We had to pull over to verify what on earth was causing that noise. Verified it was the anti-sway bar end link that was busted. You claimed you had no idea, but there is literally no way to drive it without hearing that something is obviously not correct.

Sunroof: I specifically asked about the sunroof and it's condition and you told me it was a little finicky and you recommended not opening it because you were worried it might not close. I was fine with that, but you should have taken that opportunity to tell me that the gasket/seal was popped out and coming apart which causes concerns with how much water has gotten in already and how much work is it to replace that gasket/seal?

Fender flare gasket: I asked if the fender flare gaskets were new with the repaint and you said it was all good. When I arrived, most of the gaskets were gone or falling apart. There is no way these were replaced a year ago with the repaint. It was tough to tell from the pictures which is why I asked about them

Interior: The interior was the closest to how you described. I was prepared for leather seats in very rough shape, poor carpet, and trim panels in the rear that would need to be put back, missing rear seatbelts as well as it needing a very deep clean. However the door panels were in much rougher shape with multiple punctures, and tears and material pulling away from the edges. I had also asked about the plastic over the gauge cluster to confirm it was just dirty and you said it was just dirty. After seeing it in person... it appears to actually be damaged.

Engine: stated the engine was very smooth and ran perfectly. You provided a startup video and video of the engine running. It sounds fine, but I was not able to feel the very heavy vibration that it has at idle. I've driven quite a few 80's and they don't have that heavy vibration. I don't know what it is but it's not typical. Maybe this is the only one you've driven and you assumed it's normal?

So, from my perspective... that is A LOT to have been overlooked by you when describing the vehicle. Overall, it could have all been avoided if you had spent a little more time really looking over you rig - so that you could more accurately describe the condition of all these items when asked. Better yet, It would be ideal for you to list these items in the For Sale post.

Thanks aphil, I will share your thoughts with potential buyers. We obviously disagree on some things here, but no need to continue to argue on my sale thread. You have my phone number, give me a call if you need someone to talk to.

Kabanstva · Jan 17, 2021

aphil said:
I never said you intended to mislead me, just that the vehicle was far from how you described it over the phone. When I arrived and pointed things out to you, you seemed completely unaware of the issues which I found odd considering it only took my buddy and I 5 minutes to notice most of them. I think it's important you spend a little more time getting familiar with the true state of your 80 before describing it to someone.

Paint: I specifically asked about the paint because in the pictures it looks good and that I was looking for a truck that did not need any paint work. You said "it had a full paint job just over a year ago and the paint was in great shape with the exception of one spot on the front driver fender" You sent a picture of that and I was aware of it. You never said anything about it being a low quality paint job. When I arrived, the roof paint is oxidized and chipped over a 2 to 3 foot area, the front right fender needs a complete re-paint, the rear driver quarter panel paint is bubbling and flaking off and needs a repaint, the front bumper looked like a poor rattle can job and rear bumpers paint is cracked and peeling and needs a repaint. Window trim pieces were also peeling and all needed to be painted.

Lug Nuts: I asked you if this was mechanically sound to hop in and drive across the country and you replied yes once you installed the new starter. To arrive and it be missing 7 lug nuts is a major issue to me. This would have been so simple to disclose and I could have picked up extra before I drove over. But, to try and tell me that it's safe to drive 75mph for 2 hours home missing 7 lug nuts is quite the stretch. Missing 1 lug on a wheel is fine for the short term, but missing 7 overall is a major problem. I called my mechanic on the test drive to ask if it was even safe to take the thing on the highway for a test drive and he said not to drive over 40mph until I had all the lugs on it. I called 2 Autozones to see if they had lugs that would fit and neither had them in stock.

Anti-sway bar end link Broken: Within 30 seconds of the test drive we had to pull over due to there being so much clanking coming from the rear axle. We had to pull over to verify what on earth was causing that noise. Verified it was the anti-sway bar end link that was busted. You claimed you had no idea, but there is literally no way to drive it without hearing that something is obviously not correct.

Sunroof: I specifically asked about the sunroof and it's condition and you told me it was a little finicky and you recommended not opening it because you were worried it might not close. I was fine with that, but you should have taken that opportunity to tell me that the gasket/seal was popped out and coming apart which causes concerns with how much water has gotten in already and how much work is it to replace that gasket/seal?

Fender flare gasket: I asked if the fender flare gaskets were new with the repaint and you said it was all good. When I arrived, most of the gaskets were gone or falling apart. There is no way these were replaced a year ago with the repaint. It was tough to tell from the pictures which is why I asked about them

Interior: The interior was the closest to how you described. I was prepared for leather seats in very rough shape, poor carpet, and trim panels in the rear that would need to be put back, missing rear seatbelts as well as it needing a very deep clean. However the door panels were in much rougher shape with multiple punctures, and tears and material pulling away from the edges. I had also asked about the plastic over the gauge cluster to confirm it was just dirty and you said it was just dirty. After seeing it in person... it appears to actually be damaged.

Engine: stated the engine was very smooth and ran perfectly. You provided a startup video and video of the engine running. It sounds fine, but I was not able to feel the very heavy vibration that it has at idle. I've driven quite a few 80's and they don't have that heavy vibration. I don't know what it is but it's not typical. Maybe this is the only one you've driven and you assumed it's normal?

So, from my perspective... that is A LOT to have been overlooked by you when describing the vehicle. Overall, it could have all been avoided if you had spent a little more time really looking over you rig - so that you could more accurately describe the condition of all these items when asked. Better yet, It would be ideal for you to list these items in the For Sale post.

Sadly, that's how most used car buying experiences go, especially these very old vehicles. I've looked at dozens of cars like this over the years where I had to point out to the seller how much work their cars really need and 99% of the time they just play dumb and act like it's the first they hear of it. Nobody is expecting a turn-key vehicle especially at that mileage and price, but a little more detail and transparency goes a long way IMO. Everyone's opinion on good/bad/excellent condition might be different but some stuff you just can't ignore like obvious mechanical damage, clunks, driveline noise, missing seals, etc. I once had a guy tell me the clunking noise was due to them just installing brand new tires (reputable Toyota dealership in my area, what a joke.)

RJH · Jan 22, 2021

This just went through a pre-purchase inspection at Cruiser Corps in OKC. Anybody who is seriously interested in this, I can share the results of that in detail with you. In short, they discovered a few slow-leaking seals (no drips) and some suspension problems, but I will of course share their documentation with any potential buyers.

RJH · Jan 25, 2021

Driving video added:

Pre-purchase inspection photo added.

RJH · Jan 26, 2021

Lowered price to $8000

RJH · Jan 27, 2021

Sold.

SOLD Oklahoma City, OK: 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser (232k+ miles) (1 Viewer)

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