ToyBOATa (1 Viewer)

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BGMachine

Working on cars I can't afford
Joined
Jan 19, 2014
Threads
48
Messages
294
Location
Detroit
hey all,

So I'm new to this site and the Land Cruiser community and I thought I'd go ahead and start a build thread. I have a 97 FZJ-80 with the factory locking differentials. It has a few minor bugs but nothing big. I'm planning on making it into my daily driver / mild exploration and trail rig.

Modifications done:

- JVC audio
- no more running boards
- 2" TJM lift w/ adjustable shocks
- 30mm Man-a-Fre spacers
- Stainless extended brake hoses
- extended diff breathers
- 33" BFG AT/KO tires
- AOR sliders
- Ironman Offroad bumper w/ Warn VR10000 winch
- Replaced Transfercase lock actuator
- Bedlined hood and rocker panels
- added aux power outlets
- hood vents
- removed factory hitch
- removed factory roof rack & spoiler
- rebuilt front axle
- integrated hitch receiver
- heated seats
- rear heater bypass
- PHH fixed
- Snorkel
- rear platform / spare tire space
- resealed windshield
- resealed rear windows
- replaced broken steering studs

Wish List:
- roof rack
- onboard air
- 35's
- Dual Battery
- 4.88s

Once my tax refund comes in, I'll get wrenching.:bounce: I've already replaced the door speakers with 5.25" RetroSound shallow mount speakers. they sound great and there was little modifications needed for the door panel. Next will probably be a head unit for the stereo (it's a DD after all). Anyway, this should be a fun build and I can't wait to get going on it. :steer:

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Hey all,

The weather today was fantastic so I took full advantage of it. I removed the God awful running boards and mud flaps. Then the big project, I put roll on bed liner on the rockers and the hood. Partially for durability, partially to cover up a lack of clear coat on the hood. I painted the grille to match the hood. I also replaced the windshield washer valve and fixed the hood latch while I was at it. All in all, it was a good day and I think it all turned out nice. On to the pics!

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You might have created this thread in the 80 series section.. Congrats on the new 80.. Now give it some love.
 
Hey all,

so here's a quick update. My favorite tires were on sale so I got myself a set of 33" BFG AT/S! :bounce: They look good and should perform well. I got the black walls because their side walls are 2 plies thicker than the white letter version. I also threw my new steering damper on to help with the larger tires :steer: . It put up a bit of a fight getting the old damper off, but a tie rod fork did the trick. I've got my TJM 2" lift springs and am just waiting on the shocks and bushings so I can install the lift. Hopefully they get to me before May. On a different note, does anyone know of someplace to get the CDL switch for less than $100? thanks

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Hey all. My shocks finally came in this weekend so I threw on the lift! It took me about 9 hours to do and went off without a hitch. nothing broke, no bolts were too stubborn (torches are my friend), and the truck didn't fall on my so it was a good install. I put the 2" TJM kit with their Tiger 9 way adjustable shocks. From the first rides today, it feels much better. Much less body roll and squishiness, and it looks good too.

Next on the list are some sliders and then a roof rack with spots for my hi-lift jack and spare tire.

Before:
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rear end:

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Front:

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After:

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Hey all. Today the toyota got that much closer to being a tank! I threw on my new front bumper (Ironman 4x4) and 10,000lb winch as well as some sliders. I also installed stainless steel brake hoses. The truck thoroughly kicked my butt. Moving that much metal takes it out of you. I'm happy with the end result. I hope to take it out to a local off road park in the next two weeks.

On a different note, does anybody know how hard it is to replace the coolant hoses that go above the cat? mine have started to leak. Thanks

Picking up my parts:

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I clicked on this thread because I thought you were building a toyboata like Jeremy clarksons Iam a little disappointed but it looks good anyway
 
I clicked on this thread because I thought you were building a toyboata like Jeremy clarksons Iam a little disappointed but it looks good anyway

Yeah, I forgot that they had named their toyota that. oops. haha.

So a little update, I threw some man-a-fre spacers on the springs to add an extra 30mm because I figured why not. I also have stainless brake hoses with the frame to axle hoses being 3" longer than stock for extra clearance. I also did the heater bypass, replaced the PHH, and installed a scan gauge to better monitor engine temps.
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After a weekend of hard wheeling, I'm thinking of making a dual battery setup. something basic so my winch doesn't drain all my power. There's an 80 in the local junk yard so i'll snag its battery tray. I also ordered a hand throttle to help when winching. I'll post pics as parts go on.
 
After wheeling a few weekends ago, I realized just how much power the winch draws when it pulls hard. In order to help a little bit, I got a hand throttle. eventually I want to go to a dual battery setup, but they're expensive. I want an optima yellow top for the winch, a isolator with an override switch, and that's about it. sourcing parts for myself it's coming out around $500-$600. ouch. is that normal?

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You can put dual batteries in but realistically you still have to get all that power out of your alternator- I'm looking at the feasiblity of a group 65 AGM battery. There are lots of good threads here on batteries. The dual set up seems to be the most fail safe approach. Having a spare fully charged AGM battery and jumper cables is probably the next best. You can swap it in if needed. Upgrading the alternator is worth considering as well.
If you are winching a lot then yes, go big- dual batteries, isolator, switch, solar powered trickle charger, Hi-amp alternator and big cables..
 
Thanks for the advise Kief.

So I'm going out to Colorado soon with a bunch of people for a road trip and we're taking the beast. I decided to solve the problem of no 12v outlets in the back. I have them controlled from a switch in the front on the dash.

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I think they look like they should've been there all along.
 
So today I had the time to finally replace the valve cover seal on the engine. It was leaking quite a bit from the back. There was enough oil that the back of the engine and a lot of the transmission was covered in oil. When I unbolted the valve cover, I was surprised that the bolts in the back weren't even hand tight anymore. Once the cover was off, one of the tube seals shattered so I had to replace that as well. The valve cover seal was also very brittle. I had to chisel it out of the cover and it broke apart in spall pieces. I was glad to see that the engine looked pretty good for its age. There was a little build up, but no sludge and it was very mild. The worst was the throttle body. It was so bad that after I cleaned it up and reinstalled it, the engine was running at 1500rpm! I unplugged the ECU and EFI fuses and relays and reset the computer and that fixed it. Luckily, everything went went with the seal replacement.

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