TWO-UP
The 80 Series appreciation group just gained two new members
WORDS BY GLENN WRIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBB COX
Paul and Wayne are best mates who share an addiction to all things off-road. Paul was bitten by the 4WD bug at the ripe old age of 11 when he first got behind the wheel of his father's Toyota. Like father like son, he has been a Toyota man ever since, having owned a string of highly modified HiLuxes containing the usual V8s, wild lift kits and 37s. The 4WD bug is highly contagious, don't we know it, and Wayne questioned his love of street machines after his first memorable ride in Paul's HiLux.
There was always a place in his heart for 80 Series Toyotas, but a shortfall in funds made him settle for modded HiLuxes and a 60 Series. Eventually, his bank balance matched the price tag on this white 80 Series. It already had a 4in lift and big rubber, and appeared ready for action. Wayne was keen to make it his own and quickly parted with the folding stuff, but on the way home he realised its on-road behaviour didn't reflect its tidy appearance. On closer inspection, he found it to be the result of a bodgie suspension lift performed by the guy now holding his hard-earned dollars. Wayne and Paul quickly set about rebuilding the 'Cruiser and added a few of their own little touches along the way.
The finished product looks the goods, and after Paul's first drive in Wayne's 80, his previous HiLuxes couldn't hold a candle to it. It drove over the rough so easily and didn't break things like the 'Lux. It saved Paul's bacon when he blew the 'Lux's front diff at the bottom of Cabbage Tree Road and had to drag the hobbled HiLux all the way back to safety. This was a good enough demo for Paul, who offloaded the 'Lux in favour of this champagne 80 Series.
After much begging, Paul's wife, Belinda, allowed him to buy the champagne-coloured 80 Series on the proviso that no money was spent modifying it until their bank balance was back in the black, which could take six months. It seems like Paul wears the pants, 'cause it wasn't even a week until the Toyota was up on jackstands and the standard suspension had been replaced with that of the Tough Dog variety. Wayne and Paul do most of the hard yakka themselves, and having learnt how these trucks go together from their experience rebuilding Wayne's 80, they had no problem in doing a similar mod to Paul's stock 'Cruiser.
They are driven daily but not set up for touring. Wayne and his 80 Series have competed in the Black Rat Challenge, and both guys love spending time with their wheels in the air around Lithgow and Menai.
The boys spur each other on to go that bit further, resulting in Wayne nearly flipping his 'Cruiser over backwards on a gnarly climb recently. Paul's off-road antics are limited because he lives in fear of his wife's reaction to him coming home having put 30 grand on its lid. Both guys are rapt in their Toyotas and are proud members of the Bungaribee 4WD Club.
SUSPENSION
WHITE 80 SERIES
There's a right way and a wrong way to get your truck higher off the ground. When Wayne first bought his lifted LandCruiser, he had trouble driving it home.
In order to make it handle the daily driving chores more easily, he fitted 5in-taller-than-standard Tough Dog coil springs (painted white) all round and added offset front lower-arm bushes to regain the original castor settings.
The other suspension linkages remain standard, apart from 3rd's adjustable Panhard rods, and he removed both swaybars. The 80 Series rolled around like a ship on the high seas, so he had Simon at Tough Dog Suspension revalve the Rancho shocks to help keep a lid on the body roll. To keep the steering wheel in Wayne's hands where it belongs, the Toyota uses a Tough Dog steering damper. The 'Cruiser puts more distance between itself and the ground with the addition of 3in spacer blocks, from Macquarie 4X4, between the body and the chassis.
After all these efforts to increase the Tojo's rock-climbing ability, longer brakelines had to be fitted.
CHAMPAGNE 80 SERIES
Paul and Wayne worked together to help build each other's 'Cruiser. Therefore, both use similar products and share the same 5in-taller springs, 3in body lifts and Panhard rods. Paul's the state manager of Bluey's Ute World, so his truck spent a lot of time there during its transformation. The main differences in the suspensions are that Paul's white 'Cruiser features Big Balls Motorsport castor-correction plates and 1in steering-column spacer, and nine-stage adjustable Tough Dog shocks. Like Wayne's Toyota, Paul's champagne 80 Series has shunned its swaybars in favour of better articulation.
OUTSIDE
WHITE ONE
This pair of 80 Series supporters puts a lot of thought into their mods. Up front, Wayne designed and fitted the steel tubular winch bar. It supports a Warn 8000lb high-mount winch that is recessed back into the grille to allow a shorter front overhang and increased approach angle. Also perched up on the bar are two Lightforce 170s and a pair of Narva foglights. On the roof sit four more Narvas, ensuring the road ahead is always illuminated. Two antennas bolt to the front bar, allowing Wayne and Paul to egg each other on over the airwaves. Offroad Industries made the custom steel rockslider bars that keep the side sills free from injury. It also fabricated the steel rear bar and shortened the rear chassis rails 8in to improve the departure angle. A Rhino Sports roof-rack with alloy basket tops it off and provides a spot for the spare.
CHAMPAGNE ONE
Paul's 80 doesn't have all the aftermarket add-ons that Wayne's has - yet. Whenever his wife drops her guard, he is quick to bung a few more items on the plastic card. Little by little, it is adopting the features they have developed on Wayne's truck, including the Rhino Sports roof-rack, which supports four 240 XGT lights. It has a modified alloy front bar that holds two Lightforce 240 Blitz spotties, two Lightforce 140s and also supports a pair of Mobile One aerials. While a pair of rockslider sidebars is on the way, Toyota sidesteps sit below the sills. Rounding off the protection package is a customised rear tube-steel bar.
INSIDE, UNDERNEATH AND UNDER-BONNET
WHITE ONE
The additions to Wayne's cabin include a roof console to keep the GME 4400 UHF and Uniden AM radios out of harm's way. The woodgrain steering wheel, alloy pedal covers and swish gearknob hint at Wayne's past passion for street machines. Switches on the dash operate the twin Air Lockers and spotties.
Wayne's truck regains its lost low gearing after the 37s were fitted when John at J Max Differentials changed the diff ratios to 4.88:1 at the same time the ARB Air Lockers were installed. At the first hint of clutch slippage, the Toyota unit was replaced with a heavy-duty Daikin clutch. The white 'Cruiser has a deeper drone due to a Mercury muffler, and under the bonnet Wayne's truck features a Piranha twin-battery set-up and ARB air compressor.
CHAMPAGNE TOJO
Paul's interior includes a Sony stereo with 10-stacker CD, which helps keep him occupied during traffic jams on the way back from the Blue Mountains on Sunday arvo. In order to sledge Wayne and egg him on, he uses a GME 4200 and 4400UHF, plus a Uniden AM unit.
BRIEFLY: WAYNE'S WHITE 80 SERIES
VEHICLE: 1995 Toyota 80 Series LandCruiser GXL
ENGINE: 4.5L inline 6-cylinder EFI petrol
GEARBOX: 5-speed manual
4WD ACTIVATION: Full-time
SUSPENSION: Front - 3-link rigid axle, 5in-taller Tough Dog springs, 3rd's Productions adjustable Panhard rod, Rancho shocks revalved, swaybar removed.
Rear - 5-link rigid axle, 5in-taller Tough Dog springs, 3rd's Productions adjustable Panhard rod, Rancho shocks revalved, swaybar removed
BRAKES: Front - ventilated disc. Rear - solid disc
WHEELS: Custom steel, 15x10in
TYRES: Goodyear Wrangler MTRs 37x12.5x15in
BRIEFLY: PAUL'S CHAMPAGNE 80 SERIES
VEHICLE: 1994 Toyota 80 Series LandCruiser GXL
ENGINE: 4.5L inline 6-cyl EFI petrol
GEARBOX: 5-speed manual
4WD ACTIVATION: Full-time
SUSPENSION: Front - 3-link rigid axle, 5in-taller Tough Dog springs, 3rd's Productions adjustable Panhard rod, Tough Dog shocks.
Rear - 5-link rigid axle, 5in-taller Tough Dog springs, 3rd's Productions adjustable Panhard rod, Tough Dog shocks
BRAKES: Front - ventilated disc. Rear - solid disc
WHEELS: Sunraysia steel, 15x8in
TYRES: Goodyear Wrangler MTRs 37x12.5x15in
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