I’m a scaredy cat when it comes to rust. I paid top dollar for the least rusty 100 I could find. High mileage bothered me a lot less than iron oxide.
Purchase advise (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter whateverett025
- Start date
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Better to get it from a different state. Or keep your cash handy and wait for a better deal. I would never spend top dollar on old cruiser.
One could definitely get a better deal than I did if one were were any combination of the following:
1) More patient than me
2) More willing to take a risk on site unseen truck
3) Less afraid of air travel during this pandemic
4) Not living in So Cal or surrounds. Situation is not helped by the dealers here who seem to buy up every single decent Toyota 4x4 with fewer than 200k miles and turn around and resell them with a lift, new tires and a roof rack. Very frustrating!
5) Less scared of rust
6) Have more time to invest
Cheers!
1) More patient than me
2) More willing to take a risk on site unseen truck
3) Less afraid of air travel during this pandemic
4) Not living in So Cal or surrounds. Situation is not helped by the dealers here who seem to buy up every single decent Toyota 4x4 with fewer than 200k miles and turn around and resell them with a lift, new tires and a roof rack. Very frustrating!
5) Less scared of rust
6) Have more time to invest
Cheers!
Socal is a tough market as are all the dry and salt free states but keep in mind every Miramar Motorsports or similar is looking to buy vehicle in good condition, baseline, add my first mods and sell it for 25-30k. Perfect for someone without the sense to come on this forum inquiring on ways to get in a cruiser, shop smart, and out some sweet equity into the process. That said, not every private seller is willing to get bent over on the price buy these “private” buyers. Set a realistic purchase price expectation Factoring condition and you can get one instead of it getting swooped by some independent dealership. Nobody is getting a 2003-2007 church mobile/mall princess for 8-10k
Not too many states have clean 2006 LX470 with 135k miles for $14k.
I don't know about other local markets, but decent, no story, rust free, <200k but not perfect 03+ 100s went from $15k to $20k around here pretty quickly after Covid hit. They also sell MUCH faster now. So... maybe in HI the price is fair... ish? But you are still buying an old truck that will need work even with low miles.
... but, I can't quite wrap my head around $28k for something with rust, no matter what the rest of the specs are.
... but, I can't quite wrap my head around $28k for something with rust, no matter what the rest of the specs are.
- Thread starter
- #27
I wish traveling were in the budget.
Right, the price of these gas guzzlers is mostly hyped up by these wanna be offroaders that spend their hard earned cash on mods that are more expensive than the actual value of the car.
You are thinking of spending $28k on a used car that stock is around $15k.
$2k left over for travel:
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Travel.
- Thread starter
- #30
others for sale in Hawaii.
1.1994 Toyota Land Cruiser 80 (lx450)
Inline 6, auto trans 160k miles.
Good condition, no rust, clean inside/outside,
Fully stock, a lot of new parts under hood. Clean title in hand.
craigslist add- $14k(on island)
2.Triple Locked 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser FZJ80
4.5L in-line 6 cylinder motor with 253,000 miles and plenty of life left in it
Pros-
2.5 inch OLD MAN EMU sport lift kit
Recent Gloss Black paint job
33” BFG KO2 All terrain tires with only 5k miles on them
New headlights and taillights
Factory locking differential option
Solid front and rear axle
Full time 4 wheel drive
Work done at 248k miles...
Most consumables on the truck have been replaced (worn belts, hoses, bushings etc.)
New valve cover gasket
New brake pads/rotors/master cylinder
New power steering pump
New starter
New fuel pump
CX racing intake tube
(Receipts for mechanic work can be provided)
All fluids have been changed recently
Cons-
Interior needs work
One dent in the drivers door and some scuffs on the bumper
Sunroof needs a new gasket
craigslist add- $14.5k( not on island, but instate)
I have not contact any of these sellers for additional information.
Thanks again for those whom have chimed in.
1.1994 Toyota Land Cruiser 80 (lx450)
Inline 6, auto trans 160k miles.
Good condition, no rust, clean inside/outside,
Fully stock, a lot of new parts under hood. Clean title in hand.
craigslist add- $14k(on island)
2.Triple Locked 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser FZJ80
4.5L in-line 6 cylinder motor with 253,000 miles and plenty of life left in it
Pros-
2.5 inch OLD MAN EMU sport lift kit
Recent Gloss Black paint job
33” BFG KO2 All terrain tires with only 5k miles on them
New headlights and taillights
Factory locking differential option
Solid front and rear axle
Full time 4 wheel drive
Work done at 248k miles...
Most consumables on the truck have been replaced (worn belts, hoses, bushings etc.)
New valve cover gasket
New brake pads/rotors/master cylinder
New power steering pump
New starter
New fuel pump
CX racing intake tube
(Receipts for mechanic work can be provided)
All fluids have been changed recently
Cons-
Interior needs work
One dent in the drivers door and some scuffs on the bumper
Sunroof needs a new gasket
craigslist add- $14.5k( not on island, but instate)
I have not contact any of these sellers for additional information.
Thanks again for those whom have chimed in.
It was completely stock except the stereo system. I finished the nav delete and completely modernized, smart-phone compatible stereo about a month before somebody hit my wife on the freeway and wrecked the car. I had to fight hard with the insurance company. Their initial valuation was more in the low 20s until I pointed out that 5 of the 6 trucks they used for their comparisons had accidents in their car fax history and the 6th had obvious rust on the underbody. I had the option of having the car repaired, but given the settlement I was able to negotiate, I decided to take the cash and run. I sometimes have regrets. While the settlement was fair, I know I'll likely never have a 100 in as good of condition as that one was again.
Prices on these are tricky. Clean, low mileage, rust free 06 and 07 100s can sell for 25-30 because they are so hard to find. Very few have low mileage like that, and of those few, many will have rust issues or accidents in their history. That said, every once in awhile you will see them sell for much less - mid teens even - as some people don't understand the LC following and value them like a generic 15 yr old SUV. My recollection is KBB and Edmunds both seriously undervalue what a clean 100 series can sell for, and even the insurance companies will reluctantly admit it if you push.
If you look long and hard enough, you can find great deals at or below estimated values, but you have to get lucky as there are people like many here on this board that would trade their first born for a great 100. It seems like most of the awesome deals I hear about are on the LX versions... not sure if it's because the owners are less likely to be LC enthusiasts and aware of the brand's near cult like following or if it's because LC enthusiasts want to see "Land Cruiser" tattooed across their truck's backside like an off-roaders tramp stamp. I've wondered if the best way to find those deals is to talk to current owners... see if you can find older owners in parking lots etc, strike up a conversation, and ask if they're interested in selling. You might be able to give them an offer of $18K which they will think is more than the car is worth, but you think is a great deal.
My friend it looks like you are a in haste to buy a car and whatever decision is made in hurry, I guarantee you 100% that you will regret in future. I sold my 97 LX450 couple months ago with 194k miles on clock in Alaska and it was in mint condition for 6k, I was in such a hurry, I ended up buying brand new 2021 SR5 tacoma. After a week I realized that I made a mistake because new cars depreciate like hell. I sold that tacoma to dealer with only 250 miles on the clock and lost 7k in it.
I suggest you go to www.cargurus.com and there are many beautiful accident free used cars in Texas. For a budget of 15 to 30k you can find a beautiful rust free lx470 or lx570.
Don't be fooled by lifts kit or lockers. Choose a car in stock condition. You don't live on the top of mount Everest. You don't need lifted unstable cars. Land Cruiser in stock condition is a good off roading car.
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I agree with you, though I'd love to find a 200 series for less than 30K. After my 07 insurance settlement, I though really hard about taking that money and getting a similar low mileage, no rust creampuff 100, but as much as I like them, I couldn't justify it. Instead I found an 02 with 185K miles for less than 10K. By the time I'm done improving a few things and catching up with deferred maintenance, it will probably end up being a $13K car - still a little rougher around the edges than the 100s worthy of high 20s, but less than half the cost.
depends if you are comfortable in buying a truck/car sight unseen...if so, then try to find one in the southwest US, have it shipped, and budget in for a few "surprises" that were not mentioned about the truck (paint work, dents/dings/, scratches, interior issues, rust, leaks, etc). PPI's typically only deal w/ mechanicals. if buying sight unseen is a problem, then you will most likely be paying a premium due to your location.
- Thread starter
- #36
Thank you for this. I needed to hear it.
I just bought my 100 series this week and the prices have really shot up since I started looking about a year ago. The person at the title place told me that my spec Landy (2000 with 178,XXX miles) was valued at $14k by NADA guide, and there was no option to adjust for mileage. This value was double the KBB price that was listed for the same spec. The prices have risen pretty steadily each month oner the past year, with a steep increase this past month.
Excited to be a member of this forum!
Excited to be a member of this forum!
Any rust is too much at that price.
