That black bumper does look kinda goofy. I would run a Carfax on it and see if that truck rearended someone - if it was enough to replace the bumper the airbags might have gone off too...
Every 80 series Land Cruiser that was imported to the US was an automatic (and they go everywhere - just check the 80 series section on IH8MUD.com).
Manual or Automatic - whatever floats your boat or just take whatever you can find. If you find a truck that is in great shape with low miles and a locker personally I would take it regardless of the tranny - you're just as likely to find one that's trashed, thrashed, with high miles for the same price
(at least that's what I found when I was looking for my Tundra).
First thing I would do once I got one would be to change/check all the fluids (engine, tranny, t-case, diffs, brakes, coolant (make sure it has Toyota red, and if it doesn't flush it and replace it with some), clutch (if applicable). Check the brake pads/shoes, grease the driveshafts, steering components, change the air filter, spark plugs, cap, rotor, wires if needed. Depending on miles, check the wheel bearings, get an alignment, get good tires on it, make sure the headlights are good (not old, yellow, out of whack), and clean the interior and exterior and underbody real good, checking for rust, leaks, etc. and make sure the frame is clear of mud and junk.
After all that (and that may take some time and $$ depending on what's needed - fluids and tuneup items add up pretty fast and an alignment by itself is about $70), if it has a locker, great. Don't do much else, just drive it - take it on trips and get used to the feel of it. Figure out how to get a radio (CB or Ham - in this club it's worth studying up for the Ham exam and getting your license) in it so trail communication comes easy. Even if it doesn't have a locker that's where I would start, I think it's good to learn how to drive off-road without a locker so you can appreciate the capability of the vehicle. I would probably put an ARB-style bumper on it first (because IH8deer). Then I would look into getting a locker, if it didn't come equipped with one. Then a lift and sliders. And a winch. And then drive it some more. Just
Yes, many of us hit up the high mountain passes every year. Red Cone/Webster Pass/Radical Hill are usually run every year, Mosquito Pass, Cameron Pass, Tomichi Pass, Cumberland Pass, Tincup Pass alternate as routes on the annual
Ghost Town Run (coming up in July), Taylor Pass, Pearl Pass, Schofield Pass (as Wes posted) are usually involved with the annual
Triple Bypass (coming up in August), and Engineer Pass, Cinnamon Pass, Black Bear Pass and Imogene Pass are usually involved with the annual
Ouray Trip (over Labor Day weekend). I am hoping to maybe next year do a trip (maybe with
CLC) down to Hayden Pass, camp over at the Sand Dunes, then come back over Medano Pass, and there are many many more that are usually run by someone in the club over the course of a typical year. Welcome!
