[DanKunz]

***UPDATED 1/27/2009***

My Landcruiser Story:

I got this cruiser in mid-2006.

I bought it from the original owner. A great guy named Robin down in Austin.

I know Robin loved on this truck as witnessed by the leather...it is ten years old
and showroom soft and comfortable...no football leather in this truck!

So here we go...

• 1996 FZJ-80 with 180k.
• Magnaflow turbo catalytic converter
• Dynomax 3 chamber turbo muffler
• OEM locker front.
• Aussie locker in the rear (KISS rule!)
• Warn M12000 Winch with blaze orange superline synthetic rope
• Two 4 gallon air tanks (total capacity 8 gallon) are mounted where the spare tire used to attach Moving to a C02 setup.
• Extreme Air 12 V Compressor mounted underneath the hood Moving to a C02 setup
• Coupler on the back bumper giving you the ability to run air tools and air the tires. Moving to a C02 setup
• Cobra CB and cage mounted antenna
• Safari Offroad Snorkle
• 37x12.50x16 Super Swamper Irok Radials
• Longfield super set in the front axle
• Poly Performance set in the rear axle
• 4:88 Gears
• OME N73Ls
• Slee 4" front coil springs
• Slee 4" heavy rear coil springs
• OME steering damper
• 6" Slee control arms
• Toyota Style CV drive shaft front and rear.
• Slee rear sway bar drop brackets
• Removed front swaybar
• Stainless steel extended brake lines
• Slee adjustable rear upper-control arms
• Slee adjustable front and rear panhard rods
• Rear 2" Bump Stop Drop Blocks
• Front 2" Bump Stop Drop Blocks
• Slee Off-Road front bumper Modified by JKCustoms
• Slee Off-Road rear bumper Modified by JKCustoms (now welded onto frame)
• Slee Off Road Sliders (now welded and U-bolted in place)
• PIAA Flood Lights
• XM Satellite Radio
• Alpine 385 Watt 5 Channel Amp
• Alpine 7” Video Monitor
• Infinity 10.2 Perfect Sub and some cheap 6.5" door 3-ways
• 3 12V power points in the front, center, and rear of the center console
• 3 sets of RCA jacks (video, left, right) next to each of the above power points
• Cargo box (I built it) with two drawers and carpeted with height to accomodate a queen mattress Moving to a single storage box with a sub box behind it *still under design*
• Relocated CDL and hazard buttons to allow for a custom center dash assembly
• Rubberized polyethelene epoxy skin (~1/4" thick on the entire exterior)
• Custom Soft Top *still under design*
• Chopped top with custom roll cage thanks to ACC!

History of the truck:

Robin bought the truck new from Toyota and decided to build it into an offroader. He called up Christo and outfitted the truck to close to the current state. He has taken it to Moab, around Texas, and most
amazing...he took it to Cambodia for two years!

Robin used the truck as the primary vehicle in working as a volunteer teacher and in the creation of a documentary to be submitted in March of 2007 in the Austin Film Festival with a title of “The Living Fields”. It is the story of the need for education for the children of the 30 year war torn country of Cambodia.
The trip started in 2005 in Penang Malaysia. Robin then drove it the length of Thailand and into Cambodia.

I purchased the truck in 2006, drove it to Atlanta, and have been wheeling it every since. My boys love it and I have really met a lot of folks I have always talked with online but never met.

Plans for the future:

• Custom Soft Top
• Custom sub/amp enclosure with storage behind
• Dual batteries
• C02 system
• Bed lining the interior

Some historical pictorial fun:

Cambodian pictures:



When I bought it:


The fleet:


As it sat pre-tornado:


Post-Tornado:


As it sits today:




Wheeling:
River Rock:


Cullowhee:

Gray Rock:



Lithonia, GA (don't tell the cops! ):

[Romer]

Nice truck Dan and interesting history.

[pbr streetgang]

Great ride!

[PKP80]

Nice, real clean

[ddorsch]

looks great! like the 7'' dvd. how did you get locking hubs on a '96,I thought that could not be done?





Dave D.

[fzjchase]

Oye. Awesome setup.

[clarkrw3]

great write up and pics of real wheeling!!

[DanKunz]

Originally Posted by ddorsch

looks great! like the 7'' dvd. how did you get locking hubs on a '96,I thought that could not be done?
Dave D.

I am in the process of going to longfields so the hubs will come off and the drive flanges will go back on. Currently there are non-96 birfs in there and have shorter splines to accomodate the hub.

The 7" is not a DVD, but rather just a monitor. I have RCA jacks to which I can hook up the DVD, CD, iPOD, etc so I can run whatever.

Thanks for the comments.

[mot]

WOW!

Great-looking rig with a cool history!

Mot

[smittycrusher]

WOW LITHONIA!!! I GREW UP THERE. Then moved to Snellville, now all the way out west. Where was that in Lithonia? Rogers Lake Road? That was a trip reading Lithonia, were you wearing Kevlar? I didn't see a semi-auto (or full auto) in your mods .

I love your truck!! That finish is unreal and I imagine unreal expensive and rare.

Great write-up

Smit

[BHMCruiser]

What exactly was the impetus for the rubberized finish? Just protection? Just looks? Just for something different?

Nice rig.

[FT4WD80S]

Great Story/Ride! now that makes your ride more valuable with the places it's been. I wonder how it did on the back roads of Penang. I had a short taste of penangs backroad, rut/mud but unfortunately not on a cruiser(on a Disco). Cambodia has some interesting places unseen this side of the world not to mention very slippery trail/mud I'm sure the TLC handled it very well.
The rubber armor make it look even tougher, did you do it yourself?
Last question, is it included on the documentary? Seriously though?

Congrats ->DanKunz-ROTW!

[hoser]

Originally Posted by DanKunz

I know robin loved on this truck as witnessed by the leather...

You might want to clean that up.

Great truck! It's history just makes it that much more cool.

[DanKunz]

Yep, that is Rogers Road. It is a very different place now

Originally Posted by smittycrusher

WOW LITHONIA!!! I GREW UP THERE. Then moved to Snellville, now all the way out west. Where was that in Lithonia? Rogers Lake Road? That was a trip reading Lithonia, were you wearing Kevlar? I didn't see a semi-auto (or full auto) in your mods .

I love your truck!! That finish is unreal and I imagine unreal expensive and rare.

Great write-up

Smit

[DanKunz]

The PO did the finish. He had it done by the contractor that lines the military toxic waste barrels.

To answer you question...yes, to all of them.

When people ask me why, I tell them to key the truck. They all do it hesitantly, then let out an "ahhh" and it is explained

I can drag a 1" in diameter stick down the side of my truck with the full weight of the vehicle on it and incur no wrath

Originally Posted by BHMCruiser

What exactly was the impetus for the rubberized finish? Just protection? Just looks? Just for something different?

Nice rig.

[DanKunz]

See previous, the PO did the work.

It is in the documentary for sure, just don't know when it will be out and where to get it...rest assured I will get a copy if I can!

Originally Posted by FT4WD80S

Great Story/Ride! now that makes your ride more valuable with the places it's been. I wonder how it did on the back roads of Penang. I had a short taste of penangs backroad, rut/mud but unfortunately not on a cruiser(on a Disco). Cambodia has some interesting places unseen this side of the world not to mention very slippery trail/mud I'm sure the TLC handled it very well.
The rubber armor make it look even tougher, did you do it yourself?
Last question, is it included on the documentary? Seriously though?

Congrats ->DanKunz-ROTW!

[DanKunz]

I know the wording is odd, but Robin is worthy of a great complement with the condition the leather is in. It is often we find the 90s cruisers with leather that is stiff, cracked, and uncomfortable.

This truck has soft leather that is very nice to sit on. I have kept up the conditioning ritual and it has held up great!

Originally Posted by hoser

You might want to clean that up.

Great truck! It's history just makes it that much more cool.

[Ting]

Very nice story...Do you still have contact with PO? I like to keep in contact with my PO or owner that I sold it to.

[FT4WD80S]

Sorry might be off thread topic!

Hoser, can't help but notice your avatar. Is that your actual ride? looks great not to mention what's (or who's) standing on the hood, can you share pics (of your ride of course)
Thanks!

[hoser]

I wish she and the cruiser were mine! It's an Icelandic Cruiser... built for rescue missions in heavy snow and ice.

Back to Dan's Avocado--love the modified Slee front bumper... looks very stout.

[DanKunz]

I emailed him this thread when I wrote it up.

I have been sending him pics, etc of the truck as I work on and wheel it.

I like to stay in touch with POs as well as people I sell trucks to.

FJBen had my FJ55 (Pigpen) before it rolled.

Lowtideride's girlfriend has my 91 FJ80 and I see some chats or PMs with updates every now and then

I hope I never have to sell this rig, but if I do I am offering it back to Robin (probably for the same money I bought it for) and if he can't buy it I will be very selective in the next owner. I hope that day never ever comes. I love this rig.

Originally Posted by Ting

Very nice story...Do you still have contact with PO? I like to keep in contact with my PO or owner that I sold it to.

[DanKunz]

Originally Posted by hoser

Back to Dan's Avocado--love the modified Slee front bumper... looks very stout.

It is.

Here is a clip where you can hear the upper loop, driver's side taking a hard hit from a stump/rock. It was not dented or bent in any way. This is the same trail as the pictures in my thread from Gray Rock (Southern Cruiser Crawl 06).

http://s42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...oreDanKunz.flv

[TiredIronGRB]

Great truck and he doesn't care to wheel it...we had a great time down at Gray Rock.

[Capt. Jim]

Nice looking rig, Dan. Looking forward to meeting you and seeing your truck up in Tellico at MLK weekend.

Cool background story, too.

[DTAYLOR]

Awsome rig! Sorry about the divorce, though.

[dragr1]

Congrats Dan! Yes this is a nice rig and Dan is a great guy to wheel with. Looks as if a pic of my 4Runner snuck into the background too!

[Land Speeder]

Unique to say the least. And then the he has a unique wagon as well

Always a pleasure wheeling with you Dan.

[Greg W]

I remember not too long there was a thread about this rig when it was listed on ebay and so many people on this board were talking smack about it. Good see a nice rig being bought by a fellow enthusiast. Happy Trails

[DanKunz]

Thanks, I read up a lot on this and talked a bit with Robin before I ever thought about buying it. I almost bought it the time before it was listed on ebay...I am glad it worked out and ended up in my garage.

Tomorrow I do some PM on it with belts, tune up stuff, and a new idler pulley!

Originally Posted by Greg W

I remember not too long there was a thread about this rig when it was listed on ebay and so many people on this board were talking smack about it. Good see a nice rig being bought by a fellow enthusiast. Happy Trails

[Josh83]

VERY sweet rig. Could you post up some pics of the air tanks in the spare tire area? I have been thinking about making something up and would love to see what someone else has done.