still 80-less

[Fett]

well after a 10 hour round trip to north wales from hampshire today I am still 80-less.

to be fair the car was good but at the point where it needed some work and it was 16k since its last recorded service work and that was a minor one.

The guy wouldnt budge from £3750 and I would like (but understand I may not get) something a little tidier with drier hub seals for that money or less , even if it is older.

Also as pointed out by JM its better not to buy the first car you see and becuase you have driven a long way to see it, and I am in actual rush-just a psycological one

Thanks so much for the help people have given me help on here and on the phone and for looking at the car , particularly paul humpreys and joinerman

So if anyone knows of an 80 for sale at the moment, preferably a little closer to hants please let me know

 

[Paul]

Do i remember that a petrol is ok?

Cheap one here:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/ ... ?logcode=p

 

[Fett]

petrols fine , actually preffered if it has the lpg kit and lubricator but its not fitted on that one sadly

thanks for the thought and please keep posting them

 

[Chris]

Fett, I would suggest that no matter what you buy (unless we sell you one of ours) that you are going to have to pull the front hubs apart. As for finding one that doesn't need any work, well best of luck with that too especially with your budget in mind. I would say that good bodywork is definite plus point unless you happen to be a bodywork specialist or have a brother etc who owns a paint shop ...

Mechanicals can be sorted. These are old trucks, even on a P or N and there are some parts which will need servicing. The typical front hub will need servicing and that is how you should view it really. It's a service item. Problems with gearboxes should be avoided in the main unless like me you have a spare one to go in. I bought a non runner. If the cannon balls are a bit oily, I would not let that put you off. You could buy one that looks straight and in 2 months the swivels could be leaking. Incidentally, you keep mentioning dry swivels. You don't really want dry swivels, you want lightly greased ones. That is how they should look.

I am pleased that you have had some help off the guys. We're like that on here. I had tremendous help when finding both of mine, from Rob and Crispin. I could have wasted a lot of time looking at wrecks. Well, let's say I could have wasted even MORE time looking at wrecks. It takes experience to look at one of these and know if it's something that can be fixed or if you should walk away. There are some parts that can really help you to get the price down. Lockers that don't work for example. Take a quote from the Toyota parts dept with front and rear lockers on there and wave that under their noses if they don't work when you try them. If it's a garage, they might have the work done or reduce the price for you to do it yourself. But as with buying anything, knowledge is power. Poor ones and good ones alike are fetching good money and they are selling. My advice would be to buy the first good one that you see. If you think that you'll get a slightly better one for less money in a weeks or so, you probably won't. What you will see is the one you passed up going somewhere else for MORE money. If you can, hook up with one of the lads and get them to show you how everything works. That way you'll be able to test one fully on your own.

Not rushing is good. It's sensible. But be prepared to pounce when a decent (but not maybe perfect) one comes up.

Chris

 

[Fett]

yes I agree with most of that , and as I said "I may not get" but I am no rush so I can keep looking. also if there are problems north wales is a long way to go to get them sorted lol.

I agree on the lightly greased front- I think, but again have a lack of experience here, that they were not far off needing doing and I would rather have a set I could nurse for a bit lol

I am still hoping pugwash will come good with his mates one and I am still looking everywhere I can too.
.
the body work wasnt bad on that one but the chassis was a little rustier than I expected for one of these toyotas but no holes!

Had plenty of cleaning off rust and welding chassis up on my landrovers lol (not that this one yesterday needed welding) so a bit cleaner would be nice- mabe an import.

The search continues!

 

[chriscolleman]

When I bought mine there weren't much 80's going round second hand.
So I bought the first full spec that came along.
Wanted lockers and the 6-inline diesel engine.

Front end needed service, gearbox needed refurbishing, shocks were shot, upper rear door was rusted and other little problems that needed sorting.

Being a cruiser and not the daily drive, things got sorted when I got round to it. And they lasted till I got round to it. Drove the gearbox round double shifting it for about 4 years.

When you then eventually take all the bills and add them up. Then you end up with the price of a 4 year old second hand 110 landrover, but the cruiser is much more capable and has far more creature comforts!!

Plus I fit in a cruiser and simply don't in a defender.
In an ideal cruiserheads world there would be lot's of second hand 80's going round driven by mechanically inclined old ladies.
Unfortunatly the are a lot more Landrovers driven around by mechanically unforgiving old f@rts

Stick at it, one will turn up!

 

[Chris]

It's odd that some chassis are still black and some are rusty. But, don't confuse your experiences with LRs with Cruisers. I have been spending time with a bunch of off roaders recently who nearly all drive green ovals of one sort or another. I have been truly staggered at the levels of rust. Even the worst cruiser I have ever seen didn't come close. Toyota simply do not rust the same or as badly. And the chassis being rusty actually tends to indicate quite a dry car. My white one leaked a bit and the chassis was mint. The silver one didn't and was a bit rusty. But a pot of Kurust later and it looks every bit as good. Unless you find one that has been used for launching boats, the chassis is very unlikely to be something that gives you a problem.

Chris

 

[Fett]

thanks guys, yes the landrovers do like to rot , the 72 rrc I have just rebuilt although not too bad for a 40 year old car still too a big pile of steel and 2000ltrs of argoshield to get sorted

the gearbox did leak a bit a on this one I saw yesterday but it was still overfilled lol

now my budgets gone up (the wife agreed to the 3750 if it was a peach) for the very right car I will just keep up the search till one comes a long, if it gets to the end of october and still no luck I may get alittle worried lol

 

[joinerman]

Don't worry one will come along, & take on board all what chris has said, he's spot on the money.

 

[Paul_Humphreys]

I went to see the petrol one that John came up to see. I would say you will be very lucky to find a better one for the money, I am not saying you will not find one but it will be a lot of hard work.

You should have poped up to see mine as I am only 7 miles away from the seller.

On another note I had LRs for 20 years so I know what they are like. LCs do not rust the same, the main place the LC chassis has a problem (with some) is the chassis cracks by the stearing box mounts. LR chassis tend to rust badly everywhere.

Paul

 

[Fett]

thats a fair comment mate, and you may well be right. I would just prefer one which has had some work done recently rather than one its about to come up on.

16k miles for an oil change is a long time and the last job before that was a battery in 2002-of course the paper work may be incomplete but black oil in an lpg car means its been in there a long time, also I tried to check the level on the leaky front diff and even with my snapon breaker bar and a lump hammer it wouldnt budge- I think its never been open and might be empty

Anyway I may end up getting that one if its still about but but as I said , I would rather buy one of your cars or another cherished motor if the price matches up.

Ive had a pm offer of one already so that next on the list and this pugwash contact too if it comes good

thanks for all the help guys its invaluable!

with the landrovers it tends to be the back and the water traps that rust the most although I have to say I was surprised how skinny the landcruisers chassis was for such a big car- much samller then the range rover ones- I guess the lack of rust makes it stronger lol

 

[Paul_Humphreys]

When I got mine it had a full Toyota service history. First job was to change the CVs, as they needed doing.

You may end up finding a good one with a FSH but still end up spending £1000 on it to get it right. You could always fine one for £1500 and spend £2000 getting it right. You never know. But when you see the next one you will know how good or bad the last one was.

Paul

 

[Fett]

so true

 

[Fett]

chatting with mate today which pulled out some other things that bugged me about that car- and yes I know I am being fussy.

first was the fact that the oil was low on the dipstik, now that doesnt sound the end of the world but humour my logic here.

the most miles it could have done since change or fill would have been 16k as said before, but if thats the case then its used a litre in 16k. now we are not talking rover v8 technology here so I would have to say that I would compare it to my 1993 bmw 540i with 109k on it , which has never used a drop of oil ever not one and its driven a lot harder than a 4x4 can be!

now I have heard these lexus lumps are very oil tight leakwise and I coul only see a leak from the gearbox not the engine.

I would say then it must have burnt it, although there were not clouds of smoke behind me even that level of wear worries me, and if the oil had been changed since the 16k as the dealer suggested but could not confirm (based on cleanliness of filter) then I am even more worried about the consumption and the fact that it was going black on an lpg car.

and yes I am that "anal" lol

of course the mechanic may not have filled it all the way up but normally they over fill it a bit if anything in my experience.

other point was I had a hard time getting the lockers in and out, and I mean a hard time, like 20 mins.

now that could be due to lack of use but I have heard since that they have elctrolytic corrosion problems with the housing and axel/diff casing and this in some cases leave just the lockers internals with no casing left

I hope its not that

 

[Chris]

But as I said, a good point to talk him down. New lockers please or £900 off the asking price.

Oil level - cant' say. It wouldn't worry me unduly that one.

It's been said before, there are more decent quality petrol ones about with low mileage than oil burners and they are significantly cheaper. You certainly are unlikely to get the sort of motor (condition wise) that you are looking for in a diesel for that money. I very nearly bought a petrol before I got this one. Was looking at two. One was really mint. And I do mean mint. I was very very tempted. One a P IIRC FSH no gas kit. I did a spread sheet on fuel cost per mile where you could read off the price per litre and the current MPG and see the comparative costs to run. Actually with the price of petrol being different to derv (you could also read off LPG price too) there was NOT a whole lot in it. If you were only pootling in it and not blasting over thousands of miles per month, the saving in purchasing and running the vehicle over an oil burner were pretty good. The petrol one is also very nice to drive, I thought. Tempting to gun it though!

Chris

 

[Fett]

yes I am very happy with getting a petrol on lpg , I would prefer it to be honest as no beb and cambelts to worry about (never liked them and eliminated them from my fleet now)

I have the 350 bhp bmw for blasing it lol.

very Glad to hear that there is more chance of a tidier lpg one for my money

I tried and tried to knock him down but he wouldnt go below £3750

think he was a bit surprised when I walked away (back to the car for another 200 mile return trip lol)

oh btw it had about as much balls as my 22 year old 3.9 rrc when booted on the test drive but that was on lpg- sound about right?

 

[pugwash]

Hey Fett,

Sorry i haven't got anywhere with this one that is local to you- chappy who has it is an older chap who i know, but he won't like to=be nudged- i've let him know that i know of someone looking and if he wants to sell it will go quite quickly....

oh and if you are worried about things like hubs etc, sure i can pop down and help you replace them- its only a mornings work for the hubs and seals (as long as you have lots of rags and brake cleaner!)


cheers

Jim

 

[Fett]

rags and a gallon of acetone on stand by then for whatever car I get lol

that would be awsome help mate , very much appreciated!!!

Ok so if you can keep nudging this older guy that would be great I dont suppose you know what year it is or diesel or petrol? I am leaning toward the petrol lpg rount anyway so it may help me rule it out if its an oil burner!

 

[pugwash]

iirc 93 tdi

will be a couple of weeks i expect before he makes his mind up!

 

[nivapilot]

Sorry to hear you are still 80 less Fett.

Don't know wether it's any help, or not, but you are quite welcome to come on over and sit and stare at mine if you like?....