Contributor III
- 327
- First Name
- Max
- Last Name
- Fairchild
- Member #
-
29574
- Service Branch
- USMC & US Army N.G.
I have four 80 Series Land Cruisers, but this is the one I am making into an Overland Vehicle. I've always wanted the Moon Glow Pearl exterior with the grey interior, but never could find one in decent condition. Then this caught my radar on Craigslist about 3 hours away at a dealership. They had just posted it and were asking $5k for it and it had a clean Carfax with no wrecks. The problem was, that it was 1030 pm when they posted it and the dealership was not open. I started calling the dealership at 730 am (opened at 8 am) and about 750 am I got a salesman to pick up the phone. I ended up buying it sight unseen for $5k and it came up to about $5,600 after tax/licensing and other fees. The vehicle had 5 new tires, is straight, all the numbers matched up on the body, doors, hood, tailgate, engine, head, etc..., but needs a new paint job. The back upper hatch had some significant rust and there was a little surface rust in the rear cargo area. The back cargo area grey carpet was there, but in bad shape. Broken driver side mirror, but the shell was not damaged, it just fell apart and no mirror:( The engine had 280k on it, but I could tell someone had been redoing it. It had gobs of power and wasn't burning oil and there was also no oil leaks. Drove it home the three hours with no issues, but then it just sat there for almost two years.
Last year I pulled the complete interior out and restored the dash and all the gauges. Took the side steps, roof rack off and a ridiculous Lund sun-visor that went over the windshield. About a month ago started preventive maintenance on the engine. I had planned to put a 3 inch Dobinson/King lift on it, but they didn't have the parts in stock. Due to the fact this vehicle is going to be set up as a two person Overlander with one passenger seat as a backup, we went with the PullKitchen (I know.. the cart before the horse). I also put on a Rhino Racks 4 bar roof rack system and purchased a Bush Company Alpha tent (went full retard). Everything else on this vehicle is stock. As it sits, I probably have a little over $16k into it. Not bad for a completely functional 4x4 that you can camp in:)
Our maiden voyage in it was to Bend Oregon to pick up the rooftop tent about a month ago. Ran great going down, but started getting the low oil level light on the way home. Checked the oil and nothing was wrong with it, I'm guessing it needs a new sensor. Then the exhaust blew out about an hour later right before the CAT. Come to find out the CAT was plugged. Ended up fixing that and no problems ever since. Actually... last week we took it to Glacier National Park in Montana and went on the "Road to the Sun" from the west entrance to Logan's Pass and then dropped down to the east side of the park. We then went back around the south side side of the park and then west through Northern Montana and Northern Idaho and Northern Washington and then drove home. Probably a good 1,500 miles. Engine and transmission runs strong, but it isn't fast by any means. 60-65 on the highways just mobbing along. Taking it to the Washington coast here in a few days.
Future upgrades... Definitely need a 2.5 to 3 inch heavy duty suspension lift (you can see it sagging in the back). Haven't decided on if I'm going to put on 33's or 35's yet. I have 33's on two of my other rigs and they have been great. Sliders are going on after that. Front bumper at some point with a winch. etc.... Paint job will probably be last. Something like a Matte Grey. Thought about the bed liner type paint or even the original Moon Glow Pearl, but it is an off-road vehicle. It will get pin stripping and dings and dents. Bed liners like Raptor Liner is hard to do repairs on, regular paint will get totally wrecked in time and hard to match.
Last year I pulled the complete interior out and restored the dash and all the gauges. Took the side steps, roof rack off and a ridiculous Lund sun-visor that went over the windshield. About a month ago started preventive maintenance on the engine. I had planned to put a 3 inch Dobinson/King lift on it, but they didn't have the parts in stock. Due to the fact this vehicle is going to be set up as a two person Overlander with one passenger seat as a backup, we went with the PullKitchen (I know.. the cart before the horse). I also put on a Rhino Racks 4 bar roof rack system and purchased a Bush Company Alpha tent (went full retard). Everything else on this vehicle is stock. As it sits, I probably have a little over $16k into it. Not bad for a completely functional 4x4 that you can camp in:)
Our maiden voyage in it was to Bend Oregon to pick up the rooftop tent about a month ago. Ran great going down, but started getting the low oil level light on the way home. Checked the oil and nothing was wrong with it, I'm guessing it needs a new sensor. Then the exhaust blew out about an hour later right before the CAT. Come to find out the CAT was plugged. Ended up fixing that and no problems ever since. Actually... last week we took it to Glacier National Park in Montana and went on the "Road to the Sun" from the west entrance to Logan's Pass and then dropped down to the east side of the park. We then went back around the south side side of the park and then west through Northern Montana and Northern Idaho and Northern Washington and then drove home. Probably a good 1,500 miles. Engine and transmission runs strong, but it isn't fast by any means. 60-65 on the highways just mobbing along. Taking it to the Washington coast here in a few days.
Future upgrades... Definitely need a 2.5 to 3 inch heavy duty suspension lift (you can see it sagging in the back). Haven't decided on if I'm going to put on 33's or 35's yet. I have 33's on two of my other rigs and they have been great. Sliders are going on after that. Front bumper at some point with a winch. etc.... Paint job will probably be last. Something like a Matte Grey. Thought about the bed liner type paint or even the original Moon Glow Pearl, but it is an off-road vehicle. It will get pin stripping and dings and dents. Bed liners like Raptor Liner is hard to do repairs on, regular paint will get totally wrecked in time and hard to match.
