Starting my Build on the "T-Rusty" 80 (1 Viewer)

[EP Knothead]

Hey guys as the title says I am looking to start my build of my '97 FZJ80, a few things to consider. It is a rusty nightmare underneath, I weigh almost 500 pounds, I don't plan on having more than 3 people in the vehicle max, everything is currently stock except the tires are LT275 Yokohama G015's, I am not currently ham certified but plan to be within the month, I do have a Hi-lift Jack and a baseplate but that is the extent of my recovery gear, i have roughly 8K to spend, and I am in Utah and probably going to be going through cruiser outfitters.

I'm thinking of going with the slee off-road dual swingout rear bumper, Slee - Toyota 80 Series Land Cruiser - Rear Bumper Detail ,

A Old man emu 2.5" lift, Cruiser Outfitters ,

I want some sort of ham setup with a remote face so I can put the radio under the seat, and I want to install my cobra CB somewhere as well.

I am thinking a Second Battery setup for future proofing when I get more money, so I can Jump myself if need be, and charge my phone without the truck running.

I know I need a front bumper and a winch at some point as well I just don't know if the budget will fit this go around it might be a few years off.

I want to be able to sleep comfortably in the back, and i'm pondering removing half the second row. what else am I missing that I should do first?

 

[SoCal80series]

Nice looking 80!

 

[Lester did that]

Good looking ride! Build it to suit your needs. I'm a big tall guy and getting older so a good nights sleep is clutch. I built a drawer system for the back that the top is on the same plane as the rear seats when folded down. Got a roll up memory foam mattress. Its a full sized bed. And yes I am so haughty I also pack a down comforter and linen sheets with feather pillows. So when my friends are setting up their tents outside in the wind, rain, snow, sun, dust, rocks I'm already set up and dry with climate control. Huge fan of sleeping inside the rig. What ever setup you go with just try to keep it under a 5 minute set up. If it takes 30 minutes to pull everything out and rearrange it's not worth it.

 

[jacobfeuerman]

Great platform to start a build from! I am looking forward to see how it progresses.

 

[TWILLY]

Nice looking rig. The older I get, the more I like the look of stock-height 80s...

I run mine as a three-seater most of the time. You might consider building an elevated sleeping platform in the seatless section. You can store stuff beneath it, making camping better and faster (not having to re-arrange everything to sleep) and, by folding the front seat forward, it'd make the sleeping platform a bit longer.

It's good to think carefully now about priorities and how to allocate limited payload given your intended use. There may be tradeoffs between heavy items (bigger fuel tank [Nevada's to your west], bar work, roof rack) that make more sense for rock crawling than remote touring, and vice-versa.

 

[EP Knothead]

Thanks Guys i am still trying to get my plan laid out, i had a few different financial things happen that have postponed the build for a couple months atleast but im still trying to get it laid out in stages.

 

[Comet]

My end goals are to remain close to stock height, SLEE internal spare tire storage in rear, LRA 37 gallon main tank, sleeping platform to replace on of the rear seats (keep 3 occupant requirement and use the side that fits your physical build/size), second battery, refrigerator. Slide out kitchen under the sleeping platform. Use the ENORMOUS COST SAVINGS to baseline/maintain consumable items. More is less. My approach is not for everyone. Hell, I'm not for everyone either. With that being said, build it how it works for you. I have had many versions of my needs and noticed that my needs constantly changed.