The Age Old 80 Series Vs 100 Series Debate With A Twist (1 Viewer)

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I know that this topic has been covered many times but this may be a little different.

Backstory: I bought the 100 series about a year ago for a road trip through Baja. Since then my dad and I are drinking the land cruiser Kool-Aid. So a month ago when my friends family was selling the 80 series that they bought new in 97. We gave it a new home. By vin, we think it is one of the last 200 80's made. However no lockers!

The original plan was I was going to take the 80 as my adventure vehicle (ready for most anything - besides king of the hammers - mostly overlanding and trips like Baja - thinking Utah later this year ) and my dad was going to take the hundred as his retirement car.
This is where we want you guys opinion!

Do I continue building out the 100 series for an adventure vehicle or do I start over with the 80?

both of these were soccer mom cars that had some care before we bought them. Oops! But overall in pretty good shape.


What has been to them so far:

The 100 series:
2004 lx470
Miles: 167,XXX
Overall baselined
Timing belt was done.
Heater hoses and radiator done.
AHC removed with old man emu installed.
Both diffs and trans serviced
All four brakes done
BFG ko2 33's
Yellow box
Lou's hid conversion and high beams (awesome btw)
Dissent rack
ARB air compressor
Bluetooth added

The 80 series:
Miles: 163,XXX
97 collector edition.
Rear brakes done.
Steam cleaned inside and out. (Interior look like there were a few frat parties thrown in it.)

Planned maintenance so far:
Front end rebuild.
Transmission and diff service
The infamous heater hoses.
A new radiator and upgraded blue fan.
Fix oil leaks
New radio.
New headlights.
Cleaning up the interior some more BH3D cupholders on their way (the important stuff ;))

Pros of the cars in my mind:

80 series pros:
Solid front axle
A little rougher example than our 100 series.

100 series pros:
V8
A little more comfy on the road
More done to it so far.


Things I may want to do to the car I pick (excluding doing everything I did to the 100 to the 80 +/-):
Bumpers and sliders
Kiss drawers/ sleeping platform
Rear locker at least (still trying to figure out atrac v lockers)
Gullwing rear window
2nd battery

Over the last few days, we have gotten stuck in our debate on which one to continue to build out. All ideas welcome and anything else!

PS. Cross posting to 100 series forum to make sure to get both sides of the argument ;)
2001671
 
100 series panels are like tinfoil too......
 
This is the 80's forum
 
Let dad have whichever one he likes better, son takes whatever's left over. Either one will do the type of stuff you describe just fine, so it's really just a matter of preference.
 
This is a great problem to have. Either way you gentleman decide to go will work. Congratulations on finding such low mileage vehicles. I am at 340K in the 80 and 243K in our 100 series.

The 80 series is a solid axle vehicle with amazing off road manners. It has the in-line 6 cylinder that is bullet proof (head gasket debate) and with a few spare parts can be out in the bush forever (fuse-able link as an example). A rear locker will get you 90% of the places you want to go. The other 10% you have no business being in (HaHa).

The 100 series is a bloated goat and is very comfortable for long treks. The v-8 has ample power but isn't a race car. The heater t's are the Achilles heel and I keep spare parts for the ignition system. It will tow a medium built trailer with ease.

A-Trac is not a locker. It uses RPM in low range to cycle the brakes on the wheel that is slipping. Great system based on my experience but a rear locker is my preference. My 99 has the rear locker and a buddies has an 04 with the A-Trac. We both go through the same obstacles with little or no issues but I have way less wheel spin so the locker feels more stable based on my seat of the pants comparison.

As per my usual comments, I am no help to anyone trying to decide which Land Cruiser to pursue because I think we need all of them.

Cheers.
 
First and foremost, Thank you all for your comments! You have given us even more ideas and confusion, in the best way possible!

But in all honestly keep them coming. We participate on a few auto forums (maybe too many) but mud is the best group we have found.

Thanks again! :cheers:👍
Let dad have whichever one he likes better, son takes whatever's left over. Either one will do the type of stuff you describe just fine, so it's really just a matter of preference.

Yea and he like the 80 :)

80 for short trips, 100 for long.

Whats the twist??

The twist is that we just want to make sure that if we ever showed up somewhere with both of them that people wouldn't say wtf why didn't you build out the 80!

And we know enough to be dangerous but that's about it lol


This is a great problem to have. Either way you gentleman decide to go will work. Congratulations on finding such low mileage vehicles. I am at 340K in the 80 and 243K in our 100 series.

The 80 series is a solid axle vehicle with amazing off road manners. It has the in-line 6 cylinder that is bullet proof (head gasket debate) and with a few spare parts can be out in the bush forever (fuse-able link as an example). A rear locker will get you 90% of the places you want to go. The other 10% you have no business being in (HaHa).

The 100 series is a bloated goat and is very comfortable for long treks. The v-8 has ample power but isn't a race car. The heater t's are the Achilles heel and I keep spare parts for the ignition system. It will tow a medium built trailer with ease.

A-Trac is not a locker. It uses RPM in low range to cycle the brakes on the wheel that is slipping. Great system based on my experience but a rear locker is my preference. My 99 has the rear locker and a buddies has an 04 with the A-Trac. We both go through the same obstacles with little or no issues but I have way less wheel spin so the locker feels more stable based on my seat of the pants comparison.

As per my usual comments, I am no help to anyone trying to decide which Land Cruiser to pursue because I think we need all of them.

Cheers.

Yes, I hunted for about 6 months for the 100 and was ready to fly somewhere for one... Ended up finding one in the same city as us lol

"The other 10% you have no business being in (HaHa)."
Lmao that's my thinking exactly

Yea I think the 80 will end up with a rear locker, in the long run, no matter who takes it

At the end of the day, they are both great in their own right.
 
At the end of the day, they are both great in their own right.

If you're trips will involve bombing gravel roads on 32's with mild wheeling in between long stretches of pavement - 100's are allright. Great family vehicle - not so great "Land Cruiser". Great Land Cruisers have birfields.

Good luck.
 
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I say:

1. "Basic build" the 80 - maintenance, 3ish inch lift, 35s, lockers, bumpers, sliders.
2. Introduce yourself to rock crawling
3. Try to say you're not addicted to rock crawling
 
I recently moved from an 80 to a 100... something I never thought I would do. I just found myself driving the 100 almost all of the time. It was sad to sell the 80, but it was more sad to see such a great truck just sitting. I would recommend you build whichever one you a drawn towards unless you have travel planned for very remote locations. If thats the case build the 80 because IMO the 100 has to many expensive delicate parts.
Cheers,
Scot
 
I'd keep the 100 and not build it, other than to get rid of running boards and add sliders.
 
Don't overbuild either of them. For what you are looking to do 33 inch tires and maybe some sliders is where I'd start after making sure the engine/cooling system and drive train/axles are in good order (which it looks like you are doing). Take a look at the thread If I was to start all over again, I would... before jumping in too far.
 

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