1996 FZJ80 ownership log/story (1 Viewer)

[cbmontgo]

After over 12 years of ownership, I was just thinking about my 1996 FZJ80 and how I've never really put anything on 'Mud about it.

I don't have a cute nickname or cool buzzword for it, just thought I'd use this thread to capture some pics and stories of our family "80". A black, 1996 FZJ80. A fantastic rig that has always been waiting faithfully in the background.

 

[cbmontgo]

In the Fall of 2012, I decided that I wanted an 80. I'd owned a '91 for a while and loved it, despite the slow 3FE here in the mountains.

Of all places, I find an ad on Cars.com.

The seller in Phoenix had bought it in stock condition from a lady in Los Angeles several years prior. He had added an OME lift, Kaymar rear bumper, ARB rear air locker, beefed up skid plate, new BFG KO 285s, and ARB front winch bumper.

Seemed like a quality guy on the phone and so I booked at ticket from DEN to PHX via Los Angeles since I was using points and was excited just to travel the west by air for a day.

One of my favorite things about getting cruisers out of state is the trip to bring them back. I'm always looking for one in Alaska. One day.

So off I went.

Canyon Country en route.

LAX approach.

Our older 737 for the haul to PHX.

Had a couple of cocktails at the airport with a beautiful girl from Hong Kong and then departed LAX right after sunset. Could not wait to see if this 80 really existed.

 

[cbmontgo]

Approach to PHX that evening.

The seller, Chad, was returning from a business trip and landing in PHX about 30 minutes after my scheduled ETA, so he gave me his parking spot location at the airport. Gave me time to look it over and mill around it in the dark.

Couldn't see much, but drove like a dream. He got there, gave me a huge stack of service records and I crashed at the hotel by the airport.

Woke up the next morning to this beauty.

 

[cbmontgo]

Was a beautiful morning to kick off a road trip. I decided to take the long route from Phoenix to Larkspur, Colorado via Four Corners.

This is a drive that I'd love to take again and have about a week to do it. Turns out we had a snowstorm coming to Colorado that night, so I decided to keep moving.

 

[cbmontgo]

Made it into Colorado near the Four Corners Monument early afternoon and through Pagosa, Wolf Creek Pass, and then home that night.

770 miles in a day and the 80 didn't miss a beat.

 

[cbmontgo]

First trip with the "new" 80 was with a couple of old friends to the Needles District and Beef Basin in Utah.

Elephant Hill.

The Squeeze en route to camp on the first night.

Devil's Kitchen camp site in the rocks.

 

[cbmontgo]

Beautiful hike the next day before heading towards Beef Basin.

Very cool route along Devil's Lane through The Grabens.

Approaching the infamous and difficult Bobby's Hole, which cuts through the rocks and dumps you into Beef Basin.

Bobby's Hole.