Advice on buying an 80 or 100

[aurum]

I've been looking for a 100 series with about 100k miles to purchase for about a month now. Found a few I'd like to get but now my friend is selling his 1991 80 for $5k and it has 166k miles. Obviously way cheaper and I'd be able to put about $4500 into it right away.

My needs are definitely a true expedition vehicle. I travel about 20k miles a year for my job and its through the entire western US. About 3000 miles is on dirt roads. Maybe more into the most remote places of our country. I sleep and live out of my vehicle about 100 nights a year.

My vehicle for the past 11 years has been an 02 tacoma which has served me great but I've had issues recently and don't trust it in the remote places anymore. It has 255k miles on it (rough miles too).

Thought this would be the place to ask if you think a 91 80 with 166k miles and $4500 worth of upgrades or a stockish 100 with a little over 100k and no significant upgrades for awhile would be better. Also the extra financing for what the 100 would have cost of probably about $100 a month could be used on the 80. And if the 80 what upgrades would you recommend?

Thanks

 

[Kaisen]

I've been looking for a 100 series with about 100k miles to purchase for about a month now. Found a few I'd like to get but now my friend is selling his 1991 80 for $5k and it has 166k miles. Obviously way cheaper and I'd be able to put about $4500 into it right away.

My needs are definitely a true expedition vehicle. I travel about 20k miles a year for my job and its through the entire western US. About 3000 miles is on dirt roads. Maybe more into the most remote places of our country. I sleep and live out of my vehicle about 100 nights a year.

My vehicle for the past 11 years has been an 02 tacoma which has served me great but I've had issues recently and don't trust it in the remote places anymore. It has 255k miles on it (rough miles too).

Thought this would be the place to ask if you think a 91 80 with 166k miles and $4500 worth of upgrades or a stockish 100 with a little over 100k and no significant upgrades for awhile would be better. Also the extra financing for what the 100 would have cost of probably about $100 a month could be used on the 80. And if the 80 what upgrades would you recommend?

Thanks

The 100 is a bit larger and will be more comfortable, both for interior room (sleeping quarters too) and ride. Fuel economy won't be any worse than the 80, even with the V8.

If you're going to do an 80, you'd be a little better served (IMHO) going with a 95-97 rig, one with airbags, R134a refrigerant, and the more powerful 1FZ-FE 4.5L
You can find them all day long for the same $5000 as your buddy's 1991. And they might have triple lockers, where a 1991 wouldn't.

 

[86tuning]

If you're able to make it places in the Tacoma you won't have problems in the hundy. The 80 isn't anywhere near as good on the freeway, and only marginally better off pavement in certain situations.

Only caveat is if you want 35" tires it would be easier and cheaper in the 80. If you're set on tires bigger than 35" then you're much better off with the 80 unless you're going to SAS the hundy. But now we are talking hypothetical and virtual dollars, far from the realm of a realistic build.

I'm driving an LX450 and love it, but I'm looking for a 05-06 LX470 for my wife. Someday I will find one, and someday it will get a SAS. Pipe dream perhaps, because I'm quite happy with the 80 except for the fuel economy, and the fact that the ac defaults to recirc position whenever I restart the engine.

 

[86tuning]

Oh one more thing, who pays for your fuel? The hundy will realistically get 10% better fuel economy. And the later 5sp ones will do even better.

 

[1911]

I had a '91 FJ80 for many years; it's still on the road and still reliable at about 300,000 miles. One of my favorite vehicles ever, but...

The 3FE engine is a great off-road tractor motor but a very marginal highway motor. No power for hills, passing, or towing. Horrible gas mileage - mine got 11 mpg stock; I put headers and a K&N air filter on it and got it up to 14 mpg. Reliable and easy to work on though. No fancy-schmancy timing chain or hydraulic lifters to ever replace.

The air conditioning is pretty marginal too for a truck that size. No real rear air either. It gets warm in the back, if you're taking anyone else with you.

It's very capable stock. Put a steel bumper and a mild lift/bigger tires on it if you want, but I drove mine all over Texas/New Mexico/Colorado including 4WD trails and crappy oil field roads with no mods other than a brush guard and slightly larger-than-stock tires.

If I were in your situation, and thought I would put very many highway miles on it, I would take the 100.

 

[aurum]

You guys are the best. Fast and insightful responses. Thank you. I'll ask one more opinion. If I were to buy this or another 80 I suppose I could look into putting in a Diesel engine with left over money (although it'd likely require more than I'll have for a couple months).

At this time though I'm leaning towards a 100 though. As others have definitely pointed out the advantages.

Thanks a ton for the valuable experienced info.

 

[1911]

You guys are the best. Fast and insightful responses. Thank you. I'll ask one more opinion. If I were to buy this or another 80 I suppose I could look into putting in a Diesel engine with left over money (although it'd likely require more than I'll have for a couple months).

At this time though I'm leaning towards a 100 though. As others have definitely pointed out the advantages.

Thanks a ton for the valuable experienced info.

If you really want an 80, find a '93 or later FZJ80 with the 1FZ-FE motor, much more power. A diesel conversion would be cool, but not cost-effective in my opinion. Every now and then you can find an imported HDJ81 but you'll pay big bucks for the factory diesel.

 

[jjstahl3]

here is a 80 series diesel ready to go

http://humboldt.craigslist.org/cto/3887958338.html

 

[Kaisen]

here is a 80 series diesel ready to go

http://humboldt.craigslist.org/cto/3887958338.html

YAY!!! 128 horsepower and 210 lb-ft in a heavier package (that's less power and torque than a 1FZ-FE gas). All for about $12,000 more!!!

IF (and it's a BIG if) you get 33% better fuel economy, moving from say 13 mpg @ $3.50/gal GAS to 18mpg @ $3.80/gal DSL and driving 20,000 miles per year...
Let's do the math:
20,000 miles / 13 mpg = 1,538 gals x $3.50/gal = $5,385 in gasoline annually
20,000 miles / 18 mpg = 1,111 gals x $3.80/gal = $4,222 in diesel annually

$5,385 gas - $4,222 dsl = $1,163 annual savings with diesel!

$12,000 higher purchase price / $1,163 annual savings = 10 years and 4 months to break even.....that's 206,000 more miles (it will have 456K miles then)

And let's be clear, that's 206K painfully underpowered miles

GENIUS IDEA!!

 

[zimm]

YAY!!! 128 horsepower and 210 lb-ft in a heavier package (that's less power and torque than a 1FZ-FE gas). All for about $12,000 more!!!

IF (and it's a BIG if) you get 33% better fuel economy, moving from say 13 mpg @ $3.50/gal GAS to 18mpg @ $3.80/gal DSL and driving 20,000 miles per year...
Let's do the math:
20,000 miles / 13 mpg = 1,538 gals x $3.50/gal = $5,385 in gasoline annually
20,000 miles / 18 mpg = 1,111 gals x $3.80/gal = $4,222 in diesel annually

$5,385 gas - $4,222 dsl = $1,163 annual savings with diesel!

$12,000 higher purchase price / $1,163 annual savings = 10 years and 4 months to break even.....that's 206,000 more miles (it will have 456K miles then)

And let's be clear, that's 206K painfully underpowered miles

GENIUS IDEA!!

i detect sarcasm.

not to mention the compounded 6-7% any fund would get you on the 12g, if you put it there instead of into a dumb diesel, means you could never make up the cash you lost buying it.

 

[Flagster]

100 series...keep it stock...that v8 may be no monster but the few I have driven have much better manners than my 80

the 80 even with the 4.5l is a turd...

I think someone on here summarized it pretty good...something to the effect of... "its the only truck that when you floor it and downshift...it just makes more noise and doesn't go any faster..."
...I would add to this..."and sucks down fuel at a seemingly impossible exponential rate"...

I would think about a supercharger if I drove mine any more than I do but in reality I use my P/U s 99% of the time...and when I need to replace one it will probably be a lx470 or 100...or a suburban

 

[aurum]

Once again thanks for sharing your educated thoughts and opinions. I believe I found the 100 I am going to pick up, hopefully next week. I'll be sure to post some pics. It won't look too impressive (looks aren't my thing but functionality is). I will start by putting some larger AT tires on it and from there I'll see what I need. Can't wait!

 

[mattafact]

100 series...keep it stock...that v8 may be no monster but the few I have driven have much better manners than my 80

the 80 even with the 4.5l is a turd...

I think someone on here summarized it pretty good...something to the effect of... "its the only truck that when you floor it and downshift...it just makes more noise and doesn't go any faster..."
...I would add to this..."and sucks down fuel at a seemingly impossible exponential rate"...

I would think about a supercharger if I drove mine any more than I do but in reality I use my P/U s 99% of the time...and when I need to replace one it will probably be a lx470 or 100...or a suburban

I've been daily driving my FJ60 until I fix the head gasket in my 94. The 94 is a rocket in comparison. It's all relative.

 

[fireball]

Just curious what kind of work you do?

And another vote for the 100. Bone stock with some +1 tires and you should be all set!

 

[zimm]

im using an lx470 with 33's ans sliders/skids/bumbers. some stuff get difficult that low, but its quite capable and protected from the rocks it hits.