1997 Toyota Land Cruiser

40th Annv Ed SUV

Automatic

JT3HJ85JXV0169907

Clear

Full time 4x4

Gasoline

1997 Toyota LandCruiser, 40th Anniversary Edition, #411 SEE 152 PHOTOS HERE. http://s993.photobucket.com/albums/af55/erinheard/1997%20Land%20Cruiser/ It has come time to sell my beloved LandCruiser. I am a Toyota and LandCruiser enthusiast and worked as a Land Cruiser mechanic at a specialty shop years ago. I have owned several - FJ40’s, FJ55’s, FJ60’s, HJ45, and this FZJ80 which has been my favorite by FAR. I have had Land Cruisers since I was in high school and this is the last and best one. I’m hoping it goes to a fellow enthusiast who will appreciate it as much as I have. My priorities are elsewhere now. (I will also be selling a 1997 15th Anniversary Edition Toyota Supra NA and would LOVE to sell/keep them together…). The 80-series LandCruiser, in my opinion, is the pinnacle of what Toyota has offered in the line in the US. The 1997 is the jewel of the series, and the 40th Anniversary Edition is a rare and valued subset. 1997 was the last year of the solid front axle Cruisers sold in the US and the end of the toughest and best engineered utility vehicles. I certainly like the newer models as well although feel they lack the capability and durability of the 1997 and before. And of course I’m biased. Please visit www.ih8mud.com to research the venerable 80-series. I purchased the vehicle in 2002 with 102K miles from the original Arkansas owners. It has lived in Arkansas ever since and has been garage parked since purchased new in 1997. At some point in my ownership I ‘sold’ it to my parents although it has remained under my care most of the time. Since 2002 it has always been a second or third vehicle and has never served as a daily driver. It has mainly been used for road trips and carrying lots of stuff and/or people. It has never been four-wheeled or off-roaded and has only seen occasional snow/ice (no salt in Arkansas). I have decided to sell it as it simply sits month after month. I rarely drive it any longer and my Tacoma has replaced it as a utility vehicle. I know there are many people who will enjoy this rig so I offer it for sale. I am not looking to get rich or deceive anyone. I am a man of my word and will conduct this auction as I would want one conducted for a vehicle I am interested in. I will describe the Cruiser accurately and paint a clear picture of it. Please view my numerous pictures (152) for the best idea of the condition. I have bought/sold many vehicles on eBay and never like surprises when I pick a vehicle up. There will be no surprises with this one. I have uploaded 152 pictures HERE and request you look through them carefully. I made an attempt to fully document the vehicle and any blemishes. I may not have captured every ding or scratch. I am happy to take more and send them and discuss the truck over the phone; in fact, I prefer it. I reserve the right to end the auction early. I sell the Cruiser with no warranty implied or expressed. The truck is sold as is, where is, and transport is at the buyers expense. I am happy to work with a transport company and will gladly pick you up at the airport in Little Rock should you want to fly and drive. I require a $500 non-refundable deposit via Paypal within 48 hours of the auction close and the balance within seven days of the auction end via cash, cashier’s check, or wire transfer. Arrangements to retrieve the truck should be made within seven days of the auction end. The details: 1997 FZJ80 Toyota LandCruiser, 40th Anniversary Edition, #411 176,500 miles Factory front, rear, and center differential locks Full-time four wheel drive Power everything (windows, locks, both front seats, etc, etc) Sunroof Seating for seven Two-tone leather, unique to the 40th Anniversary Edition Auto climate control (standard on the Lexus LX450 and 40th Anniv. Edition LC) The truck is almost completely stock, as it was sold off the lot. Deviations from stock include: ARB winch-mount bull bar Old Man Emu (OME) standard height springs and shocks PIAA headlight bulbs Slee Off-Road upgraded headlight wiring harness (the headlights are AWESOME) OEM center differential lock switch OEM dash mounted cup holder Husky liners front to rear Trailer brake controller and 7-pin harness plug Triple 12v sockets mounted in center console I believe that covers the changes I made over the years. The Good: The truck is in great shape considering its age and mileage. The paint is good and there is NO RUST. All the glass is perfect, original, and has the VIN etched in each window. Tires (Goodyear Fortera) are perfect and have 16K miles on them. All body panels are original and have the factory VIN stickers – except the front right fender, see below. Interior shows signs of wear although is in great shape overall. Mechanically fantastic and runs strong. Everything works. For a 15 year old Cruiser, it’s in GREAT shape. The Bad: Not much. There are typical dings and scratches and the exterior, although clean, could use a good polish and wax. It looks good now and would really ‘pop’ with a good polish. The interior has some scuffs and marks and the driver’s seat is starting to show signs of wear. The wood on the upper dash has come off and the wood around the coin slots is broken (see photos). The stereo works (radio, tape, CD, and power antenna) although does not sound too great with the original speakers. The airbag light is on and has been for years. When it first came on, I followed the factory procedure and diagnosed that the main airbag computer needed to be replaced. I did so with a new OEM unit and solved the problem. A few months later it reappeared and I’ve left it alone ever since. (The light appeared when the truck was 10 years old and I heard rumors of factory preset to have the airbags dealer serviced at 10 years of age. I never found any solid evidence this was true and have not taken it to the dealer for their diagnosis. Perhaps it is something simple). The transmission has a very, very slow leak. It’s so slow that I don’t remember ever adding fluid. With 176K, it uses a little oil although it does not smoke whatsoever. I add less than a quart between oil changes. The previous owner described a parking lot fender bender which resulted in the front right fender being replaced hence no VIN tag. It is a TOYOTA fender, though. It was a slow speed accident. My dad hit a flying piece of wood on the interstate which luckily hit the front bumper and bent it – perfect excuse to buy the ARB bumper. I was lightly rear ended by a Honda Prelude which bent the right rear bumper end cap, broke the right rear mud flap, and bent the exhaust. I replaced everything and had a custom muffler and tailpipe installed. That covers any accidents with the truck. The wheels are shedding their clear coat I believe. Each has strange markings and that’s all I can imagine it would be. Please refer to photos. The truck is in great condition and drives very, very well. It is strong and solid on the road and a pleasure to drive. It will not win any races, other than the quality and longevity ones, and is not the most powerful SUV on the road. If you’ve read this far, then you already know that. It is not perfect although in great shape for its age. It has been well taken care of since I purchased it ten years ago and I would expect many more years of reliable service out of it. The bottom line is it’s a good, quality truck and will make a great vehicle for the next owner. I’m reluctant to sell it although am sad to see it sit so much. I will include any old parts I have for the truck along with the Yakima racks for carrying canoes. I have the owner’s manual, factory service manual on CD, and an incomplete folder of receipts that will also be included. I would drive this LandCruiser anywhere in North America without thinking twice about it. Feel free to fly in and drive it home. I just had the oil changed at the dealer so it’s ready for a road trip. Please contact me with any questions prior to bidding. Thanks for your interest. Powered by eBay Turbo ListerThe free listing tool. List your items fast and easy and manage your active items. On Feb-27-12 at 16:20:27 PST, seller added the following information: And some additional things… I have a total of three keys, two with integrated alarm remotes. Both of those work and arm/disarm the factory alarm. I usually lock the doors with the door switch before walking away and use the key to remotely unlock them. The alarm does work and has some nice features although I seem to remember it annoying me at some point so I stopped using it. Anyway, the keyless entry works. I remembered that I added two additional front turn signals in the front marker lights (outboard of the headlights) to give turns signal visibility to the side. It is a pretty sweet install (if I do say so myself) and looks factory. I followed a tech article on Slee’s website years ago. The front has turn signals in the ARB bumper, below the headlights, and in the corner markers. I remembered this as I was checking that all bulbs work last night. They do. I regularly run Lucas Fuel Treatment through the gas tank (sometimes every tank, sometimes every other). I’m the kind of guy who puts the parking brake on, puts the truck in neutral to ensure the weight is on the brake rather than the transmission, and then shifts to park. Most people could care less. The dash bulb indicating the transmission is in ‘neutral’ is out as is the bulb that indicates the truck is in ‘power mode.’ I checked the transmission fluid last night and saw that it was low. I will top it off. Thanks for your interest and please ask questions before bidding.