CraigslistDespite having sat untended for a year, today's Nice Price or No Dice Land Cruiser is claimed by its seller to have fired right up when given a new battery. That could be owed to the rock-solid simplicity of its small-block Chevy donor motor. Let's see what we might be willing to donate for its purchase.One fairly common tactic in consumer sales psychology is to claim that a bargain price is the result of an external factor, such as the seller needing to move or reduce inventory due to space constraints. Sellers promote this by saying "my loss is your gain!"The seller of the 2000 Volvo V70 XC we looked at on Tuesday did not employ any such tactic, but the car's $4,700 price tag was obviously influenced by an actual loss; the car carrying a rebuilt title owed to a theft recovery. That seller's loss of a clean title could be to the next owner's gain. As long as the next owner is okay with the tainted title and can insure the car with it. Most of you agreed that would be a risk worth taking, awarding the Volvo an 80% 'Nice Price' win.AdvertisementAdvertisementRead more: I Had A Weird Little Nissan For A Year And It Wasn't As Cool As I Had HopedBenchedCraigslistYesterday's Volvo was a pristine example of what is arguably a bit of a cult car. Today's 1983 J60 Toyota Land Cruiser, on the other hand, is a bit rough around the edges. And in between those edges. Like the Volvo, however, these Land Cruisers have a fairly rabid following, and as a result, even the scrappy ones are worth a look.This one, in Alpine White over a brown-and-beige cloth-and-vinyl interior, has 131,622 miles showing on the dash. The truck's actual mileage is somewhere north of that number, as the seller notes that the odometer is broken. Whatever the total, those are somewhat vintage miles, as the seller also claims that the truck has been sitting, biding its time, for the past year. A new battery, the ad boasts, is all it took to wake the 4X4 beast from its slumber. Obviously, starting isn't driving; hence, a thorough inspection of the steering, brakes, and lighting should be undertaken before heading out on the highway.A hot rod?CraigslistOf course, this is an '80s Toyota, which is the best starting point for any project. The engine, however, isn't the expected 4.2-liter 3F straight-six. That has been replaced by a 350-cubic-inch-displacement Chevy V8, which, despite its greater cylinder count and wider stance, still looks a bit lost in the J60's capacious engine compartment. It sports what looks to be a four-barrel carburetor and some garish dress-up bits that have seen better days. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Chevy mill apparently offers both power steering and A/C. This is a two-owner truck, and the current titleholder claims the engine swap was performed during their predecessor's tenure, which means it's run long enough to keep at least two folks on the road.Behind the Chevy powerplant is a four-speed manual gearbox and Toyota's part-time 4WD with a two-speed transfer case and manual locking front hubs for a properly old-school experience. The truck rides on appropriately knobby 33-inch tires fitted to the factory steel wheels. With the amount of stationary time on the tires, you'll definitely want to check the date codes and look for any cracking.A classic time pieceFacebook MarketplaceAs we already acknowledged, this Land Cruiser is a bit scruffy. If you've seen Kyle Chandler's world-weary and no-effs-given portrayal of Green Lantern Hal Jordan in HBO's "Lanterns," you'll likely come away with a similar impression of this Toyota.The paint is an obvious respray, likely done by the Earl of Scheib or the Braille Institute, if the overspray is anything to go by. That covers a number of dings and dents and faces encroachment by surface rust in several places. Overall, it looks solid if, as noted, scruffy.Facebook MarketplaceThe Craigslist ad is absent any pictures of the interior, but your boy is like Miss Marple when it comes to these things, and I was able to find some shots on the seller's Facebook Marketplace posting. Those show the cabin to be in a similar state as the exterior, with some cracks in the dash, a door cap worn from years of elbows resting there, and some loose wires under the dashboard that should be tidied up. AdvertisementAdvertisementOn the plus side, the seats all look to be in solid condition, and the knobs, levers, and buttons all seem intact. Quite remarkably for a truck of this age and condition, the glove box contains both the original owner's manual and the truck's dealer window sticker. For those who care, it cost $14,253.99 when new.If you know, you knowFacebook MarketplaceThe last bit of the puzzle is that, unlike yesterday's Volvo, this Land Cruiser has a clean title. Its seller acknowledges both that the truck could stand some spit and polish, and also that these Toyotas have a following that would be happy to undertake the task, claiming, "If you know these vehicles, then you know..."What we know is that the asking price for this SBC-powered classic is $17,000, and it's now incumbent upon us to determine and debate whether it's actually worth that much.Where do you stand on this J60 and that $17,000 price tag? Does that feel like a deal considering the interesting engine swap and overall patina? Or, for that much, would you expect it to be much more presentable?AdvertisementAdvertisementYou decide!Portland, Oregon, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.Help me out with Nice Price or No Dice. Hit me up at [email protected] and send a fixed-price tip. Remember to include your commenter handle.Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox, and follow us or add us as a preferred search source on Google.Read the original article on Jalopnik.
