Hello all! I picked up my 1995 FZJ80 back in early 2005. It was a great truck, but I took a job in SoCal and left it behind in Florida with my dad. He took meticulous care of it and made quite a few Cross-Country road trips in it. About 3 years ago I moved to Charleston, SC and dad relinquished (with many tears) my beloved 80 series a couple months ago.
I took it to LexTech and they went through it with a fine tooth comb. Knuckles and head gasket have already been replaced. It has a minor leak from the engine, and obviously burns a bit of oil (280K miles), but it's in good shape and ready for a few upgrades.
The front driver's seat refused to go back and forth, but the Gamiviti gear and cap fixed that issue. Also, the front driver's window motor died, so I swapped in a new motor and regulator (generic with a 1 year warranty... I have a feeling I'll have to do that job again).
I've been debating suspension and tire sizes... My friend Phil, who is currently in the market for an 80 Series, and I debate the merits of larger vs. smaller tires for off-roading in Carolina and Georgia. Being not sold on a path forward, I decided to pull the BFG 33's off my F350 and put them on the LC (yet to be named). My wife was actually pushing for larger tires on the truck, so it worked out... Anyhow, will mount the tires and new rims tomorrow. By the way, Josh Vanderford of AJIK was awesome in getting me some OEM powder coated wheels! I highly recommend his services for what it's worth.
I have some White Knuckle Off-Road Sliders being fabricated - they should be here in another week or so. I plan to install them prior to hitting the Uwharrie Trail with the Swamp Fox Land Cruiser group here in Charleston.
Soooo... I'm looking to do the standard stuff. Tires, suspension, stereo, roof rack... I'm debating between a HAM and CB radio. While I would like the capabilities of a HAM, I have no idea where I would mount it. A CB is smaller and would fit in a single DIN... Still thinking on that.
Here is the Cruiser in all her glory:
I took it to LexTech and they went through it with a fine tooth comb. Knuckles and head gasket have already been replaced. It has a minor leak from the engine, and obviously burns a bit of oil (280K miles), but it's in good shape and ready for a few upgrades.
The front driver's seat refused to go back and forth, but the Gamiviti gear and cap fixed that issue. Also, the front driver's window motor died, so I swapped in a new motor and regulator (generic with a 1 year warranty... I have a feeling I'll have to do that job again).
I've been debating suspension and tire sizes... My friend Phil, who is currently in the market for an 80 Series, and I debate the merits of larger vs. smaller tires for off-roading in Carolina and Georgia. Being not sold on a path forward, I decided to pull the BFG 33's off my F350 and put them on the LC (yet to be named). My wife was actually pushing for larger tires on the truck, so it worked out... Anyhow, will mount the tires and new rims tomorrow. By the way, Josh Vanderford of AJIK was awesome in getting me some OEM powder coated wheels! I highly recommend his services for what it's worth.
I have some White Knuckle Off-Road Sliders being fabricated - they should be here in another week or so. I plan to install them prior to hitting the Uwharrie Trail with the Swamp Fox Land Cruiser group here in Charleston.
Soooo... I'm looking to do the standard stuff. Tires, suspension, stereo, roof rack... I'm debating between a HAM and CB radio. While I would like the capabilities of a HAM, I have no idea where I would mount it. A CB is smaller and would fit in a single DIN... Still thinking on that.
Here is the Cruiser in all her glory:
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