First of all, I just want to say hello. I've been lurking on ih8mud for several years despite my lack of Land Cruiser. An 80-series has always been one of my favorite Toyota 4x4's, and it just so happens that one has recently fallen into my lap from a fellow mudder. This forum blows me away by the amount of knowledge, write-ups, and OCD tendencies that seem to be so common. I'm sure I'm going to fit right in! Anyways, onto the goods....
Alright let's get this started off on the right foot. I'm out at work and have some time on my hands so what better way to spend my night than starting my next build thread! I like to type and post pictures, so if you like either, you may proceed.
I'd like to start with a couple photos of my past builds that ultimately got me to where I am now. I've always been a Toyota guy but my 95' pickup was what initially bit me with the mod bug and what I was driving when I singed up on CT4WD. Shortly after I was enrolled in the TE&S and then soon after, the 101.
Then came "The Duster", my 98' 4Runner that I initially thought I would keep forever. The modd'ing got excessive and I enjoyed every part of the process along the way. I learned a lot mechanically during the build, pushed my driving skills to new levels, and had some unforgettable experiences along the way. This truck will always be my benchmark and it's what really helped me determine what my needs and wants are for my lifelong future on the trail.
20120301-IMG_1069.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr
The rest is kind of history...
I was recently talking to a friend of mine in Lethbridge who was the former owner of my new LX. I remember when I first met him and he had recently imported the low mileage specimen from Arizona. It was a super clean rig with LOW miles and he had searched for a long time to find it. It was well maintained and completely rust free. When Jeff dropped the bomb that he was going to sell it, I knew that I had to have it. An 80 had always been my dream Toyota but I knew they were becoming extremely difficult to find in good condition, especially ones from one of the rust-free states. Fast forward a couple months and I now find "Tom Cruiser" (hahahaha) in my driveway. The truck needs a couple minor things, including an epic cut and polish, but the rust-free history is what is of utmost importance. The LX was stock when Jeff purchased it from the US, and he has since modded it, and maintained it extremely well with all OEM Toyota parts. My personal style reflects a mental image of the "ultimate" 80-series to be slightly different to Jeff's rendition, but I am provided with a very sturdy platform to begin my own transformation of this already "built" LX.
I would like to thank Vin @ SCS Wheels for always hooking me up with a dose of killer wheels whenever I need them. Your wheels are awesome, keep up the great work and I want to thank you for your past and ongoing support with Toyota projects!
Newcomers to the project, I would like to thank Matt @ ARB for stepping up and helping me out with the LX450. Their products are legendary with the customer service to match. I'm so excited to rep my fair share of the Aussie original on Tom Cruiser! This could get ugly, the ARB catalogue has a lot of pages!
Current mods:
- Roof rack
- Custom F/R bumpers (will be for sale soon... PM if interested)
- Fully Rebuilt Warn 8274 winch (will be for sale soon... PM if interested - may also have the Warn 9.5xp motor to mod this thing to become the "ultimate" winch)
- Rear Aussie Locker
- Australian Canvas seat covers for front
- Custom belly skid
- Cruisin' Offroad sliders
- Front and rear diff. armor
- Reinforced rear lower control arm mounts
- Recently powdercoated (x5) FZJ80 wheels on 315/75/16 Dynapro ATM tires (~85% tread remaining, will be for sale soon... PM if interested)
- Extended diff breathers
- TONS of maintenance
20120614-IMG_1626.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr
Knowing that all of the PM work has been completed, I'm excited to jump right into the mods. Currently in transit:
- LandTank extended seat rail bracket (the stock seat position does not go back far enough for my 6'6" frame)
- Sears DieHard Platinum Group 31 battery
I had a couple days off this weekend due to rain. I made good use of the time and my brother Chase happened to be in town for some shenanigans. We awoke Sunday morning with a headache but I wasn't going to let the day go to waste. Me and Chase began the tear down.
After the initial seat removal:
20120614-IMG_1638.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr
I knew the truck would immediately become a 2-seater as I have intentions of building a pretty epic sleeping platform that functions as "dog space" on the trail and converts to a bed at night. In my eyes this is one of the most important mods I will make and I'm looking forward to the extra sleeping space coming from the 4Runner's confined quarters. I could go RTT but I want the COG kept fairly low and am not always a huge fan of the look of a "brick" on the roof of SUV's. My 4Runner's sleeping platform worked very well so I will follow the same basic concept but naturally, have some changes planned. After pulling the seats and knowing my obsessive compulsive tendencies, I knew we had to go further and gut the truck to achieve the ultimate clean slate - literally.
Let the labelling begin:
20120615-IMG_1643.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr
In it's current form:
20120615-IMG_1650.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr
- Carpets out and ready for shampoo
- interior panels 90% removed - washed with soap and water and hosed down
- full interior wipe down with soap and water
- vacuumed thoroughly
My tentative plans for this summer:
- Sleeping platform
- 35" MT/R Kevlar or Toyo M/T
- SCS wheels
- Slee Shortbus front bumper
- TJM 12K winch
- Thinking of de-flaring and doing liner along the flare lines - metallic silver (either Monstaliner or LineX)
- LED's
- Projector Retrofit
Alright let's get this started off on the right foot. I'm out at work and have some time on my hands so what better way to spend my night than starting my next build thread! I like to type and post pictures, so if you like either, you may proceed.
I'd like to start with a couple photos of my past builds that ultimately got me to where I am now. I've always been a Toyota guy but my 95' pickup was what initially bit me with the mod bug and what I was driving when I singed up on CT4WD. Shortly after I was enrolled in the TE&S and then soon after, the 101.
Then came "The Duster", my 98' 4Runner that I initially thought I would keep forever. The modd'ing got excessive and I enjoyed every part of the process along the way. I learned a lot mechanically during the build, pushed my driving skills to new levels, and had some unforgettable experiences along the way. This truck will always be my benchmark and it's what really helped me determine what my needs and wants are for my lifelong future on the trail.
20120301-IMG_1069.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr
The rest is kind of history...
I was recently talking to a friend of mine in Lethbridge who was the former owner of my new LX. I remember when I first met him and he had recently imported the low mileage specimen from Arizona. It was a super clean rig with LOW miles and he had searched for a long time to find it. It was well maintained and completely rust free. When Jeff dropped the bomb that he was going to sell it, I knew that I had to have it. An 80 had always been my dream Toyota but I knew they were becoming extremely difficult to find in good condition, especially ones from one of the rust-free states. Fast forward a couple months and I now find "Tom Cruiser" (hahahaha) in my driveway. The truck needs a couple minor things, including an epic cut and polish, but the rust-free history is what is of utmost importance. The LX was stock when Jeff purchased it from the US, and he has since modded it, and maintained it extremely well with all OEM Toyota parts. My personal style reflects a mental image of the "ultimate" 80-series to be slightly different to Jeff's rendition, but I am provided with a very sturdy platform to begin my own transformation of this already "built" LX.
I would like to thank Vin @ SCS Wheels for always hooking me up with a dose of killer wheels whenever I need them. Your wheels are awesome, keep up the great work and I want to thank you for your past and ongoing support with Toyota projects!
Newcomers to the project, I would like to thank Matt @ ARB for stepping up and helping me out with the LX450. Their products are legendary with the customer service to match. I'm so excited to rep my fair share of the Aussie original on Tom Cruiser! This could get ugly, the ARB catalogue has a lot of pages!
Current mods:
- Roof rack
- Custom F/R bumpers (will be for sale soon... PM if interested)
- Fully Rebuilt Warn 8274 winch (will be for sale soon... PM if interested - may also have the Warn 9.5xp motor to mod this thing to become the "ultimate" winch)
- Rear Aussie Locker
- Australian Canvas seat covers for front
- Custom belly skid
- Cruisin' Offroad sliders
- Front and rear diff. armor
- Reinforced rear lower control arm mounts
- Recently powdercoated (x5) FZJ80 wheels on 315/75/16 Dynapro ATM tires (~85% tread remaining, will be for sale soon... PM if interested)
- Extended diff breathers
- TONS of maintenance
20120614-IMG_1626.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr
Knowing that all of the PM work has been completed, I'm excited to jump right into the mods. Currently in transit:
- LandTank extended seat rail bracket (the stock seat position does not go back far enough for my 6'6" frame)
- Sears DieHard Platinum Group 31 battery
I had a couple days off this weekend due to rain. I made good use of the time and my brother Chase happened to be in town for some shenanigans. We awoke Sunday morning with a headache but I wasn't going to let the day go to waste. Me and Chase began the tear down.
After the initial seat removal:
20120614-IMG_1638.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr
I knew the truck would immediately become a 2-seater as I have intentions of building a pretty epic sleeping platform that functions as "dog space" on the trail and converts to a bed at night. In my eyes this is one of the most important mods I will make and I'm looking forward to the extra sleeping space coming from the 4Runner's confined quarters. I could go RTT but I want the COG kept fairly low and am not always a huge fan of the look of a "brick" on the roof of SUV's. My 4Runner's sleeping platform worked very well so I will follow the same basic concept but naturally, have some changes planned. After pulling the seats and knowing my obsessive compulsive tendencies, I knew we had to go further and gut the truck to achieve the ultimate clean slate - literally.
Let the labelling begin:
20120615-IMG_1643.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr
In it's current form:
20120615-IMG_1650.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr
- Carpets out and ready for shampoo
- interior panels 90% removed - washed with soap and water and hosed down
- full interior wipe down with soap and water
- vacuumed thoroughly
My tentative plans for this summer:
- Sleeping platform
- 35" MT/R Kevlar or Toyo M/T
- SCS wheels
- Slee Shortbus front bumper
- TJM 12K winch
- Thinking of de-flaring and doing liner along the flare lines - metallic silver (either Monstaliner or LineX)
- LED's
- Projector Retrofit
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