Pre-Purchase 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser advice (1 Viewer)

[abubasith]

Hello all, this is my first post looking for some guidance and advice. Wanting to get into a land cruiser for a while and found a 97 base LC. Wondering if it is a good starting point while not breaking the bank.

This is a Midwest find which has been sitting for a year or two. The owner mentioned that the motor has been locked however I wasn't able to open the hood to take pics and check it out.
Seems to be a basic non locker model. Owner claims it was garage kept for most of its life and missed some maintenance at the end of its life, so the engine locked. The pictures included show the extent of rust on the bottom, and the body condition. 198k miles and 2 owners, 2nd owner owned the vehicle since 1999 or so. The owner has agreed to sell me the vehicle but wasn't sure what price I should offer. Any help is greatly appreciated and would love to hear any suggestion on price.

More pics coming soon!

Thank you!!!

 

[abubasith]

Here are some additional pics of the bottom

 

[abubasith]

Here are pics of the inside

 

[abubasith]

198k

Looks like maybe 208k miles from the pics

 

[Bludozer]

"Garage kept" just lol. How is that even relevant at this point? That is a parts truck at best. That rust alone is a huge no-go not to mention everything else. Pass.

 

[Broski]

I agree with Bludozer, take a pass

 

[ATXLX]

Jesus, this is a non-running (with the diagnosis of..."locked"?) 200k+ mi 97 with all that rust? I'd say $1k for you to keep it as a parts truck for a different truck you'll find later, and even then taking anything off is going to be a headache (interior looks decent though). I'd walk. In the current market you might need to shell out a few more bucks for a nice example, but stay away from piles like this if you intend to keep/drive/upgrade.

 

[BILT4ME]

$500

 

[Broski]

$500

That's what I was thinking

 

[tacocat]

$500

But is white!........

 

[Njck22]

Steering wheel looks nice. If you can get it for 1k and have some space you could totally get the price back in parts.

 

[jpoole]

I think it's saveable but the rust is the real issue and you'd have to really want it to justify all of the work that will be required and the somewhat compromised results you'll end up with. In other words, parts rig and keep looking for one with less rust to put your time and money into. $1k tops though the parts you could get are worth a lot more, that is if you actually have a use for them in the future or want to do all of the work (lots) it would take to monetize those parts on the market.

 

[Howard705]

Where's all this rust except on the frame. It's Michigan- Most in Illinois have more frame rust and all over the body. There's not even rust around the rear window or rockers. all running boards rust. Locked probably= HG leak and likely sitting longer than he says judging by the tree sap mildew on the paint. I'd count on the engine being bad from sitting with coolant in the cylinders and in the pan.

 

[enox]

First lie, it was never garaged.

Second lie, it missed most of the maintenance in it's life not just at the end.
It looks like it's had a hard life...

 

[tacocat]

Yeah, but it’s WHITE!!!!!!!

 

[abubasith]

Thanks everyone for their insights and guidance! Super helpful in making a decision.

 

[sogafarm]

Definitely a parts truck. Offer $500-800 at the most. Take a good battery and try to turn the engine over. You might be surprised, otherwise you can part it out for twice what you paid for it. If it's running, then prepare to spend lots of $$ to get it on the road. Good luck!

 

[cbmontgo]

$1,000-$1,500 truck, maybe a little more. The steering wheel is worth $250-300 alone in that condition. Looks like it has a few decent parts.

 

[crx7]

It's worth the money to buy one in good condition. Pass on this one. Too much work.

 

[RKTINC]

One more note, I am not sure it is a 1997. The rear hatch looks to be older due to logo placement. maybe a 96 or 95? I think it is worth no more than $1000. Frame is gone and there are too many rust free trucks out there with blown engines that are better candidates. You could buy a nice southern, rust free rig with a cooked interior and do some swapping. The interior parts would justify the dragging it home.