Should I buy? 1997 Land Cruiser w 240k miles and 5 owners

[zeqot]

Hi, apologies if this is a 'noob' question. New here! I've done some research and I know these 80-series hold their value, but I was wondering if anyone had some more insight if this is a good deal or not.

Current owner only drove a few thousand miles. Carfax reads 5 owners and 25+ service records. 240k miles. Center lockers only. Fresh paint job, basically no rust and it seems to be mechanically fine. Only the interior needs to be redone/carpets reupholstered.

Some other notable mentions:
- New Brake Booster
- New Radiator
- Power Steering Replaced


They are asking $19k but I shaved it down to $14k. Would you say this is a good deal?

 

[manofthewoods]

Hi, apologies if this is a 'noob' question. New here! I've done some research and I know these 80-series hold their value, but I was wondering if anyone had some more insight if this is a good deal or not.

Current owner only drove a few thousand miles. Carfax reads 5 owners and 25+ service records. 240k miles. Center lockers only. Fresh paint job, basically no rust and it seems to be mechanically fine. Only the interior needs to be redone/carpets reupholstered.

Some other notable mentions:
- New Brake Booster
- New Radiator
- Power Steering Replaced


They are asking $19k but I shaved it down to $14k. Would you say this is a good deal?

View attachment 3711057

Just food for thought.

Ask yourself honestly about the intended use case. I say this so you know going in that if your use case revolves around rock solid dependability/durability, then, miles are less significant than age.
ALL "rubber" seals, hoses, etc. are old and in need of replacement. Surprisingly, the easiest thing is to pull the engine and do everything in one shot. Won't be dirt cheap (doing it yourself, of course). But, it's like hitting a reset button on a beautiful beast that you can't get anywhere else.

My '97 had 372k miles and didn't leak/burn enough oil to notice. But I did a complete rebuild for 2 reasons 1) 'cause I wanted a "new" old beast, and 2) I wanted to develop the rapport with the vehicle you can really only get when you dig into a engine, for example: a simple thing like clocking the rings, etc.

Enjoy your journey

 

[zeqot]

Just food for thought.

Ask yourself honestly about the intended use case. I say this so you know going in that if your use case revolves around rock solid dependability/durability, then, miles are less significant than age.
ALL "rubber" seals, hoses, etc. are old and in need of replacement. Surprisingly, the easiest thing is to pull the engine and do everything in one shot. Won't be dirt cheap (doing it yourself, of course). But, it's like hitting a reset button on a beautiful beast that you can't get anywhere else.

My '97 had 372k miles and didn't leak/burn enough oil to notice. But I did a complete rebuild for 2 reasons 1) 'cause I wanted a "new" old beast, and 2) I wanted to develop the rapport with the vehicle you can really only get when you dig into a engine, for example: a simple thing like clocking the rings, etc.

Enjoy your journey

Thanks for your reply, that's an interesting approach. Never considered rebuilding. Roughly how much did it cost for your rebuild including labor, assuming you outsourced some of the work?

 

[manofthewoods]

Thanks for your reply, that's an interesting approach. Never considered rebuilding. Roughly how much did it cost for your rebuild including labor, assuming you outsourced some of the work?

I did everything except:
-Normal head work (only seals needed replacement)
-Block cleaning and honing, no boring needed
-suspension bushing pressing (old ones out, new OEM in)
-injectors inspected, serviced, and flow tested
My labor was NC.
Parts? I never did an official grand total, but, $10 grand (including everything, like 5 tires, shocks, etc.). All that got me the vehicle I want, trust and love.
I'll attach a link to my MUD write up.
Paying it forward, My LX450 "reset/complete rebuild" notes & lessons learned - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/paying-it-forward-my-lx450-reset-complete-rebuild-notes-lessons-learned.1305084/

 

[jaymar]

Hi, apologies if this is a 'noob' question. New here! I've done some research and I know these 80-series hold their value, but I was wondering if anyone had some more insight if this is a good deal or not.

Current owner only drove a few thousand miles. Carfax reads 5 owners and 25+ service records. 240k miles. Center lockers only. Fresh paint job, basically no rust and it seems to be mechanically fine. Only the interior needs to be redone/carpets reupholstered.

Some other notable mentions:
- New Brake Booster
- New Radiator
- Power Steering Replaced


They are asking $19k but I shaved it down to $14k. Would you say this is a good deal?

View attachment 3711057

See if you can have a fellow Mudder with some experience look it over for common issues; could be free, could be fee but worth it if they know what they're doing. Also have a shop WITH 80 EXPERIENCE do a pre-sale inspection. Do NOT do this at the place the current owner takes the truck to, just in case. Maybe any issues have already been dealt with--hoses and bushings that age out, seals that start leaking after 30 years, stuff like that. (When I bought mine, the hoses still had the factory cotter pins from 25 years before--which tells you how long this stuff lasts.) Check for any sign of a head gasket leak, main seal leak, rust around rack mounting points on the roof, pesky heater hose etc. Some things are more trouble than others to fix. Slee has a checklist somewhere on their site, and you can find various checklists/baselining lists here on Mud. Call me cynical, but if it's freshly painted, check for bodywork/filler. A cloth-covered magnet (to protect the finish) won't stick to filler. Looks pretty damned good!

 

[jaymar]

P.S. -- I bought a spare engine to tear down and rebuild, just because I want a like-new engine and I don't want to guess when the next issue (might) pop up. The engine has 170,000 miles on it. Head gasket was on its way out, but other than that and a few much smaller, external issues--this engine DID NOT need to be taken apart and rebuilt. Not even close. It all depends on how it was treated. At some point, I'll look at rebuilding the 250k engine the 'new' one replaces.

 

[AussieHJCruza]

How long ago was the paint/body done and who did it?

Nearly no rust might be concerning if it's been painted recently, depending on what this means.

Why was the radiator replaced? The 1FZ-FE engine is more prone to Head Gasket issues than some other engines, and if it's been running hot this may need attention or the radiator replacement may be an incorrect diagnosis.

What does 'power steering replaced' mean?

What brand is the new brake booster?

Who has done the recent repairs?

Sorry to be asking what might seem like obvious or unnecessary questions, however the best part of 15 years playing with and working on Land Cruisers has taught me a few things:
1) Most people don't replace parts for no reason, and a lot of mechanics these days are parts replacers rather than taking the time to diagnose issues properly.
2) Genuine parts are in 99% of cases, better than anything aftermarket and worth the extra cost.
3) People's definitions of the same thing can vary wildly. New power steering could mean something different to me than the person who did the work and I would strongly suggest the steering system isn't new. Most of it is available so not impossible but not a cheap exercise.

 

[SoTexCruiserDoc]

Good advice above.

“basically no rust and it seems to be mechanically fine. Only the interior needs to be redone/carpets reupholstered.”

There’s a LOT of wiggle room (and $$) in those statements. Need to be as sure as possible. Comfortable so far saying $14k isn’t a “good” deal based on the mileage and description so far. But it could be a fair deal…

 

[mudgudgeon]

Good advice above.

I definitely agree OEM parts are usually the best option, but use some judgement on this.

I would say planning to buy a vehicle, and do an engine rebuild is likely excessive depending on how its been cared for.
But, probably realistic to think if you plan to own it long term, an engine rebuild or replacement may be needed. It's a 27 year old vehicle after all.

It's not necessary to pull the engine out to change the rubber seals, hoses etc.
There a very small number of seals that require engine removal to replace.

I personally don't consider pulling the engine out to replace hoses as the easier option, and I've pulled a few out. YMMV


One more piece of advice, IH8MUD has a large number of MUD-OCD afflicted members ( is a thing) who will tell you you need to replace every nut, bolt, seal, hose, clip etc immediately just in case you looks at something sideways and your head gasket blows out of sympathy.

There's two ways ( or more) you can approach care of these.

Go MUD-OCD nuts, and baseline the whole thing straight away with a new OEM parts cannon.
Prepare to sink a lot of time and $10k, double or more if you do the engine. And have it out of action for a chunk of time.

Or,
Change all fluids, check the brakes. Check over and refresh the cooling system. Thoroughly inspect as much as possible.
Assess and prioritise common maintenance and items as they come up, and plan ahead on baselining mission critical stuff.
And drive it as is intended and enjoy it.

 

[ttFJC]

80 Series Newbie Guide - Slee Off Road

As soon as the excitement of the purchase starts to fade, the questions start popping up. What modifications can I make? What are those 4 bolts on the back

sleeoffroad.com

 

[jaymar]

80 Series Newbie Guide - Slee Off Road

As soon as the excitement of the purchase starts to fade, the questions start popping up. What modifications can I make? What are those 4 bolts on the back

sleeoffroad.com

Ah, there it is...

 

[Broski]

Good advice above.

I definitely agree OEM parts are usually the best option, but use some judgement on this.

I would say planning to buy a vehicle, and do an engine rebuild is likely excessive depending on how its been cared for.
But, probably realistic to think if you plan to own it long term, an engine rebuild or replacement may be needed. It's a 27 year old vehicle after all.

It's not necessary to pull the engine out to change the rubber seals, hoses etc.
There a very small number of seals that require engine removal to replace.

I personally don't consider pulling the engine out to replace hoses as the easier option, and I've pulled a few out. YMMV


One more piece of advice, IH8MUD has a large number of MUD-OCD afflicted members ( is a thing) who will tell you you need to replace every nut, bolt, seal, hose, clip etc immediately just in case you looks at something sideways and your head gasket blows out of sympathy.

There's two ways ( or more) you can approach care of these.

Go MUD-OCD nuts, and baseline the whole thing straight away with a new OEM parts cannon.
Prepare to sink a lot of time and $10k, double or more if you do the engine. And have it out of action for a chunk of time.

Or,
Change all fluids, check the brakes. Check over and refresh the cooling system. Thoroughly inspect as much as possible.
Assess and prioritise common maintenance and items as they come up, and plan ahead on baselining mission critical stuff.
And drive it as is intended and enjoy it.

^^^^^ This

You don’t have to go nuts.
Take it for 1/2hr drive then give it a good inspection any major oil leaks will show themselves

If the owner doesn’t want to let you do that take a pass

 

[Broski]

Another perspective is I have 94 with 280k miles
I did the head gasket in 2015 at 230k nothing more was done except valve guides.
Yes a lot of the common oil leaks have be addressed as they have come up but she doesn’t leave a drop on my shop floor, to my knowledge the motor has never been rebuilt or pulled out.
It’s not my DD but trust worthy enough to take on some of the most remote and toughest trails on the West Coast. I have complete confidence in her. She’s never let me down !

 

[jaymar]

Good advice above.

I definitely agree OEM parts are usually the best option, but use some judgement on this.

One more piece of advice, IH8MUD has a large number of MUD-OCD afflicted members ( is a thing) who will tell you you need to replace every nut, bolt, seal, hose, clip etc immediately just in case you looks at something sideways and your head gasket blows out of sympathy.

Regarding OCD builds, if you wanna look 'em up there was the now-classic OCD @NLXTACY engine rebuild, and more recently the @COYS every-nut-and-bolt-is-brand-new, NEW engine build. My engine is with the same shop that did those two, and they tell me I can go another 250k miles with light work and very few replacement parts (most of which didn't need to be replaced, but we just took the engine apart so why not "while we're in there"). A few grand, including shop work at a Cruiser engine specialist, and some engine-bay stuff I decided to replace while I'm in there.

Speaking of which--beware of while-I'm-in-there mission creep, which can quickly become full-blown COCD up. (Cruiser OCD.) That way lay madness.

How much CAN you spend on a Cruiser? Well, Joe Rogan's build was over $250k, from self-described "singular lunatic" Jonathan Ward at ICON/TLC. Then there's Mud member @SNLC, which does awesome work for considerably less than that...

"I'm just saying there are options." --Ryan Bingham (Up In The Air)

Welcome to the asylum.

 

[mudgudgeon]

@jaymar There's numerous examples of guys going all out, slipping into mission creep on their cruiser. Then get frustrated with not being able to enjoy it as they intended, or frustrated with always working on it.
Many get to an almost finished point, then sold.
Or made too pretty to then scratch them up off road.

 

[jaymar]

@jaymar There's numerous examples of guys going all out, slipping into mission creep on their cruiser. Then get frustrated with not being able to enjoy it as they intended, or frustrated with always working on it.
Many get to an almost finished point, then sold.
Or made too pretty to then scratch them up off road.

Maybe the almost-finished point is bankruptcy, or almost-divorced. (Not to scare the new guy; we're talking OCD folk here...)

 

[Broski]

Maybe the almost-finished point is bankruptcy, or almost-divorced...

How close are you ?
Really serious question.

 

[jaymar]

How close are you ?
Really serious question.

To which?

 

[Broski]

To which?

To either bankruptcy or divorce.
How long has you Cruiser been down seen like years.

 

[jaymar]

A) No closer than usual.
B) November 29, but had some unrelated issues that prevented me from getting into it until recently.