Builds Shipwreck (5 Viewers)

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I'll have to look at my window frames to compare. Mine is a '71 model built in 10/70. I will be hanging the doors tomorrow to prep for next weekend.
 
Maybe the 60 or 80 I build for my wife will be bare-metal.... clearly paint isn't something she wants on her vehicles (argh).

I dont think an 80 would be a wise choice for you.... they tend to have their electrical quirks and many odd little changes between years. For instance many believe the 93-94 are the best years (later engine, earlier trans, obd1) but then some want the obd2 transparency. They all have weird EGR issues.

If you want simplicity in the rig, get a 60 series. If you want a cuishy ride that's still capable, get a 100 series.

I love my 80 series, but they can take quite a bit of electrical finess/figuring out when things go sideways.
 
baring a miracle, I won't be driving the '40 on the Naches run. I get the top tomorrow, but then I need to build the channel for the top and wait for the hardware to get here (apparently it wasn't included in the original box and was sent on Tuesday), then paint the top bows - presuming the middle one works out okay.... it takes at least 3 days for the paint to dry....

oh well...
 
I dont think an 80 would be a wise choice for you.... they tend to have their electrical quirks and many odd little changes between years. For instance many believe the 93-94 are the best years (later engine, earlier trans, obd1) but then some want the obd2 transparency. They all have weird EGR issues.

If you want simplicity in the rig, get a 60 series. If you want a cuishy ride that's still capable, get a 100 series.

I love my 80 series, but they can take quite a bit of electrical finess/figuring out when things go sideways.

It's not a consideration for me - but your warning is timely because I have a friend looking at a diesel one - but it's devoid of electronics so perhaps he'll be fine.

As for me - I honestly don't care what the box is, just that my wife is willing to drive it. She doesn't like full-size SUVs, so the balance is the largest vehicle that I can buy that she will still drive. The 80 is a possibility because she drove one and wasn't adamantly against it (I was because it had a billion miles and even more issues), anything newer (read, larger) is a no.... If it were my choice, it'd be a Suburban with a Cummins in it (or a duramax).... but it's not all my choice.
 
The 80 is almost physically the same size as a Tahoe. The seating position makes the vehicle seem much smaller - but it is a large vehicle. We have a 93 Cruiser and an 87 Suburban. Next to one another (before I put the 33s on the burban) they are roughly the same height, same width, and the suburban is no more than 2' longer. I dont think a 100 series is much bigger than an 80, but never drove one.

A billion miles on an 80 really means nothing. 200, 300, 400+ K miles are pretty common. Maintenance is really a bigger issue. You can find a beat up 150k vehicle and a well maintained 300k mile vehicle. A nice locked 80 can actually be more expensive than a 100 as well....

Still a warning.... 80s are the vehicles that have ramped up and sometimes unnecessary systems. For instance there are 3 things that can impact the idle, both electronic and mechanical with no way to mechanically change it....
 
You're married, right? do you ever have to allow your wife a slight win even though it's the same or even a little worse the thing you'd rather have? Isn't it Proverbs which says "tis better a happy wife then living on the corner of one's roof?" (okay, that's a rewrite of what he said) - but the point is the same - I'd rather a happy wife by letting her "win" then fight the 3 dogs for a corner of the doghouse. Let's add more context. When I met her she had a Prius and a SmartCar. She now drives Jeep Rubicon (with a manual transmission) and the other two are fading memories... I'm so far ahead in this game that a bit more work is fine with me..... and even so, I kind of like her so it's all good. Yep, the Tahoe is the same size, reliable, well-known to me, and comes with a 6.5 turbo-diesel... but I'll still build the car she wants because she's more important then the cars.
 

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