New 80 owner from Devon

[Richard Turner]

Hi! Bought a Land Cruiser a couple of weeks ago and looking to pick up some tips and ideas.

My name: Richard Turner
My truck: FZJ80R 4.5 auto, 121k 1996
Mods: 12v socket in the back and some tie down points for a dinghy!
Plans: To use for towing heavy loads, trailers full of logs out of muddy fields, mechanics support van, luxury motorway cruiser, and hopefully some overland in the near future!
4x4 experience: I used to own a Daihatsu Fourtrak which although was a great truck it was like driving a sort of roadgoing tractor (not as bad as a Ninety though). Using Ninety and Ford Ranger for towing and tree chopping also.

I am a Heavy Goods mechanic so handy with spanners and welder, I wanted a petrol auto truck as I drive a lot of Diesel manual trucks at work and wanted something different. Pleased with my choice of truck she is very tidy inside and underneath and drivetrain but needs some work on the body.

And very slow electric windows!

 

[karl webster]

Welcome Richard.

Nice looking truck. I quite like the colour of these.

Many happy miles in front for you.

 

[clivehorridge]

Welcome aboard Richard, nice truck!

What was that you said about 90s?

I hope it wasn't a reference to LC 90s, you'll have the @Shayne posse on your back if it was .

 

[Shayne]

I know he's talking about an LR 90 Clive because its cost me a bloody fortune to turn my LC 90 into "a road going tractor" , i'd say that description only fits an 80 for someone who never spent any time at sea .

 

[Richard Turner]

Hi Karl, I didn't like the colour when I first started looking but soon was happy to broaden my range. There are not many LC80's for sale really are there? But you see quite a few about on the roads. Must be a good sign!

I quite like the colour now it seems easy to keep clean and should be easy enough to spray panels for it, not keen on metallics for this reason!

Clive it's the Green Oval nineteys I'm not keen on, a bit too agricultural really! I looked at Colorado but I really wanted all the locking diffs as I got stuck in a field fully loaded + trailer with logs in a Ford Ranger on road tyres last year, and don't want to repeat the experience!

 

[Ben Stratford]

Welcome to the Devon wing of the cruiser club Richard. Nice looking truck.
Ben ( newton abbot )

 

[karl webster]

We have a few 80s around mate.

Obviously we (the forum) have a fair few 80 owners on here.

You have to travel to buy an 80. Thinking we can buy one on the doorstep rarely happens with the right truck.

 

[Allchin]

Hi Richard,

Same color scheme as mine, though I went for a diesel. I also had slow windows and seems to be fairly common problem. Due to the age of the vehicle the rubbers seem to harden, cleaning and sparying silicone into the guides helped but replacing the rubbers is best solution.

Try www.amayama.com to buy genuine Toyota parts and can be purchased using paypal.

Stephen

 

[Gary820]

Welcome Richard, nice looking 80. Another petrol
We will take over from the oil burners

 

[chapel gate]

Nice truck. Welcome.

 

[Richard Turner]

Hi Ben, thanks,I like your truck very military looking! I work near Exeter and am often down Torbay area so will keep a look out for you!

Karl I have been looking at 80's for about a year, many when you checked the mot history seem like they are rough underneath which was handy as saved a lot of travelling. I saw one in Honiton about a month ago but when I inspected it it was on the edge of going over to oxide, nice bodywork but rough underneath and rough interior, also the owner had to put a watering can full of water in it as it was so low (only clean water in the rad so it had been like it a while) and it had a clattering from the top end and something in the bell housing when I stethoscope it.

This one has very good service history and I think I got a good price on it as it is Petrol no lpg (yet) and the chap had advertised it only on Facebook and had no enquiries. I think on Facebook it only lets you search a limited range and he was in Cornwall.

 

[Richard Turner]

Hi Stephen like your truck looks like a serious machine! I have tried cleaning the window rubbers with some success, and am going to try soaking them in wintergree oil which internet folklore suggests might rejuvenate rubber (we will see). Thanks for the link, I have some parts coming for my MR2 from that site, it is like a wonderland shop for toyota parts!

 

[Richard Turner]

Thanks Gary nothing like the noise of a nice straight 6 petrol, she is very quiet on the motorway too!

Thanks Chapel Gate!

 

[Bernese]

Hi Richard and welcome on board. I'm a relatively new member myself and would urge you to ask any and all questions you may have about your 80, it's a very knowledgeable and helpful group who have helped me along on nemerous occasions.. Nice truck by the way..

 

[Richard Turner]

Hello Bernese, thank you, everyone seems very friendly, have been looking at the overland section, some great projects on there, getting ideas for cupboards in my boot now!

 

[Gary820]

Thanks Gary nothing like the noise of a nice straight 6 petrol, she is very quiet on the motorway too!

Thanks Chapel Gate!

They do sound nice, can't say I remember the quiet bit though!! Smooth to drive and just cruise along.

As you've mentioned lpg, if you're going for a kit you need a good lubrication system, the valve seats can suffer and may as well start with a good kit.


There's an adjustment you can do to the ignition timing, gives a bit more go and mpg improves a little, I've found revs nicer but not sure how well it works with lpg.
I'm running 14 degrees advanced (9 in adjustment mode) but there's other things going on too.


Even if you don't adjust I'd add it to the check list when service it tbh. If towing a lot of might as well be running tip top.

Link says how to check and adjust if needed.
http://www.lcool.org/technical/80_series/timing.html

They like decent spark plugs, I just use genuine but lpg might need others. The plug leads might have gotten fragile over the years too.

Being a hgv man you know all about maintenance I'm sure.

Being petrol gives the advantage of more miles between oil changes, a nice big oil cooler for the gearbox too (handy for towing) if plan on a lot of miles it's worth insulating the trans tunnel/front floor sections for heat, left leg tends to get toasty.

 

[Richard Turner]

Hi Gary, thanks for the link about the ign timing, I will have a check and see what it is like, the running and mpg have been improving since I got it, after the first tank of Tesco fuel I have been running it on Shell now, and repaired a corroded coil electrode terminal and it runs very well. I want to get it running as well as can be on petrol before I get the lpg fitted. It had a B service at Toyota 20k ago so should have had the valve clearances adjusted but I wonder if it got done. It did have a full new exhaust system including cats and lambda probes (£4500 bill!) So that side of things should be good.

With your ignition 14 degree advanced is that with 98 or 95? I will try and tune mine for shell 95 as with the lpg it won't get used very quickly and I think high octane needs to be quite fresh to avoid pinking.

I have a deal with the lpg installer I am going to do all the donkey work of mounting, cable and pipe runs etc and he is going to do the flashy work with setting it up. It will have a flash lube system. The lpg guy recons you need to decrease the plug gap for the lpg about 10% so if I use plaitinums I will have to buy the correct plug because you can't re gap them. Going to pull mine out and check to see if they got done at the B service.

Read your garage thread earlier, love the truck and the work you have done on it (and that the PWR button is in on the odometer shots!)

 

[Gary820]

Sounds like it's been reasonably maintained which is a start. New exhaust must be genuine at that price, nice.
That's on 98 octane but will happily run 95 without issues, it does have a piggyback and the full exhaust which helps. Use 98 octane most of the time tbh.

Sounds a good deal for the lpg install which will make it cheaper.

The PWR button does seem to be pressed in often

 

[kingtom]

Hi Richard

Always nice to have more landcruiser and especially 80 owners in Devon

Welcome aboard. I am in Exeter

Tom

 

[StarCruiser]

Hi Richard and welcome. Looks like you've found a pretty good 80 there, it certainly looks good. It's going to be far more comfy, reliable, dry and powerful than your green oval. You'll wish you'd done this years ago once you get driving it.