So, after owning my Cruiser for 11 years now, It's finally built up to a point where I feel I should document some of my history of ownership.
Let's go back to the late 20th century and before the internet... Fall of 1990 to be exact. I get my first ride in a Toyota Land Cruiser, a prep school friend, Chip Carroll's blue 1978 FJ40. One ride and I had to have one. He also had an SOR catalogue that I used to "borrow" and build my dream truck. It would be another 6 long years before I would have an FJ40.
Two years later, in the fall of 1992, there was a blue FJ40 with Alaska plates in a parking lot on my way to class. I checked it out up and down every time I walked through that parking lot for the next year and a half.
Then one day, in 1993, it's gone, no note, no goodbye, just gone. I was upset that I never got to meet the owner let alone take it for a spin. That began my search, in ernest, for an FJ40. I would have to wait another 4 years to finally own one.
While driving through the Navy Hospital parking lot in Newport, Rhode Island in the Spring of 1997 a notice a blue FJ40 with a "For Sale" sign on it. I couldn't believe my luck! Do you know where this is going yet?
So I walk over to check it out and get the phone number. Well, what do see but Alaska license plates?! Now I really couldn't believe my luck! This couldn't be the same truck from 4 years ago could it? COULD IT?!
I couldn't think of anything else all day except getting home to call this guy to convince him to sell me his Cruiser. I went to check it out, knowing I would probably buy it no matter what the condition. When we met, I immediately asked him if he had ever been stationed at the Naval Academy and it turned out he had been and this was that Cruiser! It was fate, I had to have it. It turned out he was the second owner and bought it from a guy in Key West in 1980-something and despite the Alaska plates, it never made it there.
It was in pretty rough shape bodywise, he had body work done, but it was all Bondo and had sucked up all the water like a sponge and made the rust worse. . The fenders were mint though, go figure. He wanted way too much for it, but I had done my homework on the LCML and knew where to look for rust and made sure he saw me uncover every bit. He was also in a pinch because he was moving to Hawaii soon. So I offered a cashiers check for $1500, and it was mine. I think the $1500 was a loan, no less!
Here is a shot of it the day I bought it:
Let's go back to the late 20th century and before the internet... Fall of 1990 to be exact. I get my first ride in a Toyota Land Cruiser, a prep school friend, Chip Carroll's blue 1978 FJ40. One ride and I had to have one. He also had an SOR catalogue that I used to "borrow" and build my dream truck. It would be another 6 long years before I would have an FJ40.
Two years later, in the fall of 1992, there was a blue FJ40 with Alaska plates in a parking lot on my way to class. I checked it out up and down every time I walked through that parking lot for the next year and a half.
Then one day, in 1993, it's gone, no note, no goodbye, just gone. I was upset that I never got to meet the owner let alone take it for a spin. That began my search, in ernest, for an FJ40. I would have to wait another 4 years to finally own one.
While driving through the Navy Hospital parking lot in Newport, Rhode Island in the Spring of 1997 a notice a blue FJ40 with a "For Sale" sign on it. I couldn't believe my luck! Do you know where this is going yet?
So I walk over to check it out and get the phone number. Well, what do see but Alaska license plates?! Now I really couldn't believe my luck! This couldn't be the same truck from 4 years ago could it? COULD IT?!
I couldn't think of anything else all day except getting home to call this guy to convince him to sell me his Cruiser. I went to check it out, knowing I would probably buy it no matter what the condition. When we met, I immediately asked him if he had ever been stationed at the Naval Academy and it turned out he had been and this was that Cruiser! It was fate, I had to have it. It turned out he was the second owner and bought it from a guy in Key West in 1980-something and despite the Alaska plates, it never made it there.
It was in pretty rough shape bodywise, he had body work done, but it was all Bondo and had sucked up all the water like a sponge and made the rust worse. . The fenders were mint though, go figure. He wanted way too much for it, but I had done my homework on the LCML and knew where to look for rust and made sure he saw me uncover every bit. He was also in a pinch because he was moving to Hawaii soon. So I offered a cashiers check for $1500, and it was mine. I think the $1500 was a loan, no less!
Here is a shot of it the day I bought it:
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good on ya'
