So I want to buy an 80 series...

[kylebacc]

Hey guys,

I've been trolling these boards for some time now. I finally decided its about time to start posting Here's my thing:

Firstly, you must know that I'm 19, in college and I don't have a lot of money.

Secondly, I want an Land Cruiser.

Third, I have an 06 4Runner that I really like, but it's 2WD and that just bores the s*** out of me.

Now. I want a LC 100 series, but I can't afford to get one with the money I'll get from my 4Runner AND put all the goodies I want on it too.

So the second choice is a factory-locked 80 series. This way, I can spend less on the truck and already have ~$2000 worth of goodies already on it

What I really want to know is, how should I go about shopping for one? What do I need to look for? What are the options I should be looking for? I want to build a functional AND mean-looking rig for myself. I don't care for crawling over rocks and stuff, looking for more of a trail/expedition truck. And is it possible to put some sort of toyota diesel into it in place of the gas one?

Last, the truck and build have to cost me less that $13000 B/C although I own my current truck, I can't justify buying a high mileage old-school truck without ending up on top money-wise, to my mother

Any input is appreciated. Thanks!
Kyle

 

[iptman]

You have a lot more trolling to do my friend. Start with the FAQ sticky thread and read through it 100%. Then find the search tool and have at it. All this has been covered extensively.

Also, if you "want" a 100 series and the 80 series is your second option then you definitely have a lot more reading to do.

 

[gotmud]

If you have in fact been trolling the boards for some time now, you should have seen the sticky section on the top of the 80's forum page. You'll find a TON of info there that will help answer your questions.

 

[AGreekBoy]

i am not new to the cruiser world , but am new to the 80. search the faq it will anwer all of your questions and alot more. anyway good luck with finding what you want

 

[Romer]

My first thought is if you want a 100 series you should get that and build it slowly.

Once you poor a lot of money to get the mods you want, you don't want to be thinking "if only it were a 100 series"

I am not getting into which one is better for you want to do, the real question is which one do you want. Which truck will touch your soul and make you think what a sweet rig every time you look at it. I still look at my truck and do that and wouldn't change it or swap it with a newer one.

I know thats not very technical, but the other guys pointed you to the FAQ. There is an entire section on "thinking of buying an 80"

 

[kylebacc]

Thanks for the advice guys. In response to having read all of the stickys and faqs and stuff I've decided that an 80 is actually going to be a better truck for what I'm looking to do. I also worked out that it's not just the price that makes the truck cheap or expensive. But again, since I decided that I would rather an 80, I'm going to get an 80. Now just to find one with those factory lockers......

 

[green73]

As a college student, keep in mind fuel cost and maintenance. FZJ80s don't typically get what is called good mileage. Routine maintenance on these is a requirement now that they are getting up in age, or at least initial "baseline" maintenance. If you find that sweet deal it may end up costing you a bit in the end if the head gasket is original. If you can find one it may be worth it to look for one with a recent head gasket replacement, and front knuckle rebuild. I recently picked up a factory locked '96 form a college student that had to sell it because of these items. He damn near gave it to me, because on the college student budget there was no way for him to take care of these items financially and he had no place to do them himself.

As to the diesel option, yes it can be done for a price. Specter Offroad and a few vendors on here can get OEM diesels. They are not cheap, and most U.S. dealers will look at you weird and potentially not be able to get the expensive parts for them. I am not sure about Canada. The diesel is probably your best bet though if MPG is a must.

Weigh your options wisely, and do not get discouraged.

 

[onewhippedpuppy]

As a college student, keep in mind fuel cost and maintenance. FZJ80s don't typically get what is called good mileage. Routine maintenance on these is a requirement now that they are getting up in age, or at least initial "baseline" maintenance. If you find that sweet deal it may end up costing you a bit in the end if the head gasket is original. If you can find one it may be worth it to look for one with a recent head gasket replacement, and front knuckle rebuild. I recently picked up a factory locked '96 form a college student that had to sell it because of these items. He damn near gave it to me, because on the college student budget there was no way for him to take care of these items financially and he had no place to do them himself.

As to the diesel option, yes it can be done for a price. Specter Offroad and a few vendors on here can get OEM diesels. They are not cheap, and most U.S. dealers will look at you weird and potentially not be able to get the expensive parts for them. I am not sure about Canada. The diesel is probably your best bet though if MPG is a must.

Weigh your options wisely, and do not get discouraged.

VERY good advice. These are very reliable trucks IF they are properly maintained. It's not a Camry that only requires periodic oil changes. Proper maintenance requires some DIY ability, a place to work, and tools. Otherwise you'll be paying someone else to do the work, which will get expensive fast. If I didn't DIY there's no way I could have owned any of the vehicles I've had in the past, especially when I was in college.

As for your other questions, this forum has one of the best FAQs that I've ever encountered. Read every thread, then you'll be ready to ask some informed questions.

 

[D'Animal]

Buy the one that CruiserStuff has in the Vehicle for sale section.

It needs an engine so you can find a 3FE for it or go with a 2FE or a diesel.

Build it the way you want it.

 

[solidfrontaxle]

Personally I don't think I could have afforded an 80 when I was in college. I bought an old minitruck and did fine with that, but maintaining that was much much cheaper than taking care of an 80. I wouldn't have been able to do any mods at all because I'd be spending all my money on ridiculous things like $100 O2 sensors and $50 rear axle SSTs.

If you do decide to get one, I would go for one from a mud member that has been very well taken care of (axle rebuilds, maintained cooling system and brakes, ) and already has alot of the mods you want. It will save you A TON of money, trust me.

 

[Lka1988]

x2 on the gas mileage....IME, the more you build it, the less MPG you'll get. When I first got my 80, it was getting around 13. Now, in it's current state, it gets about 9 MPG.

I guess I'm lucky, though, cause I didn't have to worry about buying it....my 80 was basically handed down to me from my parents. But, I pay for everything including gas, maintenance, repairs, mods....everything. I'm not even gonna try to figure out just how much I've spent on it...

BTW, I'm only 21.

 

[Lka1988]

Also, patience is a virtue. Seriously. When I joined this site, this is how my truck looked-

And I was jealous of all the built 80's that everyone had. I wanted mine built, and I wanted it done now. But "now" didn't happen. Piece by piece, month after month, and year after year, I built it the way I wanted. And until just a little while ago, I was still jealous of all the built 80's.

Then I took a look at mine again-

These pics were taken 3 years apart. It may not look like much, but there's a whole lot more to my truck than just a medium lift and 33's. See my signature line for everything that's been done to it over the past three years....there's more stuff that isn't listed.

 

[ALCO]

There is no way I could have afforded one of these beasts in college. I'm still learning and baselining maintenance on my 93 about it about a year after I bought it off a friend who used it as a family hauler and occasional ATV towing rig. I've grew up having older vehicles so I can do a good amount of maintenance myself. I don't know exactly what I've spent so far but have replaced: tires, radiator, heater hoses, belts, fluids, grease, front rotors/wheel bearings, plugs/wires...In college I would not have had the money or the time to do stuff like this.
They are fantastic vehicles and working on them really gives you an idea of how well they are built. Just the other day some dude with a very thick African accent told me he had a 93 at one time with 450,000 miles on it! He said to expect 600,000 miles from a LC!!!

 

[ThePookieBear]

Take it from a fellow college student. The 3FE is hard to beat for reliability. Slow, no factory lockers... etc. But... also super reliable. Haven't really had any trouble. Aside from base lining... I've replaced one birf, and now an alternator. Brake pads, etc. I would at least consider a FJ80. You can pick them up for a song, and have a reliable vehicle while you're still in school. Maybe use that extra money for base lining, lockers if you find you need them, etc. And the rest you can save. Never hurts to have "extra" money. Its quite nice actually. I'm trying to do it more often. Good luck, Michael.

 

[Atlanta Cruiser]

So you think you would settle for an 80?? I would much rather have my 80 than a 100 from everything I have read. If you want a 100 save some money and get what you want, but make sure you are informed about what the differences are.