Welded motor, loose/wobbly and hard steering. Pre-buy advise (1 Viewer)

[cruisinparaguay]

Hey guys,

I am still looking for a good 80 series, at the moment I am interested in buying an 80 series, 1993 with 400.000km / 250.000mi on it. The transmission runs smooth, vehicle seems in overall good state, the things which concern me:

1. welding points on the motor block (near the first injector) - why was this done and should I be bothered and not accept the offer on the 80 series? I am living in Paraguay and LC parts are not as easy to get like in the states or other countries. The whole car market here is more than shady.
2. the steering is really hard, almost like if the and hidraulic pump isn't working, but on the other hand if I drive straight, the steering feels a little wobbly and loose.
3. I saw oil leaking on the rear axle and below the motor. Photos were taken after the test drive. In my opinion this is normal oil leaking for the year and mileage on this vehicle, but I have never owned an 80 series and I am not too experienced with mechanics.

Would you guys buy this LC? I have a new born son and I am dependent on a mechanically-wise working 100% vehicle, I do not want to get stranded on a roadside with 113 Fahrenheit outside. (45°C).

Minor issues like the rear passenger window which does not go up or the other windows going up and down super slowly I can probably disregard as this should be a minor fix, right? Other than that, seems in overall great state, transmission (automatic) runs smoothly and motor sounds super fine and accelerates good.

Thanks in advance. Please be honest, if the vehicle is not in good state according to your opinion, I will continue my search.

 

[cruisinparaguay]

Some more pics:

 

[cruisinparaguay]

..and some more.

 

[ppc]

Would you guys buy this LC? I have a new born son and I am dependent on a mechanically-wise working 100% vehicle, I do not want to get stranded on a roadside with 113 Fahrenheit outside. (45°C).

If you need a vehicle that is 100% reliable then I would not expect any 29 year old vehicle to meet my needs.

That said, you haven't expressed how and where it will be used, around town or offroad.
What is the selling price?
How much money are you prepared to spend baselining the vehicle. Initial repairs and ongoing maintenance can be expensive?
If parts are hard to get in Paraguay I would image that they would be expensive as well and take time to source.
How much down time can you tolerate?

 

[60wag]

The weld spot on the head would scare me away. It must have been cracked to need the repair. This is a cast iron head right? Looks like the head bolt was in place when the weld was done, that means the head wasn't properly heated before the weld was done so the weld will likely fall off and the crack will leak.

 

[Racefiend]

If the previous owner never bothered to fix the safety related issues, like the steering, then you can bet he never bothered to fix other issues that weren't important, and maybe even other safety issues. You found a few on your test drive. I'd put money you're going to find others as you own it. The weld repair is pretty janky. What other janky repairs waiting to fail are in that car?

This looks like a poorly maintained vehicle. As a project car you can work on yourself at the right price, sure. As a daily driver you're going to depend on? I'd run away.

 

[Malleus]

I'd bet that head is cracked, too. That's a shame, because otherwise, that's a beautiful 80.

If you can't do the work, or afford to have it done for you, I'd pass, because that truck needs, at least, a new head. Same for the sketchy steering system.

 

[gummycarbs]

I am living in Paraguay and LC parts are not as easy to get like in the states or other countries.

I am not too experienced with mechanics.

Then a 25 year old Japanese SUV is not the right vehicle for you.

 

[bicycleagent003]

Yeah, I'd pass if I were you. That's a cool Cruiser though for someone who can do a lot of work on his/her own.

 

[cruisinparaguay]

Hey guys, yeah, you're right. I guess I was just tired of looking at s***ty cruisers and this one seemed like some of you noted in overall great condition. Remember, here in South America we do not get the same quality used vehicles like in the US for example. Also the roads here, dust, sand, rocks, offroad (the city roads as well) 113 Fahrenheit, etc. are some very harsh conditions for the vehicles, so they suffer a lot here and it is very difficult, no matter which age and brand car you are looking for, to find a vehicle in good shape. Also, the majority of the people here sell their cars whenever they have too many issues.

So, I will keep looking for a good cruiser. Think the welded motor and steering is a no-go.

Just to gain some more knowledge, would you consider some oil leaking on this vehicle normal? I had a 2003 Volvo and it always leaked a little bit, but never had any problems.