Should I buy an 80, costs of ownership?

[Liftman]

Firstly,what a great forum this is,,,
I have owned Landrovers for years untill i went to replace one,i had o look at the landcruiser and from then i was addicted.
The first Landcruiser i bought was a colorado,i liked it a lot but found i couldent do a lot with it,,,i gave that one to my wife and bought an 80 series .
it has done 117000mls and drives like a dream,i overhauled the front axle and fitted larger wheels and tyres,a snorkel and a tjm susspension lift,now it looks awsome,i plan to keep this motor forever no matter how much it costs to maintain.
they are a bit heavy on fuel and as i live in scotland the price of fuel here is very high
but you only get what you pay for..
one of the best truck i have ever owened..

 

[tcb]

Three pages of info and nary a mention of the ever increasing price of Leatherique!

 

[westgnorthf]

hell yea

good clarification element c dan we came alotta ways from this

 

[dries001]

First of all, I would like to say "Hello"!

I found the forum by trying to research on a rebuild on a '72 FJ40 (a complete rebuild) that I was thinking about buying. But after reading all of this I'm considering purchasing either the LC 80 or LX. I've been looking around but I haven't found any with the factory lockers, is this something I should really look for or be concerned with? Or should I just consider adding them later? I tried to search for a thread of lockers vs non-lockers but was unsuccessful. Also, what are your opinions on the 100 over the 80?

Thanks

 

[Beowulf]

Hi dries001!
You have responded to a very old thread that is part of the FAQ in the 80-Section here on IH8MUD. You should probably start by reading the "Buying tips" thread (can't recall the name) and then, if you still have questions, start a new thread in the 80-Section and mention that you have already read the relevant sections of the FAQ so you'll catch less flack.

The F&R diff lock option was relatively rare. Our best numbers are that ~7% of US production got the option. That seems to be the same between LC and LX. Adding them is expensive; either OEM axles or retrofitting ARB lockers. You are much better off financially if you can find a vehicle with the option.

Do you need them? You'll have to answer that question for yourself based on your planned use for the truck. The 2 extremes of use are:

A. Daily Mall Cruiser. Wife's vehicle. Haul kids to soccer and the occasional picnic or camping trip on dirt roads in good weather.

Z. Primarily off-road use. Rock crawling in places like Baja and the desert Southwest. Expedition type wheeling where you are gone for weeks at a time and possibly a lone vehicle. Routinely used on extreme trails.

There is a LOT of usage between those 2 extremes so make your own assessment of your intended use.

100 vs 80 will generate a lot of discussion. In the 80-Section your responses will be heavily biased. In the 100-Section your responses will be heavily biased. The "truth" is somewhere in between and again, only you can decide.

Use the above 2 extremes with the 80 being more capable in scenario Z, and the 100 being more suitable to scenario A.

(See.... what I mean?)
-B-

 

[dries001]

Thanks B!

I guess I could have worded it better, but that was my concern was the $$$ it would cost to add lockers. Yeah, I've been bouncing around the site for a couple days reading as much as I can. I read the buying tips thread earlier. I'm just trying to get an idea of what to look for and if the options make a difference now compared to future add-ons.

 

[H-vegasdisco]

Ok just one simple question is owning an FZJ-80 cheaper in maintenance than say a 99 Land Rover Discovery Series 1?

 

[Beowulf]

Definitely maybe.
-B-

 

[Tyler Durden]

WOW! I work as ageneral sales manager for a high line used car dealership in Illinois . I recently bought a 1994 Landcruiser for $6000 . good deal , maybe . I am lucky to be able to purchase such a nice vehicle for such a low price. but by no means is this a $30 - $40k vehicle. The one thing you all miss , and excuse me for my bluntness , is market. market very simply meaning , in my opinon and that of my industry , depreciation and resale value. Granted at one point the 80 series was worth as high as $50,000 + brand new , but so was the ford excursion! I wouldnt pay fifty for either! Also granted the capability of the landcruiser is far greater than the excursion , but they are both used and you can buy a comparably equipped 2001 excursion for the same price as a 1994 landcruiser. resale is always higher on a better vehicle. Better meaning build quality and maintenance. but a 12 year old vehicle is 12 YEARS OLD!!! Why sink money into something with depreciating resale value. The more you put in, the more you lose. Buy cheap , it hurts less in the long run.

Yup...buying something cheap and keeping it around is the way to go. I bought my Jeep Cherokee for $3k back in '05. I should be able to get damn near that (probably $2,500 or so) when I upgrade to an 80 within the next month. The main draw to the 80 series (to me) is that they're a LOT of vehicle for the money. In the ~$10,000 range (what I'm looking at spending), I'm hard pressed to think of a vehicle that is as reliable, long lasting, and is as good of a value.

For most people that upgrade their rigs, it's simply something to tinker with (or an obsession in some cases). I do agree that people who look at their vehicles as an investment should seriously look into a personal finance course. Vehicles are a depreciating asset...nothing more.

Ok just one simple question is owning an FZJ-80 cheaper in maintenance than say a 99 Land Rover Discovery Series 1?

I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone who would suggest that buying a Disco is a good move. I looked at them when I was shopping for my Cherokee back in '05. Go check out Edmunds.com and other places that do consumer reviews on vehicles. They tend to have MANY lemons and parts are extremely expensive. It should tell you something when a vehicle that was $30k+ new (the Disco) costs the same (or less) than one that was under $20k (the XJ/Cherokee).

If you want to look "fake rich"...go get a Disco. They're cheap as dirt and you can pick one up with low miles for next to nothing. Hell...four years ago, a '95 Disco w/ 80k miles was ~$3,500. No idea what they're going for these days.

 

[JML403]

Hey Tyler D, you better get an 80. If you do and supply the beer ill help you get all your baselining out of the way! Good luck on the hunt, im on the look out for a good one.

 

[Filmpros]

I am a business man and always look at ROI, cost of ownership, depreciation, and all other factors that are logical and make sense when buying cars ... always have ... until my 80 Series.

What I did with my 80 makes no sense whatsoever from a financial, logical, or sensible perspective. Also, it is not at all like me ... a true business head ... to do something that does not compute.

However, all reason and doubt was cast aside when I decided to have my 80 built. I do not regret it in the least as I plan to keep and enjoy my truck for may years to come. Your thinking makes sense but does not really apply when talking to a bunch of obsessed cruiser heads... It is probably no different than someone putting a lot of money in to a hot rod ... you never get that money back ... but you do get something else. The joy of and pride of ownership and the experience of driving your own personal customized toy.

I purchased my super clean 80 (Lexus) for $13,000 and won't even begin to tell you what I put in to it since I have owned it .... more than I would probably ever care to admit actually ... and I am not quite done yet. I can honestly say that I have no regrets despite the fact I will never see more than 10% of what I invested in to the truck should I ever decide to sell it. Despite all of this, I am glad I built this truck and plan to enjoy it for many years to come..

WOW! I work as ageneral sales manager for a high line used car dealership in Illinois . I recently bought a 1994 Landcruiser for $6000 . good deal , maybe . I am lucky to be able to purchase such a nice vehicle for such a low price. but by no means is this a $30 - $40k vehicle. The one thing you all miss , and excuse me for my bluntness , is market. market very simply meaning , in my opinon and that of my industry , depreciation and resale value. Granted at one point the 80 series was worth as high as $50,000 + brand new , but so was the ford excursion! I wouldnt pay fifty for either! Also granted the capability of the landcruiser is far greater than the excursion , but they are both used and you can buy a comparably equipped 2001 excursion for the same price as a 1994 landcruiser. resale is always higher on a better vehicle. Better meaning build quality and maintenance. but a 12 year old vehicle is 12 YEARS OLD!!! Why sink money into something with depreciating resale value. The more you put in, the more you lose. Buy cheap , it hurts less in the long run.

 

[Tyler Durden]

Hey Tyler D, you better get an 80. If you do and supply the beer ill help you get all your baselining out of the way! Good luck on the hunt, im on the look out for a good one.

Baselining, lol.

 

[SiRaDuDe]

'94 80 Series

Hi all, I'm new here and sorry for waking up such and old thread...:whoops:

I'm the 2nd owner of a 80 series FZJ80 i think with 94K miles... Loaded with all the options...

A year ago I noticed that I was leaking fluid from the left front wheel hub... so I replaced the seal that allowed the Dif fluid to leak into the knuckle, now I have the seal somewhere in the back of the "knuckle ball" for lack of name... leaking my grease, I guess a knuckle wiper... now my wheell makes a claking sound on extreme turns, so I guess I need to replace the birfield? maybe I shoudl go for a complete knuckle repair.

Now I'm doing a full engine rebuild to replace all gaskets and a blown HG. Time has done a job on most of my gaskets and rubber hoses so I thought about time to replace.

Other that that I've had the LC for about 5 years and no other worries...

Anything I should know now that I have the engine out that I should replace? I saw a PHH being mentioned...


If anyone can point me in the right direction (threads) it would be much appreciated.

Inmediate plans for (5" Lift, ARB front and rear bumpers) are moving to the front burner so I'll be searching this forum constntly, thanks to a friend from another bike forum that suggested you guys

 

[ranma21]

Hi all, I'm new here and sorry for waking up such and old thread...:whoops:

I'm the 2nd owner of a 80 series FZJ80 i think with 94K miles... Loaded with all the options...

A year ago I noticed that I was leaking fluid from the left front wheel hub... so I replaced the seal that allowed the Dif fluid to leak into the knuckle, now I have the seal somewhere in the back of the "knuckle ball" for lack of name... leaking my grease, I guess a knuckle wiper... now my wheell makes a claking sound on extreme turns, so I guess I need to replace the birfield? maybe I shoudl go for a complete knuckle repair.

Now I'm doing a full engine rebuild to replace all gaskets and a blown HG. Time has done a job on most of my gaskets and rubber hoses so I thought about time to replace.

Other that that I've had the LC for about 5 years and no other worries...

Anything I should know now that I have the engine out that I should replace? I saw a PHH being mentioned...


If anyone can point me in the right direction (threads) it would be much appreciated.

Inmediate plans for (5" Lift, ARB front and rear bumpers) are moving to the front burner so I'll be searching this forum constntly, thanks to a friend from another bike forum that suggested you guys

You will need a complete birfield repair job. The lack of grease in the knuckle housing has causes premature wear of your birfield. You might be able to get away by swapping the birfield from side to side instead of replacing them.

I will do all my hoses, belts, seal, gaskets, fan clutch rebuilt, started rebuilt, fuel filter and rear main seal if I have my engine out. But you can replace the HG without pulling the motor. Good luck =)

 

[SiRaDuDe]

OK,

Engine was completely rebuilt, and front axle knuckles were rebuilt too, for now I swapped the birfs (one side was fine the other was showing some wear)... we will see how long this lasts.

I mainly did the swap to provide the forum with some feedback, I'm sure I'll be breaking in there soon to replace.

Where do I find the parts to rebuild my Fan Clutch? is this something my Local Toyota Parts Dealer might have?

 

[Beowulf]

Where do I find the parts to rebuild my Fan Clutch? is this something my Local Toyota Parts Dealer might have?

There are 3 or 4 relevant fan clutch threads. Basically, a "rebuild" is nothing but an exchange of the silicone fluid and a tuning of the opening temp. There are several options and you should read the threads if you plan to go this route. Start with the thread by LandTank and there should be links to any related threads. You can obtain the silicone fluid from Cruiserdan, your local Toyota dealer (doubtful), or hobby shops.

-B-

 

[johns94cruiser]

My .02

You may not like me, but my mom was owed some money by her second husband and he paid her with the Land Cruiser...well...she wasn't the SUV type and gave it to me (she gave my brothers and sisters cash to even it out ). Anyway, 6 years later, over 90000 miles and it is still going strong. I'm not a rockcrawler, but it is the daily driver, farm truck, tow vehicle, etc, bottom line, i drive the **** out of it.

That is 90k in addition to the 135K it had on it when I got it. I had no clue what I had when i got it, and just found this site a year ago.

I was always a new car guy, buy one, keep for a few years then get a new one. So, True Cost of Ownership? compared to new 'cheap cars' at a $300/mo payment? No way have I come close to 10k to keep her running. Considering 6 years of payments is around 21K+, I have saved a lot of $. I have gotten to where I do most of the maintenance/repairs myself so that helps on the bottom line as well, and lets me buy new metric tools every once in a while.

Future plans...I am doing a long term baseline, the more I read, the more I do, as I can afford to (have replaced a birf, removed a seized VC, replaced front/rear seals, new thermostat with Toyota red, brakes, etc).

My plan is to get it to 400,000, rebuild the engine and mechanicals with my kids, restore the body and interior, (maybe even paint it white to get the extra performance) and go for 1 million miles.

Now, if only it floated......


BTW, I think I may have my wife talked into letting me get a 95 LX or LC for Her...

Oh, and yes, that is an original Appalachian 2x10 custom wood bumper on it in my avatar, but I have a good idea of some custom future armor that may even include metal....

 

[Aids10]

Great Info.!

Good intro. to my baselining list

 

[Viggen]

Im going to bring it back to ask...

how many of you use your 80 as your DD and only vehicle? Im downsizing the lot and would like to only have one truck that can serve as my daily and my long distance off road camping truck. I considered a Disco but thats not necessarily what one could term reliable.

 

[kidglove13]

My 80 is my only vehicle and I drive it everyday to and from work etc.
Gas milage sucks but I knew that already.