Cruiser newbie build (1 Viewer)

[houstonlndcrsr]

Hey guys, so after months of thinking about a new truck to replace my Tundra, I decided on going with an 80 series LC. I always loved it's aesthetic, and coupled with it's reliability and capability in taking me wherever I need to go for my bow hunting trips, the 80 series was a no-brainer. I saw this truck listed about three hours from me for $9K with 255K miles and no lockers, so I drove down, assessed the body and drivetrain, and drove it home to Houston.

Stay tuned for updates, and thanks for checking out my build!

 

[houstonlndcrsr]

Because the previous owner was also a hunter who used his truck on his ranch, the exterior was in very poor condition. My goal is to keep the truck as OEM as possible, while making some functional upgrades, so my first step was to restore the paint. I had a local shop wet sand, compound, and polish the truck, and was amazed at the final result. It costed me a pretty penny, and I know many would prefer to just get it repainted, but it was well worth it for me to keep the original paint. Here are some before and afters:

 

[BILT4ME]

Congrats on your 95+ LC!

Welcome!

That sanding made it look GREAT!

 

[houstonlndcrsr]

Congrats on your 95+ LC!

Welcome!

That sanding made it look GREAT!

Thank you! Forgot to mention it's a '97

 

[rolliges]

Looks good. The white paint (black too I think) are very nice single stage paints. No clear coat to peel.

 

[houstonlndcrsr]

I forgot to mention some work I had gotten done to it before I did anything to the paint. I was driving home from work a few days after I bought it, and all of a sudden the engine bay started smoking like crazy so I pulled over and got it towed to a local cruiser specialist, Javier's Auto Unlimited. I found out that the radiator was busted, and the truck needed quite some work. I got the following replacements and got the cooling system flushed:

Radiator
Upper and lower radiator hoses
Thermostat
Thermostat gasket
Bypass hose
Fan clutch
Alternator belt
A/C belt

 

[NorCalFJ100]

Nice truck! Congrats and welcome!

 

[OffRoadScott]

Great looking rig.

 

[jksinton]

That polishing job is lights out!

@duggy is another Toyota 4x4 specialist in the Houston area. My truck needed a complete overhaul just to make it safe to drive: brakes, suspension, oil leaks, and he took care of it. Now the truck drives like a dream.

 

[houstonlndcrsr]

That polishing job is lights out!

@duggy is another Toyota 4x4 specialist in the Houston area. My truck needed a complete overhaul just to make it safe to drive: brakes, suspension, oil leaks, and he took care of it. Now the truck drives like a dream.

I was JUST about to post about @duggy ! He's an awesome dude, and super knowledgeable. After getting the work done from Javier (who is just as awesome and knowledgeable), I had Duggy inspect the truck for potential leaks/issues, and he, fortunately (for the truck, unfortunately for my wallet) found the a few. I got the following work done from him:

Distrubutor, Front Timing Cover and Crank seal leak fix
Valve Cover Gaskets leak fix
Leaking heater hose that was spraying radiator fluid all on the underside fix
Transmission Drain and Refill
Differential/Transfer Case Drain and Refill
Drain & Refill PS, Brake Fluid
Engine Oil Change

I'm taking the truck back to him tomorrow for an ARB bull bar and Dobinsons suspension. Super excited!!

 

[whaler]

Nice rig, be careful and monitor the temps. Could have gotten $$$ if you overheat. Also, youll save a ton of money if you learn to wrench, not saying anything is wrong with paying specialists, but little items will drain your pockets at $100/hr labor.