Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Checked out a work mates 88/89 Sahara today.
4.2 Turbo Diesel which has had a rebuild some stage in its 377T Km life.
Front and rear aircon, sunroof, centre console fridge, power windows etc which all work. Greasable shackles all fitted. Sus good.

Problems is that the steering is a little loose in the centre. Is this a simple ajustment or more terminal.
Rust spot on one side in the usual roof edge.
Interior is neat and in one piece.

Is going to be advertised for $10.5K but offered to me for $8.5.
$7k was the most I really wanted to spend.

Yes that is too much for a car with 377,000km's.. I'll sell you my FJ62 Sahara (1989 -300,000km with LPG) for $6000
loaded with extras.

want33s wrote:Yes that is too much for a car with 377,000km's.. I'll sell you my FJ62 Sahara (1989 -300,000km with LPG) for $6000
loaded with extras.

Ok got my interest.
Dont forget I am in Adelaide so there are airfares to have a look and shipment cost to get it here. I assume thats 300,000 on a petrol motor as against a rebuilt diesel.

Give me a link if you have it advertised or some pics and more details.

Thanks

Greg

if its locked then 8 if not then dont even bother. it has rust, once it starts you will never stop it. with that many kays if it hasnt been replaced allready it is needing it pretty bad, so have a good look at everything that wears out including body mount rubbers..... 8 is alot for that age vehicle

Firstly an 88/89 factory turbo diesel cruiser will not be a 4.2, it will be a 3.9 (or sometimes called 4.0) If it is a factory turbo diesel it will be a 12HT, and the engine will be worth 8k in good running order. 377K for a 12HT is nothing if it has been looked after.

Price an 80 series Sahara, then a 100 Series Sahara, and the 8.5 is a good buy, if the car is in good condition as you say.

Plus, the economy of a 12HT will crap all over any petrol/gas engine

and 300K for a 3F is starting to get long in the tooth...........

better you can see where a bit of rust is rather than where a lot of rust has been hidden.............


What do you mean by the steering is a little loose in the centre?

it could be as easy as the box needs adjustment, or it may need more, take it for an inspection at a reputable mechanic who will tell you what it needs all over, not just the steering.

The price is too high for a petrol version.

if it is a diesel, then it would be right for the Gen 2 engine, not the Gen 1 Engine.

flyology wrote:Firstly an 88/89 factory turbo diesel cruiser will not be a 4.2, it will be a 3.9 (or sometimes called 4.0) If it is a factory turbo diesel it will be a 12HT, and the engine will be worth 8k in good running order. 377K for a 12HT is nothing if it has been looked after.

Price an 80 series Sahara, then a 100 Series Sahara, and the 8.5 is a good buy, if the car is in good condition as you say.

Plus, the economy of a 12HT will crap all over any petrol/gas engine

and 300K for a 3F is starting to get long in the tooth...........

better you can see where a bit of rust is rather than where a lot of rust has been hidden.............


What do you mean by the steering is a little loose in the centre?

it could be as easy as the box needs adjustment, or it may need more, take it for an inspection at a reputable mechanic who will tell you what it needs all over, not just the steering.

Yes it is the 12HT engine. My mistake I assumed they were 4.2. The motor has been rebuilt including the turbo. I dont know why and the current owner doesnt either. He has had it for 20 000km without any major issues. He recently replaced the clutch master cylinder.

The steering is a little drifty in the centre.

I said I will offer 7-7.5K if he cant sell. Thats basically my budget.

if it has been fully rebuilt, thats not too bad of a price. Those 12hts are awesome engines. I had to rebuild my 2h diesel (the non turbo version of the 12ht) and it cose me around $6000 - $7000. If it has been FULLY rebuilt, i reckon its a steal, will last you another 20 years!

Loose steering could be tie rod ends or a sloppy 'box. I'm not sure what a reco box is worth but tie rod ends wouldn't be more than $200.

I'd say it's a good price so long as there isn't any more rust than what you can see, and that the engine has been rebuilt properly. If you have engine trouble it's going to cost big $$'s...

Sloppy steering, gotta remember the steering was designed in 81, so dont try and compare it to a 2007 commodore

With old steering there is always going to be a small dead zone, if its any more than about 1" (in the steering wheel) then theres something wrong.

As dogbreath said, could be tierods. Get someone to rock the steering (just bounce from left to right, engine off, dont actually turn the wheels, just take up pressure left right, left right. )

If the crossover rod starts bouncing, its probably the TRE's gone.

If the crossover doesnt bounce up and down, the problem is more likely in the box. You can adjust the box up a bit, which can help, but at 370thousand there will definatnly be some wear in the box.

also, is it an aus spec model? or jap import. Jap was 24v, aus 12v.

I would not personally pay $8.5k for a 89 cruiser thats done 370thousand unless i was very very confident that the engine rebuild was done right. and there is very little rust in the roof.

If the engine lets go, its going to cost you about 7k for a rebuild. If there is rust in the roof, budget about $1200 to fix it, and even then, its probably going to come back in time, just somewhere else.


If engine has been rebuilt, you really need reciepts or it could have just been a dodgy re-ring job. Without reciepts etc, i would not rely on the rebuild being a good rebuild.

Check that the engine number matches the rego papers, they could have just dropped a second hand engine in there and then who knows whats going on with the engine.

Ceck for rust. Then check again. They are well known for rust around the roof, look for any pimples in the paint. They rust from the inside out, so when they start to show as pimples on the outside, there is significant rust damage on the inside.

Shadow wrote:Sloppy steering, gotta remember the steering was designed in 81, so dont try and compare it to a 2007 commodore

With old steering there is always going to be a small dead zone, if its any more than about 1" (in the steering wheel) then theres something wrong.

As dogbreath said, could be tierods. Get someone to rock the steering (just bounce from left to right, engine off, dont actually turn the wheels, just take up pressure left right, left right. )

If the crossover rod starts bouncing, its probably the TRE's gone.

If the crossover doesnt bounce up and down, the problem is more likely in the box. You can adjust the box up a bit, which can help, but at 370thousand there will definatnly be some wear in the box.

also, is it an aus spec model? or jap import. Jap was 24v, aus 12v.

I would not personally pay $8.5k for a 89 cruiser thats done 370thousand unless i was very very confident that the engine rebuild was done right. and there is very little rust in the roof.

If the engine lets go, its going to cost you about 7k for a rebuild. If there is rust in the roof, budget about $1200 to fix it, and even then, its probably going to come back in time, just somewhere else.


If engine has been rebuilt, you really need reciepts or it could have just been a dodgy re-ring job. Without reciepts etc, i would not rely on the rebuild being a good rebuild.

Check that the engine number matches the rego papers, they could have just dropped a second hand engine in there and then who knows whats going on with the engine.

Ceck for rust. Then check again. They are well known for rust around the roof, look for any pimples in the paint. They rust from the inside out, so when they start to show as pimples on the outside, there is significant rust damage on the inside.

All good thoughts there.
It is an Aus spec unit.
If anyone here was to spend $8K what would you look at if wanting a reliable Diesel 4WD. Maybe a non hi spec like Sahara and get a standard model with a lot of work. I need towing power as well as 4wd ability. Diesel for economy and simplicity as LPG is not available where it will be.

i would look for an 80 series non turbo with lower k's. Not gonna be many at $8k, but there are a few.

Shadow wrote:i would look for an 80 series non turbo with lower k's. Not gonna be many at $8k, but there are a few.

Unfortunately not with a rebuilt motor, i imagine.

In my opinion (when talking diesels) you're better off buying an older model that has had a bit of work/freshening up (so long as you know who's done the work!), than a newer model which might only have 5000km left in the engine - then you have to spend $6000+ on top of the (probably) already higher purchase price.

That's why i brought a cheap old troopy with a blown motor but fresh 'box, and spent twice the original purchase price on a new motor/brakes/diff/axels etc.. For the 13k i probably spent on it i could have got (at the time) an early model, high km 80 series, that mayhave ended up costing another 10k in repairs/rebuilding. Instead i have the peace of mind that there shouldn't be any major unexpected expenses in the near future.

I'm rambling. goodnight all.

-Stu

If you want towing power then forget about petrol/lpg. 2 or 3F engines anyway

Also, you need to be realistic, are you going to find an exceptional condition 4x4 for 7K?

A few questions about the 60 series sahara you were looking at:

is it a manual or auto?

either way with 377K on the clock the transmission may need rebuilding, Autos can be BIG$.

does everything work? aircon, heaters, drink chiller etc.

What are you going to use it for?

If you are going on long trips to remote locations forget LPG, some communities dont even have ULP, and then when you can get it, it can be absolute crap fuel. I filled my boat up in Katherine when I went to the NT on a fishing trip in October, wont do that again. I spent $250 on crap fuel that continually blocked the idle bleeds in my outboards carbies and that was from a major service station.....

What extra's does it have? B/Bar, spots, long range tank? etc

What is the workmates work like........ may reflect on how he has treated the vehicle.

As for the 12HT, as any respectable diesel or toyota mechanic, most will tell you it is the best engine (4x4 engine anyway) that toyota have ever produced. You can kill them, but you have to do some pretty stupid stuff to do so...

Get it checked out RACV NRMA or what ever state you are in, pay for a professional check, if the guy that owns it doesnt agree, then forget it.

Finally, it may end up being cheaper to spend an extra 1 - 1.5K on a car that is in good condition, compared to one that costs 7K and needs 5 - 8K spent on it to get it reliable.............

the 12HT is a good motor, but best ever produced? dont think so.

the 1h line is a better engine, and im sure the new v8 is better again. The 12HT is a dinasaur.

Maybe a dinosaur, maybe slow, but stronger that a 1HZ.

my comment was not made up, but came from staff at Pacific Toyota here in Cairns and other diesel mechanics I have spoken to.

the new V8 may be better, but ask anyone that drives rough remote roads: you want reliablity, when you cant get towed home.

New hi tech electronics are great when they work, but when they don't forget it.

We have 1HZ's in 100 series here at work, and they are gutless compared to my old dinosaur.....

after 1989 Toyota went soft.......

flyology wrote:Maybe a dinosaur, maybe slow, but stronger that a 1HZ.

my comment was not made up, but came from staff at Pacific Toyota here in Cairns and other diesel mechanics I have spoken to.

the new V8 may be better, but ask anyone that drives rough remote roads: you want reliablity, when you cant get towed home.

New hi tech electronics are great when they work, but when they don't forget it.

We have 1HZ's in 100 series here at work, and they are gutless compared to my old dinosaur.....

after 1989 Toyota went soft.......

your 12ht is a turbo

compare apples with apples. How does yours go nexto a 1HDT 1HDFT 1HDFTE ?

also, i dont think you could call a 1HZ weak. It is just as bulletproof a motor as the 2H/12HT. Reliability has never ever been questioned with the 1HZ.