Newbie w/a 94 FJ80 Needs ideas for additions

[shebuilt]

I visited this forum many times before actually having my FJ80 ... well I finally got one yesterday! 1994 212k miles. Some minor body issues and it appears valve cover may need changing but drove home from original Colorado owners to Texas and no issues!

They had heater hose bypass in engine so heater doesn't work, but everything else is awesome.

My question is what are great options to add? I won't be off roading anytime soon ( I love these here that have ) but I am more than likely only going to use it to haul other cars I may by. I would like a bumper / grill and any other add ons these seem to need.

Chime in! I will get photos up once I rest from the 900 mile drive back in a day!

 

[scrowley]

I would go through all the Prev. Maint first. there is quite a bit on these with high miles. A mild lift and tires makes for an agressive look and offroad capability....and for car hauling, this is not the vehicle for it. hauling its own weight can prove difficult sometimes.

 

[1ststatecruiser]

congrats , 94 here 193k . yup do the pms first.

 

[Stevesnj]

Yeh I agree. after having my LC with 243k when i bought it I recommend checking the Cooling system (fan clutch check, radiator and all hoses), compression test, brakes, repack front and rear bearings, diff oil change 85/140wt, check/change X case oil, check tranny fluid, oil change, cap, rotor, plugs, timing check. After that, lift/tires, bumpers, sliders.

have fun and enjoy!!

 

[SoCal FZJ80]

Newbie 80 Series Owner

I have used a 80 many times to pull a car hauler trailer. Here are some pointers for you being that you are using it primarily to pull a car trailer and not off road:

Basic Maintenance:
(should do it, others members may add additional items to the list)

1) Go through the seals, hoses, and belts on the engine
2) Make sure axle seals are not leaking
3) Examine head gasket to make sure it is tight. Hopefully already redone.
4) Replace "pesky heater hose" (PHH) - it is a small hose from the side engine block about 4" long that is prone to cracking and leaking your coolant- it is a pain to change but usually get's you stuck right when you don't want to be. Better to change if it hasn't been already. Many threads on here talk about it.
5) Usually when someone bypasses the heater it is because the heater core was leaking onto the floor inside the Cruiser. If it does leak, you can pull the core and send to radiator shop for pressure testing/repair, or replace. Mind you that is a procedure as you need to pull the dash to get the climate control assembly out. This is a lengthy job.

Customizing for car trailer hauling:
(mind you most Cruiser owners don't do any of it)... LOL

1) Change the tires to a heavy load rating with thick sidewall. The factory LTX's weren't made for hauling heavy trailers. This will help your handling/safety while pulling a car. The drawback is that they will not ride as smooth.
2) Your suspension coils. You can replace the rears at least with heavy duty coils from companies like TJM, ARB, Ironman, etc. They make them in factory heights.
If you decide to up the tire size, you may want to add a slight lift to compensate with new shocks.
3) You may want to think about the transmission. This could be as simple as good fluids and filter, a big external cooler, or all the way up to a high performance valve body (massive hill climbing).
4) Braking system, I surely would have electric brakes on the trailer and might think about upgrading the brakes on the cruiser if you are climbing mountains.
5) Engine performance, this is all kind of costly so you need to qualify your commitment. Engine mods like superchargers and Turbo's create serious power gains, but can also open up a can of worms on a higher mileage engine (unless already redone).

Anyhow, many of the things above most cruiser owners never do and get away with just fine. I have used a 80 series to tow another 80 series on the back from state to state and did it just fine. You just need to think about how serious you are about hauling big heavy stuff, and if each thing is justifiable to you.

 

[johnny4ever]

Another Texan!!!

 

[half k cruiser]

Invest in a good temperature gauge for peace of mind. Oil pressure would be nice too but will be a little more involved/epensive to install.