My "new" FZJ80, or, I scratched the 80 itch

[MrMikeyG]

Shiny new oem seatbelt installed. I did not take pics, as its just a seatbelt. New WSP inspection closer to home scheduled for late January.
Some pics of the Marathon seat covers. I chose the "Dark Gray" color. During the over the phone check up for my order, the sales person stressed to me that this color tended towards the green side of things. I can see it a bit, but am happy with the color. Install was easy to the point of second guessing things. They were a bit expensive, but I really didn't want leather, and I do not own any fabrication tools, so making the best of my pretty hammered seats was the easiest thing for now. I did score a set of 4th gen? 97-00 honda Prelude seats for stupid cheap, that I may tinker with.

 

[MrMikeyG]

Ok, took it on a deliberately roundabout surface street run from Seattle over to the shop in Redmond today (about 26 miles top speed 50).
Thoughts;
1. I have no frame of reference. I have never driven another 80, or even an older truck in a long time, I have no idea which noises are bad/normal. I have no idea how stiff the ride was when new, or if well maintained.
1a. There are a couple of dead spots in the steering, but nothing feels super sloppy or loose. when stopped, there's about an 1/8 turn of free Steering wheel movement in each direction before the wheels respond.
1b. idle was pretty smooth and consistent the whole time (after I plugged the last open vacuum tube)
1c. Transmission seemed ok.
1d. ride is fairly stiff (new oem shocks, old unknown springs)

2. other functions; My "D" light works, my speedo light does not. exterior lights work. new stereo gave me a "error with speaker wires" message and would not work. I suspect water.
2a. "brake" dash light is always on
2b. Oil level light seems to want to stay on (checked dip before during and after trip and all was fine)
2c. No oil pressure reading on gauge at all
2d. Check engine light is on. There is a charging issue, or a parasitic loss issue though as the voltage is too low to read codes with engine not running.
2dd. I forgot to secure my "new" O2 sensor wiring, and smoked some of that today, so I have to redo that bit. Yay! There is also some fairly old trailer wiring stuff that I should proabablt delete and redo.

3. Leaks
3a coolant, the top big radiator hose (#1 or #3?) was letting coolant bubble out when at temp. I had reused the factory spring clamps but the brass nipple there had some dents in it, so switched to a screw type hose clamp and fixed that for now.
3b. I have a leak in the brake system somewhere (hopefully having it up on the lift will help locate that guy) Brakes felt ok, and didn't make any odd noises
3c still have other random leaks, or residue of leaks past to clean and evaluate. I'm just over trying to get things done in my driveway, and brought it to a shop to speed the progress.

Other thoughts;
It looks like Depo lights are back. I guess I should buy 2 though(is anyone running one depot and one OEM)? Seems like that will look funny.?.
I will read through some more threads, but it looks like depot lights use a different (H4-H1) bulb?
I think it was @Red Merle said something about blowing through like 9K baselining? I know that people tend to dispute things like armor and stereos etc when discussing baselining, but it seems like my $5500 truck might turn into a 10k truck without much trouble. Having said that, should I have just looked for a 10k truck? maybe, but I do like to get my hands dirty. (If I actually had shop space, my wife wouldn't recognize me anymore).

 

[UsedLuxury]

2a. "brake" dash light is always on
2b. Oil level light seems to want to stay on (checked dip before during and after trip and all was fine)
2c. No oil pressure reading on gauge at all
2d. Check engine light is on. There is a charging issue, or a parasitic loss issue though as the voltage is too low to read codes with engine not running.

Do you have a multi meter? If so what is your running voltage VS engine off voltage. Do your battery cables feel warm? Do you know how to track a parasitic drain? These four things point an electrical issue. Seems like you have a short to power some place or the worlds s***tiest alternator or battery. It can be an outright pain in the ass to deal with these rigs. Sometimes you have to just take a deep breath and focus on what you can get done. These things are very hard to get used parts for because no one gets rid of them. You don't find them in wrecking yards because they are too damn stubborn to die and the owners won't put them down.

 

[Red Merle]

Well, in my case, I am probably over $15K in new or used parts thus far. Some of that was stuff that probably didn't need to be replaced but I was in there anyway.

I would have to go through a massive pile of receipts to break each system down by cost, but thus far, here is what I have done:

- Rebuilt top end of motor along with having the head serviced by a reputable machine shop. I also had the injectors cleaned and serviced, installed a new alternator, water pump, oil pressure sender and jumper wire, heater valve, timing chain tensioner and a million other little things as part of the refresh.

- All new braking system that included new calipers on all four corners, new pads, new front rotors, new master cylinder and booster. I also deleted the ABS and the LSPV as part of that process.

- New(used) gas tank, filler neck and skid plate. New rubber bits that go between the tank and neck, etc. I also ordered all new hard fuel lines but I didn't install them because mine looked fine(I still have them and will hang on to them, just in case).

- All new AC system with all new components.
- All new exhaust system from the manifolds back.
- 4 new BFG KO2 tires.
- New(used) driver's side inner and outer fender.
- New shocks.
- New(used) sunroof panel and new(used) rear slider windows.
- Front mud flaps
- New(used) rear bumper components, new flare gaskets.
- bhicks cup holder(so far, this is my only aftermarket mod)
- Front axle components with re-used birfs

Add to that a million little bits and pieces, tools, fluids, paint and shop supplies and I would guess nearly 1000 hours worth of my labor and I now have a truck that looks and drives awesome and I wouldn't hesitate to take it anywhere my wallet could afford to feed her.

Keep in mind that many of the things I replaced or refurbished were due to rust. If you start with rust free, there is a good chance that you could avoid some of these projects, but I would think most trucks in original condition that haven't been gone through yet would still need some work on most of the systems I rehabbed. They are sturdy vehicles, but they are also complex and have a lot of parts that probably are reaching the end of their useful life.

 

[MrMikeyG]

@UsedLuxury - Thanks. I do have a multimeter, but the rig is no longer at my house. If some of the issues end up being a pain for the shop, I may see if he will let me tinker a bit after hours. Battery was new interstate in 2017. Alternator looks cleaner than a lot of other components in the engine bay, but I never put a close eye on it to see if it's OEM or something else. I'm a bit leery of automotive electrical systems, but I have the EWB and if I take things slow I can probably figure it out. I generally check row52 once per week, but the only one within 500 miles of us right now is a pretty hammered '89. There is some little tow yard/shop down in Battleground that has 2 though I think. They quoted me 250 for A headlight, and never returned my call about another part.

@Red Merle : Jesus, I didn't realize you had done all of that. I wasn't trying to put you on the spot either btw, I just remembered you throwing out that figure in another thread. Luckily Washington doesn't seem to rust cars like MN can. I saw a Chevy Beretta the other day. I didn't think any of those were still alive.
What are your thoughts regarding your delete of ABS/LSPV? Keeps your braking game on point in the snow at least.
My strategy/reason for dropping it off with a mechanic I trust is that I'm simply sick of trying to get s*** done in my driveway. I'll have him focus on the most potentially dangerous or mechanically unsound items that will get the truck safe through winter and any additional things that come up that need special tools that I don't own.
I miss your part of the country by the way. I have cousins In Duluth, and used to camp on the North Shore at least 1 week a year.

At any rate, I should have a laundry list of items that need attention generated by a professional next week. We'll see what happens.

 

[UsedLuxury]

Well I can hit battle ground with a rock. I will try to take a look at those in the next couple weeks. 12v systems are pretty easy to figure out. If you take your time and study im sure you can figure most things out on your own.

 

[Red Merle]

@UsedLuxury - Thanks. I do have a multimeter, but the rig is no longer at my house. If some of the issues end up being a pain for the shop, I may see if he will let me tinker a bit after hours. Battery was new interstate in 2017. Alternator looks cleaner than a lot of other components in the engine bay, but I never put a close eye on it to see if it's OEM or something else. I'm a bit leery of automotive electrical systems, but I have the EWB and if I take things slow I can probably figure it out. I generally check row52 once per week, but the only one within 500 miles of us right now is a pretty hammered '89. There is some little tow yard/shop down in Battleground that has 2 though I think. They quoted me 250 for A headlight, and never returned my call about another part.

@Red Merle : Jesus, I didn't realize you had done all of that. I wasn't trying to put you on the spot either btw, I just remembered you throwing out that figure in another thread. Luckily Washington doesn't seem to rust cars like MN can. I saw a Chevy Beretta the other day. I didn't think any of those were still alive.
What are your thoughts regarding your delete of ABS/LSPV? Keeps your braking game on point in the snow at least.
My strategy/reason for dropping it off with a mechanic I trust is that I'm simply sick of trying to get s*** done in my driveway. I'll have him focus on the most potentially dangerous or mechanically unsound items that will get the truck safe through winter and any additional things that come up that need special tools that I don't own.
I miss your part of the country by the way. I have cousins In Duluth, and used to camp on the North Shore at least 1 week a year.

At any rate, I should have a laundry list of items that need attention generated by a professional next week. We'll see what happens.

I love the way the truck brakes without the LSPV and the ABS. I wouldn't go back.

Next time you are up this way, hit me up. I love to get up the shore and there are a lot of great spots in WI too.

No worries on the question. I am happy to tell people what it took me to get the truck into the condition it currently is in. Some people probably think I am nuts, but my goal for the truck was to make it into something I can keep and rely on for a long time. I wasn't considering resale value once I decided to go all in.

I wish it would have been rust free and I broke my own rule when I bought it, but the deal was too good to pass up and the truck had been stored for the better part of 15 years so things like the interior, the paint, all the rubber, etc, was in great shape. Plus, I was able to negotiate the purchase down from $6000 to $3000 because I agreed to paint the exterior of the seller's house. That would not have been an option for a fly and buy and really, the market is such that I would have needed to come up with $20K, cash, to buy a truck in the same type of shape that mine is now. I couldn't pull that off, but spending money as I went was possible and now I know a ton about the vehicle and am much more set up to deal with continued maintenance, which is key for my life.

 

[MrMikeyG]

@UsedLuxury The battleground place that has/had 80's is Fast auto wrecking and salvage. they are right next door to a cedar lumber place. CFO 22105 NE 72nd Ave
If you decide to stop in and they still have a '95 or newer, I would gladly pay you for the accelerator cable clamp/bracket that rides up by #1 cylinder. Unless they decide they want more than 20 bucks for a bracket that is. (I will fab my own at that point)

Other news;
My oil pressure sender was unplugged. The "Brake" light seems to be a dirty contact in the parking brake lever. My oil lever sensor in the pan is bad, and I will let it be until the pan gasket needs changed.
basic condition of the truck got a favorable review from my mechanic. Nothing alarming or super unsafe. They did find a leak in the brake system that only showed itself under a very specific set of front end movements.
The dead spot in the steering is a bit unnerving at freeway speeds, and is way more prominent towards the left. I will be exploring that. I should have had them do an official battery test. D'oh! truck still starts and runs fine, just voltage while sitting is low.
My brake pads were all still around 60-70% life remaining, rotors have some mild grooving, so everything will get changed with next pads.
Hopefully I can get the dang thing registered first week of Feb, or last 3 days of Jan if I have time. Then I can quit taking very squirrely routes around town.

My "splurges" so far;
new head unit and speakers
Marathon seat covers (not ridiculous, but not cheap)
The Wit's End accessory quarter panel mount
Summit cruisers stock rear bumper swing out kit
Hopefully it will not take me 6 months to get the last 2 items installed.

@Red Merle : Are there any good trails up in the Grand Marais/Gunflint trail area? I've never spent much time up in that zone. That would be an expensive drive in the 80 from Seattle.

 

[UsedLuxury]

You might also want to check out gundies auto. They have a handful of LCs and i think most of them are in your area. I will check out fast auto.

 

[MrMikeyG]

Well, this happened;
Do I dare install it before I sort out headlights (depos)? There are bumpers I like a lot better, but the ARB does have a rugged old school quality, plus it was used, and local to within 15 min of me, and in pretty darned good shape.
More cart before horse I guess.

 

[MrMikeyG]

I can drive the 80 legally now! Yay!
Stereo that I installed doesn't work. BOOO!
Yes, the above photo is a small taste of why I cannot fit a car in my garage.
I'm looking forward to driving it more now, so I can learn its quirks and better identify any problem areas.

 

[MrMikeyG]

ok. updates: my stereo issue is directly related to moisture. It has worked perfectly every time we've had 2-3 dry days since install. I will be going back in and making different connections at each speaker.
an ARB deluxe bullbar popped up used within 10 min of my house, so that happened.
I installed depos along with the innovative wiring harnesses. I went pretty basic on bulbs just silverstar h4/h1.
I did some grill refresh work, mainly to get rid of the chrome, but my grill was pretty "sand blasted" from years and milage. When I got everything back together, it was too dark for a photo. Here's the ARB in process. I had to wrestle it around a bit. A jack and a block of wood to "spread" the bumper wings a bit seems to be the easiest method.

 

[MrMikeyG]

it appears the Depo headlights I got are not necessarily the same ones that everyone is used to. Mine have a lot of facets inside like the OEM lenses; Here are some pics of that stuff. Last one is my cracked oem driver's side which initiated the swap in the first place.

 

[MrMikeyG]

I'm still in search of the silly accelerator cable clamp/bracket from a 95-up non pair truck if anyone has any ideas.
I may have to break down and get an oem o2 sensor or two. I figured I would give the Bosch universal type a shot (pair of sensors shipped for 36 bucks), but I'm getting a fairly persistent code 26. I did move mine up into the manifold though, so I need to track down a couple other people who have moved theirs and see what any long term findings have been.

 

[MrMikeyG]

I guess this isn't super exciting as a "build" thread. My intentions are not to end up with a monster rock crawler. More of an overland style build.
I got my Wit's End accessory quarter panel installed. (Thanks to @NLXTACY !!) I found 2 very small discrepancies with mine.
Mine arrived with only m6 captive nuts installed on the panel, and the install document showed to places were supposed to be m8. Again, very small issue it simply caused some second guessing on my part. To anyone that hasn't installed theirs yet; keep an eye on the sunroof drain tube. when you look at the panel there is a small 45 degree cut where it would seem the drain hose needs to go. It does not go there. It needs to be pushed straight back about 2" to not get pinched between the panel and the arc of the fender.
I'll see if it shows in my photo... So yeah, it's pretty pinched as you can see and just needed to be pushed out closer to the intersection of fender and body panel where there is more space.

 

[MrMikeyG]

Here's some comic relief for everyone: I came home to this on a Tuesday night. I guess we had some gusts come from an unusual direction that day.
next photo shows it moved back to proper location. It got lifted, spun 180 degrees and stood up into a big maple tree about 15 feet behind the boat. I moved it back solo by attaching 2x4 "runners" to the feet and dragging it around the yard while the 80 bore witness.

 

[MrMikeyG]

Here is my gauge cluster at night. Slightly sketchy. I went to pick n pull on the 30th and scavenged bulbs out of 2 Camrys and a corolla. Also grabbed a couple of switches, some corner light 3 wire pig tails, and a bunch of random screws and bolts.
I'm debating trying to "color" my cluster. I don't feel like swapping to led though, and have been looking at various bulb cover options.

 

[MrMikeyG]

Oh, I "made" a little bracket for my Toyocom obd1 reader. Funny little Curt bracket was on double clearance at Fred Myer. I think it cost $3 something

 

[MrMikeyG]

A note to anyone else regarding EGR delete options. If I could go back in time, I would leave the dang thing in there and just cap/jumper the temp sensor, and cap/loop the vacuum lines. Or, if you have to pull your engine for some reason, get it gone then as it's too easy at that point. Full removal is a b**tch. It's a bit up and behind the PHH for reference.
I can't stand leaving dead stuff hanging around though. Any old wiring/plumbing/whatever comes out of my house if I can get to it, and it comes out of our clients houses whether I made the debris or not.
What saved me during the egr delete process:
a Craftsman 12mm universal joint socket. Not a universal joint and 12mm, the one that is only one piece. That, and about 30" of extensions.
Jack up truck, pull drivers side wheel, pull inner fender skirt things. reach back in there with crazy socket assembly and get to work.
To not lose gasket and keychain, I tied a string through both top holes, got both bolts started, then removed string, then tighten everything. Get back up top and make sure appropriate vacuum plugs/caps are installed. then,

 

[MrMikeyG]

I stumbled upon a set of OEM alloys way back when I still had my truck in pieces and unregistered. I ended up powder coating them in the "OD Green" flavor as seen in the photos. I like it, but it's pretty far off from the Monstaliner flavors I had in mind.
The big chip is the powder sample chip, and the small ones are Monsta in "Sans panties, WWII OD green, and medium quartz gray.
I could probably get the correct tint from the folks that made the powder I picked out and make custom monstaliner. My sticking point is my interior color. The blue gray doesn't go very well with anything I like for the exterior. Maybe I should do a 2 tone truck?