[semlin]

Well let’s see. After so many impressive 80s on ROTW over the years this one will seem anticlimactic.

It’s a locked 1993 with 155,000 miles. I am the second owner if you don’t count the fact the doctor who owned it first gave it to his snowboarding son who managed to save me a few surprises when I flew out and picked it up in SLC in 2002. But in spite of that it made it home to Vancouver in December on bald tires without any problems and has never failed me but once since, and that time was my fault…

I actually bought the truck because my 2 kids in their carseats couldn’t fit with a friend in he back of our forester and I didn’t want a minivan and really hated depreciation on new cars I wanted something reliable with lots of seats that could tow my boat and that I could keep forever. I got more than I bargained for! I decided I wanted Japanese, eliminated the 4runner as too small and then a little web surfing got me to the old SOR forum and a truck I’d never heard of: the 80 series landcruiser (not sold in Canada except as the lx450 for one year and very rare here in 2002 although not anymore). A little reading on SOR and a test drive of one I found locally for sale for $30,000 and I was reading up on how to buy in the states and import… I figured it would be a great truck for a little bit of off the beaten track camping like we did in our old westy but it wasn’t until I went out with a local 4 wheel drive club (so I could “learn how to drive” I told the wife ) and the first obstacle was a 7 foot high berm made out of boulders blocking the trail entrance that I realized I had a pretty cool vehicle on my hands. After watching some other vehciles including a hummer using a fair bit of strapping, backing up and skinny pedal to get over, I locked up and followed the spotter’s line and crawled right over the top of something I had thought was basically a wall that would end everybody’s day right there when we pulled up to it.

My truck came stock other than an ARB front bumper and PIAA combo drivelight/fogs and I was slow to build it up. Kept it on a stock lift and 265 BFG AT ties for a couple of years and used it mainly for camping. it wasn’t until I went out with Riley on his medium lift/305 MT/Rs that I could see the point of a lift and tires and the point for me was mainly that Riley seemed to be able to navigate all those deactivated culverts ditches we get on BC logging roads without burying the nose and scraping the behind.

So I juiced it up to an OME medium lift for about a year and went to 285 Ats and that was perfectly good except then I wanted armour and didn’t want to sacrifice my lift so I went to J’s all around which more than compensated for a winch, sliders and rear bumper as it turned out . last summer I bought an older warn m10000 winch used on a municipal truck and installed it this spring. I got to do this after my wife got on my case about not wanting to get stuck when we went camping solo in the bushes (happy to oblige there honey ). Added Hanna sliders and a 4x4 labs rear bumper this spring at Cruise Moab (and in the process got Luke a few orders I think since he kinfly installed it in the campsite). Yanked the rust trap stock roofrack and added a couple of sets of Yakima crossbars which work like a darn.

Looking at it right now I have realized that although the original tires and lift were bought new, the replacements were used and so was just about every other addition. the only extra items I have on it that I bought new are the rear bumper and sliders

The repair list on this truck is probably worse than most. I got it at 122k and I’ve had to do a fair bit to it. The list reflects some lessons learned if you look.

-power antenna 85 4runner kit
-power antenna 80s camry kit
-gates belts
-oem belts
-new egr valve, vsv, vacuum lines, catyltic converters (rebuilt oem)
-tie rod ends
-brake pads rotors and calipers
-birfields 2.5 times (first time I paid a guy, second time I did it myself to fix what I paid the guy to do, third time I had to replace the rebuilt birf on one side that clicked so bad it made my teeth grind)
-head gasket, all hoses, valve grind, injectors and rail cleaned, alternator brushes etc…
-raventai temp gauge mod beta version
-fan clutch (work in progress)

the head gasket was my fault. Didn’t catch a pinhole rad leak and then when it gave me fair warning I trusted the overflow tank level instead of pulling the rad cap. I blew the head gasket less than a mile later and that’s the only time the truck has failed to go for me. One nice aftermath of a fun head gasket rebuild is that it uses no oil since the h/g whereas formerly it was losing maybe a litre every 1500 miles. Apparently that was all blow by although I never noticed it.

Anyway, there’s the scoop. Here are a few photos. first the evolution of the truck from stock 265s to mediums with 285s to Js.

[semlin]

ok now shots i like of the truck dragging my family and I around to cool places. Here are some BC shots

[83white]

Great write up...on a side note what rear bumper setup do you have?

[semlin]

and here's a shot of Luke Porter and his buddies working their magic, a shot of my 4 bar yakima system keeping Riley's jon boat just as secure as you like and my other 80 series, purchased in France, which my kids recently pointed out now has the same lift as my truck.

[Capocaccia]

Very very nice rig.

Question: When you say medium Im assuming you mean the 2.5 Medium OME lift?

[Romer]

Nice write-up.

Hey, that looks like my Dremel in Luke's hand!

[Riley]

Good write up Simon, hey we need a pic of that rear bumper. Looks pretty interesting. Or better yet, pop out for a beer sometime.

[IdahoDoug]

Simon,

Nice rig. I propose that you put together a couple day (one overnight) backroad/mild wheeling trip for any NW types. Looks like you've found some really pretty areas to hang out, and I'll bring my family.

Also like the 4X4Labs bumper - I'll PM you a couple questions.

DougM

[mot]

Simon,

Cool write up.

I thought I was supposed to get in touch with you with something, but I can't remember what it was...

Looks like you have some cool places to drive/wheel in you neck of the woods.

Mot

[semlin]

ok, couple of shots of the bumper and a poser shot for good measure

[semlin]

Originally Posted by Romer

Nice write-up.

Hey, that looks like my Dremel in Luke's hand!

yup, plugged into the power hookup from a curious bunch of guys from new mexico who wandered over to check things out not realizing they are about to sign up for a group buy on 4x4 lab bumpers

[Sackman]

cool beans!

[Pyro-boy]

Found a pic of you on Kane Creek.

Vince

[loquito]

cool write up!
Is the Can M101 your also?

[semlin]

Originally Posted by Pyro-boy

Found a pic of you on Kane Creek.

Vince

right-click save -- thanks Vince

and yes loquito that is my m101. completely stock right now but i recently got a pair of 80 series alloys so a hub swap and SOA is on its way.

[wussyPup]

Originally Posted by semlin

ok, couple of shots of the bumper and a poser shot for good measure

I like! Looks very nice, hope to see ya on a CC ride soon, -Steve.

That M101 CDN would look a lot better with cruiser hubs on it...

[YngTLCOwner]

Very nice truck! Love the color and the rear bumper.

[locrwln1]

Very nice. I've seen those rear bumpers up close and they are as nice up close as you think they are.

Jack

[concretejungle]

Nice rig.

I have always liked the looks and lines of the 4x4 labs rear bumper. I'm sure they are all very nice and top notch but a few of the others just look TOO overkill. I know with hardcore rock crawling and the weight of these trucks, overkill is not a good term. But i'm sure that Luke's rear bumper will easily hold it's own in rigidity.

[NorCalSam]

Nice looking rig

[Tuner]

Nice rig and some pretty country.... I see a lighter green vehicle next to where the rear bumper is being installed....which has a full rack with a bunch of mounts. Long setup to the simple question: any idea what brand rack it is? I like it too...

[semlin]

the green 60 series belongs to luke porter at 4x4 labs. I'll wager that rack is his own design. it is very nice.

the french 80 series is the bright light blue 80 just below the luke porter photo

[reffug]

nice write up, nice rig......

as always thanks for playing.

but damn dat dude in your avatar is fugly..................

[desertdude]

No such thing as an anticlimactic 80 series

nice write up! I like that ladder on your luke bumper

[Beowulf]

Nice truck Simon! I hope we can meet again at CM07. You were quite busy with the bumper install at CM06 but it sure came out great! Many of us were reluctant to cut the rear cross-member but I'm now past that stage and the improved departure angle on Luke's rear bumper is a great improvement for the 80.

-B-

[MDarius]

Nice. It's good to see a well built rig that's more in line with what I can do. Looks good.

[Jenny Cruiser]

That's a great looking 93. Mine looks exactly like your "before" pic. What do the 4x4 Lab rear bumbers run? It looks pretty good.

[tommytuttle]

looks great.

Where did you find the info on importing from the US.

I had the same deliema in 2001... saw a used one with 120k for 30,000 or a 2000 4runner with 50K for same.

I went with the 4 Runner but same situation.. its too small. I'm looking now for an HJ80.

I gather your experience of buying from the states was painless?

Tommy

[semlin]

Tommy,
i researched it myself but there is a thread here now on how to do it. it was a time consuming process but painless except for the vendor's nose stretchers. your mileage may vary.

[Hanna Quality]

Semlin 93 clean build up