Buying a 10+ year old car what could go wrong?

[Ted Striker]

6 speed manual.

FKNA.

[mcski]

I had a 04 xc70. My buddy has a independent Volvo shop and he says he really loves Volvo. Even more since it was sold to the Chinese. iykwim

[basinbeater]

Ok. Got the itch for a FJ80 land cruiser. Selling that CJ5 I posted a few pages back.

They all seem expensive for what they are - is that a real thing or do they actually sell for cheaper? (280k miles with body damage for $5000 seems really expensive to me but maybe I don't know something.)

Ideal world I think I want a factory triple locked and hopefully a small lift. Have some 37s I'd like to stuff under it. Advice from the Cruiser crowd?

Look for one with the lowest miles you can find in the best condition you can find. Get notifications set up so when another one hits the market, you can get there first. Good deals do not last. Check front axles for dirty or greasy knuckles (seal replacement and possible Cv replacement). Unless there are service records, plan on doing the pesky heater hose, (drivers side back of block under intake manifold), water pump, fan clutch, and basic tune up stuff. If it doesn't have lockers, a lunch box locker is fairly easy to install in the rear, and being 4wd all the time, it is barely noticeable, and very effective. Aftermarket suspension is also easy to install, and you can get the look and ride you are looking for.

Google ome medium and 33, I think that is a good look, and what I have on mine.

Fwiw, mine had 148k on it and a folder of service records and was $5200. I bought it within hours of the truck hitting the classifieds.

[Ted Striker]

Fwiw, (and I posted about it somewhere here at length) the angle gear issue is a thing of the past. I took every issue I could find on swedespeed and here and grilled a dealership service tech on them when my wife was buying her new '15 XC70. He assured me that they remedied that years before our model year. (But this is the 10y/o thread so I understand it coming up)

We've put a ton of miles on that thing so far and it's been the easiest car we've owned in years. (Coming off a string of 4 very bad X5s) Oil and tires is all we've done.

Yeah, I've read your posts in the wagon thread and am basically trying to find the sweet spot between the first depreciation hit, and the maintenance hit (hence lurking the 10+ year thread).

I appreciate all of the input.

[TAFKALVS]

Look for one with the lowest miles you can find in the best condition you can find. Get notifications set up so when another one hits the market, you can get there first. Good deals do not last. Check front axles for dirty or greasy knuckles (seal replacement and possible Cv replacement). Unless there are service records, plan on doing the pesky heater hose, (drivers side back of block under intake manifold), water pump, fan clutch, and basic tune up stuff. If it doesn't have lockers, a lunch box locker is fairly easy to install in the rear, and being 4wd all the time, it is barely noticeable, and very effective. Aftermarket suspension is also easy to install, and you can get the look and ride you are looking for.

Google ome medium and 33, I think that is a good look, and what I have on mine.

Fwiw, mine had 148k on it and a folder of service records and was $5200. I bought it within hours of the truck hitting the classifieds.

I will keep all that in mind- I have a guy wanting to trade me straight across for my CJ5. The cruiser has new Goodyear Duratracs, looks like was fairly well maintained, 240k miles. I'll be using it to putz around on forest roads and do some mild wheeling. Mostly instagram lifestyle "overland" driving (because apparently driving forest roads requires a roof-top tent and a brushguard now.)

[bodywhomper]

this has a good breakdown between the model years: http://www.sleeoffroad.com/newbie/newbie100.htm

[babybear]

my volvo is an '07 and they told us it had awd issues before they sold it but they had it repaired (apparently a pretty expensive job) and I spoke with the mechanic and they were pretty confident in it
so I took the chance and -knocking on wood- it has been all good for the few yrs we've owned it so far. only $ we've put into it is oil change etc (I did rip the undercarriage cover off while off-roading last summer- doh- but they ziptied it back on)

as an aside andrew's parents had an xc90 for close to a decade, then they went for a mercedes fancy suv and have heard them say multiple times how much they miss the volvo

[BS720]

I will keep all that in mind- I have a guy wanting to trade me straight across for my CJ5. The cruiser has new Goodyear Duratracs, looks like was fairly well maintained, 240k miles. I'll be using it to putz around on forest roads and do some mild wheeling. Mostly instagram lifestyle "overland" driving (because apparently driving forest roads requires a roof-top tent and a brushguard now.)

I spent about 2 1/2 years looking for my 1994 FZJ80. I just couldn't find one with everything I wanted. First lesson with a car like this, try to get it with the mods you want already done. I put on a sweet ARB rear. Justified it because the stock was cracked. Cost $3,300 installed. I found mine on ih8mud, in Boise. I believe it had 130K, 3" lift, 33's, ARB front, CB radio, headers, Flowmaster, a Thule roof basket and a nice sound system with a sub. It was $8,500 in 2010, plus the $3,300 rear ARB. FYI, If you go with 33" tires, think about where you're gonna put your spare. Car just hit 198k, won't smog, and the rust from the ocean 3 blocks away finally won. Good luck with your search! I replaced mine with a 2004 Sequoia with 138K for $7,100!!

[Bobby Stainless]

They had a CPO TRD Pro at the dealer... Cool looking, but they were asking $50k... Never even considered it... Would spend $50k on a Tahoe or Land Cruiser first.

Oh fuck that. I'd spend less and build this.

[TAFKALVS]

I spent about 2 1/2 years looking for my 1994 FZJ80. I just couldn't find one with everything I wanted. First lesson with a car like this, try to get it with the mods you want already done. I put on a sweet ARB rear. Justified it because the stock was cracked. Cost $3,300 installed. I found mine on ih8mud, in Boise. I believe it had 130K, 3" lift, 33's, ARB front, CB radio, headers, Flowmaster, a Thule roof basket and a nice sound system with a sub. It was $8,500 in 2010, plus the $3,300 rear ARB. FYI, If you go with 33" tires, think about where you're gonna put your spare. Car just hit 198k, won't smog, and the rust from the ocean 3 blocks away finally won. Good luck with your search! I replaced mine with a 2004 Sequoia with 138K for $7,100!!

So, you got a cheap land cruiser for me to buy?

[BS720]

So, you got a cheap land cruiser for me to buy?

Read that part about the rust again. If you really want it, PM me.

[TAFKALVS]

Read that part about the rust again. If you really want it, PM me.

What could go wrong? Does it have the triple lockers?

[SkiCougar]

judas, 10 years old with over 100,000 miles; that's crazy. I'm still finding 2005-2010 grand Cherokees with less than 25,000 miles; will probably trade my current 2008 grand Cherokee out for one of those when it hits 75,000 miles.

paying car depreciation is for suckers.

[mcski]

Probably because people were embarrassed to be seen driving those models?[emoji12]

[bodywhomper]

Or they were military vehicles

[BmillsSkier]

Probably because people were afraid of "what could go wrong" with a GC over 25k miles? Or equally as likely: what has already gone horribly wrong.

FIFY.

[The Reverend Floater]

I recently bought a 2006 Land Cruiser as my DD. 113k miles and in solid shape. So far, so good...I added the suspension, bumper, etc. Drives like caddy,super quiet and climbs trails like a goat. Drinks like a fish, too...15mpg is a really good day.

[SkiCougar]

Probably because people were embarrassed to be seen driving those models?[emoji12]

they're like Volvos, boxy but good. it was hard for me to admit but my 2008 grand Cherokee is a lot better than my 2004 was; with the exception of the cushy seat in that 04; was like driving from my couch.

[iceman]

I recently bought a 2006 Land Cruiser as my DD. 113k miles and in solid shape. So far, so good...I added the suspension, bumper, etc. Drives like caddy,super quiet and climbs trails like a goat. Drinks like a fish, too...15mpg is a really good day.

Nice truck. Nice pavers too.

[basinbeater]

Yep, nice rig.

[stfu&gbtw]

I recently bought a 2006 Land Cruiser as my DD. 113k miles and in solid shape. So far, so good...I added the suspension, bumper, etc. Drives like caddy,super quiet and climbs trails like a goat. Drinks like a fish, too...15mpg is a really good day.

What'd you spend on the LC alone? Around here, that's a $25k car without the mods.

[bodywhomper]

Around me, there was an 01 TLC with 110k miles in excellent baseline condition and barely any time of dirt that sold for ~$18k. That was two years ago. Sold by a local car dealer and was his wife's DD for a few years.

[The Reverend Floater]

What'd you spend on the LC alone? Around here, that's a $25k car without the mods.

I don't know where you are but your ballpark isn't horribly far off. Especially because this one was in particularly clean shape, mechanically and inside. When I first started shopping for these, I was blown away by their resale. Once you've driven one (on and offroad) and also understand their propensity to last to the 250 - 300K mark or more, it starts to make sense. The traction control on these things is Audi-like. I took mine on a muddy road (think 1" of slick surface mud) and couldn't get it to slide for the life of me.

Downsides: They're a tad underpowered--not passing or daily driving, they're just not powerful. Something about their size makes you expect crazy power and that's not the case. The nav/stereo/hvac on the 100 series is a shit box and because the HVAC is on the touch screen, you cannot replace it without replacing everything. So I added a bluetooth adapter for music and a fancy little GPS/bluetooth device that allows me to use GPS on devices anywhere. Last annoyance is that when almost any sensor goes wrong (i.e. 02 or MAP), not only does the CEL come on, but it disables the ATRAC or traction control. This has only happened once to me when my gas cap wasn't tightened but it seems incredibly short sighted.

Generally, though, these vehicles are worth the hype. A pleasure to drive, ridiculously capable and bombproof.

[klauss]

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/why-th...ive-1715003811

Yeah the used LCs are super spendy around here.

I picked up an XC70 T6 recently to join our Sequoia, but it is a P3 gen. We'll see how she ages

[babybear]

I didn't post earlier bc I thot perhaps a tad overpriced for the mileage (240k) but this is one of my besties selling her land cruiser

http://classifieds.jacksonhole.media...x#.WRzR7hPysUE

thought I'd throw it up since she's now to the "make an offer" level and you all love them so much

belonged to her folks prior in TX then since they were going to get raped on the trade-in they sold to her for a good price and she's been driving it for the past few yrs.
It's in good shape altho mileage is up there