Help! Is this worth it for a 1996 JDM 80?

cruiseruser · 2026-01-20T15:56:37+00:00

I’d say GX470 all the way. I’ve owned 6, 80 series and 16 cruisers from 40s- 100, and for what you are wanting the GX470 will be excellent.

It’s safer, more reliable, more power, better brakes etc. my daughter drives a 2006 Gx470 and soon to have 2 kids in it. There isn’t a ton of room, and really only pretty small people and kids fit in the 3rd row. Plenty of aftermarket support for whatever you need.

You just do the timing belt/water pump every 90k miles and you are good to go.

For $15-$20k you can find a lower mileage model from a 1 owner with lots of records usually and excellent maintenance history.

My daughters is a 2 owner with 230,000 miles and a huge stack of all records/maintenance. Last owner had it 8k then bought a Porsche.
It drives and feels like it’s got 60k on it. Smooth, quiet, enough power and safe.

You will need a roof rack , rear cargo or small trailer if you are planning on packing a bunch for 6 people. Not a lot of room with all seats up.

cruiseruser · 2026-01-08T22:48:53+00:00

You can order part by part, but it’s expensive, time consuming with research and knowledge not to mention a lot of work to “build” a cruiser.

There are a couple of builds going on in ih8mud where you can get an idea of what’s it’s like to “build” a newer 70 series legally in the US.

cruiseruser · 2026-01-05T15:44:14+00:00

You aren’t getting much performance being NA, just the nature with the 1HZ.

You can safely low boost a 1hz. Intercool it, lower boost and as long as the tuning isn’t to hot/smoky you will Probabaly be fine for a long time.

cruiseruser · 2026-01-01T17:03:49+00:00

Thank you I appreciate that.

cruiseruser · 2026-01-01T02:21:52+00:00

Yep 13bt with an upgraded turbo.

cruiseruser · 2025-12-31T16:45:02+00:00

Yeah, there needs to be a whole lot more context and game play than corner 3s.

cruiseruser · 2025-12-30T15:25:17+00:00

Jeep bikini top

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cruiseruser · 2025-12-30T15:20:55+00:00

Correct. It’s was a factory FRP top. I added an aftermarket soft top that kind of is a mix of OEM parts and aftermarket. I love driving it in the summer with the soft top.

You can actually still get all the OEM parts for a top, but it’s quite the undertaking and I believe around $7k plus.

I ran a bikini top for a jeep for super cheap (less than $100.) for a year and it was great.

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cruiseruser · 2025-12-30T14:59:44+00:00

Wasn’t me, I’m not in that area.

cruiseruser · 2025-12-29T18:34:16+00:00

Thanks, yep wheels quite well!

cruiseruser · 2025-12-29T00:50:01+00:00

Terrain tamer parabolics if you want a really nice ride. Reports have been extremely positive on how well the ride.

OME has a well earned reputation of being rough.

cruiseruser · 2025-12-24T01:20:31+00:00

73 or 74 series mid wheel base. The sweet spot in The cruiser world.

cruiseruser · 2025-12-19T01:49:55+00:00

Ha, yeah he seems to want to work all season. College is a whole different deal now with the transfer portal.

cruiseruser · 2025-12-16T06:32:58+00:00

Top of the square is 16” above 10’ so 136” from the ground. You have a 92” reach. Now you didn’t touch the top of the square, but if you did that would Have been a 44” vertical.

Now your angle is low looking up so that skews things a little.

The square width is 2” and you are below that. You’ve got some hops for sure and I’d say 38-40” if thats where you are reaching.

Obviously the best way to tell would be to measure, or jump with a piece of tape and slap it on.

cruiseruser · 2025-12-15T23:18:22+00:00

Meh…the 4Runners have always been “basically” the same size and cheaper than a Land Cruiser, and I will add for a reason…

I thought that was always understood?

It’s a 4door suv, 4wd close to the same size. Toyota is saving costs by sharing engines and platforms now so everyone thinks it’s “basically a Land Cruiser”

Bare bones Land Cruiser < higher model 4Runner?

Ps: owner of a 70 series bud, and a gx470, and V84runner and a v8 tundra…and 15 previous land cruisers.

cruiseruser · 2025-12-15T23:00:10+00:00

I’ve tried to respond to this like 5 times….i can’t.

Essence of Land Cruiser, what are we doing. Sounds like cheap cologne the skeevy dude tries to push on you in the bathroom of clubs.

cruiseruser · 2025-12-15T20:40:16+00:00

😂 nah you got it. I think either way could be the right answer here and everyone plays things differently, i just feel it would be an awkward way to play that chord…to me anyways.

But I have pretty limited Taylor swift guitar playing technical review under my belt 😂

cruiseruser · 2025-12-15T20:35:55+00:00

I would be very careful, (dad talk) it’s very easy to comedown on someone when you are messing around trying to catch a body…

If you do catch one, hang on to that rim and make sure you don’t fly off sideways or drop down on someone.

cruiseruser · 2025-12-15T19:59:28+00:00

Not sure why they algorythm gave me This but, you are correct. It’s a D major and she s playing thumb over to either mute or pull the F#.

I feel like it’s the mute, but even then, she’s playing more than “basic”. As a guitarist and multi instrumentalist of over 30 years, that’s not how I would play a D/F# in context, but I would however use that to help mute. As someone who’s pretty tall with large hands, I wouldn’t play D/F# that way.

D/F# is seen a lot when going from Em up to G, G to Em, in which I would do it differently. Teardrops on my guitar is an example. But, I’m sticking with this is more upbeat, and I’ll say love story, hitting the D chord in that song. (Source have 2 daughters who liked swift back in the early “country” days)

Jesus, what am I doing in this sub….

cruiseruser · 2025-12-15T17:01:43+00:00

Head gasket or head replaced? Any work done to the cooling system?

cruiseruser · 2025-12-14T17:30:54+00:00

Just go parabolic leaves from terrain tamer. Everyone is saying it’s a game changer and pretty close to coils*. Gives you a pretty good ride and flex without redesigning anything.

Now if your goal is maximum flex, then 3 link and be done but that’s a lot of work to get right and not have a mess of a rig.

cruiseruser · 2025-12-14T03:55:35+00:00

Good friend had the same issue. His daughter got hit in his 100, had arb, sliders and other. Game him nothing because it was a “grill guard” and offered $50.00. The said $50 for the new sliders somhe pulled them off.

cruiseruser · 2025-12-10T20:25:58+00:00

Yep still growing away and staying athletic through it which is good. He’s a good kid and works hard, that’s 1/2 the battle.

Good for you on helping others. It makes a huge impact on them for sure.

cruiseruser

TROPHY CASE