SHORT STORY:
Hello. I bought BACruiser's Land Cruiser. I will post a lot and have a ton of questions.
LONG STORY:
After looking at several different 4WD options, I purchased Brandon's (BACruiser) in Mid August. I wasn't originally set on the 80, but when Brandon told me he would be selling his Land Cruiser soon (we work together) I was excited. The weeks ticked by and Brandon didn't mention the Cruiser again and the excitement slowly wore off. Besides, it was 17 years old, big, slow, and drank a LOT of gas. I didn't know much about them at all but convinced the wife we needed a 3rd 4WD vehicle for camping and backup (her Odyssey and my Maxima slip and slide at the mere sight of a mud puddle).
I spent a weekend looking at Jeep Grand Cherokee WJ's. IMO, it was the best looking JGC and the V8 option got up to 22 MPG on the hwy. I emailed a bunch of folks on Craigslist and had several hits. Stock JGC with 150K miles with unknown histories went for $4000 to $6000. After fixes, it would still need a lift kit, real tires, and a front drive shaft to make it offroad capable. The V8 was notorious for letting out the magic smoke before the 4.0L but was more powerful and fuel efficient. Out of all the emails, I was only able to meetup with one seller. From a distance, it didn't look bad. Upon closer inspection, it was a piece of s***! There were major mechanical issues with the transmission, an exhaust leak, an interior door panel that would stay on, the 4WD didn't work, there was a odd smell from the exhaust, and the seller wouldn't let me drive it more than 50 yards in his trailer park. Even when he dropped $1000 off the price, I knew it would have been a money pit.
This lead me back to the Cruiser. Sure it was 17 years old, big, slow, and drank a LOT of gas BUT it was built like a tank, the engine was just getting warmed up at 150K miles, and it was more than capable offroad. The best part is that Brandon had done the hard work for me: FOR lift kit, 35" tires, fenders removed, aftermarket stereo, new plugs, brakes bled, OME stablizer, CB, and best of all front and rear lockers. Brandon was driving it and that meant this was a turn-key purchase. I could buy it and drive it straight to Uwharrie.
Brandon brought the Cruiser to work and I got my first test drive. Climbing into the Cruiser was difficult but the seats were comfortable. The AC was questionable (belt broke) so we had to roll down the windows. What sealed the deal was when I leaned my arm on the top of the door. It was immediately comfortable and I felt like I was at home. SOLD. I confirmed that everything locked up (safely) but other than that I didn't care about any other problems. I will fix them. I must have this vehicle. Later that day, it was determined the compressor was shot. It would be 655 AC for a bit.
Soo... here I am. Jonathan Jones of Holly Springs and a proud owner of a used Cruiser. I have a wife, a 6 yr old daughter, and 3 year old son. We are looking for a beagle to add to the family. I have too many hobbies and talents and tend to do everything myself since I am just cheap. The short list: computers, linux, mountain biking, LED lights, home improvements, CAD, photography, hair cutting, home theater... I will always attempt a project myself before giving into professional help. I was a Maxima fanatic for few years but quickly accepted the limits of the platform as a performance car. I dumped my free time into mountain biking and had very expensive full-suspension XC bike. I converted to a rigid 29" SS bike and although I still love biking, I am just not into all the latest shiny bits and bling anymore.
This is my first time with a offroad vehicle of this caliber. I have seen some of the videos online and I am amazed a HEAVY vehicle like the Cruiser can lumber up some of the roughest terrain. We hope to take the Cruiser to Uwharrie and west as well as the OBX and Fort Fisher. It will spend most of its time in the driveway and come out of the weekend. I still need to replace the compressor (fourtrax has offered to help), install rock slider that Brandon and Eric built, relocate an o2 sensor, possibly install a 1" body lift, identify the shifting clunk from the front drivers side axle, cut down the rear passenger side spring some more to level out the rear, paint the roof white, paint the hood black, possibly design and build a bumper, identify and fix an oil leak, replace a seal on the rear diff, install a radio antenna, clean the rear window tracks, speedo correction gear, and build storage for the rear.
You don't have to convince me that the Cruiser will be a money pit. I already know that. But, it will also reward us with years of fun for me and the family. I can finally start hitting some of the power line trails that I have seen on the sides of the road.
Pictures of the ride:
IMG_9615 by
jon_jones799, on Flickr
IMG_9589 by
jon_jones799, on Flickr
IMG_9616 by
jon_jones799, on Flickr
