Budget CRUISER made it HOME!!!

Well as most of you know I recently purchase a 94 "locked" FZJ80. I purchased it on ebay for $3500.

Here is the link to my original post:
https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=86574

Well to the many here Skeptical fellow mudders, wondering what was wrong with this unbelievable BUY on ebay.. Well to my amazement and outrageous risk taking on buying it and finding the auction with only 20 minutes left and with no research at all decided on bidding on it, I would have to say it was ballsy. So I bit on it and ended buying it for $3550. I call the guy and well he confirms that it had "lockers." After reading a post from a fellow mudder, saying that many people had thought they had bought something with "lockers" and it ended being something else.

So I grew worried, I already had an 80 and well I didnt need another one unless it was worth it. This one has some minor damage but nothing outrageous. So Anyways, I flew out there (Akron, Ohio) from Orlando. Got there the guy picked me up and took me to his shop. As we pull in there she is.

Sorry no actual pic of when I got there!! but you get the idea.


Anyways, back to my story. So I take her on a short test drive. I start her up, and I hear an exhaust leak. get under there, and its nothing big something that can be easily welded shot. Get in the truck, all the power accessories work great. Put it in drive shifts great no noise no vibrations. Head down the road and it gets goiing good except the noise from the leak is a little bit loud. But for what I paid for it, it doesnt matter. Step on the brakes and it pulls to the right pretty good. Ok go back to the shop, time to test the main event, LOCKERS!!

I find a nice gravel parking lot and i take a deep breath, shift into nuetral, bring it to 4L. Turn the knob one click.. My dash comes to life, put it in drive move a little bit, blinking red light then a yellow one appears stating my front lockers are locked... So far so good. Truck is behaving as expected. Second position on switch, rear lockers, blinking light, the another light comes on rear lockers locked... Continue moving in a circle truck is definately Locked!!! now to unlock it. I turn the knob to the off position, put the truck back in nuetral and then put it in 4H. Continue in a circle, rears ones off but nothing in the front, continue in a circle til BAM, no lights on, truck unlocked. Everything is fine. Now I am convinced I stole this truck!!!!!

So I go back and I do all the paperwork and head out. I checked all the fluids they seem fine but I want to do an oil change anyways and stop at Tire Kingdom (first place I saw). Had them do an oil change and check the brakes.





So I drop it off go get a bite to eat and I come back and they start the brake check.



12 years of winters!!!


Well My rear pads wear good, still had some life to them. My fronts were a different story. After looking at them I needed new pads in the front and the reason that it was pulling to the right was cause my drivers side caliper had seized. Rotors were still good. I talk with the service advisor quotes me 600 dollars to replace both calipers and rotors and do a break flush plus 75 of labor. I say "WTF???" Well after negotiating with him, I ended up doing part of the job for $350.OTD. put all new pads in the front and replaced that caliper with a loaded one.

So after a few hours there, its finally done and I head south for florida at 6:30pm. The next 14 hours were great. Trucks run awesome, I was very impressed with its mountain capabilities. It ran perfectly. Made it home at 10:30am the next morning.

After a few hours of sleep, I went outside and washed and waxed her.







So after washing it and waxing, my best friend, the UPS guy comes and drops off a big package. My safari snorkel!!!!!!!!! I wanted to put it on immedietly so I called my good friend Chuck D, for his help!!

the Inevitable Holes!!!!!!!


Installed



All in all I am very happy with my truck. I am happy that she made it home 1100 miles later. With no problems. This week, I am going to fix the exhaust leak, and I already got the parts for the rear tailgate. She will be good as new in a few weeks.!!!!!!!

Looks like a steal.

Excellent, now get rid of that damage multiplier.
Cheers,
Sean

Wheel it like you stole it...........'cuz you did...........


You paid less than 1/10 of what I paid for mine................


....D-

sweet steel!!! congrats, that's the first time I have seen a snorkel on a totally stock rig....have fun modding her.

You could very well be the first US 80 Series owner who installed a snorkel before any other mod, on the first day of owning it.

Cool, IMHO now I think you need to visit Slee Offroad for your lift. Then visit Mudrak custom cruisers for your rack, my favorite is the INTI . Slee has a nice rack too, African Outback. I don't think you could go wrong with either. Looks like you got a b.....tchen deal. Mod'er up!!! It's catching one mod lead to the next and you can't stop.

Teresa

Dat was a definate steal.....................

Now you might as well drive it like it.

I though I got a good deal but yours is better, great color, good luck

I'll give you $3600 for it, want to make a few bucks?

Great deal and nice looking rig.

Thanks guys!!!!!! I appreciate all the comments, and now i have to save up, my next two mods are going to be tires and lift, need to save up for that......

ROMER - I'll sell her for $5500........

Nice score. Take off the damage multiplier b/f it gets you. What else do you have planned for this build? Very nice score!

How bad was the rust?

I think I am going to be sick.
High risk, high reward

Florida- wow, that's quite a find. You hear lots of horror stories in that price range, glad to hear yours turned out so well!

Glad you made it home!

FloridaFJ80 said:

Well as most of you know I recently purchase a 94 "locked" FZJ80

Click to expand...

Congrats. Looks great.

Couple of notes below. Keep in mind you got a great deal and the below are just comments.

FloridaFJ80 said:

Continue in a circle, rears ones off but nothing in the front, continue in a circle til BAM, no lights on, truck unlocked. Everything is fine. Now I am convinced I stole this truck!!!!!

Click to expand...

Please don't mention BAM when talking about driving your 80 with the front locked - just bad karma

FloridaFJ80 said:

I talk with the service advisor quotes me 600 dollars to replace both calipers and rotors and do a break flush plus 75 of labor. I say "WTF???" Well after negotiating with him, I ended up doing part of the job for $350.OTD. put all new pads in the front and replaced that caliper with a loaded one.

Click to expand...

Too bad. Because for $325 you would have had a brake flush and new front rotors. Rotors and brake flushes cost some coin, but replacing the front rotors takes some decent labor time for someone that isn't working on their 80 all the time. I think that additional $325 would have been well spent in your case.

That said, you got a screaming deal on the truck and should be in good shape. Don't put off the front rotors if they need replacing. Plus you can do your front axle service at the same time. More than anything else you'll learn more about the real condition of your new truck. Congrats and

Glad everything 'paid' off for you. Sounds like a great truck and a great story to boot!

let me be the first to say "booooooooooo." I'm jealous.

Did the birfs tick at all? How about oil and mpg figures. My 95 brakes looked like yours. Typical for up north. Good luck. Nice fine.

awesome deal! congrats again.

time to build her up!