Possibly looking to buy this 96 LX450 - Opinions? (1 Viewer)

[srqFF]

Hey guys, new here. I’ve spent a few hours digging around on the site trying to read and learn about 80 series trucks. Tons of good info here. I watched the pre-inspection video which also pointed out some important things to look for.

It’s a 96 LX450 with 174K miles on it. The owner says he’s had it for a year and has spent some time getting it cleaned up. He did a repaint, general maintenance (I need to find out exactly what that means), OME lift, new tires.

attached are some photos. He is asking 22500 for it but we negotiated down to 18000 as his bottom dollar. I’m not 100% sold on it yet and I still feel that the price is high, but I’m looking for some opinions.

 

[srqFF]

More photos

 

[srqFF]

And a few more

 

[srqFF]

He also sent photos of every body panel with original VIN stickers showing that it’s got all original panels intact still. Sorry I’m not sure how to edit the original post to have all information in one spot.

 

[tooofast2002]

It looks clean. the price of anything is set by the buyer. you have to aggrege and hand over the cash. A few thing that spring mind are what service history do you have. oil changes, spare parts installed. general services. Also am i am NOT saying this is the case, a pain job can hid all kind of rust or other damage. again not saying its the case, just something to consider. Does he have any photos of what it looked like when he got it. I'm very new to series 80 and i know other will chime in but this seems to be a really good place to start (not sure if this is the one you saw) Pre-Inspection Video OTRAMM I'm sure other will have lot of advice. One last thing, what do you intend to do with it? for 18k is it going to be a daily driver or do you plan to build it out? Again don't take anything i say as gospel but that seems a pretty high price to me unless perhaps it has a full service history and its triple locked, Good luck and read what everyone else says, you have made a good start by asking, i did the same thing asking about a rig and avoided a nightmare.

 

[srqFF]

My intent is to be a daily driver. I will have to ask more about the maintenance records because there is a bit of a language barrier and sometimes things get lost in translation. I know that it only has the central locker, but I haven’t seen it in person yet to confirm. These are the only photos I got pre-paint.

 

[REKCUT]

Ive seen a lot of trucks in much worse condition bring that much or more lately. I doubt you'll ever find anything that all on here will agree is a good deal. IF you did then someone would most likely beat you to the punch. Its and interesting take on a Lexus. Looks like an 80 from a distance. First one I've seen painted all white.

My only take and its hard to tell from pics but Id really look deep underneath past the paint to see what the other metal looks like. Maybe lift up the carpet in the rear and look for rust. They have spent a LOT of time cleaning up the underneath.

 

[REKCUT]

Bottom line is, do your research on here and then if you like it, buy it. You'll spend a lot more on it than the initial price. Don't worry about what the rest of us think is a "good deal" Id rather have what I like than what someone else thought was a good deal.

Good luck

 

[KC masterpiece]

Looks like that had a full respray. Not necessarily bad mine also had one before I bought it.

I paid 13k for mine in very similar condition. I am still happy with the purchase but probably still overpaid. That was also 3 years ago before the 80 price explosion. If everything is in order and it feels like a good deal to you I would go for it. The truck is worth what you will pay.

On the paint it really depends why it was done. Mine had some fender damage on the left front that the PO was able to hide from me. Other than that it was mechanically sound.

I do worry about regular automotive paint in the wheel wells. I'd probably redo that area with something a bit stronger.

 

[tooofast2002]

Ok as a daily driver it has low mileage for its age and the before photos show it was pretty clean before it was done. As your not going pour thousands into Mods it looks good from the photos. Don't compare prices from a few years ago. Like lumber the market is hot right now and there is limited supply. Run a carfax or equivalent on it just for peace of mind. It may also tell you where is lived most of its life. If you like it, get it. Anything can be fixed it's all just days and dollars. Except rust. Rust sucks.

 

[LandLocked93]

If you can confirm all the paint n' slickem isn't covering up issues, 18k is in line for a rig that looks like that.
Looks good, btw.

 

[Broski]

The price is inline with today market. If you look at current listings ( search tempest) is a good one to use, you can see price is is comparatively reasonable.
Anything under 200k mile is now considered low miles, from the looks of it you well be hard pressed to find one that clean. JMHO

 

[ppc]

I would want to see photos of the interior and a Carfax. At that price point I would want see see factory leather and carpets in good condition. Cheap leather replacement may indicate there is a mileage discrepancy. After spending money to repaint why a year later is it being sold. Obviously the guy is a flipper.

 

[srqFF]

Here are some screen shots from a video he sent me of the interior. Sorry for the angle

 

[srqFF]

The sunroof works. All windows work. I’ll see about getting a carfax

View attachment 2696235

 

[srqFF]

I found some other photos of the interior. These are better than my screen shots haha

 

[Kernal]

All paint jobs are not the same: price can range from $1500-15,000. Does the seller have the information from the paint shop? Type/brand of paint, clear coat, UV addtiives,e tc?? That cost can range from a couple hundred dollars for cheap sheit to a couple thousand dollars. It makes a difference in how long the paint job will last before it fades, cracks, darkens from UV exposure, peels off, ----

Painting the original cladding and bumpers (not their original color), IMO, decreases the value of the vehicle; it's no longer stock and would be expensive to put back in stock condition. Some people might prefer the look, but it's not stock and that means something to some collectors.

Were any of the cladding panels and fender flares removed for painting? Was any of the belt molding, glass (windshield, rear hatch), or roof rack, and rear wing removed prior to painting?? Or, were things just taped off and/or the cladding painted over in place? If they just painted over the cladding (on the vehicle) and if you ever have to remove the cladding for repairs the paint may rip/tear when you pull the cladding off.

IMO it's significantly overpriced at 18k for what it is.

 

[mingles]

It does look sharp, but I would heed the comments above about cladding. My cladding has loosened up over the years and the clips, their respective weather seals, and the double sided tape that holds the panels along the top edge has deteriorated to where the panels are loose.

The LR bumper cladding on the truck you are looking at is not straight. That tells me that some of the clips are broken. If it was resprayed without removing panels and replacing clips, that will be a maintenance item down the road. I can also tell you, from personal experience, that if the cladding wasn’t prepped right, the paint will peel from the plastic panels.

Not show stopping issues, just negotiating points. The interior looks nice. At the end of the day, if you like it and can agree on the price, go for it.

As was earlier said, the purchase price is just the price of admission .

 

[ppc]

From the pictures...

No front and rear factory lockers
2nd and 3rd row seat leather looks to be original and good condition.
Front seat leather looks like it has been replaced and may not be as high of quality
Steering wheel cover looks in very good shape more than likely replaced which might indicate the odometer was rolled back.

 

[Rifleman]

It's been my experience that fresh paint can hide a multitude of sins, like rust and bondo. Since he painted EVERYTHING on this truck. I'd be very concerned about rust hiding under that freshly painted undercarriage. Especially if this truck spent any time on the beach, or anywhere near the ocean, or gulf coast.