Member - Eric replied:

You may want to speak to 4.L Owners that are not trying to sell there car to you , They are very thirsty , and power , well there isn't any , towing is also a no no . Everyone I know that has one , wants to update to a diesel or 4.5 LVenus Bay

ross replied:

The notchy feeling between 2/3 gear is probably the synchronisers and is common problem at that mileage.You mentioned that you are on a budget so I would look for a HJ 62 turbo diesel. Im sure you could find a much loved well cared for landcruiser in that price range after all they would only be a year or two older than the version your looking at.The engines in these are good for 500000 klms if looked after.
Eric is correct,these are not the best of the 80 series.

mikeyandmary replied:

Hi Mark,

I bought a 1985 troopy about 6 months ago with the 3F motor. We bought this because we wanted an old cheap 4x4 to see if we really liked offroad touring. WE LOVE IT!!! Love Exploroz too :-) Well, I've been told by the wife that the next car we buy is another landcruiser, much younger and DIESEL.

ANYWAY... The 3F motor is simple and reliable. Yes, it is thirsty, and yes a diesel would be much better for towing and long distance travels. If you are looking landcruiser, look for a properly serviced engine and look VERY CAREFULLY for rust. High mileage diesel is not a problem is it has been cared for.

Have Fun...
Michael

Member - Melissa replied:

Mark,

I'd get it checked over very carefully before taking the plunge, preferably by someone who knows petrol LC's. A petrol motor thats done 225,000 is bound to be getting tired. That's fine and I understand you're on a budget but nothing like unforseen expensive repairs to blow that budget sky high. Better to get it checked and go into it with your eyes open.

:o) MelissaPetrol 4.5L GU Patrol &
Camprite TL8 offroad camper

mudgutz replied:

hey hey eric and all the rest of you 3f knockers......i agree if he can get the 4.5 injected at the same money hes better off because of the 165 kw and about 405nm....well gob loads of torque its got ...but i would argue that my 3f gets better economy than the 4.5 efi is it 1fe or 1fz.....all day........ive driven heaps of 4.5s from work and whilst they gozard tell me that you can get better than 19l/100km
even running empty on the highway at 100kms/hour and i will fall out of this chair laughing at you cause it just aint possible......my old 3f in a 75 got 16.5 l/100 km on my last run to brisbane at 100km/hr with a light load on about 300kgs..i will admit you have to keep the 3f well tuned and keep light pressure on the right foot to get good economy but it can be done..whereas with the 80/100s series 4.5.......i just couldnt do it no matter what i did......and i will still argue that an old 3f at 110kw.....is way better than the 70kw or so he will get from a 2h in a good 60 which he can afford.....wait till he gets on the highway with the 2h......he will hate it..at 14500 bucks he will be hard pressed to get an 80 with a 1hz which is still a slug my old 75 3f blows the doors off them.....i reckon all tojo diesels should just have a ripping big turbo standard.
my advice look for a 92 and onwards (thats when 4.5efi came in to them) 80 series auto.. perfect tow vehicle...hunt hard mate you will find one out there somewhere for your budget......mark if your worried about fuel economy buy a camry...........my friend theres no such thing as cheap motoring when you own a cruiser...

tour boy replied:

the 3f is a great motor cheap to rebuild and lasts forever as they don't rev hard as other petrols up to 400,000 km easy if looked after (similar to a diesel). If you change the points every 9000km,( $7) and advance the timing until it pings then retard it just enough to stop pinging you will get as good as 11-12 litres per hundred.(had several of them)also a holly carb if you feel like it but not necessary. somthing to chew over anyway.

Member - DOZER replied:

Gday
I bought one of these cruisers 3 months ago for 7.5k, with 1 month rego.
It was a GXL 5 speed. Also saw one like your looking at on ebay for 10k not that long ago.
The later 4.5 is the one to look for and i see examples for 16k getting round here (93 gxl 5 speed) They love gas and dont suffer from low power on gas.
The gas was notorious for burning valves in the 3f, and the power was down compared to the 4.5 aswell as having smaller brakes compared to the 4.5.
I suppose im saying beware, they are all good bodywise, the std petrol was deleted not long after it was introduced, and had no sub tank (in the rear) but only the main underneath.
Andrew
wheredayathinkwer mike?