What do you think of my build so far???

[nicholas]

This is the first EXO I have seen on an 80. I'm looking forward to seeing the end result and how it performs on the trails.

Please don't remind me of the Blueberry. I loved that truck and I am sad I didn't have the cash to buy it at the time.

 

[Farr off road]

Yes the BB was very SWEET!

 

[Farr off road]

Almost done with the exo

Here's my resinater guard/slider.

Here's the drivers side guard/slider.

This is how good you can expect to be treated w/Scott at Get Bent Motorsports...his welding blanket was unable to keep one big welding spark off the windshield and that spark caused the glass to crack just a little bit! Scott didn't even call me he just replaced it!!! Scott is a great guy and he is doing a great job! Many thanks!

That's the glass man and my windshield after her started pushing it out! The original crack was only about 14" long.

I don't have a pic right now of the new windshield but it is in!!!



I have decided for now not to put the removable bars in! I think they will be in my way more than they will be needed!




So now it's time to paint!!!

 

[Farr off road]

I am having troulble with the paint! I wanted to paint the exo yellow but to paint it with a brush didn't look good with all the brush marks. The spray can paint was getting all over the 80 and running real bad! So I am going with the Hammered Silver paint and brushing it on. It's an oil based paint that goes on thick and with the hammered texture you don't notice the brush marks so bad.

The bad thing now is it's dark when I get off work and I have to have this done by Wednesday night because after work Thursday we are leaving for the annual Hump n Bump trail ride in Logandale, NV! I don't have any where with good lighting to paint at night! Any body in Vegas have a place I could paint it at?

 

[Greg W]

What matters most is that you like it and it works for you. maybe it's the angle of the pictures, but I'd rather see the exo tighter to the body and follow the lines of the body more. looking forward to a trail report with pictures to see how well it worked for you on the trail.

cheers

 

[millatruse]

Well it has come a long way..and it looks great. More importantly it covers your personal needs, and is the way you want it.! congrats, and good luck w/the paint.

 

[Farr off road]

What matters most is that you like it and it works for you. maybe it's the angle of the pictures, but I'd rather see the exo tighter to the body and follow the lines of the body more. looking forward to a trail report with pictures to see how well it worked for you on the trail.

cheers

Yeah there are some things I don't like too....the main thing I am not real thrilled about is how the top comes together! I didn't have time to actually work real close with Scott while he did that part. We talked about it but it turned out alot different than I had invisioned! I/we were under a lot of time pressure to get this all done before the Hump n Bump ride other wise some things would have been different. The really bad thing is tubing is REALLY EXPENSIVE!!!! So you can't make to many mistakes or it gets costly quick! I may redo some things later, right now I just have to get it painted and ready for the trail by Thursday!

 

[Farr off road]

I do believe my exo would have spared me this damage!;p

 

[PKP80]

Let me first state that to each is his own, BUT if you are planning on wheeling that hard the several hundred pounds of tubing you just added is definitely not going to help, when you flop it's safety on the inside that you want (as I've learned), and the spacing between your tubes might be prone to getting you wedged in. body panels are replaceable and your single bar across the fender to your slider was all you needed if you ask me, but best of luck. Look forward to seeing it in action.

 

[Farr off road]

Let me first state that to each is his own, BUT if you are planning on wheeling that hard the several hundred pounds of tubing you just added is definitely not going to help, when you flop it's safety on the inside that you want (as I've learned), and the spacing between your tubes might be prone to getting you wedged in. body panels are replaceable and your single bar across the fender to your slider was all you needed if you ask me, but best of luck. Look forward to seeing it in action.

I really can't believe I'm catching flack about the exo! I have managed a 4x4 custom fab shop and I have seen guys roll with exo's and with out! The ones with exo's ALWAYS come out better!!! I guess here on Mud it's just so "out side the box" that we don't want to consider that it could be a REALLY good thing but if you go on more hard core sites like Pirate 4x4, it's quite comon and desirable! And I know the other part is our Land Cruiser's are so beautiful that we don't want to conceal a single curve! And your right PKP80 body panels are replaceable but in my experiance (and I have had lot's of body damage over the years) after a wreck the body panels don't ever line up right again! Not to mention if you do a real number on one like this guy did you have to hack the whole top off and start over!

You can't tell me that a good exo cage wouldn't have saved this 80 from the cutting torch!;p

 

[Farr off road]

All done for now!!! I am going wheeling this week and I will keep updating this thread with new pics!

Whether you like the exo or not one thing I have found is very cool....in traffic people get out of your way!!!

 

[LUV24BY]

Is it going to be tough getting it clean between the body and the tubes? Say you go out muddin, or get it muddy - can you fit a hand between those spaces?

Just curious!

John

 

[Farr off road]

Is it going to be tough getting it clean between the body and the tubes? Say you go out muddin, or get it muddy - can you fit a hand between those spaces?

Just curious!

John

Most of the tubes no prob! There are a few that only a rag would work! I'm not to concerned about that because ih8mud anyway! I'm from GA and I got all the mud I could ever want there!

 

[sandcruiser]

congrats on getting it done!

Don't take this the wrong way: but I almost want you to go out n roll it, just to see how well it holds up. Almost.

 

[Farr off road]

congrats on getting it done!

Don't take this the wrong way: but I almost want you to go out n roll it, just to see how well it holds up. Almost.

Thanks!

I know what you mean, just to hush all the nay sayers but hopefully that never happens!

 

[sandcruiser]

I confess that I would expect to see some carnage, but that cage has got to keep you safer than nothing at all.

 

[Farr off road]

I confess that I would expect to see some carnage, but that cage has got to keep you safer than nothing at all.

Exactly! This cage will greatly slow down the inertia of any flip or flop!

 

[concretejungle]

i don't think it's too out of the box or hardcore for mud. I just think many have started down that road and found that it's not the best option for hardcore wheeling. If you want to hard core wheel an 80, you trim it down, lighten it up, or just bash it up.

I think the added safety and durability of your rig to "normal" wheeling will be improved with the exo. I am not bashing it at all. I personally wouldn't do it, but hey, it looks cool and you like it, so that's what matters.

 

[Farr off road]

i don't think it's too out of the box or hardcore for mud. I just think many have started down that road and found that it's not the best option for hardcore wheeling. If you want to hard core wheel an 80, you trim it down, lighten it up, or just bash it up.

I think the added safety and durability of your rig to "normal" wheeling will be improved with the exo. I am not bashing it at all. I personally wouldn't do it, but hey, it looks cool and you like it, so that's what matters.

Yeah that's cool but from the feed back I've had no one has ever really done this on an 80. From the figures I have we have only added about 200lbs, that's bumpers sliders and cage! Maybe at the VERY VERY most 300lbs! You can add up that much wieght with a front ARB, rear ARB with swing out, sliders and roof rack (if not over 300lbs!)...everybody seems to be going that route with no complaints...oh I didn't mention that I shortened the rear frame and cut off that big frame cross member back there...that had to be a 20-30lb wieght loss right there!!!

Well I guess I will just have to try it out and see for myself. Who knows I may end up cutting it off or I may find that was the best thing I have ever done!

I'll be hit'n the trails in a couple of days and we shall see how she does....can't wait, it's in the same area as my avitar pic!...very

 

[FJ40Steve]

Looks good

Roy,
The exo cage looks good. I am looking forward to seeing it at the Hump and Bump.
See ya,
Steve