Purchasing an LX450 in Canada

[Anarchy]

Hello IH8Mud,

This is sort of an introduction as well as a query. I am an ex-Toyota employee working for Volvo/Mack right now but have been a fan of Land Cruisers for quite some time, especially the 80 series. I've owned a 87 Hilux (22RE) lifted with winch, roll bar, etc, 2 x Corollas, and 1 x Camry and 1 x 4Runner and an S2000.

Last Saturday I noticed a LX450 parked up at the local McDonalds and though it was covered in Snow & Salt and didn't look that good at the time, I left a note on the gentleman windshield to call me if he ever decided to sell, he ended up calling me the same day. It is a 97 LX450 with Factory Lockers and approximately 241,000 km (149,000 miles), two owner (2nd owner is the current owner and has had the vehicle since 1999), the current owners wife is the primary driver and he is a Heavy Truck Mechanic and has done basic maintenance like fluids, brakes, and whatever it needs but has no history of maintenance nor has it ever been serviced at a Lexus/Toyota dealer. I offered him $4500 CAD ($3600 USD) and he counter-offered with $5500 CAD ($4400 USD).

Everything is currently working minus the Radio Antenna I believe and the tyres have approximately 15,000-20,000 KM of regular usage left (9,300 - 12,500 miles). The catalytic converter is removed and he will be selling it as-is. I will have to get the safety and emissions (Approximate Cost: $130 CAD [if it requires nothing]). The unit is also rust proofed by Krown (Major rust proofing company in Canada) but not regularly (Once every few years). I do see a bit of rust on some suspension components and a spot of rust on the tailgate.

Should I accept his asking price of $5500 CAD or should I counter-offer?

If I do go ahead with purchasing the vehicle, could someone compile me a list of what are the common most problems I should be on the lookout for & what maintenance I should perform immediately?

Thank You & I look forward to being a productive member of iH8Mud if I acquire my first 80 series!

 

[IanB]

http://www.sleeoffroad.com/newbie/newbie100.htm

Read this, you'll then know what you should be looking for, and how much you'll want to offer.

As for the cat converter being removed, is it throwing any codes? I'm not familiar with the exhaust system on these ones, maybe they have 2 cats? I'd make sure isn't throwing codes for anything else while I was at it.

 

[ironhippy]

https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/should-i-buy-an-80-costs-of-ownership.124556/ read this first.

I bought a Canadian LX450, my Canadian LX450 will eventually die of rust.

The person is not selling it because it is completely up to date on maintenance, expect to put at least 2 grand worth of parts alone into it over the next year. (3 grand if you are buying toyota parts in Canada)

If i was to buy another 80, it would be rust free. I hate seeing mine die and it's going to be way too expensive to fix, it would be cheaper to ship a rust free 80 from Texas (long term) than to fix the rust.

edit: also I don't know what kind of emissions testings you guys have, but unless your truck has been altered, it will be throwing a code for not having a cat. The check engine light bulb may have been removed or burnt out if it's not on.

edit: also, your local toyota dealer will claim they can't get parts for your truck (no Land Cruisers were sold in Canada in 1997) they will say you must call Lexus, get the number from them, and then they will look up that specific number and if they have it (they will) they will sell you the part. It's a huge pain.

 

[samiam09]

I'm sure my 96 lx450 would throw codes with out the cats hell it throws one about insufficient flow .Think one needs replacement.Haven't done it yet as i live in the land of the smog nazis that means the catalytic cost more in California so that the state can get more $. I don't know the smog laws in Canada .can you get by without catalytic converters

 

[Anarchy]

Thank you so much, those links were exactly what I was looking for! (Sorry for not using the search function haha)

As for the cat being removed, I did not see any check engine lights on at the time and I unfortunately did not have my OBDII Scanner to confirm but I will be scanning it before the purchase of course, & I hope he didn't remove the bulb as I hate dishonesty and I would put me off from buying it.

Nevertheless visually it looks to be in good condition interior and exterior, the current owner has multiple vehicles and for the past few years has only been using the LX450 on days with heavy snowfall or for when there are more than 5 passengers so he estimates a few months each year.

Oh and I just remembered while I was on a road-test, I heard minor & intermittent squeaking from the steering wheel during tight maneuvering turns.

 

[canman]

Like ironhippy said. If it is relatively rust free, then it is probably a fair asking price assuming there is nothing major as far as the mechanicals. I'm hoping to keep mine for as long as I'm around, but the rust is slowly taking a toll. It is now or never if I'm going to save mine. To put things in perspective I paid CAN$14K for mine in 2007 with 125K kms in near mint condition (288K kms now). I got mine in Toronto as well and had NorthWest Lexus inspect it before I purchased it.
For an 18 year vehicle, the list would be almost endless for things to check for, but start with:

- all diff locks functioning
- clicking birfs when front diff lock engaged when turning hard
- leaking fluids
- brakes incl handbrake
- all electrical/ dash in working order ( e.g power windows, lock locks, a/c, radio, per seats, HVAC blower, CD changer, etc). I got the dealer to lower the price by $500 because the CD supposedly didn't work after the Lexus inspection, but turned out to be an error message because there was no CD loaded. There are two cats, and if they are missing, there is no way you will pass emission. Plan on a $1K plus labour if you need to replace the entire exhaust with a Magnaflow / Borla set-up. Good Luck!

 

[ironhippy]

Also if you are missing cats, it's a good chance the EGR isn't working as well, which I assume you would need to fix in order to pass emissions.

My truck doesn't have cats and I blocked off the EGR, but I don't have to pass emissions testing.

If you are still interested in the truck, I would take it to a toyota dealer (or similar) and have them estimate what it would take to get it emission tested and then try to use that to knock down the price of the truck.

 

[Chris Wilcox]

if it is not too rusty pay the 5500. Lockers alone are probaby worth 2500 if you went about adding them after the fact.
Parts aren't bad if you can download the toyota epc software. then buy from cdan or other us supplier.

 

[izzyandsue]

I have experience buyin cars from Canada, and found them the be a lot less rusty than the counterparts in the US, I can only guess a lot less salt used on roads, which causes the corrosion. So I wouldn't assume rust without having it inspected. Also, a lot less snow in Toronto than across the lake in Rochester where I used to live. There where dealers in Rochester that specialized in "grey market cars".

Good luck with your truck, I bought a NY truck myself that had very little rust too.

 

[TahoeLX450]

I have experience buyin cars from Canada, and found them the be a lot less rusty than the counterparts in the US, I can only guess a lot less salt used on roads, which causes the corrosion. So I wouldn't assume rust without having it inspected. Also, a lot less snow in Toronto than across the lake in Rochester where I used to live. There where dealers in Rochester that specialized in "grey market cars".

Good luck with your truck, I bought a NY truck myself that had very little rust too.

Again, like above, depends upon the rust and any significant problems. That said, if I could find an LX450 with less than 150k mi. I would pay the $5500. I paid 10K for my, then cherry, '97 with 123k mi (Lexus serviced until 100K) and it hasn't skipped a beat or cost me anymore than regular fluid changes tires etc and mods (which don't count LOL) for the last two years.

 

[Anarchy]

Like ironhippy said. If it is relatively rust free, then it is probably a fair asking price assuming there is nothing major as far as the mechanicals. I'm hoping to keep mine for as long as I'm around, but the rust is slowly taking a toll. It is now or never if I'm going to save mine. To put things in perspective I paid CAN$14K for mine in 2007 with 125K kms in near mint condition (288K kms now). I got mine in Toronto as well and had NorthWest Lexus inspect it before I purchased it.
For an 18 year vehicle, the list would be almost endless for things to check for, but start with:

- all diff locks functioning
- clicking birfs when front diff lock engaged when turning hard
- leaking fluids
- brakes incl handbrake
- all electrical/ dash in working order ( e.g power windows, lock locks, a/c, radio, per seats, HVAC blower, CD changer, etc). I got the dealer to lower the price by $500 because the CD supposedly didn't work after the Lexus inspection, but turned out to be an error message because there was no CD loaded. There are two cats, and if they are missing, there is no way you will pass emission. Plan on a $1K plus labour if you need to replace the entire exhaust with a Magnaflow / Borla set-up. Good Luck!

What do you mean by "clicking birfs when front diff lock engaged when turning hard"?
And I am still friends with several technicians at a Toyota dealer in Mississauga I used to work at, so I would definitely be having them inspect the vehicle from top to bottom before I purchase.

I have experience buyin cars from Canada, and found them the be a lot less rusty than the counterparts in the US, I can only guess a lot less salt used on roads, which causes the corrosion. So I wouldn't assume rust without having it inspected. Also, a lot less snow in Toronto than across the lake in Rochester where I used to live. There where dealers in Rochester that specialized in "grey market cars".

Good luck with your truck, I bought a NY truck myself that had very little rust too.

It's not my truck yet but thank you haha!

And actually Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area are heavily salted in the winter months, I think we salt more than anywhere else in the world.


&

Thank you everyone for the prompt replies to my queries! It's quite different and refreshing being on a enthusiast forum who don't start ripping the newby with questions apart.

 

[gofast]

On Canadian west coast offerings the price would be spot on around 5000.

I echo the comment about adding another 2-3 k for maintenance. I buy my parts from Cruiserdan at American Toyota in New Mexico (search for his contact here on mud - PM and I'll give you his number. He can't ship to Canada but I live about an hour from the border. First toyota parts is another inexpensive genuine provider but also cannot ship to Canada. Even with the exchange it is cheaper for me to buy genuine items by a significant margin over purchasing from Canadian Toyota dealers - try $3.40 for an oil filter vs $12. I use ToyoDIY to source part numbers and sometimes purchase from partsouq.com.

There's still those that will rip the newbie - best to ignore it

 

[Bogart]

I have a Canadian 450 and live in BC, it has been a great truck and the cost of ownership is not a problem, as others have mentioned rust is the enemy of all older vehicles, particularly when the mechanicals are as robust as this truck, You will eventually have to service the "birfs" and it will eventually need a Head gasket but you will find with the help of this board that you can do these things on your own as I have done, I have been stopped on the street and offered more than that for mine so I do not think 5k is bad at all!

 

[Anarchy]

On Canadian west coast offerings the price would be spot on around 5000.

I echo the comment about adding another 2-3 k for maintenance. I buy my parts from Cruiserdan at American Toyota in New Mexico (search for his contact here on mud - PM and I'll give you his number. He can't ship to Canada but I live about an hour from the border. First toyota parts is another inexpensive genuine provider but also cannot ship to Canada. Even with the exchange it is cheaper for me to buy genuine items by a significant margin over purchasing from Canadian Toyota dealers - try $3.40 for an oil filter vs $12. I use ToyoDIY to source part numbers and sometimes purchase from partsouq.com.

There's still those that will rip the newbie - best to ignore it

I have a Canadian 450 and live in BC, it has been a great truck and the cost of ownership is not a problem, as others have mentioned rust is the enemy of all older vehicles, particularly when the mechanicals are as robust as this truck, You will eventually have to service the "birfs" and it will eventually need a Head gasket but you will find with the help of this board that you can do these things on your own as I have done, I have been stopped on the street and offered more than that for mine so I do not think 5k is bad at all!

Yeah I figured around 5k give or take would be a good deal, I will keep you guys updated if I join the 80 series club!

And by any chance I do not buy the vehicle, I will be sure to post some detailed photos and provide contact information for the seller to those interested.

 

[canman]

What do you mean by "clicking birfs when front diff lock engaged when turning hard"?
And I am still friends with several technicians at a Toyota dealer in Mississauga I used to work at, so I would definitely be having them inspect the vehicle from top to bottom before I purchase.



It's not my truck yet but thank you haha!

And actually Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area are heavily salted in the winter months, I think we salt more than anywhere else in the world.


&

Thank you everyone for the prompt replies to my queries! It's quite different and refreshing being on a enthusiast forum who don't start ripping the newby with questions apart.

The clicking birfs are the axle half shafts that go from the axle pumpkin through the steering knuckle. Inside the knuckle there is a CV type joint, not the u-joint you see on most 4x4s. The knuckle should be filled to about 3/4 full of moly grease to keep the CV joint lubricated. Over time the grease weeps out of the knuckle (this is normal), but a lot of people fail to add grease, which can lead to CV failure = clicking. Also, it is necessary to replace and the knuckle seals, gaskets, bearing at prescribed intervals. Ask the the owner if this was done. If not, plan on close to CAN$1K to have this done, if you do it yourself, and double that if you take it to the dealer. Additionally, most Toyota technicians know nothing about these trucks unless they are an enthusiast.
As Bogart mentioned, if the head gasket has not already been replaced, there is potential for it failing (search for lots of opinions here). If it hasn't been replaced, cost to replace is about CAN$2K. I suggest doing a search here on the "PHH" (pesky heater hose). Again, if this hasn't been replaced, it should. Not expensive, but tricky to R&T. Also search out info from the local Land Cruiser club on this forum. They seem to be pretty active in the GTA.

 

[Anarchy]

Good to know, also didn't know about that PHH, I will definitely be on top of fixing all potential/existing problems. And good news, he has accepted my offer of $5000 CAD. I take delivery sometime in the next 3 days. I am extremely excited!

I will do my maintenance first, but any suggestions for:

Front Bumper
Rear Bumper
Roof Rack
Tailgate (Ladder + Tire Carrier + Jerry Can - any combination of?)
Suspension (3-4 inch lift)

 

[IanB]

Congrats on the purchase! LOTS of options for all the mods you're looking at, you'll get as many opinions as there are options, best to do your own research and make your own decisions. I will say that there are rear bumper options with swingouts that will accomplish your "tailgate" wishlist.

 

[Anarchy]

Thanks Ian! And yeah I figured it I would have a variety of different suggestions, I must admit though, I do like the 4x4 Labs armor!

 

[Bogart]

I have a ARB front and a Kaymar on the rear but mine is more of a backroads expedition truck than a rock rig, Jason at Cruisen Offroad in BC has some nice bumpers and sliders and are made in BC

 

[DARKNESS]

Is it true that Canadian cruisers have flappy heads and beady eyes?