New FJ80 Owner

[jstouder]

After years of searching I'm finally the proud owner of a 1994 Landcruiser. Thank you to the many people on this forum, and to the people at Slee, for the invaluable research, information and advice. I was able to make an informed decision with your help. You are appreciated.

1994 FJ80 w/ Lockers
184,000 miles
Clean CarFax, entire life spent in Texas.

Engine runs great, no drips or leaks. Air blows incredibly cold. Axle code is 294 and lockers engage. Frame is absent of major collision artifacts. Doors are all original, power windows and seats work.

Needs:
- New front seat bottoms. Passenger ripped, Driver close to ripping.
- Steering wheel shroud
- Dashboard is cracked in two places
- Windshield is pitted and cracked

None of the above should be shocking. I'm looking into replacing the shroud myself. The seats are a must. Covers are not an option so I'm looking into getting them reupholstered. I'd really like to replace the dashboard but I'm not sure what part it is (part #1 on this diagram?). A cover is significantly cheaper and I've heard of dash tape that you can use. The cracks are 1/8" and run perpendicular to the dash in two nice straight lines.

First stop will be the local dealership for a service inspection. I'm going to have someone go over the entire thing. I know it has had an oil change recently but I'm not sure about anything else. What would you recommend for a service baseline? I'd like to drive this thing for quite some time and really want a good understanding of where it's at.

Thank you for your time and wisdom!

 

[jstouder]

Picture of the rig as of yesterday.

 

[Ballsie]

Nice 80!

Id have them change most of the fluids. Doing it yourself will be a ton cheaper and its not difficult at all.

Engine oil
Front Diff oil
Rear Diff oil
Xfer case oil
Auto transmission fluid

Belts
spark plugs
plug wires
air filter

How is your front axle? Any oil dripping onto the back of the front whees/tires?

Im sure I forgot something, but someone will chime in and add more to the list.

 

[jstouder]

Some pictures of the interior pieces that need repaired.

 

[jstouder]

Nice 80!

Id have them change most of the fluids. Doing it yourself will be a ton cheaper and its not difficult at all.

Engine oil
Front Diff oil
Rear Diff oil
Xfer case oil
Auto transmission fluid

Belts
spark plugs
plug wires
air filter

How is your front axle? Any oil dripping onto the back of the front whees/tires?

Im sure I forgot something, but someone will chime in and add more to the list.

This is excellent, thank you Ballsie! I'll check on the backside of the tires and report back. Out of curiosity, what would that indicate?

 

[Ballsie]

You will need to replace the inner axle seals if you have gear oil dripping out onto the inside of your wheels/tires. Its a costly job to have someone do it for you, but it can definitely be done in your garage. Here is a youtube video on the procedure. Its a dirty job.



I feel like the 3 major things people should look out for on these trucks is the head gasket, axle seals, and the PHH (pesky heater hose) which is a coolant hose on the back side of the engine that tends to fail and give the owner a very bad day!

 

[Cancruiser]

Great looking truck for its age and mileage. Good score.
x2 on all fluid changes. I'd invest in synthetic oil for the diffs and T-case. The rest can take regular.

Mind if I ask how much $$$$$?

 

[jstouder]

$10,000 even. With working lockers and a solid frame + drivetrain I consider that to be a fair deal.

 

[jstouder]

After looking at those pictures, can someone help me identify the cracked area in picture 2228? I'm not sure if that's the instrument panel, the dash panel, or the crash pad. It looks like the crash pad to me but I would like your opinion:

https://parts.olathetoyota.com/part...icleid=84077&diagram=8110160&diagramCallOut=1

 

[Sam Stewart]

Steering column cover comes in a set. I sell them all the time.

45286-60953-C0 $92.00 + ship

I'd invest in getting the seats recovered by an upholstery shop or buy a kit from one vendors here on MUD. The factory covers are VERY expensive and some are discontinued. Same on the dash. Try to find a nice used one.

 

[Sam Stewart]

Cracked part looks like probably the crash pad based on the pic.

 

[jstouder]

Softball question. Squeaky doors. WD40?

 

[Cancruiser]

$10,000 even. With working lockers and a solid frame + drivetrain I consider that to be a fair deal.

That's a good deal, it looks great for its age

 

[jstouder]

I've made some progress, albeit entirely interior and touchpoint focused. The drivers side door instrument panel was hanging off when I bought it. I reattached it through the door panel. The top of the instrument panel was bolted through the bottom to secure it. I removed the bolt and got crafty with some JB Weld. I replaced the broken striker on the center console and replaced the rear door light sensors.

Now, I'm stuck.

When I bought her the cruise control switch was hanging by its wiring. Thankfully the wiring was all good, unfortunately the cruise control was broken at the base. Last night I removed the steering wheel and then removed the switch itself. No one seems to have this part and I do not want to pay $500 to replace the entire turn signal part.

Any recommendations? See the attached pictures. Thank you.

 

[Ballsie]

Shouldn't be a problem picking up a used switch in the classifieds section. There are a ton of people parting out 80s.
Click Here: https://forum.ih8mud.com/forums/parting-out.120/

 

[musthave]

Looks like you did well, fix up some little things and you're good. Congrats!

 

[jstouder]

Looks like you did well, fix up some little things and you're good. Congrats!

Thanks but I'm just getting started! I've got an order for a crash pad, center console, and flare gaskets+clips. I'll place that order after I have the local KC FZJ80 expert take a look at it. He's scheduled for Monday night.

Following the service and interior order, it's the front/passenger seats. They are pretty bad. I'm trying to maintain the stock look so I'm going to have them both reupholstered for around $700.

Once the seats are done it's going to be the big decision... Daily driver? If so, we will sell one of our two vehicles and use some of that money for further upgrades (lift, bumper, winch). Finally, I'm going to install a custom stereo system myself with a somewhat simple door speakers + custom right read QP sub box.

It's going to be a long process but I'm already having so much fun I cannot stand it! I had completely given up on finding one.

 

[DSRTRDR]

arcteryx (=Jason) at CruiserYard sells used parts; fast shipping, good prices - he is represented in the Vendor forum (click the tab at the very top of this page)

 

[allan man]

Congrats on your purchase.....Start workin on your rig yourself, especially the easy stuff buy tools and upgrades for the cruiser on the money saved for someone else doing the work....there is a lot of support in this forum.

 

[UnderDawg]

First welcome to Mud, this is a great place to learn about our beloved Cruisers. Second, you paid 10k for your truck? Did I read that right or was it a typo? I'm not knocking ya but damn man thats a lot of scratch. I paid $6500.00 with all the same equipment with maintenance records and 3000 more miles and cruisers here are expensive. For 10k I would expect an extremely clean low mileage truck with upgrades already done. Just saying...

Best advise I can give you is find the free DL for the Factory Manual for your year, their kicking around on the forum here. Stop at Harbor Freight to the right of where you shot that first pick and get yourself some tools. Read read and read some more and your truck will last a long time.

Here's our salute .... welcome.