I love my 80

[upcruiser]

Gas prices be damn...

I did a trip this weekend and had one of those moments of clarity. I did a 350 mile trip with a large portion of that off the beaten path. I haven't really taken it out much this year due to work travel and building my new garage so this was my first real outing of the season for it sadly enough. Why do I profess my love?

After climbing up a rocky, peanut buttery climb to an overlook, driving with the windows down and the moonroof open along the breaking surf of Lake Superior, going through a couple of hood deep water crossings, sheltering me from the most intense swarm of biting flies ever conceived with a breezy dinner and reading in the back of the rig at my campsite (thanks screen windows!), happily chugging along down trail after trail with no complaints, blasting over dunes like I was crossing the Saharan desert, being my mobile picnick table at countless beaches and overooks, bringing my bike and kayak to play, then returning me back home on the highway in comfort listening to good music, it just does it all for me. It all just kind of dawned on me as the sun was streaking down between the clouds and I was bumping along down a dirt trail, kind of lost but happy, how great of a day it was to be alive and adventuring. I definately need to just do more of that kind of thing.

I know I'm not alone, you guys know what I'm talking about?

 

[kcowyo]

I'm in a different (60) choir but we're singing the same tune. You just said it better than most.

:beer:

 

[Pskhaat]

Just did a 7000+ mile trip with 5 of us and a LOT of stuff in our 80 (pushing the 864s to the absolute limit). Other than mileage and speed, nothing to complain about and an absolute joy to drive. Dunes, dirt roads on high- and low-altitude, high-winds, 20 deg F -> 115 deg F, 5% -> 100% humidity, highway, lake waters, flood waters, and a few too many nights in the worst flooded mosquito-infested American Midwest you could imagine whilst (for you KC) safely escorting 3 screeming wee ones across this land. It plain-out does the job with a smile.

 

[kcowyo]

How are the acoustics in an 80, pskhaat?


:violent-smiley-031:

 

[Pskhaat]

How are the acoustics in an 80

What's that? I can't hear you?

 

[blupaddler]

Tis true...

I have been contemplating selling my 80 lately partly b/c of gas prices, and to get a diesel 60 or Troopy. But every time I go to take her for a drive, I can't help but smile. Part of it may be the many, many memories. But an 80 brings comfort, durability and reliability all in one great, albeit large and boxy, package.

I might just have to go out and take her for a spin today...
:clapsmile

 

[upcruiser]

I'm in a different (60) choir but we're singing the same tune. You just said it better than most.

:beer:

Yeah, the thread really wasn't specifically about the 80 as much as finding that zen-like, blissful feeling when everything just clicks.

 

[upcruiser]

Just did a 7000+ mile trip with 5 of us and a LOT of stuff in our 80 (pushing the 864s to the absolute limit). Other than mileage and speed, nothing to complain about and an absolute joy to drive. Dunes, dirt roads on high- and low-altitude, high-winds, 20 deg F -> 115 deg F, 5% -> 100% humidity, highway, lake waters, flood waters, and a few too many nights in the worst flooded mosquito-infested American Midwest you could imagine whilst (for you KC) safely escorting 3 screeming wee ones across this land. It plain-out does the job with a smile.

Scott, you came out to the midwest?

 

[upcruiser]

Tis true...

I have been contemplating selling my 80 lately partly b/c of gas prices, and to get a diesel 60 or Troopy. But every time I go to take her for a drive, I can't help but smile. Part of it may be the many, many memories. But an 80 brings comfort, durability and reliability all in one great, albeit large and boxy, package.

I might just have to go out and take her for a spin today...
:clapsmile

I've been in the same boat but I'm pretty much sold on the fact of keeping it forever. I don't really need anything else. I might tweak this or that or want to do an engine/tranny conversion someday but its got a ton of life in it still and the odometer read 197,000 miles and thats with having an uncorrected speedo for the 33's since 110,000 miles. I think I'm going to do a compression check on it this summer just for fun to see what it reads.

 

[Pskhaat]

Scott, you came out to the midwest?

Aye, was in Wisconsin (from where my wife hails). Was hoping to make it further ``Up Nort'' but didn't get an opportunity.

 

[adventureduo]

We love our 80 so much, that we were offered my "shoot it's not for sale, but i'll sell it right now for that" purchase price a few weeks ago and still turned it down. Now thats pretty bad! I could have built a whole new setup!