Second-opinion on FJ80 pre-purchase inspection? (1 Viewer)

[LandCruiseCzar]

Hi Guys - was looking at a '94 FJ80 coming out of Michigan. Just got back pics from the mechanic doing the inspection.

Pros: exterior and interior looks clean as hell.
Cons: looks like some (1) rust on the under carriage, and.... there's some (2) white slime in the engine oil cap.

I'd truly appreciate some second opinions? Car is $10k + shipping. Is this normal wear or are you seeing any dealbreakers?

Thanks,
- Spencer

A couple pix below or full-gallery here.

 

[LandCruiseCzar]

Couple add'l pics:

 

[SNLC]

Nope!

Cheers

 

[WCBlueSky]

Some good advice in this thread: Buying an 80 with a rusty frame.

 

[baldilocks]

Rust is the game stopper. I wouldn’t give more than $2500. What’s all over the engine? There is absolutely no reason to deal with rust when you can get rust free for that money.

 

[Kernal]

Hell no. It's had undercoating sprayed over rust and some sort of
home foam insulation sprayed into the rear crossmember?? Front axle/knuckle/CV joint service is way past due (leaks). Engine bay and undercarriage are roached. Shocks are rusting off. 10k is a joke, more like $1500-2500 (for the locked axles) as a parts truck, maybe, if the panels aren't rusty, but they probably are.

Run.

 

[bhsdriller]

yep hard pass, well actually easy lol
Expanding foam in the rear crossmember? That might be a first

seats look clean but that's about it

 

[vegasfj40]

Not worth that money. Rusty, and the oil cap says headgasket is gone.

 

[woodsman 44]

10K with that rust, um, No.....looks like they tried to spray paint the front end area with rattle can black to cover up some rust....a couple K is all its worth

 

[vegasfj40]

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HARD TO FIND!!! COLD AC!! NO RUST!! CLEAN CARFAX!!!! Looks and drives great!!! Call for...

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This is just a bit more but waaayyy nicer.

 

[cartercd]

Run, don't walk, away from that poorly-maintained rust bucket.

 

[Corbet]

parts truck

 

[ChaseTruck]

yep hard pass, well actually easy lol
Expanding foam in the rear crossmember? That might be a first
...

Nope, seen it before. That was on a Suzuki Samurai trail rig, still with sheet metal, but very few panels that were still straight/undented. Looked like it did a great job of holding that little truck together.

That expanding yellow foam is great for eliminating annoying rattles, or sounds. In fact, there's some in the roof of my K5 Blazer, between the two layers of metal. Cut down the noise quite a bit...

 

[JeepinPete]

That is a $1500 truck. There is rust in the rear rockers, maybe the front of rear wheel wells too. It is where these trucks seems to rust first. Can be fixed, but not for $10k.

 

[VivaToy]

Guaranteed headgasket failure. No way.

 

[mrq]

$10k for that rust bucket? Heck no! Definitely pass on this one.

Look for a PNW or California rig. They’ll be a little bit pricier... But you’ll be able to find a clean rust-free one.

That’s a $2500 rig at best. (Unless it has an insanely low amount of miles.)
Man, BAT is really giving sellers the wrong idea on what their rigs are worth. How many miles does it have?

 

[Rusty Marlin]

$10K for that?!, Dude's been smoking the good stuff....

 

[graham5david]

Hard pass

 

[Kay9Cop]

When I was looking for mine last year, a 95-97 triple locked with 250-300k miles and very minor surface rust on the undercarriage out of the southwest states could be found for $14-15k fairly easy. A good deal was $10k. That one is no where close.

 

[Tachycardic]

You're going to need a new head gasket and the engine work associated with it, rebuild the front knuckles, and replace the dampers at a minimum. That's before you deal with the rust. The truck has low miles and lockers, and the exterior/interior looks great. I would look for rust in all the usual nooks and crannies before placing an offer. If there is evidence of rust in the rocker panels, door jams/lower door areas, right/left side of the firewall by the skirt mounts, tailgate, etc. I'd pass or offer less if you're comfortable with dealing with it.

It also depends on what you want to do with it. If this is going to be a part-time trail truck and you're keeping it relatively stock, I guess you could fluid film the problem areas and go about your business. The more expensive, but better option is to prep the truck appropriately for Por15 or similar provided that the metal is not too far gone. I know that prices have been going up, but I feel like the others--you should pay less or pass.