You'd have a long way to drive from Tampa to put a "hardcore crawler" to use.
That's fine. There are LOT'S of other uses for a Cruiser and ways to enjoy them.
The very very VERY first thing you need to do is decide just what it is that you need your rig to do for you. Just what it is that you want your rig to do for you. Since it will almost always be more than a single simple task that would fill 100% of your uses, take a moment to prioritize the different tasks the rig will face. Prioritize things like money spent, time spent (both initially and down the road), comfort on and off road performance... EVERYTHING.
And be honest with yourself just how much of the rigs use will fall into different categories that demand different priorities.
Most of us have built "trail rigs" that spend more time on the road than off. Most of us have found ourselves pushing their "road queens" down more and more trails. I've got one "Trail Monster" that has been a yard ornament for years now as a newer variant surpassed it and as I cringe every time I look at the (poorly considered)over the top coil spring suspension I was working on under it. And the last one I picked up to be a road queen has all sort of brush striping, dents from stumps hidden in the weeds and "battle scars" from the trails it was never gonna see.
Not saying that either of these are horrible things, but it is always better to go in with your eyes open and an honest appraisal of how the rig will really be used. Cheaper too.
Always remember that anything that you change from OEM will be affecting whatever compromises that the original design team made to reach the final product. Sometimes there are things you can improve on. These will almost always involve some sort of sacrifice of other aspects of the rig. NOT ALWAYS. there are occasions where you can improve with no downside. Few.
If it is gonna be a road bound daily drive for you and the family... there is very little you can do to improve it. Maintain it and enjoy it for what it is.
If ya wanna make a... swamp monster??? then I wish you luck.
Other than fuel economy an FJ80 has great potential as a serious road tripper. I have been using my primary '80 that way for a while now. Other than Nabesna Road, and the new(ish) road/trail from Tofty to Tanana it has been down every road in Alaska (most repeatedly as I head in to explore new places that I have found) and the Dempster Highway is about the only one of significance left to do in western Canada. There are a few things that can be done to make it more suitable for this type of use and the compromises are few and small.
Mark...
My sentiments exactly but I phrased it "I liked it but was never cut out for living in the South" - my parents lived down there and were glad to have me close again but thankfully it was a short turnaround for an assignment and I left before my sanity did.