Builds The Oddball 80 - Middle East GX Renovation (7 Viewers)

[wngrog]

2 Utah is a nice piece of Arab-glish

Yeah but some of the parts descriptions @Onur shows makes that one seem like nothing

 

[White Stripe]

Looks like a 3fe sender should drop in, 1fz sender should work too. Then you will have to run some fuel pump wires to it. If you got that much crap in the fan their is probably a ton sitting against the evaporator core. That thing is sweet. Does it have manual hubs under the center caps? Shocks and springs may still be good. Stock 80 series shocks last a long time.

 

[timskiizz]

Looks like a pretty cool rig! Have you thought about trying your City racer wheels on it to see if they fit? IIRC you have some on your 40 series?!

 

[boozewz]

Translation

Needs a little work. I don't think it was the Two Utah motor company but I think you get the gist. lol

View attachment 2357782

Pretty spot on.

Below is the one my 80.

 

[Kay9Cop]

Way back in September 2019, I was told about a “weird looking” Land Cruiser at a shop in Brookhaven Mississippi.

I use Toyota of Brookhaven for all my new Toyota sales and service because it’s worth driving 80 miles to deal with a dealer that cares.

While I was down there getting my TRD Pro 4Runner serviced, I bounced over to the said location of this “weird looking Land Cruiser”

Turns out it was not there but the owner of the shop was a follower of my Mississippi food and travel Instagram See and Eat Mississippi and was kind enough to take me to his brothers house to see it

I snapped a photo of it, but since his brother was not home, we could not get a good look at it

View attachment 2352882

I recognize that 80. I visited Saudi Arabia four times with the USAF. First was Desert Shield/Desert Storm and all the vehicles we had then were military issue. The second two times were after the cease fire in '91 and again in '95 (pre-Khobar Towers). I was deployed with the Security Police Squadron at Eskan Village outside of Riyadh. The SPS had three morale vehicles for use on days off (this was pre-Force Protection so Saudi Arabia was treated like a friendly country and we could go anywhere). All three were identical '80's and looked exactly like the one pictured. They were the only three on base. One had a trailer that was painted to match. They were all manual transmission with barn doors and troop seats in the back. I wasn't big into Toyota engines back then, but I remember them being pretty gutless and we really wound them out.

We were allowed to go off base and explore as long as we were a group of 4 and one was an NCO. I went all over Saudi in those 80's and those trips were my inspiration for buying one last year. When we were out driving around, it felt like I was on expedition. I went back to the base in '98 and they were gone. Post-Khobar Towers the off base trips were strictly controlled, but I was K9 and we were allowed off base for vet visits and to do bomb detection work at a few off-post locations.

 

[wngrog]

I recognize that 80. I visited Saudi Arabia four times with the USAF. First was Desert Shield/Desert Storm and all the vehicles we had then were military issue. The second two times were after the cease fire in '91 and again in '95 (pre-Khobar Towers). I was deployed with the Security Police Squadron at Eskan Village outside of Riyadh. The SPS had three morale vehicles for use on days off (this was pre-Force Protection so Saudi Arabia was treated like a friendly country and we could go anywhere). All three were identical '80's and looked exactly like the one pictured. They were the only three on base. One had a trailer that was painted to match. They were all manual transmission with barn doors and troop seats in the back. I wasn't big into Toyota engines back then, but I remember them being pretty gutless and we really wound them out.

We were allowed to go off base and explore as long as we were a group of 4 and one was an NCO. I went all over Saudi in those 80's and those trips were my inspiration for buying one last year. When we were out driving around, it felt like I was on expedition. I went back to the base in '98 and they were gone. Post-Khobar Towers the off base trips were strictly controlled, but I was K9 and we were allowed off base for vet visits and to do bomb detection work at a few off-post locations.

I would bet my life that the one with the trailer you remembered was this one. I was there as well in the Air Force but, like you was not into Cruisers and I don’t remember the trucks. Glad you did.

Maybe the one with the trailer (mine) got less use off base for that obvious reason.

Excellent story. If you can dig up a photo that would be awesome. I spent most of my time in Turkey those years but I did pull 30 days in Riyadh just before the towers TDY out of Barksdale.

 

[wngrog]

Looks like a 3fe sender should drop in, 1fz sender should work too. Then you will have to run some fuel pump wires to it. If you got that much crap in the fan their is probably a ton sitting against the evaporator core. That thing is sweet. Does it have manual hubs under the center caps? Shocks and springs may still be good. Stock 80 series shocks last a long time.

No hubs on the front.

Transfer case is 2H to 4H at any speed then lift the handle for N then 4Low

Ive never seen one.

 

[Mrsjynx]

I'm in love. Second in line for first right of refusal. Don't tell @jynx I am spending his money.

 

[wngrog]

Looks like a pretty cool rig! Have you thought about trying your City racer wheels on it to see if they fit? IIRC you have some on your 40 series?!

Heck yes. First thing I did was snatch those chrome rims off.

The fit is great. I’m painting up some Summit steelies today dark gray that will get some Yokohama MTs. Stay tuned

 

[Kay9Cop]

Unfortunately, most of my memorabilia from that time is gone so I don’t think I have any pictures from Eskan. I don’t think I even took a specific picture of those 80’s because they weren’t that important to me back then. It wasn’t until I got older that those times driving around the Saudi countryside meant anything to me.

 

[WarDamnEagle]

No hubs on the front.

Transfer case is 2H to 4H at any speed then lift the handle for N then 4Low

Ive never seen one.

I think it has the same drive train as my '94 FZJ75 but it's still carbed. Front is always locked as far as I can tell on mine.

edit: pic of front hubs

 

[WarDamnEagle]

Same transfer case shift arrangement.

 

[Dustin Messina]

I recognize that 80. I visited Saudi Arabia four times with the USAF. First was Desert Shield/Desert Storm and all the vehicles we had then were military issue. The second two times were after the cease fire in '91 and again in '95 (pre-Khobar Towers). I was deployed with the Security Police Squadron at Eskan Village outside of Riyadh. The SPS had three morale vehicles for use on days off (this was pre-Force Protection so Saudi Arabia was treated like a friendly country and we could go anywhere). All three were identical '80's and looked exactly like the one pictured. They were the only three on base. One had a trailer that was painted to match. They were all manual transmission with barn doors and troop seats in the back. I wasn't big into Toyota engines back then, but I remember them being pretty gutless and we really wound them out.

We were allowed to go off base and explore as long as we were a group of 4 and one was an NCO. I went all over Saudi in those 80's and those trips were my inspiration for buying one last year. When we were out driving around, it felt like I was on expedition. I went back to the base in '98 and they were gone. Post-Khobar Towers the off base trips were strictly controlled, but I was K9 and we were allowed off base for vet visits and to do bomb detection work at a few off-post locations.

Wow this is an awesome part of the story!

 

[FJBen]

Wow this is an awesome part of the story!

Agreed, like what are the chances of that happening.

 

[Brake Weight]

No hubs on the front.

Transfer case is 2H to 4H at any speed then lift the handle for N then 4Low

Ive never seen one.

Similar to the earlier 1st Gen Tacoma ADD setup with a manual transfercase, but a straight axle. Axle is live at all times but just not under power until in 4Hi/Lo.

 

[Brake Weight]

Agreed, like what are the chances of that happening.

Slim to none.

Here's a good one from another forum. There's a local guy here, literally a few miles from me, that was on the maintenance side during all the early 2000s ME engagements. When he returned home he continued to wrench on the surplus vehicles and sale them as a side gig/labor of love type thing. One he refurbed was a M1028A2/1031 with a toolbox type bed. He was getting fuel at the station in Bellevue, just outside of Hattiesburg, when a soldier pulled in because he recognized the truck somehow. The soldier was temporarily stationed at Camp Shelby, and just so happened to be passing by that day on the opposite side of town.

Found it. Original unit was based out of Philadelphia, MS.

"I said please look as close as you would like and there is writing on the ceiling, check and see if this was the truck. He walks out and looks at the writing and says this was one of the trucks that his unit took on trips from one end to the other of Iraq for many trips and the said he thinks that this is the truck that was hit by shrapnel from a near by mortar round and it should have damage on the driver side. We opened the door of the maintenance box on the driver's side and it is the truck lots of small exit holes, the outside of the truck has been repaired and painted. But the holes are still on the inside."

 

[WVU fan]

I am sooo hooked on this thread. Great read and looking forward to it continuing.

Nolen - time to proudly add the rig to your signature!

 

[wngrog]

My summit steelies came in and I decided to go darker that the Rustoleum Industrial Gray that I use to match the color of 40 series steelies.

I bought Krylon Smoke Gray because the cap looked way darker than it ended up being so today I got Rustoleum Gloss Charcoal Gray and I think I have a good match to the color of the split rim that’s under the truck

Taking them for tires tomorrow

 

[timskiizz]

Heck yes. First thing I did was snatch those chrome rims off.
View attachment 2358176
The fit is great. I’m painting up some Summit steelies today dark gray that will get some Yokohama MTs. Stay tuned

I'm stoked that they fit then. I think they're the best option for my 80! We don't have the accessibility of spare tyres here in aus, because I'd love to get some of the YA610 wheels one of the other guys have, I just cannot find a supplier for them here (or anywhere internationally either to be honest).

Excited to see what it looks like with summit wheels on it too!

 

[wngrog]

Those of you that follow my Patina Preservation stuff know how big of a fan I am of Toyota paint. I know this truck was never garaged in Saudi and since it was purchased in 2009 it’s been sitting outside.

Time to bring this paint back.

Griot’s Complete Compound is amazing stuff. I can’t wait to see the final results