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SILVER Star
How the heck did I end up in the 80 section of MUD?
For the past five years I’ve been a pretty stalwart 60 series fan. I have 3 60 series trucks and I thought that they fit me just right. I have an FJ40 that I love, and I’ve dabbled with the idea of getting into a 70 series now and again, but honestly, I hadn’t been interested in anything built past 1990...ever.
About every three months I just browse the 80 series classifieds, just seeing roughly what things go for. A couple of weeks ago I was just minding my own business, and I saw @joekatana ‘s ad for a left-hand drive, five speed poverty pack HZJ80.
Wait a minute.
Uh oh.
This ticked some serious boxes. Factory left-hand drive. 1HZ with 211,000 km. Air-conditioning. Part time t case. E-lockers with full float rear axle, just added by Joe. Manual windows. No flares. Barn doors. No rust...and also not fancy.
I called Joe on the spot and we talked for over half an hour. I had a short but difficult conversation with my wife and sent him a deposit. About a week later, Joe showed up with the 80 on a trailer and I have got to tell you that I really like this vehicle.
It is not fancy. It is...rough in a few places.
Buyer satisfaction is all about expectation management. I was definitely not looking for a factory showpiece, or a concours restoration. I wanted a tough, comfortable truck that I could throw my kids, dogs, and mountain bikes in and spray out with a hose when I was done. Done.
I have got a lot to learn, so I’ll be reading a lot and asking a bunch of questions as I build this beast up.
Galen
For the past five years I’ve been a pretty stalwart 60 series fan. I have 3 60 series trucks and I thought that they fit me just right. I have an FJ40 that I love, and I’ve dabbled with the idea of getting into a 70 series now and again, but honestly, I hadn’t been interested in anything built past 1990...ever.
About every three months I just browse the 80 series classifieds, just seeing roughly what things go for. A couple of weeks ago I was just minding my own business, and I saw @joekatana ‘s ad for a left-hand drive, five speed poverty pack HZJ80.
Wait a minute.
Uh oh.
This ticked some serious boxes. Factory left-hand drive. 1HZ with 211,000 km. Air-conditioning. Part time t case. E-lockers with full float rear axle, just added by Joe. Manual windows. No flares. Barn doors. No rust...and also not fancy.
I called Joe on the spot and we talked for over half an hour. I had a short but difficult conversation with my wife and sent him a deposit. About a week later, Joe showed up with the 80 on a trailer and I have got to tell you that I really like this vehicle.
It is not fancy. It is...rough in a few places.
Buyer satisfaction is all about expectation management. I was definitely not looking for a factory showpiece, or a concours restoration. I wanted a tough, comfortable truck that I could throw my kids, dogs, and mountain bikes in and spray out with a hose when I was done. Done.
I have got a lot to learn, so I’ll be reading a lot and asking a bunch of questions as I build this beast up.
Galen
