Looking for advice from seasoned LC owners

[Genevieve_H]

Hi, I'm new to the forum and to the concept of forums; not sure whether I'm posting in the right place.

I am considering buying an LC that is for sale local to me but I am unsure whether it would be a good purchase or a bad idea. I have done some of my own research but I am hoping you good people with experience with LC's will be able to share with me your good advice, your thoughts on this listing, as well as is possible from the computer screen.

Listing:
Toyota, LAND CRUISER AMAZON, Estate, 1995, Automatic, 4477 (cc), 5 doors
£9,000
152,881 miles
"One owner last 18yrs. Mot from 12/9/23. Brc lpg system. Twin stainless exhaust + titanium cat converter. New lambada sensor . New battery just fitted. New discs + pads all-round. New hand break cable + shoes. Brand New alternator fitted. Starter removed and refurb. All oils changed. Engine. Trans. Transfer box. Front n rear axles. Steering column joints replaced. Some rack n pinion joints also. Stainless bull bar. After market alloys looks better in my opinion. Solid no rust never been welded. Few small bad points. Bonnet got keyed. Wheel arch laquer flaking. 2 electric windows sticking. Drivers seat stiching come undone. Drivers door central locking works when it wants worn link. mot advisories. Coil springs rusty rear. Shock absorber light misting offside front?. Small rear break pipe starting to corrode. .truck could do with good interior valet. cash sale only.. parked since mot.started up every week. no time wasters or tyre kickers..OPEN TO VERY GOOD OFFER."

I am aware that I'm posting images of someone else's property on here. I've blocked out the plate so nobody can identify the exact vehicle or where it is. If this is not okay, please let me know and I shall remove the images immediately.

Also of note, the owner has put cardboard over the plates and marked a license on it. From what I can see of the license on the actual plate, compared to what's on the cardboard, the first letter matches up but the last letter is different. ??

I cannot see from the other images where this rust is, and I cannot imagine how the paint was scraped off here; the panel appears quite smooth.

I don't want to make this post too long but a couple things I would like to note, is the tow-hitch which means the vehicle has towed and, the general background of the vehicle - a little messy which leads me to consider the possibility that the owner perhaps doesn't take too much care, and the truck being parked on grass and mud for 10-months.

The LC would be a dream car for me, but I cannot afford to be spending money on major mechanical or structural issues.
Any advice you have to share is most welcome. Thank you for sticking with me this far.

Genevieve

 

[felix2566]

Hi, I think if you read similar posts about cars people are interested in, the primary item to look at is rust underneath. For me that is the most important thing. If it's relatively clean then mechanical issues are far easier to deal with.

I would want to ask the seller for the full registration to have a look at the MOT history before going any further.

As your close by there is no harm in having a look, depending on your mechanical aptitude, take someone with you to help asses the truck.

Test drive and check it all works as it should, starts properly from cold, does the auto box shift properly in all modes etc.

 

[Shayne]

Seems suspicious seems to me he's done a lot while sticking to the absolute minimum just to get it running again so he can sell it . I'd expect an mot history check to reveal its be sat unused for years so once you start using it again all the seals and bushes will need replaced along with window rubbers , belts , tyres , brakes will need an overhaul etc etc .

Could be a good one but eyes wide open even a good 80 requires work at this age . If you can do the work yourself over a time its not so bad , I guess thats what makes us enthusiasts .

As an aside most of us prefer diesel and are LPG shy because it put a weak link in Toyota's most reliable vehicle .

Your last sentence suggests to me that your better off looking for a not so pretty diesel daily driver and start watching diy paint job videos .

 

[Genevieve_H]

Great advice so far. Thank you both, I do appreciate it.
It seemed to me as well that he had got a bunch of stuff done, at the least the minimum, to sell it.
I've taken your advice on-board and I think this one is to be missed. I've seen others advertised further afield, mostly early 00's. I would prefer an 80-series and a turbo-diesel.

As I'm decided on this listing, do I need to close this thread, somehow?

 

[Shayne]

No need to close thats why searching the forum for answers will usually find whatever question has been asked many times before .

Remember while looking for an 80 no distance is to great when your looking for a vehicle know to do a million miles with just regular maintenance . Rust is the main thing to worry about but there is somewhere on here a checklist written by Chris who had comprehensive knowledge of all things 80 before he sadly passed away .

Incidentally I never pay a garage and I had never worked on a car before i bought a cruiser and joined this forum some 10 years ago . There's a how to on just about everything here if you don't mind getting your hands dirty .

 

[Shayne]

80 series mods and repairs FAQ (updated February 2018)

Below is a (growing) FAQ for the 80 series as well as some interesting posts people have made about it. If you have a write up on something, let us know and we'll add it to the list. What does a decent 80 look like? Part 1 What does a decent 80 look like? Part 2 12 volt starting conversion...

www.landcruiserclub.net

 

[Genevieve_H]

I don't mind getting my hands dirty; I would like to get stuck in and learn how to fix things for myself. My grandfather built his own car back in his day; he was a mechanic who owned his own garage, but he did build his car out of old washing machine panels and such and used the hollow of a fallen apple tree to bend the steel. His design was inspired by or based on Jaguar's 1930s SS-100.
I'm nowhere near as capable. I replaced my current vehicle's battery yesterday and managed to remove the headlamp unit - but I did break/ separate the extender piece from the bolt by overtightening with a drill.

Thanks for the link, I appreciate it. I'll check out Chris' checklist and more.

 

[Shayne]

Dig your grandfather up the world needs more such men

I'm not promoting this one but its an interesting ad Auto Trader UK - New and Used Cars For Sale - [Leaving Land Cruiser Club]

 

[Genevieve_H]

I agree. From a different generation of men; he fixed Spitfire's during WWII.

Interesting as amusing but not to be taken seriously, or interesting as promising?
Triple-diff good but the rear is broken.
Condition looks pretty good for a '91. Underside looks okay; the crack in image 17 might make it a miss, I don't know.
High-mileage, generally speaking.
Think I'll bookmark that one.

 

[Shayne]

What crack thats underseal paint lifting i think ?

Interesting as in it looks good in pics , can't trust pics though . Check its mot history online but it looks to me to be remarkably cheap for a 4.2 in todays market .

 

[Shayne]

Rear diff lock is often knackered because its never used outside of extreme off road .

 

[Genevieve_H]

I see, good to know about the rear-diff.
I thought that was a crack on the left-side of the bracket, and kind of a chip at the bottom, but as a whole and for the year it looks to be in good condition.
Appreciate your point about the price as I'm not currently very clued up on what price ranges are reasonable. If it is remarkably cheap, I should be asking why, shouldn't I.
You're right, I should check the MOT history online.

And I do much prefer the Toyota on the grille rather than the logo.

 

[Shayne]

Not necessarily , nobody makes anything to compare with an 80 any more so they are very much in demand , if the family has had it for 30 years then i guess they feel they got there monies worth . Like as not some chancer will buy it and bang it on ebay described as a very rare mint condition 20+ grand car .

 

[Genevieve_H]

I hear the 80 was over-engineered. Its durability is one reason I'm attracted to them. The Hilux seems to be the same in that regard. Nothing is built to last anymore, but Toyota had the right attitude.

I think I'll consider that red truck, then.

 

[Shayne]

Clarkson tried to kill the 80's little sister , when he drove to the south pole in that fancy hilux you can bet your bottom dollar all the support crew - the experts were driving 70 and 80 series cruisers .

 

[Genevieve_H]

Personally, I think the 80's 60-series looks so much cooler, like that boxy look.

 

[felix2566]

The fact that the seller has showed some photos of the underside means they understand that condition there is important. It doesnt look too bad from what is visible. Deffo worth a visit.

Personally the cloth interiors seem to wear better than the leather ones.

 

[felix2566]

Even harder to find a clean version of a 60 series, unless you import it from somewhere much drier!
But agreed, they do look cool!

 

[Shayne]

I prefer the look of the 60 but i know the 80 has it beat in every regard , 30 years old and still a modern car .

Your not going to find a perfect cruiser by the way , time takes its toll on all things but for the era 150k miles on the clock is considered low and of no concern so long as it got regular oil changes .

 

[Genevieve_H]

Yeah, 60-series only for the look.
The cloth interior is preferable for that fact. Definitely not going to find a pristine example of an LC in that age range; I'm just looking for something that's not more trouble than it's worth/ on the brink of major repairs.

Yeah, maybe it is worth at least a visit. No harm, is there.