WHAT WOULD YOU PAY? Bj70 question (1 Viewer)

[sevewone]

Ok.. So I have been searching for a BJ70 for quite some time.. and now I found one. So heres the rundown.

-Original owner
-370,000kms (canadian spec)
- New gas tank, all new braking system recently replaces, new leaf springs/shocks, new windshield, newer glow plugs, new tires.. So yeah, it has been WELL taken care of.

Rear rust was cut out of rear and bottom section was sprayed with that rubberized/bedliner stuff (not what I would have done). Frame is good and nothing major going on with interior. Few rust spots here in there but nothing major. As you can see, 99% stock (what I want)

I am usually really good with prices when it comes to Toyotas but this ones a tough , considering how unique it is.With all that being said.. WHAT WOULD YOU PAY?? He wants just under 13K USD. My last one I got for HALF of that.. but it needed some work. I am torn guys..I have been thinking about this beast for the last week quite a bit but I think the price is steep. Any thoughts / comments would be awesome thanks.

 

[roscoFJ73]

Well, at the current rate the price isn't going to fall. They are few and between in Australia as well. 10 years years ago there were 4-5 a month for sale.

 

[FJ73Texas]

From the picture, I like what I see. It seems reasonably priced.

 

[jblueridge]

I paid a little less than that for my BJ74. Mine has some standard rust. Mine has full floaters, pto winch.

i have the bedliner on the sides also. THAT has not been good. I think there is more rust than I can see; i can see a good bit.

 

[cruiserdan]

Early 7x variants rust in a dry garage. There is undoubtedly more there than you think.

 

[Devils Paw 80]

Anymore, 13K would be cheap for a rust free LHD BJ70. But, we know it's not that. So, since an investment in a museum piece has been removed from the discussion, the question for me would be how many years of enjoyment could I expect to get out of it before disintegration?

Since you're in love with this model and have the cash, I say buy it!

 

[FJ73Texas]

Early 7x variants rust in a dry garage. There is undoubtedly more there than you think.

Does that mean I better get to the land cruiser museum quickly before all there is to see is piles of rust?

 

[cruiserpilot]

My opinion is you have to drive 500 miles to see it. Then take pics and ask. Bottom of the B pillar
is a known area of devils patina and it rarely shows visually until its really nasty, due to Canadian
winters. The foot box right behind the front wheels, again unless you look up with a flashlight into
that little area it can be rusted completely through and no indication. Has he sent any pics with
the carpets pulled up?
13K it should be pristine, some scale rust. You need to take a closer hands on look for that kind of
money. First rule of car buying - hardest rule : Be objective with what you want and what you can
deal with yourself. Otherwise 13K is just the beginning of the cost.

 

[sevewone]

Anymore, 13K would be cheap for a rust free LHD BJ70. But, we know it's not that. So, since an investment in a museum piece has been removed from the discussion, the question for me would be how many years of enjoyment could I expect to get out of it before disintegration?

Since you're in love with this model and have the cash, I say buy it!

Thats a good point. It really comes down to how long could I use it before it gets very severe.

My opinion is you have to drive 500 miles to see it. Then take pics and ask. Bottom of the B pillar
is a known area of devils patina and it rarely shows visually until its really nasty, due to Canadian
winters. The foot box right behind the front wheels, again unless you look up with a flashlight into
that little area it can be rusted completely through and no indication. Has he sent any pics with
the carpets pulled up?
13K it should be pristine, some scale rust. You need to take a closer hands on look for that kind of
money. First rule of car buying - hardest rule : Be objective with what you want and what you can
deal with yourself. Otherwise 13K is just the beginning of the cost.

He said there is minor surface rust starting under carpets in front. By the sounds of it, it isn't crumbling apart by any means. Yes I will agree though. There will be much more rust hidden in areas that I cannot see.

 

[cruiserdan]

Does that mean I better get to the land cruiser museum quickly before all there is to see is piles of rust?

I'll be here til 5 today. We've got one that's about gone.......

 

[cruiserdan]

Is LHD a must or simply a plus?

 

[PNWScooby]

- New gas tank, all new braking system recently replaces, new leaf springs/shocks, new windshield, newer glow plugs, new tires.. So yeah, it has been WELL taken care of.
View attachment 1402538

I know how hard it is not be excited and think of every detail as a positive. From my perspective though these items seem like unavoidable replacements. Which shouldn't be confused with well taken care of / preventative maintenance.
Rust scares the hell out of me so that alone would scare me off but I am spoiled living in Oregon where rust isn't really an issue.

 

[FJ73Texas]

I think with any 70 series that is not completely restored, some rust is expected...especially if it was repainted poorly where the pre-paint prep was not done properly.

 

[sevewone]

Is LHD a must or simply a plus?

Pretty much , yes. I had a RHD about 10 years ago when they were legal and I never could get around to it. I know it's a better bang for your buck for sure ..

 

[sevewone]

I know how hard it is not be excited and think of every detail as a positive. From my perspective though these items seem like unavoidable replacements. Which shouldn't be confused with well taken care of / preventative maintenance.
Rust scares the hell out of me so that alone would scare me off but I am spoiled living in Oregon where rust isn't really an issue.

Yeah . I suppose. Some things just stand out better than others so I am torn (maintenance items ).. Thanks

 

[sevewone]

I think with any 70 series that is not completely restored, some rust is expected...especially if it was repainted poorly where the pre-paint prep was not done properly.

Oh definitely expected . Original paint from midway up. Thanks

 

[77cruiser77]

I had a BJ70 once and really really liked it. It was like my FJ40 but with all the right improvements in all the right places. The ol 3B was a fun tractor engine that had a lot more pep than the ones in the heavy BJ60s I drove prior.

These things are getting very rare now. A Canadian market BJ70 is becoming a garage queen instead of wheeler you can bash around. If you're looking for an icon to lightly wheel as a weekend warrior and intend to bring whatever you drive back to like new condition then please buy it and give it a good home.

If on the other hand you're after a diesel land cruiser that's LHD then spend your money on a diesel swap into whatever cruiser you have now. There's cooler engines than the 3B, although the 3B can be the ultimate in certain situations, and whatever you're in now you're familiar with and that's worth more than what money can buy.

 

[jblueridge]

I contacted the Land Cruiser club nearest the location where mine was for sale.
Two complete strangers did separate assessments for me.
Hard to assess the assessments but I knew I was not buying a hulk.

 

[Behemoth60]

I will chime in....

It's worth it. And there's lots of hidden rust. Just don't let it get out of hand. Plan for a somewhat major rust fixup in a few years. Plan to spend 1 day per year keeping the rust at bay.

I own one of these trucks... I bought it from the original owner in 2001 with 540,000 kms on it, full of rust. I paid $1,500, and bought it for parts. I decided to drive it for a while until it just died. 7 years later, it had 640,000 kms on it, and was still running, but the rust was so embarrassingly terrible, so it finally got retired. I finally dismantled it 2 years ago, but have kept the frame and firewall for future considerations and several parts have .... OK, now i ma just reminiscing.

Only ~600 of these were sold in North America from 1985-1987. They are an icon of automotive history. In stock form, they are extremely satisfying to drive (except on freeways, up hills, into a headwind) long lived, and indestructible. It is priced in the low end of 'Icon of Automotive History', but I think it's cooler (and way cheaper) than a classic Porsche 911, Stingray Vette, or other classic. In that perspective, it's quite cheap. Buy it.

 

[Bob Richards]

As you referenced glow plugs you understand that a 3B engine in a 70 series is pretty slow... 3B is a great engine for a 40 but...

But you osund like you are just trying to get enough positive responses to prove to yourself (or your wife) that you should buy it. If that is the case you know you are going to buy it