Toyota Custom 80 series Landcruiser.

This could very well be the best and most epic setup Custom 80 series Landcruiser you will ever see. So much planning, work, time and passion has been invested into this beautiful build.

Marcus is an ultimate ideas man and has come up with not only a very capable custom 80 series Landcruiser, but also a home away from his home in Germany.

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This 80 series Landcruiser is taking Marcus and his wife Lexi around Australia for the second time in 18 years.

Their first visit was way back in the late 90’s early 2000 and this time they are traveling around Australia again and taking their time with their well-equipped Custom 80 series Landcruiser.

We caught up with Marcus and his wife in W.A. 5000km’s into their adventure, by now they will be well and truly in the Northern Territory on the way to Queensland.

Check out the 45min+ detailed video on this epic build at the bottom of the page.

Vehicles factory stats (NOTE modded details below):*

Make model: Toyota Custom 80 series Landcruiser.

Engine: 4.2 l 1HD-T

Drive train: Constant 4wd, Automatic, Twin Locked Diffs (aftermarket).

Suspension: Coils front and back.

Marcus’s mod list for his Toyota Custom 80 series Landcruiser:

Engine:

· G-Power Turbo

· Top mounted Intercooler

Electric upgrades:

· Dual batteries

· Gauges for sub tanks, oil temperature in engine and auto, voltmeter and outside temperature, turbo boost and exhaust temp

· ARB compressor

· Ventilator for intercooler and oil cooler automatic

· 24 V starter motor change for a 12 V starter motor (European version runs on 12 V but starts on 24V).

Toyota Custom 80 series Landcruiser on the beach.

Lights:

· LED spots

Comms & GPS:

· Hand held GME UHF

Frame:

· Frame extension 500 mm

· New extended drive shaft for the rear

· New original drive shaft in the front

Driveline:

· New axle housings with new brakes

· New transfer case

· New automatic box with Upgrade from Whole Sales Automatics

· New bushes

· ARB Airlockers front and rear

· Gear ratio in the diff 5.29:1

· Front CVs made of chrome moly

Suspension:

· Heavy duty OME with 50 mm lift

· Poly Air Bags in the rear springs

· Tough Dog big bore adjustable shocks

Tires:

· Cooper STT 3.25/85R16 or 37x15R16 on Toyota original Aluminium rims

· Enlarging the wheelhouse to make room for the 37’ tires

Bar work and exterior mods:

· Aluminium bulbar,

· Aluminium sidebars

· Aluminium footsteps

· In the bulbar left and right from the winch are little storage compartments.

· Centre console steel for Dragon Winch 9500 with synthetic rope

Tanks:

· 3 custom made aluminium diesel tanks, 2 with 125L each, 1 with 70 L, total of 320 L diesel; the big tanks can be shifted from the inside of the truck, the small one must be pumped

· 1 custom made aluminium water tank with 70 L for showering etc.

All tanks are underneath the truck, fitted in the frame.

The tanks from the Toyota Custom 80 series Landcruiser.

Driver’s cabin:

· Chopped 80series Landcruiser to a 2 seater with extra steel supports welded into the body work

· Integrated roof rack made of aluminum and strong beehive sandwich plates

· Clearview mirrors

In the driver’s cabin:

· 2 Scheelmann seats

· Custom made fridge and freezer as middle console. The compressor for the fridge is under the driver’s seat

· Roof console for little things

· Instruments: boost pressure, exhaust temperature gauge, engine oil temperature, automatic oil temperature, voltage and outside temperature. In the middle console are gauges for sub tanks, the gauges and controls for the Poly Air airbags and switches for the ARB lockers

· Remote control for the winch

Toyota Custom 80 series Landcruiser on the beach with Ronny Dahl and Marcus.

Tray:

· Custom made aluminium frame with integrated storage box. The box holds a 15hp Honda outboard engine, fishing gear, recovery gear and outdoor cooking gear.

· Under the tray are additional 2 small storage boxes

Camping cabin:

· Slide-on cabin with a pop up roof

· Cabin frame is made out of welded aluminum with sandwich plates

· 2 50l PVC water tanks

· Seagull water filtration system

· Furniture is made out of HPL coated lightweight plywood

· 1 custom made fridge

· 1 100 AMPs AGM battery

· 4 solar cells, 100W each, charging also the two front batteries. 2 solar cells are mobile with an extension cord.

· Support frame in the rear wall of the cabin for an extra spare wheel – if needed

· Lights in the cabin: Osram LED lamps and 1 all around LED light strip

· Outside lights: 3 LED light strips all around the cabin

· Special matrasses covered in real Alcantara

· 4 pack bags, 2 each left and right, made from Alcantara for doonas, towels, etc. as back support when seating

· European sand boards fitted to the back of the cabin

The trailer from the Toyota Custom 80 series Landcruiser.

Trailer:

· Custom made box trailer, steel frame with aluminum plates

· Tinnie is carried on the top. Top pops up for easier access to the trailer.

· Independent suspension with 80 series coil springs, OME shocks from a Prado, all bushes from a 75 series Landcruiser

· Maxxis tires 37’x12.5x16 on original Toyota aluminum rim

· Hydraulic brake system with extra hand brake cable

· Trek Coupling

· 130l custom made aluminum tank for petrol for the quad and the tinnie

In- & outside the trailer:

· 1 Polaris Quad

· 1 aluminum tinnie, 3,70 m long

· Aluminum slip trailer, portable

· Spare wheels for the quad are used for the trailer

· 1 spare wheel Maxxis

· Spare parts for the trailer

· Gear for the tinnie

· Fishing gear

· 8 Maxtrax mounted onto the trailer

Recovery gear:

· 2 snatch straps

· 2 long recovery straps

· 8 Maxtraxs

· 2 European Aluminium sand ladders

· long handled shovel

· short handled shovel

· winch

· extra mounted recovery points

Marcus’s top 3 trips in the Custom 80 series Landcruiser:

This is a brand new truck but with the other 80 series in Germany we travelled a lot in Algeria, Libya and Tunesia.
One big trip with our old 75 series was to Australia, New Zealand, Central America, North-America, Canada and Alaska

Unstoppable moment in the Custom 80 series Landcruiser:

Our current trip here in Australia.

Most scary situation in the Custom 80 series Landcruiser:

None so far, knock on wood!

Top 3 tips with 80 series Landcruiser:

1. Make sure you run great suspension

2. Sub tanks for the range

3. Diff locks – and no original Toyota diff locks as one never go in if needed and the never go out if not needed.

Things to look out for if buying one:

When I buy an 80 series it is most times not so well in shape because when I go through it, I make everything new or rebuild all the parts. Then you really know what you have.

Generally you should look out for a smooth engine sound and that is not always a question of mileage.

It is important that the injectors are well maintained and the best thing is, put new ones in at 200.000 km, especially for the 24 valve version. The engine can still run nice even with a little hole in a piston and that comes from bad injectors.

The gearbox is most of the times fine. Every car with high mileage that we have had in the work shop had to have the axles rebuilt. It is surprising how good they sometimes drive even if all seals and bearings are stuffed!

Best 3 mod/s you have done and why:

1. Frame Extension by 500mm, travel comfort on rough tracks or corrugation is really good with a normal 80 series but the longer wheelbase makes it way smoother (scary smooth!). There is a big danger of going to fast!

2. Conversion to Ute. Gives one much more space, especially if you want to build a camper.

3. Good suspension upgrade. Gives you much more comfort and a bigger load range.

What made you decide to choose this vehicle?

It is a very good base, travels well, very reliable. If something happens it is not falling apart straight away, it rattles a long time before it dies.

Best thing about the Custom 80 series Landcruiser:

The whole concept is made for our purposes and works very well so far.

Worst thing about the Custom 80 series:

The front differential was the biggest stupidity from Toyota. Building a constant 4WD and making the front diff smaller then the rear diff….