thinking to buy my first TLC (1 Viewer)

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bobNoobie

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it has been a dream of mine to won 80 or 100 series and keeping it forever.
but I know nothing about fixing cars so I will have to rely on a reputable shop to do the work for me.

I have been looking at a few ads in craigslist. I am wondering what you think or if you have seen the car or know the history. any advice, suggestion on what to check,

1993 TLC $6500
http://vancouver.craigslist.ca/van/cto/5051737753.html
http://i.imgur.com/Sfazv84.png

1996 TLC 4.5L $6500
http://vancouver.craigslist.ca/nvn/cto/5063707273.html
http://i.imgur.com/AZDxP9d.png

2001 LX470 $8000
http://vancouver.craigslist.ca/pml/cto/5077947350.html
http://i.imgur.com/vH3cF65.png


the LX470 is at 300K .. I am worried about the expensive suspension on that truck. but if converting it to regular TLC suspension is reasonable I might bite..

I will probably never go off road with it..
99% would be a grocery getter or family road trip.
but who knows if things change with the dynamic of the family, I might go some light off road ing from time to time.

I like my TLC or LX to be an 7 or 8 seater since it will be a family hauler :)

thanks for any advise.
 
If you're not gonna use it offroad then don't buy a Land Cruiser. Just going to be a way over priced, over built, expensive to repair waste of money and gas.

Unless you plan to use it for what it was designed you don't need the added durability. These things are expensive tomoperate and maintain. Especially since you are buying it at a stage in it's life when it is going to start needing stuff.

Of course I've given this advice to a few non wheelers now who have all ignored me. I think one of them even kept the cruiser for a whole 3 years before his wife made him get rid of it.

Good luck.
 
I like the '96. The 1FZ has a known head gasket issue, make sure you get an inspection before buying, both 80's seem a little overpriced. If the '96 has lockers it's a bonus, but like neoworm stated if your not wheeling it not much of a point. I bought a '96 early this year for $4k, it needed another $1k worth of maintenance which I did myself, head gasket was replaced at some point
 
Haha. Well I'm not saying you need a grand Caravan I'm just saying your money will go a lot further if you get a Sequoia or something like that. You'll get a newer truck that will serve you just fine and be cheaper to maintain and buy in the first place. Or hell even a suburban if you're just gonna drive the kids around in it.

An $8000 LX470 is going to be a giant headache. You may be getting a luxury SUV cheap but you are gonna be paying Luxury SUV prices for maintenance and parts. Trust me I know.

I justify the expense because I take mine where I need the reliability and toughness of a Land Cruiser and I fix as much as I can myself. Would I drive this thing if 99% of it's use was street duty? HELL NO!

I have a VW Diesel just so I can leave the cruiser in the garage.
 
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I think I am ready to fork $3000 to maintain the car every year.
would that be enough?

and since I am keeping it forever, depreciation is not an issue :p. it may even hold it's price in 10 - 15 years who knows. 80 series is awesome looking.

I did look into sequoia.. but I was thinking maybe if savings is good. I maybe able to swap a diesel to TLC..
you can't swap diesel into sequoia.
also we may end up doing more off road when the kids are older.
 
$4000 + $1000 sounds really good for a 1996.
I guess this is not a rush decision. I'll get it when the time is right and a the right TLC pass along.
maybe I'll frequent this site. if anyone spot a good deal I don't mind getting a tlc that need some work. I won;t be doing the repair , but a reputable shop will fix it for me :)..

if anyone spot one for sale ,, please pass them along to me :)

thanks!
 
Bob- It is time to start thinking with your other head. What Neoworm says is spot on. It is minivan time for you, my friend. Embrace the emasculation. @Enigma did...

These things can and will consume metric s*** loads of cash.....
 
I have a possible solution...someone from the club take bobNoobie wheeling, with luck he gets 'Cruiser addiction', then the outrageous cost premium can be irrationally 'justified'.
 
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Glenn-BJ74 said:
then the outrageous cost premium can be irrationally 'justified'.
Click to expand...

you mean just like every other member of the club? If every member somehow came to their senses all at once we'd loose most of the club ....except for those that never go wheeling ;)

$3000 a year is not a bad budget for maintenance. Now that is not including toys, lift, armour, tires, gears, winches, etc. Because that budget will get blown right away. Of course that budget also depends on how much work you do yourself. If you're paying a shop .....then it's likely not enough. If you're doing a lot yourself, then it's fine. Of course it also depends on what you are doing with the truck.

Come on guys, don't discourage the guy, each of us were no better. Maybe instead we can offer our experienced advice as to what to look out for and which models/years are better. After all, we addicts have to stick together ;)
 
Read the original post. He doesn't plan on wheeling it and he doesn't do his own maintenance.

Advising him not to buy an old money pit is sound advice regardless of the choices other club members may have made.
 
Actually I vision my TLC will be a stock truck, with regular smallest , thinnest TLC tire can take
and it will be driven mostly by my wife to take kids to school :)

toys, lift, armour, tires, gear winches cost a lot.. so if we take that out of the equation, $3000 should survive the truck right??

I can do change oil and diff fluid, tranny fluid on my subaru, I assume I can do the same with the TLC.
but other than changing fluid, my excuse of "not doing the work myself" is not having the right tools and equipment. and time of course.
if I can learn to do it myself here and get some more free time when kids older. maybe I can get the tools and equipment and start doing the repair myself.
 
neoworm gave you the best view. if you cant fix it, there is no point buying 25 year old rigs. they dont even drive that nice anyway.

get yourself a newer suburban and never look back.
 
it seems you've already made up your mind so the best advice I can give you now is buy the newest, lowest mileage cruiser you can afford.
 
I do listen to your advise. I do appreciate it. but steering away from it , is just that really hard to do. maybe it wear off after a few years. but at least one of my life dream fulfilled.

I do keep it in mind it will be costly. So I will keep an eye on one that has had a lot of work down already , to cut down my expense on the initial ownership.


Maybe more information can slapped me into perspective in this.
I bought a 2004 subaru back in 2007, it had 199K on it. It was my first subaru, upon reading at forums and review, they say it is reliable as heck .. and it turns out awesome. I put 150K on it without any major repair
But if the engine blew in my subaru or if the transmission blew. I already have a regular mechanic that I trust that will rebuild or sourced a junk yard engine for $2K - $4k Installed.

how much do a reputable shop quote to rebuild TLC engine or transmission and install on a TLC? is it more than $3K-$4k? is it $6-$8K?
what about axle work (bearing, brakes, axle)
suspension work
differential work
power steering
AC
 
Tmax said:
neoworm gave you the best view. if you cant fix it, there is no point buying 25 year old rigs. they dont even drive that nice anyway.

get yourself a newer suburban and never look back.
Click to expand...


You ever driven a 100 series? They drive pretty nice.... One of the more comfortable vehicles in existence for long road trips IMHO

And as far as maintenance goes on a 100 series...mines at 280k kms and only thing I've done in the past couple years is a coil pack and fluids... they're pretty reliable.

you guys are painting a pretty lousy picture of LC ownership... :moon:

But that being said...If youre not going to wheel it youre definitely better off with a minivan... the gas mileage on these pigs is pretty rough...theyre HEAVY vehicles...
 
Say Bob you should go to Cruiser days and you can kick tires on a full range of rigs, ...40, 50, 60, 70, 80 and 100 series and talk to their owners.
 
bobNoobie said:
$4000 + $1000 sounds really good for a 1996.
I guess this is not a rush decision. I'll get it when the time is right and a the right TLC pass along.
maybe I'll frequent this site. if anyone spot a good deal I don't mind getting a tlc that need some work. I won;t be doing the repair , but a reputable shop will fix it for me :)..

if anyone spot one for sale ,, please pass them along to me :)

thanks!
Click to expand...

I'm on your side, I've had a 27 year love affair with Land Cruisers, heck I still own my first cruiser, a 40 series I bought in 1988. If you really like it, buy it. Most 80 series that were purchased new never hit the trails, they were $45,000 U.S.. Who do you think were driving them? Certainly not hard core off roaders, OME didn't start selling lift kits for the first 5 years the 80 were out, not many guys willing to butcher a 40k truck, especially in the 1990's. My 80 has third row seats and I use them, Tracy, myself and 4 kids. Seems to me a lot of you guys think of LC's as toys, my 80 is my daily driver and I really quite like it, I foresee no shelf in the back or RTT. Will I build it up? Probably, though I doubt it will be this truck, it lived it's life in NY. To the OP, I'd look south, find a nice Cali, Arizona or Texas truck. Anything from a hot dry climate, bring it up, enjoy it :)
 
And Steve (@Mud_Guppie) at EBI will be your friend, his shop has no problems working on gasser 80 series, he's starting to acquire 80 series parts trucks, be it Land Cruiser or LX450's
 
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