Don't like the adverts?  Click here to remove them

Buying an LC with £4.5k

Don Logan

New Member
Joined
May 26, 2014
Messages
14
Country Flag
england
Hi, i'm looking into buying a LC and should have £4.5k to spend. I don't know much about them though and am hoping to learn a bit more before going to buy...

It seems quite hard to judge what 4.5k can buy as looking around online, the prices for LC's are all over the place, especially with dealers who seem to think that theirs are the last ones on earth or 'rare' versions because they have leather interiors, etc.

Whatever i end up with won't see an awful lot of use as it won't be used for commuting, we do need a family car though and currently owning a Hilux Surf, i've long been wanting to move up to a Landcruiser.

So, that being said, fuel economy isn't really an issue, though where an Amazon would be nice, i don't think i'd be able to justify it. So, i expect a 90 series or possibly a 120 series would be what i'm looking at.

Would 4.5, possibly £5k stretch to a 120? As said it's hard to gauge what current ones for sale are really worth, but i expect that i'd be looking at a 90 on my budget.

As for petrol/ diesel/ manual/ auto, no real preference, although reliability would be what decides this. I read that the 3.0 D-4D is supposed to be the most reliable. Based on it not having much use in terms of daily commuting, is there any preference for petrol over diesel? Just thinking of DPF's and whatever else may be affected by short intermittent journeys.

My understanding of the different types and trim levels isn't that great. From what i can make out, Colorado refers to 90 Series, does that mean that all 90's are Colorado's?

What exactly does Prado refer to? I can see from the forum list that Prado is available in 90, 120, 150 and 200 Series, but i can't see what it refers to.

LC3, LC4, LC5- Does that just refer to trim levels on the 120?

And GX, VX, FX, etc. - trim levels for the 90?


And mileage- I know that they are capable of big miles, a quick look on Autotrader shows LC's in my price range with anything from 100- 200k on the clock. I know that people (especially dealers) will say that at 120k they're not even run in yet. It looks as though an example with around 110-120k with FSH is attainable for my budget. Would people in the know bother with viewing one with 175k on the clock at this price if the history was good and it seemed to be well cared for?


And once bought, do i have to look into getting injector seals replaced as a precautionary measure? Which engines are affected by this and are there any other major things that can go wrong and be expensive to fix?

I know there are a lot of questions here, if anyone can help out, then it would be appreciated.

Thanks.
 
Last edited:
Forgot to say, pay and play/ light greenlaning might occasionally happen too...
 
As far as my very limited Lc knowledge goes ..... I don't honestly think you'll get a 120 for 4.5k .. (my 96 80 cost 3K)

the VX refers to the trim level on the 80 .... FX and GX I think are 90. ...

no ... not all 90's are Colorado's ... some 90's are Prado's (they don't have a rear diff lock)


hope this is helpful
Carl
 
the 90 series = swb
95 series = lwb both colorados if uk cars or prados if imported.

colorados come in fx gx and vx the latter being the top spec.

120 come in lc2 lc3 lc4 and lc5
 
And mileage- I know that they are capable of big miles, a quick look on Autotrader shows LC's in my price range with anything from 100- 200k on the clock. I know that people (especially dealers) will say that at 120k they're not even run in yet. It looks as though an example with around 110-120k with FSH is attainable for my budget. Would people in the know bother with viewing one with 175k on the clock at this price if the history was good and it seemed to be well cared for?


And once bought, do i have to look into getting injector seals replaced as a precautionary measure? Which engines are affected by this and are there any other major things that can go wrong and be expensive to fix?

I know there are a lot of questions here, if anyone can help out, then it would be appreciated.

Thanks.


my colorado has 175k on the clock and i would still happily take it across europe as i did last year.:icon-biggrin:
 
Don't like the adverts?  Click here to remove them
the 90 series = swb
95 series = lwb both colorados if uk cars or prados if imported.

colorados come in fx gx and vx the latter being the top spec.

120 come in lc2 lc3 lc4 and lc5

Spot on. Thanks for that. So, a Prado's the same as a Colorado but imported? Like a Shogun/ Pajero?
 
Spot on. Thanks for that. So, a Prado's the same as a Colorado but imported? Like a Shogun/ Pajero?
Yes, the 'baby' landcruisers (90, 120, 150 etc) were called Prado in most parts of the world. It would have been sensible to have called them that here too!

On the 120, LC2 was the bottom spec up to LC5 at the top. If you come across a 120 invincible, they were initially based on the LC4, then later on the LC5.
 
PS. I hate to say it on a landcruiser forum, but the Mk2 Shogun/Pajero was also a class act, and might be worth a look.

I note you already have a surf? The later surfs are basically a 90-series but with only 5 seats.
 
Last edited:
but the Mk2 Shogun/Pajero was also a class act

If you're on a budget, they are undeniably cheap. There's a reason for that. :lol:

The Colorado is a considerably better built vehicle - as a family we've had 2. Both replaced Mk2 Shoguns.
 
Injector seals on 120s should have been done as a customer campaign (ref 1613G if I remember correctly), which also included dropping the sump if the seals showed any evidence of seal blowby. I seem to recall it affected 120s from 2004 to 2008. A few people even had new engines.

But not all will have been done, so try to find one which has - I didn't get any documentation to show mine had been done, so I guess it would be a call to a dealer.
 
PS. I hate to say it on a landcruiser forum, but the Mk2 Shogun/Pajero was also a class act, and might be worth a look.

I note you already have a surf? The later surfs are basically a 90-series but with only 5 seats.

Saying that, I did consider a 3rd Gen Surf and still might. It seems like if going for a Colorado/ Prado and not an Amazon or other big LC then it could be a sensible choice just going for a 3rd Gen Surf as I'd end up with a very similar vehicle for a lot cheaper with a lot less miles. And if it's a Surf as opposed to a 4Runner then it's likely to have less corrosion. I'll think about that...

My current Surf is a modified 2nd Gen and is very not useable for day to day use and I'll be selling it soon.

What are peoples thoughts on buying an 80 or 100 series if it's been LPG converted? Do there tend to be any problems with converted engines?



I did once consider shogun/pajero, but, well, you know...
 
Last edited:
My thoughts are HDJ 80s rule...:thumbup: but they're getting scarcer now in good nick.

My HZJ 80 would not fit with most owners expectations of a DD and anyway they're fairly rare in the UK.

Good luck with the quest :icon-biggrin:
 
With that budget and running costs in mind, I think the best condition 3.0TD Colorado/Prado (KZJ95), regardless of mileage, would suit your requirements best IMHO.

You should be able to pick up a really decent one for around the £3-3.5k mark, which leaves some of the budget for a bit of TLC and/or upgrades, which it's bound to need - don't forget that these cars are now around 15yrs or more old and might require a little more than just a oil change! ;-)

You may be able to find a VZJ95 (3.4 V6 version) with LPG cheaper but I would be suspicious of the LPG conversion if it didn't have all the paperwork and wasn't running 100%.

Whichever one you go for, check out the individual series forums and do your homework on known issues and (if applicable) use them to haggle the price in your favour.

My 2p worth.

Good luck! :thumbup:
 
Last edited:
4 years ago i bought a 12 year old kzj 95 (colorado) in mint condition - even the cup holders were still intact.not so mint now as it is a working truck but still going strong.one thing to bear in mind though is that most uk landcruiser have NEVER been off road so a 10 or 12 year old truck will possibly be on its original shocks & springs so off roading will quickly do them in along with the suspension bushes.
 
Which diesel Colorados come with the D-4D engine? Is it 2001 onwards? Are all the diesel versions TD at least?

I rented a diesel Prado in Costa Rica and it was the most sluggish thing i have ever driven, bar a '94 Ford Transit. It really was ridiculously slow. I don't want to drive miles to look at one to test drive it and find it's miserably slow with the same engine as that Prado (yes i do realise that LC's aren't built for speed)...

Thanks.
 
Which diesel Colorados come with the D-4D engine? Is it 2001 onwards? Are all the diesel versions TD at least?

I rented a diesel Prado in Costa Rica and it was the most sluggish thing i have ever driven, bar a '94 Ford Transit. It really was ridiculously slow. I don't want to drive miles to look at one to test drive it and find it's miserably slow with the same engine as that Prado (yes i do realise that LC's aren't built for speed)...

Thanks.


Yes 2001 for the d4d diesel engine. my Landcruiser is the 2000 with the 1kzte TD engine but i wouldnt say its slow, OK its no rocket but pulls fairly quick from the lights. maybe the one you hired abroad was an old nail. i would test drive some and see what you reckon.
 
Yes 2001 for the d4d diesel engine. my Landcruiser is the 2000 with the 1kzte TD engine but i wouldnt say its slow, OK its no rocket but pulls fairly quick from the lights. maybe the one you hired abroad was an old nail. i would test drive some and see what you reckon.

Yeah, it's funny because the Prado that i hired was 120 shaped, suggesting a half decent engine but definitely no turbo and only capable of about 65mph max.

From looking around online, it looks like £4.5k gets you a decent 2001/2002 Colorado VX with SH and a mileage in the early 100,000's (or a high mileage 120). Are they likely to have been clocked? I read something about clockers liking LC's.

Anything in particular to look for when buying, apart from injector seal/ oil pick up pipe history? I know about the ATF cooler being sited in the radiator problems, etc.

Thanks.
 
If it was me i would be buying the lower mileage colorado rather than a bottom end 120 for the money. but it depends on how handy you are with the spanners.
just look for a bloody good service history, any accident damage, check brakes stop in a straight line, see if diff locks work fully, aircon should get nice and cold,electric mirrors should fold in if fitted, electric aerial should go up and down without any groans. apart from this they are pretty well built.
 
Back
Top