The White Whale - '97 FZJ80 build

[riffman12]

I'll use this thread to document my slow build. My plan is to build an overland rig that I can still drive daily. Nothing too crazy but I want it baselined and capable while still being comfortable enough to get to work.

Here's when I first bought the rig. 155k miles. Solid maintenance records. No lockers, but really clean interior and overall in great shape:

 

[riffman12]

First things first I did some maintenance:

- New Thermostat and coolant flush
- New heater valve
- PHH long hose
- Oil / filter Change
- new plugs and wires
- distributor cap
- tightened the front wheel bearings


Then I got to tackling my factory roof rack removal:

All so I could mount my new-to-me Baja Expedition Rack. Bought it used for a really good price. It just a little surface rust so I'll be getting it powder coated soon:

 

[riffman12]

Then the nice Fed Ex man dropped these on my front porch. New Falken Wildpeak AT3W 285/75/16:

I'm having them mounted to the wheels you also see in the picture. Having them powder coated beforehand. Pics to come


Next weekend I'll be spending the afternoon in the garage with a orbital buffer, a clay bar, some compound, polish, and paint sealer. If you've noticed, my single stage white paint looks like old lawn furniture. It also absorbs the grease from my hands. Hoping i can get some shine back!

Stay tuned as I try and clean this thing up a bit.

 

[VCeXpedition]

045 White = Old Lawn Furniture... , pretty accurate.

Looking forward to see this progress.

 

[riffman12]

it's been a long week! After getting the new wheels powder coated and the new tires on, I had to do a full detail. My paint has been in decent shape since I got the truck, but it was totally flat and rough to the touch. It almost felt like a chalk board. If my hands were grimy, the paint would eat the dirt and it would be impossible to get off. Absolutely no paint protection.

After about 6 hours with a clay bar, an orbital buffer, polishing compound, finishing polish, and wax: this was the result:

I should have taken more pictures during the process, but the results were night and day. My paint is shiny, and glossy to the touch like it's supposed to be! It also has a nice thick coat of sealant to protect fro whatever I throw at it. If you have a white FZJ80 with single stage paint and your shine has long gone, then this is a must! I'm happy to put up details of the products I used if anyone is interested.

After the detail, I obviously had to go and get the cruiser dirty, so a buddy and I headed to Knoxville OHV between Lake Beryessa and Clear Lake. Perfect time of year to go. Still lush and green with tons of wildflowers. Highly recommended if you're near the SF Bay Area:

I was VERY impressed with these new Falkens. Great road manners but they bite great in the California rock/dirt. They're load E so I run them at 42 psi. Aired down to 25 they are very pliable. Any still really aggressive looking. For $600 + mounting, I am very happy:

 

[riffman12]

Mounted my Tepui Kukenam Ruggedized last night. Really excited to test it out this weekend:

I had to mount the front brackets on the skinny cross bars of my baja rack. Planningto get some longer brackets soon so I can straddle 2 bars at once. Seems to be solid after several freeway trips though. Rear brackets are clamped to the thick cross bar:

Pretty soon I'm going to need some beefier springs in the back to handle this weight!

 

[riffman12]

I've done two trips now in the rig. 2 weeks ago the gf and I went to Prewitt Ridge near Big Sur. Since the 1 is closed we had to drive up from the East. Really fun spot with some great views!

Not my legs

 

[riffman12]

Then this past weekend we went out to Usal Beach as recommended by several OB members. An incredible trip, and I can't wait to go back.

The LC wouldn't fit :(

The trail out to the beach is about an hour. Well-maintained, a little muddy and steep in spots. Anything with decent ground clearance and low range gearing will be fine:

We camped out on the bluffs just short of the actual beach.

The views are spectacular and we even made some friends:

 

[shoredreamer]

Looks like your build is coming along nice!

 

[TheDistanceBetween]

Great photos!!

never stop exploring
#5330

 

[Levidale]

Awesome looking cruiser and thanks for the pics!

 

[Hyup]

Great looking rig!

 

[BerettaMato]

Great Pics!

 

[riffman12]

little update for anyone who's interested. Those of you who own FZJ80s probably know that the cooling system can be slightly temperamental

It started with my climb to prewitt ridge. My temp gauge started to nudge up above the half way mark on a slow climb. Let it cool down and eventually got up there OK. After this I ordered a new Aisin fan clutch, temps seemed fine driving to Usal, but the weather was cooler.

Last weekend I drove up highway 80 to Lake Tahoe. It's about a 4,000 ft climb and loooong. I've been keeping n OBD2 reader with a temp gauge, and I was getting around 220 degrees + which is higher than I would like on the climb. I really had to baby it at 45-55 mph on the steepest parts.

I've ordered some thicker silicone fluid to put in the clutch, per ih8mud recommendation. Hoping that helps!

The other strange thing is my heater works great down in the Bay Area, but was blowing lukewarm air up at altitude. How could altitude affect heater performance??

 

[Boort]

@riffman12

The other strange thing is my heater works great down in the Bay Area, but was blowing lukewarm air up at altitude. How could altitude affect heater performance??

I've noticed the same in the Co Mountains. Just a guess but I'd say thinner dryer air at altitude has less molecules to carry and transmit the heat. From what I remember of standard lapse rate from school: You lose an average of 3.5 deg. F for each 1000 feet of elevation you gain due to decrease in air pressure.

Boort