2005 140k 120 Series - Underside Advice

[Purpleaki]

Hi All,

I've been looking to purchase a 2005, 140k miles 120 series land cruiser in the UK - I've viewed a few so far and they all seemed to have similar levels of rust on the underside. In the attached pictures, is the rust at an acceptable level? I'm trying to get an idea of what is treatable (I will take the vehicle I purchase for a deep underside clean/rustproofing) and what is an instant avoid as this is my first time buying a car >10 years old!

Note: I am based in the London, where they sometimes use salt on roads in the winter. Apologies about the photos taken in the rain... crawling on the street tonight was fun!

Thank you

 

[Tractionman]

Hi Purpleaki, welcome to the forum. What you have shown seems to be the norm/ average for a UK 120.
My 06 lc3 was worse than that and took months of work, but was a known factor and haggled a very good deal.
At least your bash plate is intact, a rarity indeed, as most rot away being bean can quality!
There is a thread in the 120 section started by Juddian, about Rust, treatments and methods which you may find informative. Everyone has their own choice, so it will give you a broader insight on things.
Good luck with it

 

[Deleted member 13129]

For a 2005 its 15 years old , its not that bad , the chassis frame looks not that bad and is quite thick metal so easy to kill the rust and repaint , look at the underbody (much thinner metal) behind the running boards just before the chassis frame behind the front wheel areas and before the rear wheel areas and under the boot area thats where 120s get worst hit by rust , all it needs is a good wire brushing with a grinder and or drill and wire hand brush where the power tools can not reach , and a couple or even 3 of good treatments with rust killer before painting it with a good anti rust paint , then a couple of coats of waxholing it or chain lube oil or other similar treatment , cost is maybe a 100 quid in antirust treatments/paint but the time and effort to do a proper job is at least 4 days or two weekends which is free if you do it yourself , if you pay someone its going to cost for the time needed to be spent and I dont think they will do as good a job as the person who owns and loves the car and killing rust is all in the prep time and treatment used .

 

[Deleted member 13129]

also look in the engine bay at the inner wings and around the battey areas in the engine bay they will probably need treating also , if you do the job when you take off the bash plates to do the front frame and crossmembers treat and paint the bash plates and rear axle as well it will compliment the car and the car will look super , also makes you bond a lot more with the car after doing all that work and knowing its easy to keep the under body thereafter once a year a quick spay of waxole or chain oil etc will keep it in good nick .

 

[Deleted member 13129]

Just noticed in the pics that the bash plate that protects the front diff and engine is missing and the driveshaft at the front diff is leaking oil could be seals or shafts worn and left a splatter of oil on the area around it , best get owner to show you its been repaired or knock money off for repair and best best check front diff has enough oil left in it .

 

[Tractionman]

Well spotted Tony, maybe succumbed to the curse of the tin worm, unless someone destroyed it because thebolts were seized, looking for the oil leak.

 

[AndycruiserguyLomas]

It looks standard average fare for a 15 winters old Cruiser. There will be better and there will be worse. As I've said before, patience is the key. I walked away from 9 05 LC4's before I got a good enough one (130 K miles 4 owners and owner self serviced since 2011).
The instant I looked underneath I knew I was going to pull the trigger. It had the best drivers seat, steering wheel ,the quietest engine and the best underneath.
Everyone has their take on rustproofing, IMO nothing beats sandblasting and plenty of paint but I've taken a different approach, periodically ( around 3-6 months) i give the entire underneath a complete covering of motorcycle chain lube. This sticks very well , is waterproof and doesnt come off very easily. But guess what? the underneath is still as good as when I bought it.
Just remember, you're buying a truck to use, not a restoration project so be picky, it will pay in the long run.

 

[Purpleaki]

Tony, Tractionman and Andy,

Thank you for your responses and for educating me at the start of my LC journey. I decided not to go with the above car, I'm waiting for something slightly better to come along. Luckily not under any time pressure!

Additionally, the model above was a diesel, and as I live in London, would result in a lot of emission zone charges come next year... guess my search needs to be very specific and for the '05 onwards Petrol VVTi V6's as they seem to be Euro 4 and compliant... what a joy!

Thanks again and I will keep you updated on what I find!

 

[Deleted member 13129]

I know that UK 120s 2007 onwards 173bhp diesels are euro4 compliant but I am not sure if pre 2007 120s are and if they were compliant from 2005 or 2006 .

 

[Purpleaki]

Interesting. Although I think diesels need to be Euro 6 compliant - I've not seen a 2002-2010 model which applies for the exemption. I would happily be corrected as it makes this search more difficult!!

 

[karl2000]

Those of us with old non DPF diesels can just expect to get taxed more and more - one way or another!

 

[Tractionman]

Never a truer word said, Karl !

 

[Deleted member 13129]

I am so glad I left the UK to live in Cyprus , there probably more or just as many 4x4 pickups and 4x4 SUVs than cars here in Cyprus , none of that pay to enter the city here or other emission crap , there is a lot of heavily modified 4X4s here , m.o.t . test is every two years and takes 15-20 minutes of a quick look over while you wait and MOT stations are not allowed to fix any cars or advise you where to go for repair if your car fails the mot , so it is not in their interests to fail your car to make money , they want you to return back in two years for your next mot , top quality diesel is about 99 uk pence a litre supermarkets do not sell petrol or diesel here , and cars just do not rust here , people are 4x4 crazy here , with accessory shops to cater for 4x4 stuff all over the place , I live in Larnaca and the police here use LC150s as do the British army base police in Larnaca , the UK is just so anti 4x4 and 4x4 SUVs that they try to make people feel guilty in owning one .

 

[goodoldboy]

Barcelona has an absolute nightmare of complicated measures but basically anything euro 4 or less diesel or petrol can't enter on weekdays (i think , better check this out ! ) but theses cars can apply for an exemption online & pay 2 euros to be able to enter up to 10 times a year.The Rondas , the expressways that cross the city are exempt as is the area approaching the port. Barcelona has a serious air quality problem that needs addressing but this seems just another opportunity to gouge ordinary working folks.Having said that i would recommend anyone who wants to visit on a trip in their landcruiser that it's better to park up on the outskirts & travel into the city on public transport.

 

[Purpleaki]

Agree with you all - the UK is getting worse for this type of thing...

The London ultra low emission zone (Euro 4 Petrol or Euro 6 Diesels) is expanding 18 times its current size next year, causing a daily £12.50 "penalty" if breached, which will force a lot of people out of their cars. Other cities such as Birmingham have also started introducing measures. The road tax for diesel engines is already very high, and alongside the new emission charge, congestion charge and residential parking costs, makes owning a LC in London very expensive!