Hello Landcruiser forum,

[jgallo1]

Long-time Expo guy, who has spent the majority of time in the truck section.
A friend let me borrow his 80' series for a few days and I loved it. The problem is since I gave it back, I can't stop thinking about it. Now I am searching High and Low for a clean one.
I have been spending a lot of time over at IH8MUD reading up on what to look for and preventive maintenance.
I do like to hear owners' opinions and some knowledge on these trucks.
If anyone knows of a clean one that will not break the bank please feel free to let me know.

 

[2025 deleted member]

Best of luck- as you know prices are all over the place depending on condition and aftermarket accessories.

 

[Tex68w]

Clean and lower miles means silly money, clean and higher miles still means too much most of the time IMHO, the rest are pretty ragged out and even some of those are over priced.

Take your time, look around, buy best overall condition and maintenance history. Mud will always be your best source for anything Cruiser. I’d watch the market through to next year, if things go as most are forecasting then there might be some decent deals out there come next spring/summer.

 

[MOAK]

I paid 10 for mine 10 years ago. I’ve also spent about 6 over the past 10 years, chasing oil leaks, new tie rods & drag links, suspension bushings, shocks and removing the head to replace leaking valve stem seals. I don’t count regular maintenance items as all vehicles need regular PM. It has 350,000 miles and I’m nary concerned about the engine or the transmission as there is well documented examples boosting my confidence that those members will last at least another 100,000 miles. I’ve been offered 21 for it. If you are wise in your purchasing decision, you can’t lose money on it. I really don’t care about the money or what it is or is not worth, however, I do see what “ new “ vehicles are selling for and can only imagine the worth of my 1996 LX450/80 Series if in fact I ever need to dump another 20,000 for a rebuilt/new drivetrain. Examples like that are selling for crazy money. Still, much less than “ new “ vehicles. You already are aware that here in North America that a clean 80 series is the holy grail of vehicles. Here is a guide to help you in the process of finding what you are looking for. Good luck with your quest.

80 Series Newbie Guide - Slee Off Road

As soon as the excitement of the purchase starts to fade, the questions start popping up. What modifications can I make? What are those 4 bolts on the back

sleeoffroad.com

 

[Arktikos]

Location?
The first two years of the 80 series had the old 3FE. It's a great engine but somewhat underpowered for these large full time 4WD beasts. The 1FZ is an even better motor, though it tends to sprout multiple oil leaks. Usually not in an excessive manner, so you can either ignore or deal with them as time allows.
Check the cooling components thoroughly, replace the PHH if it hasn't been done already. The radiator is a common source of failure on some years, the power steering pump is problematic on all years with the FZ. Front axles are said to need rebuilding after 100-150k miles.
Fabric seats are preferable to leather as the leather seats are prone to tearing. I just put leather seat covers over my bottoms because the tops are OK. Complete leather upholstery replacements are of course available for a pretty penny. The powered leather seats also are known for having the little plastic gears used in moving them back and forth strip out.
95-97 are generally considered the best years for the improvements noted in the Slee guide posted above. Look for rust, especially in tailgate area and underneath.
The less modifications the better, IMO. My '97 drives great with 203K miles, with what look to be all original suspension components except for the shocks I replaced. These trucks can really flex with coils on all corners plus the SFA, as you've likely discovered. I spent 5700 with purchase price and ferry home just over a year ago, so don't have a lot of experience with it yet.

 

[RiverCityDave]

I posted up a thread where I detailed pretty much every penny I’ve spent on my 94 FZJ in the last 12 years, and over 130,000 miles. You can find that here if you want to read over it.

Bottom line, be prepared to do some work, and I strongly reccomend that you have or develop some basic maintenance skills. Despite their legendary reputation (which is well earned) they are all pushing 30 years old, and they need work. Anything you find at a price you can afford will also need some work to get it ready to be a real “Landcruiser” that you could, as they say in most sales threads, “drive it cross country without hesitation”.

Good luck finding something, I agree with @Tex68w above, I think the market might look pretty good for buying here in the next 6-12 months. Some of the fury seems to be wearing off.

 

[jgallo1]

Thanks for all the feedback thus far.
I do have a basic understanding of mechanics and have driven plenty of older yotas. For about 2 yrs I daily drove my 1983 fj60.
I think the later yrs 80's will be much more sophisticated. As @Tex86w knows, I will not buy junk.
The hardest part is I just got done with a 2004 taco build that I might have to sell if I find the right cruiser. After spending a week driving an 80's series I get the hype.
I have owned a 100 series, 60, 62. The 80 really is the perfect combination of them, IMO.
Thanks

 

[Tex68w]

I think the 105 is gonna become the new hotness with them hitting import status here in less than a year. The more updated and refined 100 Series body with the 80 Series style chassis and underpinnings, perfection!