It seem so obvious , but how much oil is leaking from, say the rear seal ? ( very common) . The Compression check is always the first thing, even before you purchase a car that's represented as " runs great, needs nothing".
It seems many out there seem to get into these Samurai's without checking them out first, even for rust. That will change as the the supply starts drying up and prices climb. That day is still a while away, but its coming.