SEEKING ADVICE ON FREE 2000 LAND CRUISER (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Jan 17, 2022
Threads
5
Messages
12
Location
Williston, Vermont USA
Website
devxphoto.com
Hey everyone. I’m seeking advice on a free one owner 2000 Land Cruiser I was offered by a friend of mine.

So back in September I went to Alaska with my parents on a 10 day tour throughout the state. During this trip we visited my parents friends in Fairbanks. We helped her do a bunch of chores like moving broken snow machines onto a trailer. I did most of the work and I was joking around about buying her 100 series off of her for cheap. She was so appreciative of my work that she said I could have it- for free!

There’s a catch though. The truck is very rusted out. I only got to see it for a couple of hours while I was there and did most of my inspection in the dark. The entire tailgate is rusting away along with many other parts of the truck im assuming. From what I could tell the frame isn’t too bad but many parts of the truck are rusted badly. She got a new truck so she had not been driving it. When I was there it had already been sitting for about a year. She said she drove it occasionally but for the most part it sat outside. The interior is absolutely disgusting but really just needs some detailing work done. The windshield is throughly cracked in many spots but still holds. The sunroof does not open and the power antenna does not operate either. There is also no third row. So it’s in pretty rough shape but not all is bad.

The Good- the truck only has 149,000 miles. When I was there I put the battery in and it started right up no problems or lights on the dash. She did say it has a lot of electrical issues but did not say anything more than that. It first started out it’s life in Ithica, New York, hence the rust. In Alaska they don’t salt the roads so it’s been free from salt since 2009. She took great care of it and always brought it to her trusted mechanic for whatever it needed. It wasn’t really abused it’s whole life it’s just in rough shape now. The timing belt and water pump were done at 100k like they should be. No accidents/floods or anything like that either. I have a whole car fax report that shows some of the work done. Not all of the work is on the car fax though according to her. It has a set of winter tires sitting in a shed aswell but I’m going to assume the tires on it aswell as those are dry rotted at this point. It’s going to need a lot of work but it is free so it’s hard to say no. Back in September she said she was going to get rid of it before the brutal winter began there but I have kept in contact and she has kept it for me. It has been sitting the entire time since I was last there in September. It will continue to sit until May or June when I go back.

I will put all the photos I have of it on this post (not many) and as well as the screen recording I took of the car fax. I’ll put the car fax link up too.

So what do you guys think? Should I take up on this offer? I will have to drive it all the way from Fairbanks, Alaska to Burlington Vermont.
If I do this I will have her drive it or tow it to her mechanic to make sure it will make the trip back without breaking down. The 100 series is my favorite vehicle on earth and I’m eager to pick this up for free. Once in a life time opportunity here- especially with such low miles.

VIN- JT3HT05J4Y0121898

Carfax report- Your CARFAX Report - https://www.carfax.com/showroom/reports/?vin=JT3HT05J4Y0121898&mobile=true

Here and some photos and videos.
Only got 2 photos of the underside unfortunately.

Some of these are from her Facebook over the years.

Thank you for helping me out here. I really appreciate it!!!

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Welcome to the site!

well, of course, free is great (most of the time).
Now, do you have the time and $$ to fix it to your satisfaction? If you don't want to or can't work on it yourself it may be a money pit, depending on needed work. Landcruiser parts are expensive.
Are you easy going or easily stressed? If the latter, this may be opening a can of worm.
Things like a rusted tailgate or door is not an issue if you're not worried about cosmetics. But a rusted frame or brakes etc, that you can't just let be. It needs fixing and possibly $$$ if the frame is bad. Keep in mind a truck from the rust belt can be a nightmare to work on, with all the fasteners rusted on etc.
One thing that gives me pause in your description is the very long trip. Alaska to Vermont is a long way. If you end up broken down in the middle of nowhere it could get expensive to fix and continue.
Money wise, if you can make it back home easily, you'll likely be ahead no matter what, I think, even counting a couple of thous in gas and hotels. Worst case scenario, if you decide it's not worth keeping and you have time, you can sell it cheap or part it out and probably come out ahead but that will take a lot of time and effort. But of course you may not want to sell a gift.
So, I guess, if you're adventurous, young and daring, can't afford a better one, and have time, do it. If not, and you don't need the truck or $$ badly, take a trip to the Bahamas instead with the $$ you'll save not driving it back! :)
 
Yeah I read electrical issues and that's what really scares me. Mechanical issue at least give some indication most times so you can find out what's going on. Electrical can sometimes just occur.

I would ask the owner what they mean by electrical issues. Like did the car just die while driving. Or it could just be internal electrical issues.

In the end after troubleshooting it may not be an electrical issue at all. But that type of baselineing needs to be done.

Alaska to Vermont is a long way so take your precautions.
 
Free is too much. That vehicle should be parted out and crushed in Fairbanks or Anchorage.
 
Never look a gift horse in the mouth! Get and drive it into the ground and then part it out.
 
You're talking 4,000+ miles, more than 3 days driving time, fuel costs (at an all time high), hotel expenses and traveling on a wing and prayer that any of the many unknowns about the vehicle don't rear their ugly head. The fact that in your very gut you are feeling reservations, should be enough. Don't do it.

IF you lived closer or could do a minimal baseline on it BEFORE attempting the trip that would different. But if you are just looking for an 'adventure' this is almost certain to provide one.
 

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