Would have bought 80 series sooner! I was a hardcore FJ40 guy for a lot of years...
If I was to start all over again, I would... (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter GW Nugget
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This Is a great Post. ! With valuable Insights from serious builders. I'm one of the older members here who constantly searches for the wisdom on the forum, this Is the She I look for. I am High skilled In several fields so building Is not my weak point, I'm new to Land cruisers and a pefectionist, there's the weakness. This Is what I've looked for for 2 years and have found wonderful skilled men on this site and I have followed In their footsteps . The young men on this site with a new to them 80 can benefit greatly from this experience.
I would reccomend to new 80 owners to read on this site for 6 months, doing all PM and bring your Cruiser up to as clean as new that you can afford. Get to know your rig Well and then after careful thinking start to put PLAN together for what rig YOU want. You will save much time and money you can spend on the trails.
Good Luck. !
I would reccomend to new 80 owners to read on this site for 6 months, doing all PM and bring your Cruiser up to as clean as new that you can afford. Get to know your rig Well and then after careful thinking start to put PLAN together for what rig YOU want. You will save much time and money you can spend on the trails.
Good Luck. !
I would have gotten a nicer starting point. I spent more making mine half as a good as a clean one than it would have cost me to go that route to start.
I would not have done a diesel swap.
I would not have done a diesel swap.
1973Guppie
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I can honestly say I would not change much. I would have not purchased this fj40 I am currently restoring though and put the money back into the 80 for 315 tires, lift, axle gears and marlin gears.
jtwopark
live, eat, sleep Land Cruiser!!!
I wish I would have invested in only one vehicle instead of 4 other land cruisers.
I wish i didn't listen to everyone on MUD. bought 7 sets and combinations of springs! ultimately settled on OME comp 4" springs.
I wish i didn't install such an expensive stereo system in the truck. Cant hear anything without blowing out my ear drums!
I wish i didn't buy sway bar disconnects, never used them...don't like being on my back!
I wish I would have never found MUD
I wish I would have bought a JEEP with my cousin
I wish I would have met Joey before I found my first Land Cruiser
I wish I would have not met Socallove!!!
I wish this and that but at the end of the day, I wish that I had an unlimited bank account!
After having done all the things to the land cruisers, I wish i would have just left it stock! @dr.gil
Dr.Gil does the same trails I do with a stock rig...I have 37's and front and rear lockers with 5.29s and 4" lift.etc and etc...
THE BEST MOD I DID WERE THE 2 ARB FRIDGES FOR THE TRUCK!
Over $100k in land cruisers, found out a stock LC will go to the same places I go to.
Before you build your truck, sit down and seriously think about how you will use the truck.
I wish i didn't listen to everyone on MUD. bought 7 sets and combinations of springs! ultimately settled on OME comp 4" springs.
I wish i didn't install such an expensive stereo system in the truck. Cant hear anything without blowing out my ear drums!
I wish i didn't buy sway bar disconnects, never used them...don't like being on my back!
I wish I would have never found MUD
I wish I would have bought a JEEP with my cousin
I wish I would have met Joey before I found my first Land Cruiser
I wish I would have not met Socallove!!!
I wish this and that but at the end of the day, I wish that I had an unlimited bank account!
After having done all the things to the land cruisers, I wish i would have just left it stock! @dr.gil
Dr.Gil does the same trails I do with a stock rig...I have 37's and front and rear lockers with 5.29s and 4" lift.etc and etc...
THE BEST MOD I DID WERE THE 2 ARB FRIDGES FOR THE TRUCK!
Over $100k in land cruisers, found out a stock LC will go to the same places I go to.
Before you build your truck, sit down and seriously think about how you will use the truck.
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NCFJ
Supporting Vendor
I'd:
buy the cleanest, straightest truck I could barley afford
drive it a while and get a feel for it as it is stock
pull the running boards and flares
add sliders and wheel it in stock trim
install DD full screen head unit with all the bells and whistles, speakers to match
DRIVE OTHER 80s SET UP HOW YOU THINK YOU WANT YOURS SET UP
make slow changes
buy the cleanest, straightest truck I could barley afford
drive it a while and get a feel for it as it is stock
pull the running boards and flares
add sliders and wheel it in stock trim
install DD full screen head unit with all the bells and whistles, speakers to match
DRIVE OTHER 80s SET UP HOW YOU THINK YOU WANT YOURS SET UP
make slow changes
Sliders and rear bumper.I don't hang the front bumper much but the rear always hitting it on rocks.mines pretty much stock.just removed all the soccer mom crap off it.if I had to do it over sliders
Not really what would I have done different, but more of note on how things change. I bought my 80 with zero knowledge, I just wanted a ski truck. Then I found 'mud and a local club. The truck progressed on with mods, lift, tires, larger lift, larger tires, different racks different armor. It became in practical (gas) to use it for skiing and was becoming more for the rocks. That was fun, but sort of burnt out on the rock thing and moving back or toward camping/expo set up.
Guess I'm saying not to be surprised if your build and wants change over the time progression of your truck.
Guess I'm saying not to be surprised if your build and wants change over the time progression of your truck.
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Stuck with the first set of 285 ATs I put on. I got caught up in mud tires and wanting bigger. Went quickly to 255 Muds and then eventually back to 285 ATs. With a winch and lockers I just think Muds got me into more trouble than I really needed.
By my 6th 80 I had figured out the best way to value -
Buy an AZ, white, low mileage, locked, in excellent shape with tons of aftermarket accessories that has never been wheeled for pennys on the dollar. Then sell all the costly aftermarket accessories for .75 on the dollar (slee stuff has the best resell value) and build it to fit your needs.
Buy an AZ, white, low mileage, locked, in excellent shape with tons of aftermarket accessories that has never been wheeled for pennys on the dollar. Then sell all the costly aftermarket accessories for .75 on the dollar (slee stuff has the best resell value) and build it to fit your needs.
My only regret with mine is the money I spent on PM after paying what I think was too much for the truck to begin with. I wish I had either negotiated a better price (probably wouldn't happen with this particular seller) or waited for a cruiser with maintenance history. Drove great when I bought it, but then the brakes went to crap, failed emissions, battery died, etc, etc, etc, pretty much right after I drove it away
:edit: I guess I should add a little to my post. I have owned a long line of toyota 4x4s over the last decade or so, so although I'm new to the 80's, I learned a lot from those other trucks.
1) At least a rear locker is essential. Since my 80 serves dual purpose summer weekends/ski-mobile, I'm glad I ended up with the factory lockers. If I had bought one without the factory lockers I probably would have cheaped out and gotten lunchbox lockers which are great for summer weekends, but would relegate me to taking the acura on ski trips.
2) Pretty much all my previous builds I feel I went overboard on lift/tires and then cheaped out when it was time to regear. In Colorado, this means most of my past rigs have been terrible to drive in the mountains. This time I just got a good set of 265's (the truck is already lifted with the basic OME 2.5) and I will go as far as I can go before before i feel I actually NEED bigger tires. These should last a good 40k miles, so it will be a while.
:edit: I guess I should add a little to my post. I have owned a long line of toyota 4x4s over the last decade or so, so although I'm new to the 80's, I learned a lot from those other trucks.
1) At least a rear locker is essential. Since my 80 serves dual purpose summer weekends/ski-mobile, I'm glad I ended up with the factory lockers. If I had bought one without the factory lockers I probably would have cheaped out and gotten lunchbox lockers which are great for summer weekends, but would relegate me to taking the acura on ski trips.
2) Pretty much all my previous builds I feel I went overboard on lift/tires and then cheaped out when it was time to regear. In Colorado, this means most of my past rigs have been terrible to drive in the mountains. This time I just got a good set of 265's (the truck is already lifted with the basic OME 2.5) and I will go as far as I can go before before i feel I actually NEED bigger tires. These should last a good 40k miles, so it will be a while.
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Hornd
SILVER Star
For $5K, I wish I would have gotten in the game sooner. I might have a 40 already restored.
I wish I told the wife it was $10K so she didn't ridicule every penny I spent.
I wish I found Mud before I bought it so I could have known what to look for....I ended up getting pretty lucky
I wish I had not found Mud, and I wouldn't have spent the kids College Fund, avoided a 3rd Home Equity, and could stop eating Ramen for every meal.
I wish I got the truck before the wife....things might be different.
I wish I told the wife it was $10K so she didn't ridicule every penny I spent.
I wish I found Mud before I bought it so I could have known what to look for....I ended up getting pretty lucky
I wish I had not found Mud, and I wouldn't have spent the kids College Fund, avoided a 3rd Home Equity, and could stop eating Ramen for every meal.
I wish I got the truck before the wife....things might be different.
richardlillard1
SILVER Star
I owned my 80 before an ex-gf and ex-wife. The 80 lasted. The ex part says the rest. 
I would have bought sliders before I took it to Katemcy. And I learned a lot about what not to spend money on with a Jeep.
I did however buy a two-owner white pig (second one) that started in AZ, went to San Antonio and then Dallas where I snagged it from a customer.
You can learn a lot from a Jeep.
I did however buy a two-owner white pig (second one) that started in AZ, went to San Antonio and then Dallas where I snagged it from a customer.
You can learn a lot from a Jeep.
I would have bought a brand new 100 series H151F tranny instead of getting a rebuilt 80 H151F for my 5 speed swap.
LINUS
Waiting for the Great Pumpkin
Like mentioned - build for YOUR use, not the 'well everybody esle is running _____, that must be the new norm'
That was what got me into my 5.29 / 37's LX450 - but I had my 4.88's /315 80 on the side as my prior & DD.
If you plan on doing 35/37 tires, buy the lift you want run right off - we all seem to grow through a OME 2.5" & then buy a 4/6" lift - it wasn't a big deal, but could have saved myself a suspension swap.
Get your 80 totally baselined before dropping cash on any other crap - learn what 'normal' is as to sounds, reactions, all that - so when you do swap parts you know what the changes are that it made.
That was what got me into my 5.29 / 37's LX450 - but I had my 4.88's /315 80 on the side as my prior & DD.
If you plan on doing 35/37 tires, buy the lift you want run right off - we all seem to grow through a OME 2.5" & then buy a 4/6" lift - it wasn't a big deal, but could have saved myself a suspension swap.
Get your 80 totally baselined before dropping cash on any other crap - learn what 'normal' is as to sounds, reactions, all that - so when you do swap parts you know what the changes are that it made.
NCFJ
Supporting Vendor
I am fortunate that my wife is a "car girl" Her 80 is our wheeling rig as well currently. She likes to go wheeling and camping and has no problems budgeting $ for parts. Maybe we can get her to "council" some of the other wives and GFs.
Hornd
SILVER Star
Funny you say that.
I sent her that pic this morning. She said "Funny"
This chick can handle a 1.5L herself.
Wish she was as serious about wine as she is about LCs.
