newbie introduction (1 Viewer)

[jonb96150]

Greetings to the board,
I just bought a 97 fzj80 last week. 94k w/diff lox, sunroof, (no roof rack, which I like) leather (which I could live without), no tow hitch, which seems unusual but it does have a trans cooler. I am very impressed, I have owned a lot of 4x4s and have done a lot of wheeling but I have never had something that is this good on and off pavement. Here is a partial list of previous trail rigs.
'72 710k pinzgauer (radio van)
'72 710m pinzgauer
'75 fj40
'79 fj40
'79 cj-7
'85 bj70
'86 bj70
'87 4runner, sas, dual cases, arb's , etc... still own this, I just need to put on a new body, the old body is kaput.

Back to the 80. I took it out to our local off road spot so I could play with the lockers. Since it is stock I had to be careful not to bash it and it was hard to lift a tire enough to even need the lockers. That impressed me. Then I found a spot to lock up ( see pic). I had a grin ear to ear! Something that is so solid and well mannered on the highway and can also do this is a new experiance for me!
I have done a lot of searching on this forum for the last several weeks and have learned quite a bit, thanks to everyone for the shared knowlege.
JonB
S. Lake Tahoe, CA. USA

 

[Tatersalad]

Hey man welcome. Now start putting some mods on that sweet rig!

 

[stuck in GA]

Hey welcome to the 80 section. You will find this place really helpful. Now like Tater said start gettin some mods!

-Josh

 

[jonb96150]

I have to get my 4runner going before I start modding the 80, but it will be modded eventually.
JonB

 

[yellowchaosfj80]

hay hay welcome nice rig .... I have a 94 same thing stock..... puting lift in this weekend J springs 35" ruber , can't wait to wheel it....

 

[clarkrw3]

Welcome! Nice rig where did you find it?

 

[njfzj80]

...Welcome, I like the color.

 

[OZCAL]

Welcome Where in Lake Tahoe is that shot taken?

David

 

[wb1948]

If you are willing to wreck the s*** out of your bumpers, side steps, body, and undercarriage then you really don't need mods, a stock 80 will do 95% of anything

 

[LX_TREME]

Here is a partial list of previous trail rigs.
'72 710k pinzgauer (radio van)
'72 710m pinzgauer
'75 fj40
'79 fj40
'79 cj-7
'85 bj70
'86 bj70
'87 4runner, sas, dual cases, arb's , etc... still own this, I just need to put on a new body, the old body is kaput.
JonB S.Lake Tahoe, CA. USA

Hmmm.. quiet few list there, but now you changed my mind after you said NEW EXPERIENCE FOR ME, well welcome

Back to the 80, this is a new experiance for me!
JonB
S. Lake Tahoe, CA. USA

 

[CreeperSleeper]

Welcome!

I know what you mean, I've owned a lot of wheelers, but my 80 is as amazing off road as on. That is unsual and unique.

 

[e9999]

welcome dude!

tell us a bit about how the 80 compares on the trail to the Pinzes if you don't mind... always wanted one of these....

enjoy!
E

(edit: oh, btw, we forgive you for the CJ, everybody is entitled to one mistake... )

 

[Buckru]

Wlecome

 

[4x4CPOSEADOG]

Welcome to the forum! Is that an Anniversary Edition?

 

[jonb96150]

Thanks for all the welcomes, I would flip all of you off if I could find those icons!

clarkrw3- I bought it in Sacramento, CA

OZCAL- That pic is near the top of Twin Peaks OHV area, across Hwy. 50 from the South Lake Tahoe airport. It is a great little spot for us to work the kinks out of our junk. We (Lake Tahoe Hi-Lo's) in conjunction with the Forest Service built two mini sluice boxes that are challenging, don't try them in a stock rig, but there are bypasses around both of them.

e9999- The Pinzgauers are pretty special, independent suspension on all axles and hydraulic lockers on all axles. Five speed ZF trans with granny low. Air-cooled 2.4 (IIRC) dual carb Puch engine.
The good:
hydraulic lockers
very tight turning radius
1.5 ton cargo rating
don't break often
available in 6x6 (that is what I should have gotten)
air-cooled
portal axles

The bad:
inependent suspension, good on washboard but falls over too easy in the rocks or even off-camber ditch/rut crossings. The down-hill wheel/axle just falls into the crevice and doesn't support the truck and over you go. The 6x6 is reportedly much less susceptible to this.
gas hog, 14 mpg on pavement downhill was my best mpg, about 8 mpg off-road
underpowered on pavement, old VW buses would pass me uphill
24 volt system, it is superior to 12v but you have to run all your stuff through converters
windshield wipers, probably the only poorly engineered part of the truck
manual steering, it is good for manual but in the rocks you can't turn fast enough
crawl ratio, IIRC 52:1 for the 4x4 and 62:1 for the 6x6. The 62:1 would be okay for Rubicon type trails. I took the 710k in the Rubicon a few times and it was a handful. When it fell over at the bottom of Cadillac hill (2nd time it went over) I decided to sell it.

I think a 6x6 would be the way to go if you want a Pinz, about 2' longer than the 4x4 and would make a hell of a camper.

4x4cposeadog- yes it is a 40th, sage green I guess. Does it look like any one elses sage green?

Thanks again for the welcomes and advice past and future!

Where do I find the smilies?


got it, I have to type them in.
JonB

 

[elum]

nice rig and welcome! did you say Tahoe? party @ JonB's!!!!!

 

[e9999]

so all in all, you think the 80 is better offroad than a Pinz?

 

[OZCAL]

OZCAL- That pic is near the top of Twin Peaks OHV area, across Hwy. 50 from the South Lake Tahoe airport. It is a great little spot for us to work the kinks out of our junk. We (Lake Tahoe Hi-Lo's) in conjunction with the Forest Service built two mini sluice boxes that are challenging, don't try them in a stock rig, but there are bypasses around both of them.

Thanks - I'll be visiting Reno in september in the LX. I'll take a look

David

 

[jonb96150]

so all in all, you think the 80 is better offroad than a Pinz?

If a bone stock 80 w/lockers were following a bone stock Pinzgauer through the Rubicon, the 80 is going to get a lot of damage and the Pinzgauer would probably get no damage (13 " ground clearance). I think a tricked out 80 would be a better truck on most trails. But I won't know until I trick mine out.
I do know that if a Pinz and an 80 had to travel considerabel distances to get to the trailhead, the Pinz would arrive hours later and the driver would be worn out already! Pinzgauers are not very safe on the highway either.

OZCAL David- The entrance is at the corner of Sawmill rd. and Lake Tahoe Blvd (@ sawmill pond). Give me shout if you go, it's 5 min from my house.

JonB

 

[NorCalDoug]

JonB - Welcome aboard

for one of the best "Hi, I'm a noob, here's a pick of my stock rig at an extreme angle" pics I've seen so far


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