SOLD SOLD 2000 100 Series Land Cruiser, only 79,996 miles (1 Viewer)

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Well, the time has come to part with my 2000 Land Cruiser. I never thought it would come to

this, but the wife says it must go (happy wife = happy life). I thought I’d first offer her (the LC, not

my wife), here on the premier enthusiast forum before I list on AutoTrader, eBay, Craig’s List,

etc. If it sells though ih8mud, I’ll at least have the comfort of knowing she’s going to a good

home.


I’m officially the third owner (2nd for all practical purposes, but more on that later), and have

owned it just shy of two years. Prior to the LC I had an FJ Cruiser, but the more I drove the FJ,

the less I liked it. So I decided to get a Land Cruiser. At first, I had my sights set on an 80 series

(didn’t we all?), but could not find a low mileage example that hadn’t been beat to hell or heavily

modified. So I expanded my horizons to the 100 series. I’m glad I did as it offers (IMO), the

perfect balance between that classic Land Cruiser cache and modern amenities. I searched

nationwide. When I’d find one that I was interested in, it was either on the other side of country

and/or it sold before I had the chance to look at it/make an offer.


While perusing Craigslist S.F bay area one night, as fate would have it, I came across an ad

that I hadn’t seen before, for a very low mileage example (69k). I immediately called the guy

and surprisingly, he picked up. He told me that he had just posted the ad about an hour

earlier. He explained that he worked at a S.F. Bay Area car dealership and this one had

recently come in on trade from the original owner. Recognizing what a rare find this was (very

low mileage and extremely well maintained), he bought it before it was detailed and made

available to the public. He then told me about his commute. With housing prices the way they

are in the Bay Area, he lived about 70 miles away from his work, and did not realize what a gas

guzzler it would be, averaging about 14 mpg. Due to the distance of his commute, this was not

sustainable for him - and the reason he was selling it after a month of ownership. Prior to the

phone call, I verified the LC’s service history on mytoyota.com (please see below). If

there’s such a thing as over maintaining your vehicle, the original owner of this LC wins the

prize. I told him I’d buy it on the spot. I flew down to San Jose that Friday, and met him the next

morning. Everything was great with the LC in person, so we drove to a branch office of my bank

and I got a certified check to pay him, then pointed the LC north to Seattle.


At that time I worked from home, so gas mileage wasn’t a concern to me. Occasionally

I’d have to make a trip to the office (about 35 miles away), but this was infrequent. My plans

were to eventually turn this into some sort of expedition vehicle,not too crazy so it would still

exhibit on-road manners. I had planned on a two inch lift, 33’s, ARB bumpers, winch, rock rails,

etc. But, with mandatory overtime at work combined with family and other activities, I never

found the time. Last month I changed jobs (same employer, different position), which requires

me to be in the office Monday through Friday (other than working from home, a much better

job!). After a week of that I realized I couldn’t use this as a commuter vehicle, and bought a

smaller car (more on that later). Hence, the wife telling me the Land Cruiser has got to go.


As mentioned above, this vehicle has an extremely well documented maintenance history on

my.toyota.com., from the San Jose, CA Toyota dealership. As such, there was not much I

needed to do maintenance wise. I changed the oil/oil filter (with Mobil 1), and air filter shortly

after bringing her home (Feb. 2017). I changed it again after 5k miles (Feb. 2018), and again in

another 5k miles (Nov. 2018). The last oil change was only a few hundred miles ago, so you

could fly up here and drive home to Miami worry free if you so choose.


As this was an extremely clean example, I wanted to keep it that way. Based on the mileage,

the original owner only averaged about 3,000 miles a year. It has very obviously been

garaged it’s whole life as the interior (leather, dash, carpet), is in nearly new condition. I wanted

to keep it that way so I bought a full set (all three rows), of Tuff Duck Slip Covers from Specter

Off-Road. That was nearly a $1,000 investment to keep the leather in tip top shape. If you’re not

familiar with these covers, they are extremely heavy duty – the best seat covers you can buy for

a Land Cruiser. I have no doubt these covers will last as long as the LC will. Before installing the covers, I did condition

the leather. As I didn’t feel like taking the covers off for the photographs, I’m

including a few pics from the Craigslist add two years ago so you can see the condition of the

leather. I also bought a set of Weather Tech floor liners to keep the carpet looking new (they

work really well – best floor mats I’ve ever had). Finally, I also bought a custom fit Weather Tech

sun shade for the windshield.


I did install a modern head unit, but as this also fit into my new commuter car (a 2010 Rav4 -

I know, I know, please don’t laugh), I swapped it into the Rav and put the factory radio in

back in the LC. Hey, at least there’s a cassette deck to play those old mix tapes you may have laying

around for your drive home! With the modern head unit installation/uninstallation, I DID NOT cut

any wires whatsoever. I used a wiring harness adapter from Crutchfield (included so you don’t

have to buy another). Also included is the “diversity” antenna adapter. In case you didn’t know,

the LC has two antenna’s, the regular one in the right fender and another imbedded in the glass

in the right quarter window. In order to use both with an aftermarket head unit, you need the

adapter.


I’m sure you’ve noticed the three rocker switches under the radio in the dash. I wired those in

when I installed the aftermarket head unit. The top switch was to power the head unit on/off. I

like to control radio power without regard for the ignition, so I ran a wire from a hot, un-used port in the

fuse box. This way you can turn on the radio with the car completely off. The middle switch is to

manually control the power antenna. The factory radio “knows” when your listening to CD’s or

cassette, and keeps the power antenna off when not listening to AM/FM. An aftermarket head

unit continually sends power to the antenna regardless of whether listening to CD, satellite,

through Bluetooth, etc. I followed the instructions from this post to tack back control of the power

antenna:

Power Antenna Control Fix


The bottom rocker switch is for head unit dimmer control. There are times when you may not

want the unit to dim with the headlights on (like having you lights on in the daytime), so you’ll

just need to connect this wire to the “dimmer/illumination” wire on the provided harness

adapter. As I mentioned above, I did not cut or splice into any factory wires for these

modifications. They are all independent of the original wiring and ready to be reconnected when

you install your own modern head unit.


Another point worth mentioning is that for 2003 and later LC’s, it’s very difficult (if not

impossible), to switch to a modern head unit due to data and HVAC/climate control integration.

Just search the forums on this topic, and you will find a lot of frustrated 100 series LC owners,

who are basically stuck with the factory radio. For 2002 and earlier, there is no such issue as

Toyota kept the HVAC and data controls separate from the standard size double DIN radio.


I’m sure you’ve also noticed the two USB ports where the cigarette lighter would normally be. I

bought this cable off of Amazon to plug into the back of the modern head unit. I installed by

simply removing the lighter (it’s designed to fit in the lighter hole). As I don’t smoke, and there is

a dedicated 12 volt power socket on the other side of the USB ports, no big loss. Again, I didn’t

cut any wires, just simply unplugged the wiring and removed the lighter mounting hardware. I

still have the lighter hardware and it will be included if you really want the lighter back (which

has never been used, BTW). Finally, you’ll see in the pictures that there are two USB cable

ends sticking out in the center console by the shifter and to the left of the steering wheel. I kept

my phone mounted to the left side of the windshield (I used the ROK Form mounting system.

BTW, best smart phone car mounting system I’ve found). I don’t like wires and cables running all

over the place to charge devices, so I simply ran a micro-USB (sorry iphone guys), behind the

dash. To do this I drilled a hole in the plug on the left of the steering wheel and the small tray in

the console. Both parts are small, inexpensive and easily replaced if the

next owner doesn’t like this set up. I liked being able to pull out just enough cable when needed

and easily tuck it back in when not in use, though.


You would be very hard pressed to find another 100 series Land Cruiser maintained as well as

this one, and with so few miles (79,966). Currently (as of January 27th), I can only find one other

offered for sale with fewer miles. It’s a 2004 with 41,139 miles posted on eBay (out of

Pennsylvania), and they’re asking $33,950! Personally, I’d be very cautious about buying

anything where it snows and they heavily salt the roads. My LC spent its first 16 years in San

Jose, CA and the next two near Seattle, WA – as such it’s never seen snow. It has zero rust or

corrosion. Nor has it been beat up on rugged trails, either. I doubt very much that the original

owner EVER took it off road. Based on it’s profile, it’s safe to say that this was a Bay Area

“Soccer Mom” vehicle. The tires on it are still the ones from the “Soccer Mom” owner (in good

condition with at least a few more years’ worth of tread left in them). Goodrich BFG’s they are

not, and I had planed on changing them with my also planned lift. I’ve took it on a few dirt roads only to exercise the four wheel drive low gear and

center differential. It worked flawlessly. In fact, everything on this LC works as it should, and

there are no leaks of any kind.


No eighteen year old vehicle is perfect, and my LC is no exception. In the interest of full

disclosure there are three minor blemishes that I’m mentioning here (pictures included below).

The first are a few light scratches in the left fender. I don’t know how they got there as I

ALWAYS parked at the back of any parking lot to minimize such occurrences. In any event,

these are very minor and should be able to be buffed out (picture below is larger than in person). The second is a very small ding just

below the window on the right quarter panel. I know exactly how this one happened. My 10 year

old son and an 11 year old boy two doors down were playing with his father’s golf club set in

their front yard one day. One of them (to this day it’s still a mystery as to which one), drove the

ball all the way to my driveway where the LC happened to be parked. As you can see from the

picture this is a very small ding (almost imperceptible), without any scratches or paint cracking. I purchased the LC with

the third flaw, which are two miniscule tears on the interior passenger side rear door panel

. They are stable, meaning they are not getting any bigger. Also in the interest of full disclosure I will be

occasionally driving the LC a little to the store here and there, just to keep it from sitting. So the

mileage will go up a little, but not a lot.


If you’ve made it this far in my story, you’re probably a serious buyer – looking for just the

right one. I’m not in any particular hurry to sell and, as stated above, the only reason I’m doing

so is to make the wife happy. My asking price is $24,995. That may sound steep but the old

adage “you get what you pay for” rings true here. Keep in mind that this is an “over maintained

vehicle.” The original owner even had the timing belt and water pump replaced at 46k miles.

Now that’s being cautious! It still has another 56k miles before that needs to be performed again. I

also counted two brake fluid and coolant flushes, along with a power steering

flush, new shocks, brake pads, CV boot’s, etc. I have downloaded all the .pdf maintenance files

from my.toyota.com, and can forward upon request to anyone who’s seriously considering my

LC. I also have the full Auto Check report (you can download - it's located right after the last picture posted) that will corroborate my narrative as well. I took over

70 photographs, so if you’d like to see more that won’t be a problem.


Again, I’m not in a hurry to sell, so please no low ball offers. I’d rather sell here, to someone on

ih8mud who will appreciate what they’re getting, than to someone overseas or in Alaska,

. So I’ll wait a few weeks to see what

kind of response I get before listing with other sources. I think I’ve just about said all I can about

my LC, but if you have any questions please do contact me. I will not arrange shipping, but will

gladly meet a car carrier nearby if need be.


Thanks for your time.



All below maintenance performed by San Jose, CA Toyota, as verified on mytoyota.com


10/8/16 66,871 OIL/FILTER CHANGE, REMOVED ANTENNA MAST (BROKEN SECTION)FROM MOTOR ASSY, INSTALLED NEW MAST & RE-CHECKED OPERATIONS


2/1/16 63,421 REPLACE ENGINE OIL AND FILTER, REPLACED RIGHT SIDE CV BOOT AND REPACKED WITH GREASE, REPLACED REAR BRAKE PADS AND MACHINED REAR ROTORS


4/12/15 59,003 REPLACE ENGINE OIL AND FILTER, REPLACED FT SHOCKS, REPLACED REAR SHOCKS, REPLACED T STAT AND GASKET, REPLACED LEFT SIDE CV BOOT KIT, BRAKE FLUID FLUSH, POWER STEERING FLUSH


12/13/13 56,043 60K PREFERRED |~PERFORM 60K MILE INTERVAL SERVICE PER ATTACHED "PREFERRED" MAINTENANCE SERVICE CHECKLIST ~| ~|~DONE AS REQUESTED

FILTER, OIL 90915YZZD3 1, GASKET 9043012028 1, ELEMENT SUB-ASSY, AI1780150040 1, ANTIFREEZE GALLON W 002721LLAC01 1, GASKET, DRAIN PLUG1215710010 3, GASKET, TRANSMISSION 3517830010 1, GASKET 9043018008 2, GASKET 9043024003 1, WIPERBLADE,U-HOOK600 85222YZZ11TM 1, WIPERBLADE,U-HOOK550 85222YZZ12TM 1, UNI SUPER COO 546 1,

CLN LEAK DETECT 885A 1, WASHER FLUID 9822 1, VAL/THR BODY KI 48 1,

BRAKE FLUID 85032 1, ATC PLUS 310 1, FUEL/OIL COND 6550RSC 1,

MAF SENSOR CLN 4073 1, QUICK CLN TRAN 106 1, COOL SYS FLUSH 540 1,

BG MOTOR FLUSH 109 1


12/7/12 53,773 OIL/FILTER CHANGE


12/16/11 51,318 OIL/FILTER CHANGE


12/18/10 48,905 REPLACED OIL AND FILTER, REPLACED OXYGEN SENSOR, POWER STEERING FLUSH, REPLACED T-STAT AND GASKET, REFILLED COOLANT AND BLED AIR


5/9/10 46,392 MAJOR SERVICE ~ ELEMENT SUB-ASSY, AI 1780150040 1

FILTER, OIL 90915YZZD3 1, GASKET 9043012028 1, BATT.PAD T100 1,

GASKET, TRANSMISSION 3517830010 2, ANTIFREEZE GALLON W 002721LLAC01,

THROTTLE BODY SERVICE, FUEL INJECTOR FLUSH, FRONT DIFF SERVICE, REAR DIFF SERVICE,

TRANSFER CASE SERVICE, TIMING BELT REPLACEMENT AND WATER PUMP AND ALL RELATED PARTS AND SEALS


3/6/09 43,127 OIL/FILTER CHANGE, REPLACED ABS ACTUATOR


2/22/08 41,119 REPLACED INTERIOR LIGHTS JUNCTION BLOCK


12/20/07 40,270 OIL/FILTER CHANGE, BRAKE FLUID FLUSH, POWER STEERING FLUSH


8/25/07 38,865 OIL/FILTER CHANGE


11/9/06 35,816 OIL/FILTER CHANGE, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID FLUSH,

COOLING SYSTEM FLUSH


4/6/06 34,913 OIL/FILTER CHANGE


5/25/05 32,480 OIL/FILTER CHANGE

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Price based on word count alone is a value, seriously though GLWS, looks like a very nice example and after the number of posts I've read scant on detail I'm not complaining!
 
Sweet! Just wish it was located in Washington DC not Washington state.

Is it gold or silver? My eyesight is not the best.

Is the front windshield original Toyota or is it replaced?

Have the heater Ts been replaced? I only asked that thinking that if I cross country after the sale I don’t want those little buggers exploding.

Any leaks in the sunroof?

Does the CD player still work?

Do you foresee the suspension needing to be replaced soon? With the age of the vehicle?

Do you know if the prior owner used it to tow anything and have you?

is this Land Cruiser the reason that you’re a member on mud?


Thanks for the detailed write up. So much better than the crap you see from new members on mud that are trying to sell in their first postings.
 
HI TLCJC, Thanks for your interest. I'll answer next to your questions in bold.

Sweet! Just wish it was located in Washington DC not Washington state.

Is it gold or silver? My eyesight is not the best.
Your guess is as good as mine. Toyota calls it "Champagne Pearl" Sometimes it has a silvery tint, other times a more of a beige/bronze tint. Just depends how the light is reflecting off it.

Is the front windshield original Toyota or is it replaced?
I have not had it replaced since I've owned it and don't know if it's original or not. Just went out to take a look and didn't see any Toyota markings on the windshield. It says "Pilkington laminated." Never heard of Pilkington so I googled it and Wikipedia says, "Pilkington Group Limited is a multinational glass-manufacturing company headquartered in St Helens, United Kingdom and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Japan-based NSG Group." Perhaps they were a supplier for the Land Cruiser and other models? For what it's worth, I also looked at the windshield of my 2010 Rav4 and it says Toyota. In any case, if it has been replaced it was sealed properly, as there are no leaks around the windshield at all.

Have the heater Ts been replaced? I only asked that thinking that if I cross country after the sale I don’t want those little buggers exploding. I have not replaced them and did not see it listed as maintenance on mytoyota.com. So I would say no, they haven't. Perhaps tomorrow in the daylight I can look in the engine bay and snap a few pictures.

Any leaks in the sunroof?
None at all. And living in the sunny Pacific Northwest I'd surely know about it if it did leak!

Does the CD player still work?
Yes.

Do you foresee the suspension needing to be replaced soon? With the age of the vehicle?
It drives and tracks straight. Feels solid, no wobble or mushy feeling in the steering at all. The shocks are a little to soft for my liking (they were replaced by PO at a Toyota dealership). I personally prefer a much stiffer suspension and would have replaced it with a 2" lift (which would include new shocks, springs and HD torsion bars), not because of the age of the vehicle but because I prefer a stiffer, higher ride. The bushings and other components look fine. Tires are also considered an integral part of the suspension system, of which my personal preference would be for a more aggressive, off road tread pattern. All of this was on my "to do" list for the LC, just because I wanted a more aggressive, off-road look and feel.

Do you know if the prior owner used it to tow anything and have you?
I have not towed anything, and based on the condition of the tow hook mount, I'd guess that the PO didn't either. It doesn't look used at all.

Is this Land Cruiser the reason that you’re a member on mud?
The search for this Land Cruiser is the reason I'm a member. Like I said in the write up, I decided to get the LC when I came to the conclusion that I didn't like my FJ anymore. So I started researching everything I could about Land Cruisers in general. All roads (internet links), led to ih8mud :)


Thanks for the detailed write up. So much better than the crap you see from new members on mud that are trying to sell in their first postings.
No problem. I wanted to give as much information and as complete a picture as possible as to how I came to own it, what I did with it while it was mine, and the reason I'm selling it now.
 
Just add the number of paragraphs and you'll come up with the price. 24k paragraphs = 24k dollars.
 

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