Purchasing Advice, Please

[cmcollar]

Hello, everyone.

I recently drove to look at a local 2008 LC. It has 100,000 miles on it and spent most of its life in the upper Midwest. It now resides down south. I snapped a few pictures of the undercarriage to get your collective feedback on what I'm seeing. I have access to a very good local shop run by former Toyota factory trained techs and plan to do a PPI if I decide to take the next step. The balance of the car is spotless, from what I can tell. What is a fair price for this? Current asking price is $28k. During the test drive, I tried many switches and they all seemed to work. Only concern I had during test drive was a "clunk" I felt only once when the car downshifted at about 5mph coming to a stop. Not sure what that was....

Carfax is fairly good. Shows damage reported that was not apparently an accident. Was it a cosmetic repair??? I could not find anything indicative of that on the paint. One oddity was the piece of trim running along the edge of the windshield on the right hand side popped up at the top and bottom of the windshield. Not sure what that was either.

Key maintenance performed (other than new tires, wipers, air filters, etc):
- Oil changes every 5,000 miles
- Front brake rotors resurfaced + front brake pads replaced at 43,000 miles
- Serpentine belt replaced at 43,000 miles
- Fuel injector system flushed / serviced at 60,000 miles
- Brake fluid flushed/changed at 65,000 miles
- Battery replaced at 77,000 miles
- Front brake rotors and pads replaced at 77,000 miles
- Power steering fluid flushed / changed at 89,000
- Antifreeze / coolant flushed /changed at 99,000 miles

5 pictures from the underside are included below. I have more...

Thank you for your thoughts on this.

 

[cmcollar]

I am attaching a few more pictures of the underside. If you want to see engine compartment, please advise.

 

[eatSleepWoof]

Doesn't look too bad, but if you are in dry climate, I'd keep looking and pick up a cleaner one local to you.

 

[cmcollar]

Doesn't look too bad, but if you are in dry climate, I'd keep looking and pick up a cleaner one local to you.

What about the price? What is fair based on the description I provided?

 

[cmcollar]

Doesn't look too bad, but if you are in dry climate, I'd keep looking and pick up a cleaner one local to you.

Thank you. Just so that I'm on the same page as you, would you consider Florida a "dry" climate in terms of automobile longevity?

 

[eatSleepWoof]

What about the price? What is fair based on the description I provided?

I really can't speak to the price as I'm in a very different location and haven't looked at 200 pricing ever since I got mine.

Thank you. Just so that I'm on the same page as you, would you consider Florida a "dry" climate in terms of automobile longevity?

I've never been to Florida, but my understanding is that you guys don't get snowy winters, which is what I meant by a "dry climate." I do suspect that vehicles which spent their life in your part of the world will likely have cleaner undercarriages.

 

[bloc]

FYI the rust on that looked a lot worse before someone had a body shop spray the bottom black again. See the front lower a-arm bolt heads as an indicator. Those are silver from the factory.

A rust-free rig driven in florida should mostly stay that way, depending on time you spend on or near the beach.

 

[ljschnel]

I think the price is a bit high for that amount of rust. But there's kind of a supply problem - so it could be pretty hard to wheel and deal. It's still a good truck, IMO. If you can afford to be patient, I'd pass on it at that price.

 

[Raising2hundo]

I got a 2008 for a little bit lower with 117,000 but it's home was Florida and Georgia. Little to no rust. There should be multiple options in Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, or Miami. I had two options last year in Tampa at the same price point. One was from New Jersey - passed. One was local - she went out with me.

 

[grinchy]

There is a recent sales price thread on the classified section
That rust doesn’t seem too bad.

 

[Raising2hundo]

FYI the rust on that looked a lot worse before someone had a body shop spray the bottom black again. See the front lower a-arm bolt heads as an indicator. Those are silver from the factory.

A rust-free rig driven in florida should mostly stay that way, depending on time you spend on or near the beach.

 

[bloc]

Also in the last pic, the KDSS arm would absolutely be more rusted, plus obvious different black paint on the skid plate in the lower part of the pic.

The pic above with the rear muffler.. the rear KDSS arm has been painted black over significant scale rust.

Pic with the cat next to the transmission, it's not supposed to have that black streak.

Someone in the past worked to make the rust on that truck much less apparent. Who knows what other stuff they did to make it appear better than it is...

Hard pass for me.

 

[eatSleepWoof]

With the details eagle-eyed-bloc spotted, I'd also do a hard pass.

 

[cmcollar]

Thank you all for your input. I plan to notify the seller that I am going to pass. In your experience, should I simply say that I'm passing or give him reasons as to why? He has only had this vehicle for the past year, and I suspect the actions done to "minimize" the appearance of the rust was done before he purchased it.

I have a lot to learn about this vehicle (especially the underbody). Can someone highlight for me on the picture(s) what the KDSS arm is? I've read that is a critical inspection (to ensure the KDSS valve screws are not rusted).

I am very involved in photography. Until now, I thought the Fujifilm forum was the most knowledgeable and helpful product-specific forum out there. Not any more! This forum takes the #1 spot in my mind. I'm also impressed that you are taking the time to respond to me (a newbie) that currently is quite clueless about LC's (but plan to learn).

Thanks again,
Chris

 

[Raising2hundo]

Tell the seller you will take it for $15,000 and if he says no then walk away like a badass.

 

[NMNORSSE]

Rust is like cancer, it spreads.

In the places where it snows, they salt the roads. The salt corrodes the factory rust protection, letting the water in and working with the rust to eat the metal.

Once you've got rust like that and you are in a damp or humid climate, especially a seaside one, the rust will spread.

Those pics show early rust. Like stage one cancer. Treating that is work and costs money. Untreated it'll spread.

Better to start out with a clean rig from the southwest, clean it, and start a regime of regularly fluid filming it if you will have it in a salty humid place.

 

[bloc]

There are two KDSS arms. The rear one is in your second to last pic.. the bar across the top of the pic is the frame. The bar just below it is the rear KDSS arm that transmits force from the cylinder to the sway bar.
The front arm is in your last picture.. it is the bent arm entering frame top left and exiting mid right. It is solid steel and prone to rust.. not a big deal since it’s solid. But that one has been painted.

For the record both of these are totally different than the KDSS screws that so often rust in place. Those are at the bottom of a valve body on the inside of the frame rail roughly under the drivers side passenger door. There is a thin metal shield over it with two or three holes in the bottom. I’d bet this truck is very ugly in that spot.. most body shops wouldn’t know how critical that spot is and to paint over it in an attempt to polish a turd.

As for “eagle eye”.. it’s just your garden variety OCD, mildly repurposed to the greater good. Or that’s the goal anyway.

OP.. if you can, hold out for a clean one, even if you have to pay a few thousand more. They are out there. And you will never be lying under it cursing at the rust that falls in your face as you hammer away at a wrench trying to loosen a seized bolt, hoping to whatever higher power it doesn’t shear off while knowing every other one on the chassis and suspension is the same way.

 

[cmcollar]

Sorry to resurrect this thread, but I sent an email to the owner describing my concerns about the vehicle (it basically was a summary of the concerns expressed by you about the underbody being repainted to mask the surface rust). The exterior and interior of the vehicle is great (showing new pictures below). The vehicle is a 2008 and has 100k miles.

Here's my question - he is asking me to calculate what it will cost to make the vehicle the way that I want it. He may be willing to deduct that amount from the sales price (which currently is $27k). I am not willing or able to do the rust remediation myself, so it would need to be professionally done. There also was an intermittent clunking sound which I believe was from the brakes - they likely need to be redone.

What number do I throw out to him? I know it's difficult to come up with an accurate ballpark because you don't have the vehicle in front of you. I suspect, however, that many of you can surmise the overall condition of the undercarriage based on the pictures I've provided.

Thank you again!

Chris

 

[bloc]

They used some kind of solvent on that drivers side rear door card. It isn’t supposed to be wrinkled like that.

Beyond that: if you plan to keep this vehicle, find another. Unless we are talking SUPER cheap it isn’t worth the trouble. Replacing the rusted parts and hardware would cost many thousands of dollars. Just the front end work will likely be a couple thousand at least if the camber adjustment bolts won’t move.

 

[JohnJB]

To replace those wrinkled rear door panels is $1800 total, ~$900/side. They are one entire piece. I’ve never seen them wrinkled like that, and wonder why they look like that. Moisture? Heat? Both? Chemicals?