And so it begins: My first 94 FZJ80 (1 Viewer)

betenoire · Jun 15, 2012

my ac didn't work when I bought mine, recharged the system and she works like champ and blows cold air. Engine bay looks good, expect rust on the exhaust system. Sell me your running board hardware (bolts).

Thanks!

dfmorse · Jun 16, 2012

Nice find. Most important is front end maintenance. New seals and syn-grease. Rear seals as well. Next , look into DBA rotors and FJ100 pads in front, FJ80 stock in rear. 94 LC brakes are not as good as new models.

The money pit begins

BlackLS1 · Jun 16, 2012

i thought in 93 is when they went to bigger brakes. so 93-97 is the same and 91-92 is smaller.

grain2glass · Jun 16, 2012

betenoire said:
my ac didn't work when I bought mine, recharged the system and she works like champ and blows cold air. Engine bay looks good, expect rust on the exhaust system. Sell me your running board hardware (bolts).

Thanks!

I'll see if I can find them. I might have tossed them when we unbolted the rusty running boards.

grain2glass · Jun 16, 2012

dfmorse said:
Nice find. Most important is front end maintenance. New seals and syn-grease. Rear seals as well. Next , look into DBA rotors and FJ100 pads in front, FJ80 stock in rear. 94 LC brakes are not as good as new models.

The money pit begins

I've seen the fj100 front brake conversion on a more than a few 80s. What's a ballpark cost on that? Would you recommend that before the new seal jobs? I have a few projects including a rust spot right above the windshield, new valve cover gasket, new tires this fall, on top of the "want" list of armor: front/rear bumper, swing out, OME 2" lift, and sliders. Any recommendations to prioritize that list?
I am also having trouble deciding on tire size...I need something that I can ride stock until I get the lift. After looking at the FAQ, I was thinking of 295/75/16. Has anyone put these on a stock fzj80? Any rubbing or steering issues?
Cheers

mongolikecandy · Jun 17, 2012

Yea, Get in there...nice 'n deep.

bernardbarbour · Jun 17, 2012

This is great to see an 80 going to a good home. Enjoy and welcome to the madness.

grain2glass · Jun 28, 2012

Time to see of she passes emissions...

grain2glass · Jun 28, 2012

Emissions advice! So, all in all better than expected. Still didn't pass though. The Nox levels are at 4.8 and they need to be below 4.0. The gentleman who administered my test recommended going to a parts

store and getting an additive. He said it was nothing major and I can get a free retest within 10 days. I am going to grab some today, any brand recommendations? Also, I will probably take the egr apart and clean it out with some brake cleaner. I've attached the results...any advice would be much appreciated.

93yotasr5 · Jun 28, 2012

oil change, plug change, run 87 gas and drive the hell out of it for 45-hour on the freeway to heat up the cats, then take it in right after.

grain2glass · Jun 29, 2012

93yotasr5 said:
oil change, plug change, run 87 gas and drive the hell out of it for 45-hour on the freeway to heat up the cats, then take it in right after.

Good call. I'm combining that advice with what some of what the locals told me. I decided to go with some BG 44k in the gas and a full Seafoam Auto Marine treatment that includes adding to the intake, directly to the block, and to the gas. After I burn through this tank of gas, I will get my oil changed and retest the emissions as early as possible when it's still cool out. I got a sweet write up from a Nissian Forum for a good seafoam treatment. Anyone interested should just Google for "nissian forum seafoam" or something similar. I'm sure there is something on IH8MUD, but I had a local Toyota guy recommend this write up specifically.

grain2glass · Jun 29, 2012

And a close up of the intake sucking up the seafoam...

grain2glass · Jun 30, 2012

So it was about 8pm last night and I was checking Craigslist for tires when I found a used ARB front bumper. 16 hrs later it's in the back of the cruiser. Had no intention of buying armor this early in the game, but wound up getting it for half of what it would be new. Has a 2" crack in it, that I will weld up before mounting. Sure it needs a bit of love, but that's par for the course when you own a land cruiser.

swampfoxSC · Jul 1, 2012

Nice Score

on the ARB

Slabsides45 · Jul 1, 2012

Getting an ARB for 50% off but with the caveat that you have to weld for a few minutes is like getting a date with Ms. Universe but with the stipulation that you have to make out for a few minutes at the end of the evening. It's a win-win!!!

grain2glass · Jul 3, 2012

So, I know why you shouldn't buy a bumper off a junk yard. Turns out the ARB I bought was bent just enough that when I mounted it I couldn't get the PS holes to line up. I knew it was supposed to slide right on, but I was a bit too enthusiastic. PS fender flair paid the price.

You can see the angle difference between the ARB and the fender in this next pic.

All in all, you get what you pay for, and I should be able to line the holes up and bolt it on the PS by driving into something sturdy. Say a rock on a trail...overall the protection for the important parts is still there, and even though I am out a fender flair, she wasn't going to win a beauty contest in the near future anyway.