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- #21
Waaaaaay too down the path of excessive moding on previous build and it will be genetically impossible for me to change that this time around. Good point for someone else though.
Trying to decide between two rigs and going in circles
- Thread starter kcjaz
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My $0.02 on mods... Your 200 is not a financial investment, it's an expense. It's not appreciating until it's a 50 year old antique (and even then it probably won't despite what we want to believe). So unless you plan to sell (or really trade in) your vehicle in a few years with a lot of life left in it, you should do to it whatever makes you happy. If you're the kind of person that changes vehicles every few years, then yeah don't mod it too much, but if adding 800# of armor and 50,000 watts of lighting and painting it in Rhino liner makes you excited to drive it every day, and the cost doesn't concern you, then stop thinking about it and just f*cking do it.
Always buy the newest rig with least amount of miles you can afford.
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- #24
I hear you and the other expressing that sentiment. I get that logic and especially with my intent to keep it forever. However, I did just get off the phone with a local private seller who has a 2015 with 165K miles (still less than my current rig) and it is very clean and an original TX truck. Never off roaded and looks it. Owned by a "soccor mom" who just likes Land Cruisers. She only wants $31K for it. I'm temped just to buy it as I scratch my head. Short of a hidden issue that will grenade the engine or tranny that's saving $20K and gets me back to essentially where I was with my old truck. I could keep the wreck until I was convinced everything was fine. I could buy an 80 and build a dedicated trail beast to feed my need for rock crawling and reduce the abuse on the 200. AHHHHHHHH
I did get Rig 2 down to $48 K though. I'd say Rig 1 is out now with the $31K option as the $31K option is cleaner.
Get rig 2 and this "soccer mom" rig down a bit more and buy em both. One for the street and the other as a trail beast. Problem solved 
Oh wow, yeah option 3 does tilt the scale. The price is so low, that is probably what I would go with. Same color as the other two? Anything you like better or worse about it?
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- #28
It’s black with black interior. By far the most common color combo. Personally, I don’t like the dark interiors as muck as lighter interiors and would prefer the tan like I currently have. Yes I understand black is easier to keep clean and looking good. It’s not a show stopper.
I’m taking a look at it today. It’s literally blocks from my house.
Hard to beat a Texas rig. Maybe some parts of CA..
Plus there is value in it being right up the road.. not having to travel at all.
But.. IMO the 200 just isn’t suited to trail use as some of us want. Size, weight, bougieness (IFS).
80s are far from cheap but if that’s anywhere on your radar I’d explore that trail rig option since you are facing a reset anyway. I just put my 200 back to stock suspension and tires (+ OE spacer) and am happy with the recouped power, mileage, and handling.. and it fits how I was actually using my rig on trips.
Plus there is value in it being right up the road.. not having to travel at all.
But.. IMO the 200 just isn’t suited to trail use as some of us want. Size, weight, bougieness (IFS).
80s are far from cheap but if that’s anywhere on your radar I’d explore that trail rig option since you are facing a reset anyway. I just put my 200 back to stock suspension and tires (+ OE spacer) and am happy with the recouped power, mileage, and handling.. and it fits how I was actually using my rig on trips.
Location sells this one to me. If I could drive a couple blocks, save 20k and have what I want it’s a no brainer
I agree with this. A 200 on mild lift and a 12.5 aux would be perfect for how I use one. Mine is 100% overkill for its use.
I dunno man, the 200 was great in The Maze. It's not a rock buggy, sure, but it did fantastic and the seat coolers were great even in 100F+ temps.
Electronics aside, I do think the 80 is the pinnacle of off-road capability for the LC, at least in the US. Coil springs, solid front axle, easy to go to 37s or larger, reliable, etc. As much as my heart wants a 40 and practicality keeps me in a does-everything 200...
I just went through very similar exercise on a 14 with 146k and a 13 with 53k miles. Ended up going with the 13 given its great service history, southern truck, excellent condition, and with mods I wanted already in place. if yours sounds similar and if you have the price at 48k, that seems like a good deal. You’ll only be able to find these low mileage examples for so long….
Is your plan to build it and trail it, or to use it as a DD and get an 80 or similar as a trail rig? I think that's the question you have to decide. Low mileage is appealing if you are going to use it for both. But if you're looking primarily for a trail rig, then $31k for a truck with 165k is probably a winner... swap your mods over, sell your old truck on car-part, and pocket the difference in $ for repairs or future upgrades.
Honestly if it looks clean I'd go with the $31k/165k option as it's no longer $10k difference for 100k miles... now it's $20k, and that buys a lot of future repairs (like it will cover an engine *and* transmission rebuild down the line. Even better IIRC your A/T was recently rebuilt so swap that over and sell the wrecked LC with the older transmission)
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- #35
The 200 will never be a DD. It will be the road trip/off road/overlanding rig but more LCDC type stuff not the dumb a$$ stuff at local terrain parks or the trouble I get into hanging out with trailered 40's with 40s, 80's and F-Toys (oh and a propane mini-truck). It would be overbuilt for sure just cuz that is what I want. My DD is my Taco. The 80 idea would be to buy a near shell of an 80 and make a dedicated crawler. Or maybe still street legal but something that if put on its side doesn't make me sad and can hang with the local club boys. Think "dumpster fire" build but not as nice. I have a friend making a nice FJ55 restoration for his wife out of 3 FJ55 carcasses. Maybe I'll make something that runs out of the leftover parts he doesn't use...
And yes, my transmission only has about 50K miles so swapping into the new 160K mile rig might happen. I've even thought about swapping the entire drive train to the 176K mile drive train I know and love. Wonder what CPU gremlins I'd find with the MY difference. Probably getting into crazy land now though.
Heh I wouldn't go down the rabbit hole of swapping the whole drivetrain unless you were planning to part out the truck. Too much effort IMO to put it all back into the vehicle that will go to auction to get it running. But pulling the front diff and rear 3rd so you can keep your gear set is a different story...
You aren’t far away from a 2016+ with higher mileage. That would be the choice imo.
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- #38
Update. Went and looked over the local higher mile 2015. 170k miles, $30,250 asking price.
very clean and in real world condition (not freshly detailed). Underside is pristine to my northern eyes. Noticeably better than my current rig and I’ve never had trouble working on my truck. Never been off road. Possible has never even been on a dirt road. Body and interior is in better shape than my pre-totaled rig. It’s also mildly lifted, Rockstar 18” black wheels with new OME shocks and springs. I don’t want any of that and it will all come off but sell or donate that stuff.
The only issue is that the current owner had never put it in 4lo and had never actuated the CDL or or crawl in 120,000 miles of daily driving. It’s possible 4lo has never been used in its 170k miles. It went right into 4lo without issue and surprisingly to me the CDL also engaged right away. The CDL didn’t want to disengage though and I couldn’t get it out of 4lo because the CDL light was flashing. I think it had actually disengaged but the sensor didn’t recognize it. Shut the truck off and restarted which cleared the CDL light and the I could switch out of 4lo. I don’t thinks this is a big deal and is just a sticky actuator or positioning sensor issue.
Mulling this over tonight but I don’t think I can pass up a $30K 2015 cruiser. Pretty sure I can flip it and make a little money if I change my mind.
very clean and in real world condition (not freshly detailed). Underside is pristine to my northern eyes. Noticeably better than my current rig and I’ve never had trouble working on my truck. Never been off road. Possible has never even been on a dirt road. Body and interior is in better shape than my pre-totaled rig. It’s also mildly lifted, Rockstar 18” black wheels with new OME shocks and springs. I don’t want any of that and it will all come off but sell or donate that stuff.
The only issue is that the current owner had never put it in 4lo and had never actuated the CDL or or crawl in 120,000 miles of daily driving. It’s possible 4lo has never been used in its 170k miles. It went right into 4lo without issue and surprisingly to me the CDL also engaged right away. The CDL didn’t want to disengage though and I couldn’t get it out of 4lo because the CDL light was flashing. I think it had actually disengaged but the sensor didn’t recognize it. Shut the truck off and restarted which cleared the CDL light and the I could switch out of 4lo. I don’t thinks this is a big deal and is just a sticky actuator or positioning sensor issue.
Mulling this over tonight but I don’t think I can pass up a $30K 2015 cruiser. Pretty sure I can flip it and make a little money if I change my mind.
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That’s a no brainer. I’d buy the pristine rig with 170k miles since there’s little to no rust on it. A few cycles of using the 4 lo and diff lock mechanisms, and it’ll be good as new.
I agree.. No brainer.
Even if the CDL/4Lo issues don't resolves themselves, worth the effort to go in there and fix it.
Even if the CDL/4Lo issues don't resolves themselves, worth the effort to go in there and fix it.