what land cruiser to pick from? (1 Viewer)

[Hankst3r]

Hello, i am about to turn 16 and i am currently looking for a car. we already know that Toyota are bulletproof. its just an issue of what model would be best. i do not need anything fancy (power locks, automatic, power steering, etc) i am looking for something that is capable offroad, and ok to drive on road. it wont be on the highway too much. it seems like it will be hard to find a 40 with the essentials, even though it will only be doing short rides to and from school. a 60 seems great, but an 80 sounds like the best option. they are just hard to find.
is there anything that i need to know about 60's and 40's? any information or help would be great!

 

[White Stripe]

Personally I would recommend a 3rd gen 4runner rather than a cruiser. Significantly easier and cheaper to maintain than a land cruiser, great size for the trails, cheap to purchase, and lots of modifications can be done. 60s have poor sheet metal and rust fairly easily as do later model 40s 79-83. Your budget, needs in a vehicle, and mechanic skills-or willingness to learn- play a part.

 

[Railwelder93]

I agree my first trucks where 4Runners an ifs 3.0 first, then a 4cly first gen. They are cheap to fix and the go great down the trails. I don’t know what your situation is but these LC’s are really expensive to work on. They are awesome, but definitely not the best bang for your buck as far as 4x4 Toyota’s.

 

[leonard_nemoy]

Get an older Tacoma or 4runner

 

[Hankst3r]

thanks for the helpful advice!

 

[rex in bama]

I second the feedback above re: 3rd/4the gen 4runners or Tacomas. 1st gen GX is also an excellent option.

An 80 is a fantastic vehicle, but the costs to maintain seem a bit much for someone who might have a limited budget and might not be doing all the work themselves. I’m daily driving a Gx now with 140k, never given me an issue and seems pretty capable off road.

 

[Heckraiser]

Personally I would recommend a 3rd gen 4runner rather than a cruiser. Significantly easier and cheaper to maintain than a land cruiser, great size for the trails, cheap to purchase, and lots of modifications can be done. 60s have poor sheet metal and rust fairly easily as do later model 40s 79-83. Your budget, needs in a vehicle, and mechanic skills-or willingness to learn- play a part.

Came in here to post exactly this. Don't beat yourself up on a highschool budget. 3rd gen 4runner is a great all-around truck and much easier on the wallet. Can be had with factory locking rear diff and 5-speed which is a great combo as well (I've owned two like that)

 

[RS6tofj80]

I'd agree on a 4Runner or GX460 as a better option if on a budget and practicality.... there are a ton more of them avail and the 05-08 V8's can be quite a capable rig with a solid powertrain for under 10k..... with mods much cheaper due to the wider use of the underpinnings....

that said in the long run a good 80 may be a "keeper"..... luckily for us in TX there are lot's of rust free rigs to pick from, but not all are flood free...... be interested in hearing what you end up with...

Cheers !

 

[ZackR]

If you are set on a cruiser go with a stock 91'-92' with the 3FE engine that has been well kept, for a lowish price. Keep it stock and don't be in a hurry.

 

[landcruisertx]

I am an 18-year-old college student and my fj80 is the love of my life and also the biggest expense I own. It doesn't break down often but when something needs to be fixed OEM parts do add up quick. For example, my 80 is in my garage right now waiting for me to have enough money to purchase an OEM radiator $400, OEM thermostat $30, and OEMwater pump $160, so I can replace the cracked radiator and do some preventative maintenance. I have to fill up about twice a week because I do around 300 miles of driving to and from school on city streets. I get about 10 mpg city. I am starting to think about selling her even though I really do not want to. if anyone is interested in buying a cruiser in the Dallas area msg me, I am not sure if I want to sell... but worth talking over. I am interested in buying a manual 4runner!!

 

[BILT4ME]

I am an 18-year-old college student and my fj80 is the love of my life and also the biggest expense I own. It doesn't break down often but when something needs to be fixed OEM parts do add up quick. For example, my 80 is in my garage right now waiting for me to have enough money to purchase an OEM radiator $400, OEM thermostat $30, and OEMwater pump $160, so I can replace the cracked radiator and do some preventative maintenance. I have to fill up about twice a week because I do around 300 miles of driving to and from school on city streets. I get about 10 mpg city. I am starting to think about selling her even though I really do not want to. if anyone is interested in buying a cruiser in the Dallas area msg me, I am not sure if I want to sell... but worth talking over. I am interested in buying a manual 4runner!!

Another thing you can do is purchase the cheap parts and use those while you're in school, enough to get by, knowing that you'll need to swap them out at a later date. It's working your current cash flow to meet what you need. It will cost more in the long run, but will allow you to drive it in the short term, to possibly make more money later after you're out of school and making regular money to start replacing with the good stuff.

 

[landcruisertx]

Another thing you can do is purchase the cheap parts and use those while you're in school, enough to get by, knowing that you'll need to swap them out at a later date. It's working your current cash flow to meet what you need. It will cost more in the long run, but will allow you to drive it in the short term, to possibly make more money later after you're out of school and making regular money to start replacing with the good stuff.

That's the best way to save a good amount of money, do all the work yourself. I am always learning something new thanks to MUD

 

[Corbet]

I wouldn't want to own any Cruiser on a highshool or college budget unless it included a trust fund. Everyone is spot on above.

If you're dead set on a Cruiser a 100 series is probably the cheapest to buy into now for a solid truck.

 

[LandLocked93]

I second Corbet... and what is a 16 yr old doing off road anyway?
You want great fuel mileage and small size.
A diesel VW Golf is your only hope.
Thank me later.

 

[landcruisertx]

Just to add to what I have said above... As a high school/college student myself, I do not recommend buying a cruiser because you will always be spending money. That being said I love my cruiser. I also like going camping and off-roading but as a student good luck finding the time. I spend about $80-90 a week on gas. I get 200 miles out of my tank normally and 235 with the integrated highway. And when parts break or start to act up even parts by themselves cost an arm and a leg. (and if you take your car to a dealership or specialized workshop expect 130-160 an hour rate. P.S. please do not take your 80 series cruiser to a Toyota dealership...) I love the cruiser, my dad has a 100 series and it too will drink like a dog and you're supposed to fill up with high-grade fuel. So I guess what I am trying to say is owning a land cruiser is like having a second girlfriend, you just gotta keep shelling out the money

 

[BILT4ME]

All that being said, having a truck to work on as such, when you're 15 or 16 is an incredible learning experience. This will teach more than a college education and will be, in total, much less.

I bought my truck in "rough" shape mechanically (body and paint were good with only minimal rust) but I ended up throwing about $6000 in parts at it to make it a DD. I could have saved a fair amount of money had I known WHERE to purchase parts from the get-go. I did all the work myself, except I used it to teach MY 15 year-old how to work on things.

The experiences from starting on the Land Cruiser also morphed into our son wanting a 67-72 Chevrolet / GMC 4x4 like I had when I was that age (I built mine). We got one and he has had to work through a lot of issues from a very old truck. In retrospect, I WISH we would have purchased a second LC to do this with instead of a 70 GMC K2500. We would have less money in it and it would have been a much more reliable and predictable machine.

It's not JUST about the money, but you do have to have a source of money to do this and that, itself, is PART of the learning process.

Good Luck!

 

[Andrew Bluemel]

Take it from a 18 year old who bought there cruiser when they were 15. Do it. I have no regrets. Yes it is expensive to maintain but i sorta believe it’s blown out of proportion. I bought mine with 190,000 miles and it now has 252,000 and nothing crazy has gone wrong. Just maintain it and do upgrades as money permits. My thought going in was buy the cruiser and have $1500 to baseline it (cooling system, hoses, fluid changes, front end rebuild, etc) and from there build it up as money funds come. There is a reason all these guys say get a 4Runner but all drive a land cruiser. A 4Runner makes more sense for sure but there is something special about Land Cruisers. Put a kick ass stereo in it and take it slow. Trust me the memories you will make in it will make it worth the cost. Just take care of it and It’ll serve you well.


Also the amount of stuff you will learn having a cruiser will last you a life time I have learned sooo much from this rig

(Also for anyone wondering I have no family support on this and is all self funded)


when I bought it 3 years ago

Past summer road trip

 

[rex in bama]

All that being said, having a truck to work on as such, when you're 15 or 16 is an incredible learning experience. This will teach more than a college education and will be, in total, much less.

I bought my truck in "rough" shape mechanically (body and paint were good with only minimal rust) but I ended up throwing about $6000 in parts at it to make it a DD. I could have saved a fair amount of money had I known WHERE to purchase parts from the get-go. I did all the work myself, except I used it to teach MY 15 year-old how to work on things.

The experiences from starting on the Land Cruiser also morphed into our son wanting a 67-72 Chevrolet / GMC 4x4 like I had when I was that age (I built mine). We got one and he has had to work through a lot of issues from a very old truck. In retrospect, I WISH we would have purchased a second LC to do this with instead of a 70 GMC K2500. We would have less money in it and it would have been a much more reliable and predictable machine.

It's not JUST about the money, but you do have to have a source of money to do this and that, itself, is PART of the learning process.

Good Luck!

This is true - the experience of an old car to work on in high school is hard to beat. When I was in high school I HAD to have a cherry red 66 mustang, despite folks counseling me otherwise. Did it leave me stranded at times? Yes. Was it cost effective? No. Did I curse at it heavily on occasion? Heck yeah. Could I imagine high school w/o it? No way.
Just learn how to work on it, and how to siphon gas out of your parents and siblings cars (w/o getting a mouthful of gas), and you will be fine.

 

[Heckraiser]

There is a reason all these guys say get a 4Runner but all drive a land cruiser. A 4Runner makes more sense for sure but there is something special about Land Cruisers.

Yeah, we're old farts with fat wallets now

 

[ppc]

You don't need a Land Cruiser to learn auto mechanics. You can gain that experience with any vehicle. A lower cost vehicle wins with lower cost parts. As a teenager the cost of insurance can't be ignored and a Land Cruiser is going to have the highest rates. A less expensive to buy, maintain and insure will allow you to spend your money more wisely, including recreation, a girlfriend and other toys. Worst thing when you're young is to go into debt or live in self induced poverty. It's a long road to recovery from that and can impact your life for many years.