What Did You Do with Your 80 This Weekend? (16 Viewers)

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While I fully realize and expect to get a fraction back from what I've put into the rig, its a rough call to make both financial and emotionally.

Your 80 is just about fully depreciated. Even if you just put a sheet over it and let it sit, it will be worth more tomorrow than it is today.

While you will likely never see all of your money, you will probably get more later. Hang onto it. Once you make the decision to sell you can't undo that, you can always decide later on to sell it if you want to.
 
@Fj81
Took roof rack off.. now I gotta close up the holes for mean while. So the headliner had to come off. Its filthy, I am thinking maybe replace or recover .. has anyone made a custom one?
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For the mean time I will ride around without it. Now I have room to run cables and stuff to the back!

On a hot sunny day, lay it flat and drench it liberally with Simple Green. Let soak for 30 minutes and then rinse thoroughly with the garden hose. Allow it to dry before moving it.
 
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I have regretted every decent vehicle that I have sold. I am one of the lucky ones that has a wife that never wants me to sell a vehicle no matter what. Drain the fluids that need draining, cover it and forget about for a year or two. You will want it again. And what is this nonsense about having to have some offroad adventure in order to drive it? You have kids! Ask them which one they wanna go in.

Back in 2003 I had my 92, which was pretty well worn, a brand new 2003 100 Series, a brand new 2003 Mercedes S55 , and my 2001 Tacoma pickup I drove for work. My kids were 2&5. We were leaving to go get pizza and I asked the kids which car we should take. They responded with "cool truck! Cool truck!" So, I proceeded to open the door to the 100 Series that had DVD Screens in the head rest figuring that is what they meant by "cool truck". I was wrong. My daughter (5 yrs old) said "uh, no dad, the cool truck!" And pointed at my 92. It didn't have a stereo that worked. It didn't have AC that worked. I said ok and asked her why this is the cool truck. She said "because mommy said we can get ice cream and eat it in the car if we take LC!"

A few weeks later I quit my job working 80 hrs a week.

"Cool truck" is relative. To some it means leather, big wheels, DVD players, etc. To some it means taking the kids on weekend getaways in the mountains. To others it means eating ice cream in it.

Do what you gotta do but we will all say "I told you so" if you sell it and subsequently regret it.
 
Back in 2003 I had my 92, which was pretty well worn, a brand new 2003 100 Series, a brand new 2003 Mercedes S55 , and my 2001 Tacoma pickup I drove for work. My kids were 2&5. We were leaving to go get pizza and I asked the kids which car we should take. They responded with "cool truck! Cool truck!" So, I proceeded to open the door to the 100 Series that had DVD Screens in the head rest figuring that is what they meant by "cool truck". I was wrong. My daughter (5 yrs old) said "uh, no dad, the cool truck!" And pointed at my 92. It didn't have a stereo that worked. It didn't have AC that worked. I said ok and asked her why this is the cool truck. She said "because mommy said we can get ice cream and eat it in the car if we take LC!"

A few weeks later I quit my job working 80 hrs a week.

"Cool truck" is relative. To some it means leather, big wheels, DVD players, etc. To some it means taking the kids on weekend getaways in the mountains. To others it means eating ice cream in it.

Do what you gotta do but we will all say "I told you so" if you sell it and subsequently regret it.

This story right here just about got me choked up.

My daughter now 13 (going on 23) keeps telling me just how upset she would be if I ever sold "Moby"...

Thank you everyone, not sure it you've helped or just made this whole thing that much more difficult :p

-Matt
 
So over the last few months I've gone back and forth with if I could ever bring myself to post this...

I've been spending a few hours here, a few hours there trying to remember all the "Mods" I've done on my rig since I bought it in 2003. 14yrs is a LONG TIME.

Back then I wasn't as smart as Jose in his documentation and build thread over the years. And so now I'm faced with sitting in the garage and staring endlessly at the rig to recall all the things I've done in the last 14 or so years of ownership... That in and of itself is an emotional ride as i lay beneath the beast.

I'm currently on page 4 of my excel file, where I hope to link all the mods and $$$

To this end, and this is where it gets painful... I'm considering passing the torch onto someone else :-( See I always since day one had a vision of what this truck would be. Several others have been there and done it ahead of me and lapped me. Diesel, 40's, 3link.... blah blah blah.

Perhaps it was when I turned another year older and stepped into my (mid life) this year and had to come to terms with reality. And the cold hard fact that we as a family, and I as a man with seemingly more and more responsibilities with each day just don't use the rig the way it was built to be used. And might not ever.

I'm ashamed to say most of the last two years the rig has sat in the garage on a battery tender, and that breaks my heart ever time I open the garage door.

And so I'm left with a decision. One that some might relate to and or know all to well.

While I fully realize and expect to get a fraction back from what I've put into the rig, its a rough call to make both financial and emotionally.

All that said, I suppose I just needed a "mud shoulder" to cry on... If anyone is looking for one heck of a build platform stay tuned. I might have just what you need.

-A

Time to convert it to "Garage art" is better than watching somebody ruin what you built at a fraction of the monies you put into it.

As for mid-life I have been thought it several times and most likely do it again.:D It mean you go out and buy something that does not make financial sense but makes you feel good:meh: It just part of getting older:popcorn:
 
This story right here just about got me choked up.

My daughter now 13 (going on 23) keeps telling me just how upset she would be if I ever sold "Moby"...

Thank you everyone, not sure it you've helped or just made this whole thing that much more difficult :p

-Matt


For my Mid-Life-..... My son and I dragged out the Studebaker and got it running again...together. He has since put in a TON of time in it and he loves to drive it. Since then, we built a 70 Chevy K2500 GMC for him...mostly him, but together.

Now I get to drive my Stude every day if I want. The kids love going out in it and surprisingly don't get bored hearing me repeat the same old stories to a new set of listeners at whatever gas station or restaurant we stop at. The wife doesn't care for it as much because it blows her hair around and she prefers the comfort of AC. Fine.....I'll drive with MY music, by myself, or with the boys, and we'll go cruisin!

Our oldest son started learning on my LC.

Maybe your kids can do the same. Use it as a teaching tool. Show them how to break it and how to fix it, as well as maintain it.

*Edit:*
BTW....My Stude sat in my garage for 31 years before we got it going again!
 
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This story right here just about got me choked up.

My daughter now 13 (going on 23) keeps telling me just how upset she would be if I ever sold "Moby"...

Thank you everyone, not sure it you've helped or just made this whole thing that much more difficult :p

-Matt

I know we've been talking about this via text message for a few weeks, but like I and everybody else has said, KEEP IT. On a fully depreciated, paid off old truck with lots of aftermarket parts, the only reason to get rid of it should be get yourself out of a serious financial situation. If it's not costing you anything to keep garaged on a battery charger aside from feeling remorse, KEEP IT.

Once a car guy, always a car guy. Life changes, priorities change, things happen but the bug will always be there. You may not be interested the truck right now. Or next year. Or the year after that. But it will strike again. You will hate yourself for ever getting rid of it. And it will hurt even more when you start from scratch on the next project and you remember how much you lost on the first one.

You will never hear a guy say he regretted hanging onto a certain vehicle for all these years. But time and again you will hear guys say how they regret letting go of that one special car.

Don't do it.
 
This just happened.... 4 days in the Eastern Sierra fly fishing...LX-450 ran flawless ;)

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Got some fresh snow as well
 
Rookie mistake. I literally threw the 'Cruiser on jackstands and brought the wheels in separately because I didn't trust them to not over torque the lug nuts.
Well truth be told that’s what’s I usually do. My other vehicle however is down at the moment for a clutch.
 
Rookie mistake. I literally threw the 'Cruiser on jackstands and brought the wheels in separately because I didn't trust them to not over torque the lug nuts.
Dang it! Never thought of doing that. That is what I will be doing now too. Maybe a way to get by Costco?
 
This story right here just about got me choked up.

My daughter now 13 (going on 23) keeps telling me just how upset she would be if I ever sold "Moby"...

Thank you everyone, not sure it you've helped or just made this whole thing that much more difficult :p

-Matt

If that isn't enough for you, how about this:

My now 19 year old daughter and I are half way in to our two week vacation together. We started out in Iceland last Saturday. We were there for four days. Saw hundreds of Land Cruisers. After the first day she started pointing them out "Dad, there's an 80! Dad, there's a 100! Dad, there's a 150! Dad, check out the 70 series!" Three days of her pointing out Land Cruisers. She would even mock the IFS Land Cruisers for not being solid axle! I mean, seriously, I don't know if I've ever been more proud!

We left for Paris and have been here for 3 days. We leave for Amsterdam in the morning. Tonight she said "We didn't see a single Land Cruiser in Paris! The French are lame!"

We were discussing what we liked about Iceland and Paris. Weighing the pros and cons. She said, "Iceland is expensive! But more relaxing and chill. More like a vacation than Paris. Plus there are Land Cruisers everywhere so you know the people are smart!"

I know it is "just a car" to most people but her whole life there has been a Land Cruiser (or 3-4) around. She was brought home in a Land Cruiser. She learned to drive in a Land Cruiser. She's been on countless vacations in LC (the name she gave my 92 when she was 2-3 years old).

I could go on and on and on.

If you don't need the money don't sell it. You will regret it.

Besides, you don't want to let your daughter down! :cry:
 
So over the last few months I've gone back and forth with if I could ever bring myself to post this...

I've been spending a few hours here, a few hours there trying to remember all the "Mods" I've done on my rig since I bought it in 2003. 14yrs is a LONG TIME.

Back then I wasn't as smart as Jose in his documentation and build thread over the years. And so now I'm faced with sitting in the garage and staring endlessly at the rig to recall all the things I've done in the last 14 or so years of ownership... That in and of itself is an emotional ride as i lay beneath the beast.

I'm currently on page 4 of my excel file, where I hope to link all the mods and $$$

To this end, and this is where it gets painful... I'm considering passing the torch onto someone else :-( See I always since day one had a vision of what this truck would be. Several others have been there and done it ahead of me and lapped me. Diesel, 40's, 3link.... blah blah blah.

Perhaps it was when I turned another year older and stepped into my (mid life) this year and had to come to terms with reality. And the cold hard fact that we as a family, and I as a man with seemingly more and more responsibilities with each day just don't use the rig the way it was built to be used. And might not ever.

I'm ashamed to say most of the last two years the rig has sat in the garage on a battery tender, and that breaks my heart ever time I open the garage door.

And so I'm left with a decision. One that some might relate to and or know all to well.

While I fully realize and expect to get a fraction back from what I've put into the rig, its a rough call to make both financial and emotionally.

All that said, I suppose I just needed a "mud shoulder" to cry on... If anyone is looking for one heck of a build platform stay tuned. I might have just what you need.

-A

DON'T DO IT.

You will regret it.

I just went through the same predicament with my fj55. I sold it and I regret it. I convinced myself it was the right thing to do and it made sense at this point in my life, but there's more to it than being practical.

If you have any attachment or bond to it, it will hurt when you let it go, and you'll be kicking yourself.
 
So over the last few months I've gone back and forth with if I could ever bring myself to post this...

I've been spending a few hours here, a few hours there trying to remember all the "Mods" I've done on my rig since I bought it in 2003. 14yrs is a LONG TIME.

Back then I wasn't as smart as Jose in his documentation and build thread over the years. And so now I'm faced with sitting in the garage and staring endlessly at the rig to recall all the things I've done in the last 14 or so years of ownership... That in and of itself is an emotional ride as i lay beneath the beast.

I'm currently on page 4 of my excel file, where I hope to link all the mods and $$$

To this end, and this is where it gets painful... I'm considering passing the torch onto someone else :-( See I always since day one had a vision of what this truck would be. Several others have been there and done it ahead of me and lapped me. Diesel, 40's, 3link.... blah blah blah.

Perhaps it was when I turned another year older and stepped into my (mid life) this year and had to come to terms with reality. And the cold hard fact that we as a family, and I as a man with seemingly more and more responsibilities with each day just don't use the rig the way it was built to be used. And might not ever.

I'm ashamed to say most of the last two years the rig has sat in the garage on a battery tender, and that breaks my heart ever time I open the garage door.

And so I'm left with a decision. One that some might relate to and or know all to well.

While I fully realize and expect to get a fraction back from what I've put into the rig, its a rough call to make both financial and emotionally.

All that said, I suppose I just needed a "mud shoulder" to cry on... If anyone is looking for one heck of a build platform stay tuned. I might have just what you need.

-A
Keep it. Trust me, you will never get any financial equal for the mods/effort put into it. I thought about getting rid of mine towards money down for a house and my wife just stared at me before talking me down when I proposed it. Park whatever you DD and run the LC for awhile, you'll come to your senses. :) I have to DD mine but I can drive the wife's or the boy's truck. If I had the option to get another DD, I'd be in your boat in regards to when I should use it. I keep myself out of that boat happily by being poor. :p
 
Finally got around to installing the @reevesci anchor points...beef!
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I haven't posted in the 80 section in a while, I purchased a 200 a couple of years ago and that has been the focus. But I finally got around to giving my long neglected 80 some attention.

R&R'd the hood struts, got the Tora struts from Trail Tailor. No more stick propping open the hood, thank you @reevesci

LOF, checked the brakes, rotated the tires. Ordered the seat fix gears from gamiviti @nakman

I still have a box of parts ordered years ago that I never installed. PHH Gates fix, and other Gates hoses, tune up parts, steering wheel column/firewall gasket, new powered antenna mast, etc.

Even with the "to do" list ever growing I still like driving the 80, a lot. :cheers:
 

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