Are any of you daily driving their 80-Series?

[ZeGerman]

I DD mine. Granted I don't have the mpg issue like others with the HDJ81. I have barely touched my other rides since I got this thing. Even when its torn apart, I still drive it. I don't see issues with practicality. Its capable, Its tough and it keeps up. Parts for it are way cheaper than my other rides and I can actually fix stuff myself. Its the perfect vehicle.

I take the 997 occasionally for speed

 

[Enigma]

There are a lot of opinions on daily driving an 80 but basically if:

C- you can live without the latest gizmos, heated heated seats, etc.
then its a great daily driver.

The 80 has so much character/its so fun to drive/its just a really cool vehicle that I always find myself picking up the keys to the 80 over pretty much anything else.

FWIW; they do have heated seats, or at least the option of on JDM units. Might even have the wiring in place if they didn't have the option.
Plus OEM fridge and icemaker, and power folding mirrors. You know, all the latest gizmos

And to keep on topic. I've been DDing mine once again since September when I started a new job. A whole 8km each way. I could bike, but I'm lazy. Almost at 150,000 km!

 

[bulldog8934]

Drive it daily in Chicago, don't know if that really means anything especially during the summer

 

[Tools R Us]

My wife recently retired, so have been stealing her LS more often, but the LX has been my DD since 2004.

 

[retrofive]

You can't DD these! They belong in museum like Cdan!

<ducking head>

 

[92LXAZ]

DD, about 17 miles per week and to add only a four day work week.

 

[JTU]

'97 LX is daily driven, on the weekends. If I didn't have a company truck I wouldn't have an issue DD'ing my 80, 202k on the clock and zero issues with it.

 

[MPolley]

Mine is only a daily when my daily is broken. I had an '06 Tundra that was my dream truck and my only vehicle, but only got 12.5mpg with the lift and 33s. That was fine when I had a 3 mile round trip.commute, but now I have a 45 mile round trip commute.

I bought a VW Beetle TDI as a.commute beater because it gets 40+ mpg while rolling coal, and the truck ended up getting driven only on weekends. I.couldnt justify the payment on a vehicle that just sat most of the time, so I fixed it up and sold it.

I sold the Tundra for $5200 more than I owed on it, and went the very next day and bought my LX. I love the rig, but only drive it to work once or twice a week because of the fuel cost.

Im driving the LX to work today though, because we are moving into our brand new corporate headquarters building and the Beetle just wont haul it all.

I just told my girlfriend that I'm so sad,I have to drive my favorite vehicle to work today at just 13mpg. Her reply: "Ya know, if you ever want the Beetle to feel like the Lexus, you can always just throw dollar bills out the window while you drive!"

 

[LS1FJ40]

Mine is only a daily when my daily is broken. I had an '06 Tundra that was my dream truck and my only vehicle, but only got 12.5mpg with the lift and 33s. That was fine when I had a 3 mile round trip.commute, but now I have a 45 mile round trip commute.

I bought a VW Beetle TDI as a.commute beater because it gets 40+ mpg while rolling coal, and the truck ended up getting driven only on weekends. I.couldnt justify the payment on a vehicle that just sat most of the time, so I fixed it up and sold it.

I sold the Tundra for $5200 more than I owed on it, and went the very next day and bought my LX. I love the rig, but only drive it to work once or twice a week because of the fuel cost.

Im driving the LX to work today though, because we are moving into our brand new corporate headquarters building and the Beetle just wont haul it all.

I just told my girlfriend that I'm so sad,I have to drive my favorite vehicle to work today at just 13mpg. Her reply: "Ya know, if you ever want the Beetle to feel like the Lexus, you can always just throw dollar bills out the window while you drive!"

TDI Beetles are cute. I bought one for my 16 year old daughter on her 16th birthday. Sold it. She drives an 80 or Camry now. Depending on the day.

 

[MPolley]

TDI Beetles are cute. I bought one for my 16 year old daughter on her 16th birthday. Sold it. She drives an 80 or Camry now. Depending on the day.

Haha. I wanted a Golf, but they were selling for $3-5k and I snagged the Beetle for $1750 and timing belt had been recently done. I couldn't pass it up.

I'm planning to lift it on some 27" A/T tires like a Baja beetle

 

[RiverCityDave]

I posted here before that I DD mine, I'll go ahead and add that I plan to continue to DD it. Next year or the year after I will drop a GM V8 in it, and spend some more money sound deadening it. I'd rather spend the 700 a month on new niceties for my 80 than drop it on a new cookie cutter Tahoe.

Its part of who I am these days.

 

[PabloDelRancho]

I bought my 97 LX in February 2018 with 189K miles on it for $3K. Been DD since and now I’m at 219K.

Business has me driving all over SoCal (LA OC and Inland Empire). I fill up at Costco 2, sometimes 3 times a week.

I justify the expense by factoring the total cost of ownership over time.

Since buying it, I’ve only had to replace spark plugs. And new brakes.

I had a ‘15 GMC 1500 Denali for two years that was waaaay more expensive upfront and over time. As soon as the 48 month warranty expired, everything started to decompose. Suspension, steering, AC compressor, display, brakes and on and on.

It was fun as hell to drive and had all the acceleration power one could wish for in LA freeways, but decided to cut my losses and get a truck that I knew I can count on for ever.

For all the money I sunk into the Denali I could have put a brand new GM engine twice into the 80. Plus a super nice suspension, tires.

The Burbuja, as they call them back home in Nicaragua, is worth it’s weight in gold. Classic design and build. Plus, my wife loves it waaaay more than the Denali, tore up seats without warmers and all.

 

[Climr]

I drive mine almost daily, except when the weather is bad, then I drive the “beater” Audi sq5.

 

[COYS]

Ideally, I'd have a trusty and efficient Prius C to flog around, but due to my lack of garage parking options, my lifted 80 splits time with a lowered sports coupe. I have a hard time deciding which one to drive. It all depends on the mood at the moment.

 

[graham5david]

I split between my fjc and my 80. Both great and dependable.

 

[jvazquez53]

My daily driver, after hurricane Maria, Her,roads have never been the same. If it wasn't for this one, I would had to sell the Honda Fit... The white one gets used when the weather gets really bad. The 100 series is my daughter's aily driver.

 

[Recruiter]

Daily. It makes me smile. A high school friend of mine was killed in an accident earlier in the week. 45 with wife and a 2 and 4 year old. Never believe it will happen to us/me. I get all the smiles in life offers me.... even at 9mpg....

 

[PabloDelRancho]

I bought my 97 LX in February 2018 with 189K miles on it for $3K. Been DD since and now I’m at 219K.

Business has me driving all over SoCal (LA OC and Inland Empire). I fill up at Costco 2, sometimes 3 times a week.

I justify the expense by factoring the total cost of ownership over time.

Since buying it, I’ve only had to replace spark plugs. And new brakes.

I had a ‘15 GMC 1500 Denali for two years that was waaaay more expensive upfront and over time. As soon as the 48 month warranty expired, everything started to decompose. Suspension, steering, AC compressor, display, brakes and on and on.

It was fun as hell to drive and had all the acceleration power one could wish for in LA freeways, but decided to cut my losses and get a truck that I knew I can count on for ever.

For all the money I sunk into the Denali I could have put a brand new GM engine twice into the 80. Plus a super nice suspension, tires.

The Burbuja, as they call them back home in Nicaragua, is worth it’s weight in gold. Classic design and build. Plus, my wife loves it waaaay more than the Denali, tore up seats without warmers and all.

Forgot to add, that I took out all my rear passenger seats and get about 15mpg.

 

[jvazquez53]

Daily. It makes me smile. A high school friend of mine was killed in an accident earlier in the week. 45 with wife and a 2 and 4 year old. Never believe it will happen to us/me. I get all the smiles in life offers me.... even at 9mpg....
[/QUOTEMy grey one was resurrected after a bad accident. even wit a bent frame, it was worth it. You should see the Mercedes! Totalled! Before the accident, and after...

 

[RFB]

every day and usually to cali. and arizona