I really enjoyed my 80, but ultimately it was under powered and I wasn't able to put the money required into it for a proper LS v8 swap, which is really what it needed.  As you can see below it started as a street ride from the previous owners decision to run 20" rims and leaving the running boards on it.  I really appreciated the exterior color and the cloth interior was in great shape as well and the color grew on my eventually.  I started with the basics.  Install aftermarket stereo and factory rims, which are known to be very strong and look great in my opinion, along with some 285/75r16 AT tires.  Then I tossed the running boards and installed the CB, which I wired in a way to allow for adjustments via the ashtray, if necessary (it never was).  Next to go was the stock roof rack in favor of a custom rack (which was sort of a cheap POS, but held up really well) with heavy duty drip rail mounts from Gamviti, along with 12ga cross rails, which doubled as a hi-lift and shovel mount.  Then onto some serious work on the front axle with a knuckle rebuild and some steering system repair. After that it was a spacer lift, sliders and air bags.  To round things out and give the 80 a few more modern creature comforts, I added heated seats, LED interior lights and modern sun visors with multiple shades and extensions along with lighted vanity mirrors.  In the end, the 80 was in really great shape, except for the low power of the 6cyl.  The final blow was a bill from the mechanic for $4k worth of emission work after failing the Air Care Colorado emissions test. 

 

So I decided I was going to let it go and started the search for the next ride.