Builds $500 1992 FJ80 "Eyesore" Rebuild (1 Viewer)

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Thanks. Wheels are a simple swap from a first gen Sequoia. The rears have an old 10mm spacer leftover from the old wheels. Fronts clear but could use a spacer to sit more "flush" with the fenders.

As for the sludge, he cleaned up what he could. Maybe down the road we can get the head out & hot-tanked.



We opted for KYB Monomax shocks. They're a slightly longer monotube design, so a little more expensive than OEM. Perfect for stock height springs and 33s, IMO. We'll probably upgrade to OME or Bilstein when it we decide to lift it.

Not much else got done yesterday. So we'll probably tackle bleeding the brakes after work today or tomorrow.

Unfortunately since Arkansas changed antique car eligibility from 25 to 45 years and plates can't be transferred between owners, we couldn't reapply for an antique plate for the Land Cruiser. It's a hideous design anyway, IMO. So we opted for the State Parks themed plate. Here is the style:

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I sent the driver's seatbelt to Safety Restore for rewebbing, so we're hoping that will be back & ready for install by next week. Corner light housings cleared customs (from China) on Friday, so those will probably arrive around the same time. I have one more list of small things to order: updated EFI relay, a replacement power window switch, and wiper blades. Currently waiting to see if I need to add anything else to that list.

Here's what is left:

Bleed brakes
Bend passenger front bumper bracket for clearance
Calibrate TPS
Install new charcoal canister
Check passenger front wheel bearing & hub assembly - as you can see in the pic above, that one has been leaking axle grease. If it's not too bad, we'll rebuild both front axles after the end of the month
Get spare tire mounted
Finish reinstalling interior plastics
Install passenger visor
Install driver seatbelt
Install hood release cable
Install new corner light housings
Install new license plate
Get it aligned
Vacuum & wash
Test drive!

I'm also reading up on clearing out the sunroof drains. It's supposed to stay dry here for the next week or so, so I want to take advantage of that. As far as we know, the sunroof motor doesn't work. So it looks like we need to drop the headliner to reach the gears to manually open/close the sunroof. That should also give me room to get the replacement sunvisor installed & wired up.
Very curious about he seat belt restore. Would you post pics when you get them back and let us know the cost? I've tried cleaning mine but they still look dirty and do not snap back like they should.
 
If you're worried about the temps under the hood, you can pick up @Outsane 's hood risers off his store- SolveFunction
Good to know. 👍
Hood louvers drop the temp efficiently as well, just more money
Very true.
Very curious about he seat belt restore. Would you post pics when you get them back and let us know the cost? I've tried cleaning mine but they still look dirty and do not snap back like they should.
I got the seat belt back from Safety Restore within a few days. They have a 24 hour turnaround time and got my order done in less than a day. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures since it was installed as soon as we got it. But it was a really close shade of gray and looked nice. Cost was $97 + $18 return shipping, although I found a 10% coupon code on their site.

There are a few threads about them on here. Based on the color matching issues some others had, I would recommend having yours all done at the same time. Also note that the webbing "pattern" has a different number of "lines" than OEM. Not a concern for us, but might be something someone else cares about.

One last pic before husband takes it on the weekend work trip at the cabin. I'm pretty sure he has it stuffed "to the gills" currently with a contractor's packout set, the camping box, the recovery box, a folding table, cooler, firewood, and more. He also moved over the roof basket & awning from the Jeep. So definitely putting it to the test with this added weight. Some stock or slight lift heavy duty springs may be a purchase in the near future to better handle the weight.

Reaching the family property & cabin is an interesting route: it's about two hours on paved curvy backroads & 1 hour on a mixed dirt/rock/gravel road. In the unpaved section you have to cross the "creek" 9 times. With the drought we've had up until recently, the water crossings should be a mild trickle with some shallow pools between. So barring any mechanical issues, it shouldn't be a problem for the Land Cruiser.

Final note: I saw that CVT is closing their Chattanooga location and has marked down a number of rooftop tents and accessories. I'm super tempted to pick up a Mt Hood. But we just got my late father-in-law's Grand Wagoneer and it needs some work. So even at the discounted price, the cost of the tent, a rack, and shipping or taking time off to pick it up is currently beyond our reach. 😞

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The neighbor you bought that off is going to be so "jelly"!
Well done guys; glad to see it going on adventures. :clap:
 
The neighbor you bought that off is going to be so "jelly"!
Well done guys; glad to see it going on adventures. :clap:
Thank you! He asked us to keep him updated on the progress, so we'll send him some pics once it's cleaned up a bit more.

The Land Cruiser did well this past weekend. It was fully loaded down, so they took it easy. It handled the curvy paved backroads, 18 creek crossings, and even a little bit of mud with ease. It was also well received by the "old timers" that had heard bits of the progress.

The only issue it had was that the shift lock stopped releasing when the brake pedal was applied. Husband was able to bypass this temporarily by using the override button to get it in gear. We did some reading during dinner and found a number of threads on here documenting the same issue along with the brake lights no longer working. So he checked fuse #4 on the dash and, sure enough, it had popped. We suspect the trailer plug got wet during the water crossings and shorted since a new 10A fuse had everything working again. In the meantime I guess we'll clean out the trailer plug & pack it with as much dielectric grease as we can fit under the cap. Maybe try to relocate it to a higher spot too.

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Well, I'm starting to wish we had cleared out those sunroof drains earlier. Our drought has seemingly come to an end and we got a lot of rain. So the inside of the Land Cruiser was a bit soggy yesterday: driver, passenger, & rear floorboards alike. DampRid buckets have been put in place & windows are down to aid in things drying out.

I'm reading up on other potential leak sources to check and have found a few: windshield seal/gasket - I'm quite sure this is another culprit after seeing a small wet spot near the A-pillar seam on the driver's side - rockers filling up, front passenger fender bolt/gasket (wouldn't surprise me with how that side was damaged), and apparently the steering shaft firewall seal.

It's supposed to rain more this weekend during our camping trip, so I'll see what we can get done in the meantime.
 
Well, I'm starting to wish we had cleared out those sunroof drains earlier. Our drought has seemingly come to an end and we got a lot of rain. So the inside of the Land Cruiser was a bit soggy yesterday: driver, passenger, & rear floorboards alike. DampRid buckets have been put in place & windows are down to aid in things drying out.

I'm reading up on other potential leak sources to check and have found a few: windshield seal/gasket - I'm quite sure this is another culprit after seeing a small wet spot near the A-pillar seam on the driver's side - rockers filling up, front passenger fender bolt/gasket (wouldn't surprise me with how that side was damaged), and apparently the steering shaft firewall seal.

It's supposed to rain more this weekend during our camping trip, so I'll see what we can get done in the meantime.
Check inside rear quarters too. It's common for water to leak around the clips that holds the chrome trim on at the bottom of rear windows.
Water can find its way in to the carpet, and migrate throughout the car depending on the ground you're parked on

If the jack cradle is rusty, you have water getting in here
 
For a "temporary-permanent" fix on the sunroof leak.....

The cables on my 96 sunroof have broken so the rear of the sunroof sits down about 1/2" below the roof line so it would leak a LOT.

I have not had time to pull the headliner and replace it, so this has been my fix to make it so I don't end up with a wet crotch every time I drive it.
Pulling the headliner on your 92 will be LOT more involved than the one in my 96. The 92 uses the bows and clips. The 95+ uses the molded fiber board with cloth covering.

Magnetic Sheet

I trimmed it to fit and kept it as wide as possible (52") for the most magnetic contact. Then I used silicone caulk to caulk it to the GLASS ONLY of the sunroof. I can now drive through car washes, and it will hold on at 75 MPH with a 25 MPH headwind.

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Also, if you continue to carry weight in the rear, I highly recommend a set of Airlift air bags for the rear. I got mine from Summit Racing for $100 and are very well worth it. I do have the OME 2-1/2" lift with heavy rated springs front and rear on my truck as well as air bags in the rear. I can adjust the height. In both pics, I have about 800 LB of tools and parts in the rear of my truck and the bags are only at 10 LB. If I go to 35 LB, I can put it in stinkbug mode, but then my headlights shine at the ground.

Your truck is looking great so far! Keep at it!
 
For a "temporary-permanent" fix on the sunroof leak.....

The cables on my 96 sunroof have broken so the rear of the sunroof sits down about 1/2" below the roof line so it would leak a LOT.

I have not had time to pull the headliner and replace it, so this has been my fix to make it so I don't end up with a wet crotch every time I drive it.
Pulling the headliner on your 92 will be LOT more involved than the one in my 96. The 92 uses the bows and clips. The 95+ uses the molded fiber board with cloth covering.

Magnetic Sheet

I trimmed it to fit and kept it as wide as possible (52") for the most magnetic contact. Then I used silicone caulk to caulk it to the GLASS ONLY of the sunroof. I can now drive through car washes, and it will hold on at 75 MPH with a 25 MPH headwind.

View attachment 3151920
View attachment 3151921

Also, if you continue to carry weight in the rear, I highly recommend a set of Airlift air bags for the rear. I got mine from Summit Racing for $100 and are very well worth it. I do have the OME 2-1/2" lift with heavy rated springs front and rear on my truck as well as air bags in the rear. I can adjust the height. In both pics, I have about 800 LB of tools and parts in the rear of my truck and the bags are only at 10 LB. If I go to 35 LB, I can put it in stinkbug mode, but then my headlights shine at the ground.

Your truck is looking great so far! Keep at it!
really smart with the sheet magnet!
 
For a "temporary-permanent" fix on the sunroof leak.....

The cables on my 96 sunroof have broken so the rear of the sunroof sits down about 1/2" below the roof line so it would leak a LOT.

I have not had time to pull the headliner and replace it, so this has been my fix to make it so I don't end up with a wet crotch every time I drive it.
Pulling the headliner on your 92 will be LOT more involved than the one in my 96. The 92 uses the bows and clips. The 95+ uses the molded fiber board with cloth covering.

Magnetic Sheet

I trimmed it to fit and kept it as wide as possible (52") for the most magnetic contact. Then I used silicone caulk to caulk it to the GLASS ONLY of the sunroof. I can now drive through car washes, and it will hold on at 75 MPH with a 25 MPH headwind.

View attachment 3151920
View attachment 3151921

Also, if you continue to carry weight in the rear, I highly recommend a set of Airlift air bags for the rear. I got mine from Summit Racing for $100 and are very well worth it. I do have the OME 2-1/2" lift with heavy rated springs front and rear on my truck as well as air bags in the rear. I can adjust the height. In both pics, I have about 800 LB of tools and parts in the rear of my truck and the bags are only at 10 LB. If I go to 35 LB, I can put it in stinkbug mode, but then my headlights shine at the ground.

Your truck is looking great so far! Keep at it!
Love it!! That's why my last 2 80's did not have a sunroof.
 
This is a good thread. Nice job to both of you! A note regarding damp rid. Do not spill the weird "water" that may be left when the crystals have been depleted, it never goes away. I neglected my driver's side quarter window leak (likely the louver) again this summer and have a wet rear quarter area already. Good times.
 
Check inside rear quarters too. It's common for water to leak around the clips that holds the chrome trim on at the bottom of rear windows.
Water can find its way in to the carpet, and migrate throughout the car depending on the ground you're parked on

If the jack cradle is rusty, you have water getting in here

Yes, that jack cradle is one spot that collects a little bit of water. We haven't swapped in the rear belt molding on the quarter panels yet. I suspect there's more around the sliding window that needs replacement - either the gasket behind the louver or something else. So I kind of want to get it all done at once.

For a "temporary-permanent" fix on the sunroof leak.....

The cables on my 96 sunroof have broken so the rear of the sunroof sits down about 1/2" below the roof line so it would leak a LOT.

I have not had time to pull the headliner and replace it, so this has been my fix to make it so I don't end up with a wet crotch every time I drive it.
Pulling the headliner on your 92 will be LOT more involved than the one in my 96. The 92 uses the bows and clips. The 95+ uses the molded fiber board with cloth covering.

Magnetic Sheet

I trimmed it to fit and kept it as wide as possible (52") for the most magnetic contact. Then I used silicone caulk to caulk it to the GLASS ONLY of the sunroof. I can now drive through car washes, and it will hold on at 75 MPH with a 25 MPH headwind.

PIC
PIC

Also, if you continue to carry weight in the rear, I highly recommend a set of Airlift air bags for the rear. I got mine from Summit Racing for $100 and are very well worth it. I do have the OME 2-1/2" lift with heavy rated springs front and rear on my truck as well as air bags in the rear. I can adjust the height. In both pics, I have about 800 LB of tools and parts in the rear of my truck and the bags are only at 10 LB. If I go to 35 LB, I can put it in stinkbug mode, but then my headlights shine at the ground.

Your truck is looking great so far! Keep at it!

That's a good idea! I'll keep that in mind if we are not able to salvage the sunroof motor & drains. The PO told us he had meant to "silicone" the sunroof closed and we're thankful he didn't get that far. I can only imagine the mess.

This is a good thread. Nice job to both of you! A note regarding damp rid. Do not spill the weird "water" that may be left when the crystals have been depleted, it never goes away. I neglected my driver's side quarter window leak (likely the louver) again this summer and have a wet rear quarter area already. Good times.

Thank you! And yes, that water is funky. We're trying to be careful with it.

Update:

Happy Halloween!

The Halloween camping trip was this past weekend and despite some challenges, we had fun and still made it home in a timely manner. The Land Cruiser only had one hiccup, but still drove out there & back with minimal delay. It was a very wet weekend too. The rain forecast called for <0.25" of rain on Saturday. We got at least a few inches of rain in the evening & throughout the night. So those nine mild creek crossings turned into deep & swift moving channels. Based on a local marker, the last water crossing had risen 8" overall. But we were fortunate that the previous drought conditions caused the water level to steadily drop throughout Sunday. By the time we crossed, it was only up a few inches. The two deepest crossings had water levels about front bumper height. Steady movement & maintaining that bow wave was key there.

After a few of the crossings, the idle started dropping & getting a bit rough. We suspected the distributor was getting wet and it stumbled & died after making it through the deepest crossing. But after a few tries it started back up and was able to make it out the rest of the way until we reached the general store at the end of the dirt road & entrance to paved highway. Our mistake was shutting it off while we went inside for refreshments & a bathroom break. After that it had trouble starting again. So we checked the air filter (dry), the distributor (also dry), and all plug wire connections. We could hear the cylinders firing, but it couldn't quite catch. After about 10 minutes of checking over everything it started back up and we were able to drive home with a stop for a well-earned burger along the way.

A few things of note:

The exhaust smelled like fuel - more so than usual. And while I want to say it was almost a cloud-like vapor, it was hard to tell due to the cool & damp conditions. All the vehicles had that white puff of exhaust behind them. But that combined with the hard starts shortly after running has us thinking the fuel pressure regulator needs replacement. So I have a replacement on order.

The rear dome light randomly started working. Yay! We also now have two spares to tinker with for future replacements/upgrades.

Tie rods are next on the list. Currently, it's like driving a bus and takes a lot of concentration at speed on curvy roads. The steering wheel can be moved back and forth quite a bit without turning the wheels. I think we're going to go with Marlin Crawler's Marlink setup.

One of the axles is making a faint clicking sound when turned at full lock - so it sounds like we have a u-joint (?) to rebuild/replace when we service the front axles. Not surprising considering the amount of "goo" buildup around the birfields.

The transmission was supposedly rebuilt a few years ago and seems to reflect that in normal driving. However, with all the curvy roads & steep climbs this weekend, it spent a lot of time in 3rd gear for the slow climbs. Occasionally it would downshift to 2nd gear, but seemed to slip(?) somewhat before catching at a lower rpm and then quickly shifting back up to 3rd. This is our first non-electronically controlled auto transmission. So I'm not sure if that's par for the course or something we need to keep an eye on. We're going to keep an eye on the fluid level & color in the meantime.

Bringing back the list:

Recheck codes
Calibrate (replace?) TPS - this may not be needed after all
Install new charcoal canister
Get spare tire mounted
Install passenger visor
Front brake pads & rotors
Engine & transmission mounts
Marlin Crawler front tie rod kit
Get it aligned
Fuel pump/circuit opening relay
Replace FPR
New front & rear u-joints and hardware
Service front axle
Check transfer case fluid level
Slee diff breather extensions

The one picture I took all weekend. Our trusty MSR tent needs to have the seam sealer reapplied, so we broke out our old Marmot tent (rainfly not pictured) - which also seemed to have some issues in heavy rain. We've been spoiled by sleeping in our Jeep on camping trips over the years. Maybe it's time to get the Land Cruiser sealed up & cleaned up so we can do the same with it.

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That looks like fun!😊
 
Yes, that jack cradle is one spot that collects a little bit of water. We haven't swapped in the rear belt molding on the quarter panels yet. I suspect there's more around the sliding window that needs replacement - either the gasket behind the louver or something else. So I kind of want to get it all done at once.
May I suggest swapping out solid windows instead of the split ones? It takes some doing to get the glass and the gaskets, but I really like the results and I don't miss the sliding windows.
 
May I suggest swapping out solid windows instead of the split ones? It takes some doing to get the glass and the gaskets, but I really like the results and I don't miss the sliding windows.
Any recommendations on places to get new solid glass and trim? not a fan of the split window.
 
Any recommendations on places to get new solid glass and trim? not a fan of the split window.
The surrounds are available online in the usual non-US sellers. Takes a while. Glass too. I managed to get both new OEM. Here is the parts diagram:

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The part numbers can be found here. They show slightly different part numbers depending on the year, but I'm not sure of any difference--but I would try to order the set for your year. I really like the look of the solid windows and I think rust will be less of an issue than with the split windows. But that may be just my wishful thinking. I should add that the plastic trim at the back is different for the two types of windows, but I was able to make the old ones work with a little fettling.
 
For a "temporary-permanent" fix on the sunroof leak.....

The cables on my 96 sunroof have broken so the rear of the sunroof sits down about 1/2" below the roof line so it would leak a LOT.

I have not had time to pull the headliner and replace it, so this has been my fix to make it so I don't end up with a wet crotch every time I drive it.
Pulling the headliner on your 92 will be LOT more involved than the one in my 96. The 92 uses the bows and clips. The 95+ uses the molded fiber board with cloth covering.

Magnetic Sheet

I trimmed it to fit and kept it as wide as possible (52") for the most magnetic contact. Then I used silicone caulk to caulk it to the GLASS ONLY of the sunroof. I can now drive through car washes, and it will hold on at 75 MPH with a 25 MPH headwind.

View attachment 3151920
View attachment 3151921

Also, if you continue to carry weight in the rear, I highly recommend a set of Airlift air bags for the rear. I got mine from Summit Racing for $100 and are very well worth it. I do have the OME 2-1/2" lift with heavy rated springs front and rear on my truck as well as air bags in the rear. I can adjust the height. In both pics, I have about 800 LB of tools and parts in the rear of my truck and the bags are only at 10 LB. If I go to 35 LB, I can put it in stinkbug mode, but then my headlights shine at the ground.

Your truck is looking great so far! Keep at it!
Just a zigzag of silicon on the glass?
 

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