With the unplanned engine swap I figured it's time to start a build thread on this thing. I have recently dubbed her “Old Faithful”. Not because she is reliable (she has been anything but, but can't blame ‘ol girl too much), but because she has decided she likes spewing out hot coolant like a geyser.
I picked up this 80 in December 2022 with the intention of turning it into somewhat of a budget wheeler/overland rig and so I could have a cruiser I could actually drive while working on my 40 build (and big surprise, it has been a huge distraction from that build). A week of setting up and tearing down a ground tent in Utah that summer led me to want to switch to car camping, and my FJ cruiser is just too small for that. Plus, I've always wanted an excuse to own an 80. I seriously considered parting with my FJC for a nice 80, but when a cheap enough half-decent looking one popped up such that I could have both, I couldn't help myself. She's a bit rusty and rough around the edges, but not nice enough I wont feel too bad beating on it.
She spent most of summer 2023 under the knife doing maintenance, waiting weeks and weeks for parts from Witts End, and building the front bumper and sliders. Barely got things painted and back together before the snow flew and didn't get to wheel with it that year apart from laid back snow run. Before pictures are on an old phone, but this is after I finally get it driving again.
The bottom half of the bumper is a coastal kit. Did the bull bar part myself. It's tight to the body, too close really. The driver's side bar has deflected and pushed into the corner of the hood/quarter panel a bit hitting a boulder. Scrub bars for more support may be in order, when I get the time/motivation.
I used the rusty rocker panels as an excuse to do rocker chop sliders and cut out the cancer hiding under the plastic cladding. I used 2x5 ⅛ wall, with a handful of bar plugged in a few stops for support, a sleeved hole for the sunroof drain, and 1.75 ⅛ wall for the slider bars and kick out. If I were to do this over, I would use DOM but I was being cheap. I may sleeve the existing tube with a half cut of 2” ⅛ wall some time. The kick outs are a must, have saved the rear tires and flares multiple times already. These sliders have been solid, the extra clearance on the sides is a huge deal. I would do it again even on a clean 80, with a few changes.
Cut out a window so I could weld directly to the B pillar.
Added a brace over that, then welded the piece I cut out back in.
Had some extra cancer here I had to patch.
Brace at the rear wheel well.
View of where they tie into the body cross member in front of the rear wheels. I notched the rectangular tubing to use the factory brace as it was. Alternatively you could use 2x4 and hammer the pinch weld over.
Cut the cats out and replaced with a relatively low profile muffler, dumps out the side behind the B pillar. Nice thing about the rocker chop sliders is there are no slider mount arms getting in the way of the exhaust. After doing this, some of the exhaust fumes started getting into the cab through the gaping rust holes on the rear quarters behind the rear wheels. Will be getting patched.
Other than the front bumper, winch, and sliders, the only other thing I did to it was throw an Aussie locker in the rear that was originally intended for my 40. It has worked great, I get looks when making turns and it makes the ratcheting sound but oh well. Still left wanting for a front locker, though. One day.
I picked up this 80 in December 2022 with the intention of turning it into somewhat of a budget wheeler/overland rig and so I could have a cruiser I could actually drive while working on my 40 build (and big surprise, it has been a huge distraction from that build). A week of setting up and tearing down a ground tent in Utah that summer led me to want to switch to car camping, and my FJ cruiser is just too small for that. Plus, I've always wanted an excuse to own an 80. I seriously considered parting with my FJC for a nice 80, but when a cheap enough half-decent looking one popped up such that I could have both, I couldn't help myself. She's a bit rusty and rough around the edges, but not nice enough I wont feel too bad beating on it.
She spent most of summer 2023 under the knife doing maintenance, waiting weeks and weeks for parts from Witts End, and building the front bumper and sliders. Barely got things painted and back together before the snow flew and didn't get to wheel with it that year apart from laid back snow run. Before pictures are on an old phone, but this is after I finally get it driving again.
The bottom half of the bumper is a coastal kit. Did the bull bar part myself. It's tight to the body, too close really. The driver's side bar has deflected and pushed into the corner of the hood/quarter panel a bit hitting a boulder. Scrub bars for more support may be in order, when I get the time/motivation.
I used the rusty rocker panels as an excuse to do rocker chop sliders and cut out the cancer hiding under the plastic cladding. I used 2x5 ⅛ wall, with a handful of bar plugged in a few stops for support, a sleeved hole for the sunroof drain, and 1.75 ⅛ wall for the slider bars and kick out. If I were to do this over, I would use DOM but I was being cheap. I may sleeve the existing tube with a half cut of 2” ⅛ wall some time. The kick outs are a must, have saved the rear tires and flares multiple times already. These sliders have been solid, the extra clearance on the sides is a huge deal. I would do it again even on a clean 80, with a few changes.
Cut out a window so I could weld directly to the B pillar.
Added a brace over that, then welded the piece I cut out back in.
Had some extra cancer here I had to patch.
Brace at the rear wheel well.
View of where they tie into the body cross member in front of the rear wheels. I notched the rectangular tubing to use the factory brace as it was. Alternatively you could use 2x4 and hammer the pinch weld over.
Cut the cats out and replaced with a relatively low profile muffler, dumps out the side behind the B pillar. Nice thing about the rocker chop sliders is there are no slider mount arms getting in the way of the exhaust. After doing this, some of the exhaust fumes started getting into the cab through the gaping rust holes on the rear quarters behind the rear wheels. Will be getting patched.
Other than the front bumper, winch, and sliders, the only other thing I did to it was throw an Aussie locker in the rear that was originally intended for my 40. It has worked great, I get looks when making turns and it makes the ratcheting sound but oh well. Still left wanting for a front locker, though. One day.
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Chris & Karl at SAS the last two years, Great Guys !
