Manual 80 series on ebay

[yogi]

Anybody been to look at this 80? Looks ok in the pics but it ain't cheap. In \yorkshire.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1996-TOYO...3996242?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item33803087d2

Or this one in Shropshire
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1997-Toyo...5423095?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item43b8ee22f7

Am thinking of flying over to England (from Ireland) to have a look at a few, but there is not a lot of point in travelling the length of the place if someone on here has seen them and they are pants or knows them from old! Basically i'm a bit short on free time with a farm and a business to run at the moment and i'm trying to avoid any wild goose chases.

Plan is to use the LC for a month or six week overland trip to Georgia this year as a kind of trial run for 2014/15 when i intend to go on a nice long overland trip with minimum frills to SE asia taking in all the Stans and travelling back through Russia for as long as it takes.
Probably a bit mad but when you hit 35 and you have no kids whats the point in killing yourself working for 52% income tax plus all the extras (stealth taxes etc).

I'm not a mechanic but i'm not a novice either with a spanner,but i have no experience at all with LCs and whilst i appreciate the buyers guides on here and i have made a lot of notes i know a lot more about Fourtraks, Toyota Carinas, Daf 45 lorries, International and David Brown tractors and cattle and horses for that matter (!) than i do about LC 80s.

Alternatively if anyone can recommend a good man to take a look for me i have no problem paying for that either. Just send me a message please.

Any help or advice greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[yogi]

Just to add, i'm not too fussy about how shiny anything is, its mechanicals i want right!
And i like air conditioning when its hot!!

 

[Chris]

Yogi, not being fussy actually open us the field quite considerably. If like me you are looking for one that is about as good as it possibly could be for the year, it's a tight search field. If a hole in the rear tailgate doesn't bother you or scabby wheels then there really is a lot more choice. Like these two for example. TBH, even a real clunker would probably make it to Georgia!
Front axles will be bound to need a tune up, AC will want a re gas too and obviously a fuel and filter change. But aside from that, you'd be good to go, largely. The manual gearboxes on the later one don't appear to be as twitch as the earlier ones. Not saying there aren't issues on some with 1st and second, but from what I can tell on recent ones bought here, they seem better.

Both of those look solid enough, but near top money in my view. I'd say every fault you can find (lockers for eg) should be a few more ££ off the price. We can sometimes go and look at vehicles for people if they ask. Not always, but there is a network of people who know cruisers well enough to say yes or no to one.

Chris

 

[AndycruiserguyLomas]

I suppose Yogi its a choice of what your priorities are in a 15+ year old car that has had £30 to £35K of use already.You will be extremely fortunate to find an 80 where everything works for instance. Rear diff lockers rarely work as the same for air con. I only know of one 80 which I would bet everything works, its round here and I think very unlikely to be on the market. I've had one since it was 2 years old and I know the rear locker hasn't worked for at least 5 years as hasn't the air con, its just that most 80 owners manage without things they dont necessarily need.
looking at what your requirements are I would say the GX in Shropshire would be your best bet. The cloth seats are a bonus over wornout leather and lighter, Its got air con fitted, whether it works or not remains to be seen. It has the latest incarnation gearbox which should give least trouble, also the gear knob has its leather covering which the other doesn't indicating less use. FSH is always usefull, it shows something has been done regularly. I dont think the truck is cheap but it looks better than average to me.
If possible get someone in the area to give it a look over, they could set your mind at ease one way or the other.

Best of luck

Andy