Builds Chicago 80 Series Fix & Re-build (1 Viewer)

[bulldog8934]

Hi everyone! So I was inspired to create a thread that documented the blood, sweat, and tears that has gone (and will continue to go) into my 1995 FZJ80. There has been a lot already and hopefully, this will turn into tears of joy in the future!

The backstory: Needed a truck that could haul more people and/or things than a Mini Cooper or Porsche 928 could. Went in search for an FJ60, FJ62, or FJ80. I landed on one west of Chicago and purchased it for a decent price. Low and behold I was shafted (literally). Over the next week, I started to find out all the things that were wrong. First I was lied to about the title, this will be another post entirely, but nonetheless a PITA. The second was the front driveshaft was missing! After doing some initial diagnosis using a borrowed front driveshaft and a lot of support from you great people here on mud, I found that the rear diff was working and locking along with the center. However, the front diff had some issues and was spinning (mostly) freely. Also, it needed a front knuckle job.

The start: Even from a semi-experienced wrencher, 4wd is a little out of my wheelhouse and needing most of a new front axle was a big hit to the confidence. For this part, I enlisted the help of Tatton's in Utah and Thom's Four Wheel Drive in Chicago. Tatton's is making a new Double Cardan drive shaft (similar price to a shipped used one) and Thom's happened to have most of a front axle including the factory front locking diff!

What is next? While waiting for the driveshaft to come in, there are a few more things I plan on doing to make rig better. Stay tuned for more!

 

[bulldog8934]

For a quick link to the initial thoughts and issues see here: New Rig, need drive shaft and maybe more?

 

[joez]

Glad to hear you found a shop in the city. If you are happy with the work they do, please share it on the WCLC board as lots of people seem to be hunting for a good shop.

 

[Red Merle]

Good to see that you are sticking with the rig. Often times we see new folks post up about the problems they are having with trucks they just bought and then never hear from them again.

 

[bulldog8934]

Good to see that you are sticking with the rig. Often times we see new folks post up about the problems they are having with trucks they just bought and then never hear from them again.

Not going to lie, it was intimidating. I'll probably be upside down on the purchase within the next few weeks but I still think when it is all said and done, the investment will be worth it.

 

[Red Merle]

Not going to lie, it was intimidating. I'll probably be upside down on the purchase within the next few weeks but I still think when it is all said and done, the investment will be worth it.

If you plan on keeping it for the foreseeable future, the money and being upside down shouldn't really matter. There are always more costs in the beginning than most people probably account for. I paid $3000 for my truck and all I thought I would be doing was rebuilding the front axle. Well, once I got going, before I knew it I had the motor apart along with all new brakes, a brand new exhaust system, new tires, a million little items and now I have a new gas tank, filler neck, and skid plate ready to install. I haven't added it up for a while but I probably have another $7000 into the rig at this point.

Could I get $10k for it? I am not sure. To the right buyer that understood how much work all of that was might pay that, but I really don't care. My view is that if you have a rock solid 80 that you could trust to take anywhere, 10 grand is not a bad deal. $10K doesn't go that far these days in the used car market and a sweet 80 is probably nicer than 90% of the other choices I would have had at that price point.

You have a great attitude about it and it seems like you are committed to making it work out. Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[bulldog8934]

The first thing I did to Landy (the wife named it) was give it a good detail in and out. I found about $15 worth of change and not too many stains that couldn't be removed. After the exterior was finished the truck looks very good from about 20ft. I don't think Landy will ever be at Concours, so the goal will be to make him look decent to good at 10ft.

I used this opportunity to inspect the rig for rust everywhere. There are only two spots where rust is blatant. First is the rear upper hatch and the second is near the driver rear wheel well. I ordered a new rear upper hatch and a new cutout from another cruiser for the rusted area on the wheel well. This should cover all the major rust.

The next thing I did was find literally every chip, surface exposure, and rust bubble on the rig. I grinded/wire-wheeled down to bare metal, treated the bare metal, primed the surface, and then used some basic touch up paint to cover the primer. This should stop any rust while also giving it a good prep surface for any future paint. This meant a lot of dust, a lot of tape, and a little bit of paint!

 

[Red Merle]

The first thing I did to Landy (the wife named it) was give it a good detail in and out. I found about $15 worth of change and not too many stains that couldn't be removed. After the exterior was finished the truck looks very good from about 20ft. I don't think Landy will ever be at Concours, so the goal will be to make him look decent to good at 10ft.

I used this opportunity to inspect the rig for rust everywhere. There are only two spots where rust is blatant. First is the rear upper hatch and the second is near the driver rear wheel well. I ordered a new rear upper hatch and a new cutout from another cruiser for the rusted area on the wheel well. This should cover all the major rust.

The next thing I did was find literally every chip, surface exposure, and rust bubble on the rig. I grinded/wire-wheeled down to bare metal, treated the bare metal, primed the surface, and then used some basic touch up paint to cover the primer. This should stop any rust while also giving it a good prep surface for any future paint. This meant a lot of dust, a lot of tape, and a little bit of paint!

Good work! Rust is the biggest issue with these trucks. I was lucky that mine was stored in the winters for the last 14 years that the PO owned it and all it did beyond that was tow their yacht a few blocks and drop it in the water twice per year. My body(the truck's, not mine, my body could use some work ) was in very good shape overall. There are two small rust spots on either side near where the old running boards met the front fender and one hole that is hidden by the driver's side rear bumper near the wheel well. You can't see any of them when just looking at the truck unless you crawl under there.

I will be buying a welder with my tax returns next spring and learning how to use it to fix those spots. The undercarriage was pretty rusty, but I have been spraying bar chain oil and Fluid Film under there regularly since I bought it and wire wheeling, scrubbing and sanding off much of it. It looks much better now and the oil has soaked in to the point that I can now get most of the fasteners off without breaking anything. It has been a labor of love, but I do enjoy it and I get compliments all the time on how clean the truck is for it's age. Heck, I even got a compliment from the body shop owner that I took my other truck to to get an estimate to fix the damage caused by a tree falling on it. I consider that a win.

 

[bulldog8934]

Good work! Rust is the biggest issue with these trucks. I was lucky that mine was stored in the winters for the last 14 years that the PO owned it and all it did beyond that was tow their yacht a few blocks and drop it in the water twice per year. My body(the truck's, not mine, my body could use some work ) was in very good shape overall. There are two small rust spots on either side near where the old running boards met the front fender and one hole that is hidden by the driver's side rear bumper near the wheel well. You can't see any of them when just looking at the truck unless you crawl under there.

I will be buying a welder with my tax returns next spring and learning how to use it to fix those spots. The undercarriage was pretty rusty, but I have been spraying bar chain oil and Fluid Film under there regularly since I bought it and wire wheeling, scrubbing and sanding off much of it. It looks much better now and the oil has soaked in to the point that I can now get most of the fasteners off without breaking anything. It has been a labor of love, but I do enjoy it and I get compliments all the time on how clean the truck is for it's age. Heck, I even got a compliment from the body shop owner that I took my other truck to to get an estimate to fix the damage caused by a tree falling on it. I consider that a win.

"Luckily" I had a lot of previous rust experience with my 1983 280zx. Enough to the point that I spent most of a semester of school coming home and using an angle grinder every. single. day. At the end I wrote it all off to weight savings haha

With this FJ80, I will say that although there is a little bit of rust on the undercarriage, and the only real damage was where a rock busted through the wheel well area (can easily fix with some fiberglass). I have been lucky to be able to remove almost everything with some WD40 and trusty air tools. I am very interested in your thoughts on the bar chain oil and fluid film. I want to get the undercarriage to a point where I can undercoat it. I have considered using some POR15, rustoleum, rubberized undercoating with rust inhibitor etc. But I would rather get it so I can still work on everything down there before painting over it. I may even look into doing a layer of rust converter "just in case" and then do the rubberized undercoating. However, if you have found luck with simply spraying oil every year, I would be more than happy to see how that works. I know some of my friends in Canada swear by "undercoating" their cars & trucks with diesel every year.

 

[Red Merle]

I don't trust anything that makes a "sealed" coating like those rubberized treatments. I had a Tacoma that Toyota had sprayed that stuff on as part of the frame recall rather than replace the frame since it was from California and had only been in WI for one winter when they did it. Well, five years later that stuff was peeling and salty water had been getting trapped behind it and the rust just exploded to the point that when I went back in to have it checked again, the frame was full of holes. I missed the cut off for a new frame by 4 days and ended up selling the truck with the warning that the frame was well on it's way to being shot. I then bought another Tacoma that I still have that was from Arizona and 100% rust free. I have been spraying Fluid Film and then switched to bar chain oil due to cost several times per year since then. The truck has been through 5 northern WI winters and it is still completely rust free.

The way it works is to just make a barrier that the salt water can't penetrate, but it won't allow anything to get behind it if you keep spraying it it at least twice per year, once in the fall and then after a good soak with a sprinkler in the spring. On the Cruiser, it has taken what was a really bad looking situation and made it much better. It takes a lot of elbow grease, but you can scrub the rusty mud-like crud off over time and the oil finds the steel so you eventually get back down to clean metal. I am at the point on several sections that I could get it really clean by washing and using brake cleaner that I could coat it now with POR15 if I decide to go that route. I am still debating that though since the rust is stopped and is now being reversed and it's not hard at all to just keep spraying the oil underneath. It also has the added benefit of soaking into the threads and places where the fasteners get tight so when I go to break them loose, they just come right off for the most part.

 

[bulldog8934]

I don't trust anything that makes a "sealed" coating like those rubberized treatments. I had a Tacoma that Toyota had sprayed that stuff on as part of the frame recall rather than replace the frame since it was from California and had only been in WI for one winter when they did it. Well, five years later that stuff was peeling and salty water had been getting trapped behind it and the rust just exploded to the point that when I went back in to have it checked again, the frame was full of holes. I missed the cut off for a new frame by 4 days and ended up selling the truck with the warning that the frame was well on it's way to being shot. I then bought another Tacoma that I still have that was from Arizona and 100% rust free. I have been spraying Fluid Film and then switched to bar chain oil due to cost several times per year since then. The truck has been through 5 northern WI winters and it is still completely rust free.

The way it works is to just make a barrier that the salt water can't penetrate, but it won't allow anything to get behind it if you keep spraying it it at least twice per year, once in the fall and then after a good soak with a sprinkler in the spring. On the Cruiser, it has taken what was a really bad looking situation and made it much better. It takes a lot of elbow grease, but you can scrub the rusty mud-like crud off over time and the oil finds the steel so you eventually get back down to clean metal. I am at the point on several sections that I could get it really clean by washing and using brake cleaner that I could coat it now with POR15 if I decide to go that route. I am still debating that though since the rust is stopped and is now being reversed and it's not hard at all to just keep spraying the oil underneath. It also has the added benefit of soaking into the threads and places where the fasteners get tight so when I go to break them loose, they just come right off for the most part.

This is awesome news to hear. The car version of "I am beating cancer!"

I'll invest in some bar chain oil soon and start on this in the fall. Hopefully after a few seasons I will be in the same boat as you!

I will say that once you get to bare metal (or as close as you can get), I highly recommend the rustoleum rust reformer. This stuff has not failed me and I have even used it directly on rust before with astonishing results. I have tried the other "rust converters" and they do not seem to work the same way. In fact, I stumbled upon an actual independent government study on them: NCPTT | Comparative Study of Commercially Available Rust Converters which put the rustoleum on top. I recently bought a case of the rattle cans and went to work on some armor for the rig. It acts as a good primer or, if you want, a good flat black paint

More on that to come!

 

[Red Merle]

This is awesome news to hear. The car version of "I am beating cancer!"

I'll invest in some bar chain oil soon and start on this in the fall. Hopefully after a few seasons I will be in the same boat as you!

I will say that once you get to bare metal (or as close as you can get), I highly recommend the rustoleum rust reformer. This stuff has not failed me and I have even used it directly on rust before with astonishing results. I have tried the other "rust converters" and they do not seem to work the same way. In fact, I stumbled upon an actual independent government study on them: NCPTT | Comparative Study of Commercially Available Rust Converters which put the rustoleum on top. I recently bought a case of the rattle cans and went to work on some armor for the rig. It acts as a good primer or, if you want, a good flat black paint

More on that to come!

Yep, it is possible to save a rusty truck if it hasn't gotten too cancerous. I pump the oil into the rockers and use an undercoating gun to shoot it into the doors and I spray the snot out of the undercarriage. Don't be afraid to just goop it on everything. I bought a cheap spray gun at HF and I heat the oil up a bit on my stove top right in the spray gun can. At 9 bucks per gallon, I don't hold back. I will advise you to park on an area that you don't mind getting some oil drips for the first few days after you spray.

As for the rust reformer, I have used that stuff and it does seem to work. The bar chain oil also has low doses of phosphoric acid which you can see working over time.

Good luck!

 

[bulldog8934]

I ran through a couple things today to get a leg up while waiting on the front drive shaft. First I diagnosed the AC issue (blows hot) and hoped that it was as simple as low freon. Nope! The belt turns and the clutch tries to engage but the compressor looks like a no-go. If anyone has a good compressor lying around, I would be forever grateful. Otherwise, it is off to the parts store again.

While I was at it, I noticed that the front brush guard needed a little (read: a lot) of touching up. I decided to rip off the front bumper and brush guard and went to work.

I got out the wire wheel and got the issue areas down to bare metal. The brush guard was a lot more spotty than the bumper so luckily sand paper was really all I needed on most of it. I gave them both a quick spray of Rustoleum Rust Reformer and went to work again. I actually had a can of Krylon Battleship Grey and tried it on an inconspicuous part of the bumper. Low and behold, it is just about PERFECT! I promptly ordered 2 more cans on Amazon Prime Now and got them delivered within a few hours.

I really liked the flat black that the rustoleum rust reformer had for the brush guard so I decided to give it another coat or two of that and call it a day (no more rust spots for a while on this)!

I'll pop these bad boys back on tomorrow and see how they look.

 

[Kaninja]

I'll probably be upside down on the purchase within the next few weeks.......

I think you just described most people on this forum.....welcome to the 80 series. It is a labor of love and an anti-investment. It takes your money but can take you places and give you experiences that are priceless.

 

[bulldog8934]

Glad to hear you found a shop in the city. If you are happy with the work they do, please share it on the WCLC board as lots of people seem to be hunting for a good shop.

Will do! I had a similar issue even finding a good shop. One really cool thing happened on my way back though. After having never seen an 80 in the city, I passed on right near the shop. He had plenty of armor on and it was a RHD 80. He gave me a wave and a honk. Very cool thing to happen after a pretty rough start

 

[Red Merle]

I ran through a couple things today to get a leg up while waiting on the front drive shaft. First I diagnosed the AC issue (blows hot) and hoped that it was as simple as low freon. Nope! The belt turns and the clutch tries to engage but the compressor looks like a no-go. If anyone has a good compressor lying around, I would be forever grateful. Otherwise, it is off to the parts store again.

While I was at it, I noticed that the front brush guard needed a little (read: a lot) of touching up. I decided to rip off the front bumper and brush guard and went to work.

I got out the wire wheel and got the issue areas down to bare metal. The brush guard was a lot more spotty than the bumper so luckily sand paper was really all I needed on most of it. I gave them both a quick spray of Rustoleum Rust Reformer and went to work again. I actually had a can of Krylon Battleship Grey and tried it on an inconspicuous part of the bumper. Low and behold, it is just about PERFECT! I promptly ordered 2 more cans on Amazon Prime Now and got them delivered within a few hours.

I really liked the flat black that the rustoleum rust reformer had for the brush guard so I decided to give it another coat or two of that and call it a day (no more rust spots for a while on this)!

I'll pop these bad boys back on tomorrow and see how they look.

Unless you are in love with the brush guard, I would just remove it altogether. Search for "damage multiplier" and consider that they don't really do a good job of protecting the truck and they can actually cause more damage to the body and can bend the frame if you plow into a deer or something. Mine came off on day one and it won't be going back on. It also makes it easier to work on the engine bay as you can get closer without having to lean over that monstrosity.

 

[bulldog8934]

Speaking of Harbor Freight, they sent me a promo email yesterday and I decided to splurge a little. The wife has gotten attached to the rig and gave permission to "do what needs to be done" to get Landy in tip top shape. Almost all their recovery gear was on sale and I decided to use this excuse to get a winch setup. A winch is needed to get any FJ80 in tip top shape, right?...

I plan on moving the LED bar to the top side of the brush guard and putting a hole in the stock bumper for the winch. I would have never thought of it if it werent for you all on here. More on this to come!

 

[bulldog8934]

Unless you are in love with the brush guard, I would just remove it altogether. Search for "damage multiplier" and consider that they don't really do a good job of protecting the truck and they can actually cause more damage to the body and can bend the frame if you plow into a deer or something. Mine came off on day one and it won't be going back on. It also makes it easier to work on the engine bay as you can get closer without having to lean over that monstrosity.

Interesting call on this. In an ideal world, I would throw on an ARB front winch bumper or something of the sort. I just cant seem to justify spending multiple thousands on a bumper though...

I'll definitely consider taking it off in the future. However, in the short term, it serves two purposes. First, a good place to store the monstrosity is on the rig, we don't exactly have a lot of room here in the downtown Chicago. Second, also in relation to the city; as I park the truck on the street, it serves as an excellent deterrent to people bumping into you! In fact, I have already caught someone backing into the brush guard and it leaving a nice crease in their rear acura bumper! When I came outside to call them out, I just saw the damage and laughed.

As a takeaway, I really am looking into a front winch bumper, so if anyone knows where I can find one that wont put me in the poor house, please let me know.

 

[Red Merle]

Speaking of Harbor Freight, they sent me a promo email yesterday and I decided to splurge a little. The wife has gotten attached to the rig and gave permission to "do what needs to be done" to get Landy in tip top shape. Almost all their recovery gear was on sale and I decided to use this excuse to get a winch setup. A winch is needed to get any FJ80 in tip top shape, right?...

I plan on moving the LED bar to the top side of the brush guard and putting a hole in the stock bumper for the winch. I would have never thought of it if it werent for you all on here. More on this to come!

View attachment 1517719

You really are an optimist, I like that!

I haven't done any mods to my truck yet beyond one of @bhicks fancy cupholders and the cheap Pioneer speaker upgrade. I am getting everything else sorted before I splurge on things like the winch, but I think I would go with the big boy that you picked when I get to that stage. If you don't want to go with a new bumper, try to find that stealth winch in the stock bumper thread. I really liked the way that looked and I am still not sure I want an ARB or similar front bumper. I like the mostly stock look with 33" tires like the BFG AT KO2's.

 

[Red Merle]

Interesting call on this. In an ideal world, I would throw on an ARB front winch bumper or something of the sort. I just cant seem to justify spending multiple thousands on a bumper though...

I'll definitely consider taking it off in the future. However, in the short term, it serves two purposes. First, a good place to store the monstrosity is on the rig, we don't exactly have a lot of room here in the downtown Chicago. Second, also in relation to the city; as I park the truck on the street, it serves as an excellent deterrent to people bumping into you! In fact, I have already caught someone backing into the brush guard and it leaving a nice crease in their rear acura bumper! When I came outside to call them out, I just saw the damage and laughed.

As a takeaway, I really am looking into a front winch bumper, so if anyone knows where I can find one that wont put me in the poor house, please let me know.

You could always store it in the Chicago River

Your point about parking is a good one though. That would be a good reason to keep it. Just keep your eyes peeled for deer when you get outside of the city and you'll probably be OK.