bought myself an 80

[mike h]

I'm retiring my Pathfinder (well, selling it - hopefully it will have a long life of adventuring in someone elses hands) and moving into the realm of the 80 LC. After years of lurking, searching and learning about the 80, I bought the Bat Masterson Rig off the ih8mud board. Margaret and I flew from Bangor, Maine to DC and drove it back last week. We thoroughly enjoyed the surreal feeling of rolling along in the 80, but you folks all know that feeling well. We've taken it into the Maine woods a few times this week and I'm getting to used to piloting this much bulk on the trails. It's a solid rig, it's tight and well PM'd. Maine trails can get rough in a hurry, so I'm taking it easy until I can add sliders.

This rig had what I was looking for - a minimal suspension mod (Emu's), no roofrack, great PM history, and more than a few extras like the ARB, good rubber, a serious HAM radio I need to learn how to use - but most important was its history as a mudders truck.

1996 FZJ80 not-locked, Emu 861/862, ARB bumper, 285-75-16 Nitto Terra Grapplers, PIAA 520, Yaesu 7800R, just getting started...

 

[gillti]

Congrats Bro! nothing like wheeling in absolute comfort.:wings: :wings:

 

[Dirty Harry]

Nice choice. How many miles are on it and what do you have planned in the way of modifications?

 

[Desertdude]

That is an awesome 80 -


"Maine the way life should be"




:::

 

[mike h]

Nice choice. How many miles are on it and what do you have planned in the way of modifications?

132,000 miles and well PM'd. I ordered the PHH, but the first real mod will be sliders. Narrowed it down to Slee sidesteps or Hannah. I like the integrated cat skid in Hannah's design. Eventually I'll get all of Slee's undercarriage skids, and a M1200. Somewhere along that process I'll need to swap in heavier Emu coils.

Then, ARBs F/R and on-board air. Finish with a rear bumper - probably Hannah as well since I really dig the rear quarter nerfs. If I can gear up for a 30 day trip next year I'll get a halfrack, I really love the sunroof and don't want to cover it up. But it holds so much gear inside a rack is not high on my list.

More PM - it will need front axle service - there are no signs that they are going yet but we don't have a service record on that. And one always wonders about the HG.

But the beauty of the 80 is you don't really *need* to add anything to go farther than you've been before!

m.

 

[Dirty Harry]

132,000 miles and well PM'd. I ordered the PHH, but the first real mod will be sliders. Narrowed it down to Slee sidesteps or Hannah. I like the integrated cat skid in Hannah's design. Eventually I'll get all of Slee's undercarriage skids, and a M1200. Somewhere along that process I'll need to swap in heavier Emu coils.

Metal Tech makes nice sliders too, with provisions to mount an air tank. Might be worth looking in to.

Also, I think that the only skidplate Slee offers is for the t-case. Nothing for the tranny or gas tank or anything like Skid Row or Budbuilt offer. Iron Pig makes a really nice transfer case skidplate as well.

I agree about not need to do much. When I got my 80 I put a medium lift and 285 MT/Rs on it and drove the snot out of it all over the big island of Hawaii. Drawers, sliders, etc would have been nice but I was amazed how capable it already was.