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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: November 1st, 2023

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  • Something is up with that vehicle. The person posting the ad is clearly not a car person by some of the terms/ phrasing they used IMO.
    Those tires look bald AF too. That will run you another 10% of list right off the bat.
    Be sure to have it checked out by a mechanic you trust if after your own inspection you consider going forward.
    The motor from a 1993 land cruiser should have lasted much longer before needing a rebuild if it was properly maintained and/or not aggressively used.
    So IMO it was either used aggressively and I would be worried about other mechanicals like steering and transmission OR it was not maintained in which case I would still be worried about other mechanicals.






  • That is a good deal regardless. Junk value will be about $500 so you are only “risking” around $700 + any parts and labor you put into it.
    Mounts are an easy and quick swap. Probably a few hundred all in.
    Bigger issue will be the CEL. IMO probably the CAT which in total could mean you’re spending as much on the exhaust as you have the car but IMO still worth it.
    Have the car looked at by a mechanic and let him know of the issues and quote you a cost to repair. Might cost you an extra $100 but def worth it and better than any advice you will get on Reddit as they will look at things that we cannot, like overall rust and what are cosmetic issues vs actual issues and when/ where things may have been “covered up.”

    Good news is, if it is known to be running lean, the issue could be multiple things, but the O2 sensor is probably working as it should since it is not consistently on. I would probably skip the O2 sensor and get him to pay for half of the cost of an independent mechanics appraisal. Seller could use that report with another buyer if you pass on it to show exactly what is needed for the car.
    At the very least bring it to an autoparts store and have them pull the code. Even if the light is off it will have the CEL code stored so long as the seller did not disconnect/ pull the battery or reset it with a tool.
    Given its age and that the CEL is intermittent I would not be surprised if the catalytic converter is starting to go as this is what happens. Likewise it could be an EGR issue.
    If it is the cat which I highly suspect it is with the information available, it should be a 100% bolted system (so no need to cut and/ or weld).
    Given you are in Michigan I presume everything underneath will be corroded/ rusted together on the exhaust. As such you may be better off replacing from the exhaust manifold all the way back to the muffler yourself instead of paying a mechanic to cut and then try to weld. If the rust is bad underneath, there probably isnt enough metal to adequately weld with/ to anyway.
    If you were comfortable doing the downstream O2 sensor you can/ could do the entire exhaust yourself. I am no pro and I have done this kind of thing with just normal ramps and a day.