Custom 80 Series proves Cruisers are still king

For time immemorial empires have risen and rulers have fallen. Ancient cities once beacons of prosperity for countless generations now lay silent under dirt. While the descendants of king’s so rich they could buy and sell countries now live a life no more extraordinary than any other.

It’s a tale literally as old as time, and it’s something that couldn’t be more relevant when it comes to the once proud king off the road, the mighty 80 Series LandCruiser.

Once the reigning monarch of Australia’s off-road kingdom, it was sidelined by a parade of shiny newcomers, touting touchscreens over torque.

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The 80 Series LandCruiser (yeah, yeah… and the GQ Patrol) was the default 4x4; it drove every track, camped on every beach, was the aspiration for every family with a taste for red dirt and the inspiration for every 17-year old with dreams of rock ledges.

Like so many kings before, the 80 was exiled and forgotten, but it’s now back and ready to reclaim its place on the throne.

Armed with grinders and spanners, keen enthusiasts like Ben Madden are determined to remind people what made these vehicles so good 30 years ago, and how they can still be the stuff of royalty today.

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A king is born

When Ben first got this 80 it’d seen better days; wheeled hard and put away wet, the then 22-year old 1991 Cruiser had ticked over 420,000km on a rebuilt 1HDT and was more homebuilt than hardcore.

Ten years later and while the epoxied-on screwdriver gear shifter is a clue to the Cruiser’s past life, it’s now living a new life and beating with a new heart.

Follow the Raptor-lined Radius Fabrication snorkel down through the 80’s guard, sneak your way past the matching airbox and you’ll find nestled between the rails Toyota’s 1HD-FTE in place of the original 1HDT.

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Pried from the clutches of a later model HDJ100, the newer engine added electronic engine management and a 24-valve head compared to the original 12-valve powerplant.

“Me and one of my best friends Benny Jones were on a Cape York trip by ourselves,” Ben tells us. “As I was coming out the exit of Gunshot, it snapped a crank. It sounded horrific but it still ran. We camped at Gunshot for the night and somehow managed to limp it to Bamaga where we made a plan.

We sent the car on a ferry to Cairns, flew ourselves to Cairns and drove a hire car back to my hometown of Airlie Beach. About a week later the car showed up on a truck and the engine conversion began.”

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Giddy up

The conversion itself was relatively straightforward. Bolting straight in, Ben used the flywheel from the 1HD-FTE engine paired with the 4Terrain clutch from the 1HDT engine.

The factory Toyota CT-26 turbo is still serving duties faithfully and runs a little cooler thanks to a 316-grade mandrel-bent stainless exhaust Ben whipped together himself, while a PWR 55mm radiator helps keep those temperatures in check. For now, the factory five-speed gearbox and transfer case still have a home, but Ben’s converted it from full-time to part-time 4x4 with a Marks 4WD kit and pair of Aisin hubs.

To ensure the new-found power will actually make it to the ground, Ben’s given both front and rear axles a complete top to bottom.

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Both have been rebuilt with ARB’s Air Locker centres, while the rear has copped larger 12mm dowel pins and 12.9 cap head bolts fixing one of the 80’s few weak points.

While Ben was up to his elbows in axle grease the brakes copped a serious working over too. Front and rear are sporting Bendix vented rotors, with the front axle copping larger units off the later model 80, as well as larger pads from a 105 Series Cruiser.

A Marks 4WD hydraulic brake booster and braided brake lines on all four corners round out the stopping power, while a Boosted & Built Garage electric handbrake makes this the first 80 in existence that actually stays where you leave it. Alright, maybe the platform has a few shortcomings.

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Raised well

When it comes to setting the 80’s stance there’s a whole lot of wheel and tyre package, and even more suspension getting it done.

When it’s time to hit the hardcore trails Ben’s got a set of super aggressive Maxxis Trepador tyres punching in at 325/75R16 (a little over a 35-inches) and a set of Mickey Thompson Baja Boss in 317/75R16s for touring duties (a little under a 35-inches).

While the Cruiser is sitting 3-inches higher than stock, it’s a little more complicated than that, so we’ll start at the front. Both the tie-rod and the draglink have been replaced with Superior Engineering items for an upgrade in strength, and there’s an IFP steering damper keeping steering shimmy under control.

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The front axle’s got 3-inch Dobinson coils reined in with Superior Engineering 2.0 remote-res shocks.

There’s also a set of Superior Engineering radius arms correcting castor and adding articulation, a SuperPro 33mm sway bar adding a little handling ability, a Superior Engineering adjustable Panhard rod and extensions on the sway bar, and bump stops.

Moving down the back and things get a little more involved. Sure, there’s 3-inch 400kg constant-load Dobinson springs and more Superior Engineering shocks, but there’s also a full suite of upper and lower adjustable and heavy-duty Superior Engineering trailing arms.

There’s another Superior Engineering Panhard rod, although it ties into a Rampt Customs Panhard relocation kit, raising the roll centre to give a planted, more stable drive. Matching Rampt Custom bump stop extensions also get the nod.

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Fit for a king

With the performance and ride quality on point, it’s no surprise that Ben has put in just as much effort into making the 80 a nice place to be.

On the inside, there’s a pair of seats lifted from an XR6 Falcon with Huracan adaptors bolting them in place. The roof liner and pillar posts have been retrimmed and painted black with a custom centre and overhead console upping the spec.

A full suite of Redarc gauges and a trick stereo ensure Ben’s having a great time while still keeping an eye on things.

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Royal armoury

Moving onto the outside and things only get more serious. The front bar sits high and tight on the 80 now but was originally designed for a GU Patrol before Ben sliced and diced it to perfection.

It’s welded up to a custom winch cradle that houses a Runva XP13 winch, a couple of Road Safe 4WD recovery points, and no less than four forward-facing LED lights from Stedi.

The body was in rough nick when Ben first got it so he had his work cut out there too. A full new front-end has been hung, the cracked and failing body mounts repaired and rebraced, and new body blocks to prevent it happening again. But the real star of the show is a whole bunch of 1.6mm and 2mm zinc steel sheet that’s transformed the 80 from wagon to dual cab.

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“I learned a lot from this chop,” Ben reckons. “I ended up doing every panel two or three times, I made mistakes, and wasn’t really happy with it so I chopped it out and started again.”

Once it met his standards, including the wheel arch toolboxes and 79 Series bonnet scoop, Ben roped in Ash from Prossie Smash Repairs in Prosperine to coat it in Toyota’s 183 Slate Blue.

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Built to the nines

Before Ben could dial in a killer camping setup he’d need a little more room to get the job done.

A 500mm chassis extension was the order of the day, fully braced from radius arms to tow ball on the angry end of Ben’s welder, coated in Raptor liner and powered by a custom driveshaft it was just the ticket to give the Trig Point canopy a little real estate to call home.

The canopy itself has a built-in rack, space for an awning, and a couple of spares swinging off the back, but inside is what makes this a real campsite winner. A full Redarc BMS Manager 30 keeps a 100Ah lithium battery charged up and the fridge running late into the night.

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There’s extensive camp lighting throughout as well as a pull-out kitchen, bulk storage and smart battery monitoring through the Redarc RedVision screen.

Ben’s rig may be built to the nines, but it’s built for a different generation. A simpler time when wheel lifts and campfire cook-ups were more important than keeping up with the Joneses.

It’s a stark reminder that the king hasn’t abdicated, it’s just been in the garage. The resurgence of these iconic LandCruisers proves that true royalty never fades, it simply reinvents itself. Long live the king!

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