ROTW Calphi27's 1990 FJ62 aka Hogmauler

calphi27 · 07-15-07, 10:01 AM

1990 FJ62 aka Hogmauler

Rig Mods as she sits:

Man-a-fre Shackle Reversal
OME Medium Suspension
Solid Rock Off Road Sliders
ARB Bull Bar
VDP Center Console

Also a mombasa roof top tent

Future Plans:

Rear Bumper with tire carrier - Full length roof rack - Toyota Diesel Engine with a matched tranny - Lockers - Fridge - On board air - dual battery - gps nav - parabolic springs with air bags

Background:

I was about six when my dad had taken me to crow brother's toyota in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was looking to trade in his conversion van for a suv. Back then, options were limited. There was the range rover (too expensive and badly reviewed) and whatever jeep had made at that time. The dealer did not have a cruiser, so he took the brochure (which I still have) and left. Next week the dealer called him back, and said he had one in grey from Arkansas. My dad cleaned up his van and told him he would be there in the morning to see it. The van had a very bad engine due to my older brother leaving the old oil filter gasket on and almost burning the engine up. After 30 minute of driving it would smoke badly and run rough.

My dad takes the family to the dealer, and promptly turns his van off. After an hour of talking, and us kids climbing over every car in the showroom, it came time to talk trade it. Luckily the dealer only drove the van around the block before it could act up, and he gave my dad a decent trade in value for it. Finally the cruiser was ours.

We spent the next 9 years or so taking it to Colorado every summer, and I remember sleeping in the cargo area a lot. In 1999, the car was then transfered over to me for $1.

It wasn't till around 2001 that I put the lift on. I put it on some 33x12.5 mud terrains, and that thing was a beast. I took it to Disney, Oklahoma, below the Grand Lake Dam, to offroad. It also say some action behind Chandler Park on its dry creek beds and other obstacles.

Recently:

I came out to Colorado State University for college, and my parents did not want me driving cross country on such huge tires (they thought they were huge, I didn't). So I went with some 32.5 all terrains, and they were happy. Which really weren't that much smaller, but they looked smaller. Since I was away from my friends garage, I really never took the cruiser off road up here.

I have added an ARB bull bar which I bought used from a guy who was moving. He had hit a tree with it, and it barely bent the right side. And within the last month, I became an owner of some sweet Solid Rock Off Road Sliders (Thanks Jim!). I also just added a VDP center console.

Enough chat already here are some pics. All my early pics of offroading are all in Oklahoma, so the following are what I have with me in Colorado.

These first few pics are 2 before the lift, and 1 after. They were taken in almost the same place, so you can see the evolution of Hogmauler.

calphi27 · 07-15-07, 10:25 AM

Here are a few more shots of the OME Suspension going on.

calphi27 · 07-15-07, 10:31 AM

These last few are some shots of the cruiser in Colorado.

philos1 · 07-15-07, 11:29 AM

nice and clean. and it's been in the same family since new- that can't be had by most of us...

cabron · 07-15-07, 01:35 PM

Nice cruiser, what are your future plans for it?

Mace · 07-15-07, 02:46 PM

Nice

phono13 · 07-15-07, 03:15 PM

Sounds like you and your family have been all over in it. How many miles are on there?

mel lowe · 07-15-07, 04:00 PM

great rig.....

it is a keeper for sure!

84yota4x4 · 07-15-07, 05:32 PM

Very sharp looking. You did a really nice build up on her.

agent orange · 07-15-07, 06:56 PM

Youve sure got some big plans for the truck, how close are you to realizing them?

Good looking truck, mine has been in the family since i was a kid as well.

calphi27 · 07-15-07, 07:43 PM

Thanks guys for all the compliments. This write up made me remember when I was about 15, and my dad had bought a slightly used 1997 Landcruiser from Florida. Since he had two cruisers, he was going to sell the older one. At this point I wasn't even thinking about owning it yet. My dad had it for sale, and some kid and came by to look at it. The kid almost bought it, but his parents didn't like the price my dad was asking. I think he wanted $13k for it then. It is weird to think that if that kid bought it, I probably would not even be into cruisers at all.

Anyways she has around 170,000 miles on it. ( I must confess I drove it a year with the speedo unplugged because I couldn't get the cable back and I wasn't going to pay the dealer $90 to do it: this was before I knew about mud.) My dad didn't drive it too much. I drove it all over the place in high school. And in college, I didn't drive it too much cause I biked everywhere.

My goal a few years from now would be my version of an expedition vehicle. Right now I am starting my career, and don't have the money or the garage space to work on it. So it will be a while.

When I do the diesel engine conversion, I want to do a frame off restoration, and add a lot of little mods like on Spook50s rig, and some of the major mods that Princess's new owner has on his rig.

urbanmtb · 07-16-07, 01:12 AM

ya nice rig, really clean. I like that it's been in your family all this time, sounds similar to my old 94 explorer that I got from my parents that they bought new. except of course since it wasn't built quite like a cruiser the transmission blew up on me and I got rid of the hunk of junk.

The Dude · 07-16-07, 08:54 AM

Nice rig.

beaufort-fj60 · 07-16-07, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Dude

Nice rig.

x2

Mace · 07-16-07, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by calphi27

This write up made me remember when I was about 15, and my dad had bought a slightly used 1997 Landcruiser from Florida.

This strikes me a really funny for some reason

Class of 2000??

calphi27 · 07-16-07, 12:56 PM

Actually '02. He got the 97LC in 98 or 99.

mainlander · 07-16-07, 03:42 PM

Man do I feel old (and I know I'm a lot younger than many here) with my 20 year reunion coming up next spring.

That's a great story and nice looking truck. I like the roof top tent. I want one of those some day.

Darkrealms · 07-17-07, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by calphi27

When I do the diesel engine conversion, I want to do a frame off restoration, and add a lot of little mods like on Spook50s rig, and some of the major mods that Princess's new owner has on his rig.

Wait a minute here! Princess's new owner?? Didn't know she was sold?!?

On the thread note That is a nice rig!

Tofudebeest · 07-18-07, 07:22 AM

Thank Jehovah that you removed those running boards!!! I have the Aussie style diamond plate ones that I want to remove in the worst way, not because they get hung up on rocks (because I don't rock crawl in it), but because they're fugly.

But, my wife and mother said: YOU BETTER NOT! They would have a hard time climbing in indeed. I also have a 3 year-old daughter and 1 year-old son who would have to be lifted in, and currently, they can climb in by themselves (well, at least my daughter can).

So, I WILL rip those damn things off when I get some sliders or at least a less fugly set of step bars.

gnavarroo · 07-18-07, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mace

This strikes me a really funny for some reason

Class of 2000??

Yeah I know what you mean. that just means some of us are getting older

... That means that Calphi27 is actually about 25-27 and was born either in 82 or 80. Now that's weird! Nice semi-one-owner rig, dude!

calphi27 · 07-18-07, 12:11 PM

Yeah Im glad those running boards came off. They did however help with people riding on the side while I drove. I am just glad I got my pair of sliders on now!

I am about to turn 24 btw, not to rub it in your older gents faces.

I am surprised no one commented on the truck resting on 4x4s and 6x6s in the lift install pics. I guess I'm not the only one who has done that. I was scared at first, but I put jackstands where they could reach on the frame. I installed it at my friends carport, and his dad said blocks were ok. We built two heeps, an old bronco, and my cruiser there.

Darkrealms · 07-19-07, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by calphi27

Yeah Im glad those running boards came off. They did however help with people riding on the side while I drove. I am just glad I got my pair of sliders on now!

I am about to turn 24 btw, not to rub it in your older gents faces.

I am surprised no one commented on the truck resting on 4x4s and 6x6s in the lift install pics. I guess I'm not the only one who has done that. I was scared at first, but I put jackstands where they could reach on the frame. I installed it at my friends carport, and his dad said blocks were ok. We built two heeps, an old bronco, and my cruiser there.

Honestly I just use cinderblocks when I work on my rigs. BTW 27 here.

cruiser_guy · 07-19-07, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by calphi27

I am surprised no one commented on the truck resting on 4x4s and 6x6s in the lift install pics. I guess I'm not the only one who has done that. I was scared at first, but I put jackstands where they could reach on the frame. I installed it at my friends carport, and his dad said blocks were ok. We built two heeps, an old bronco, and my cruiser there.

Hey those blocks are positively rock solid!! Take a look at how we did the frame swap on my truck in Tegucigalpa, Honduras for scary!!

http://forum.ih8mud.com/60-series-wagons/76509-rusty-frame-fix-your-60-series.html

With regards to running boards, there were a set on my truck when I bought it nearly 20 years ago. The VERY FIRST mod I made was removing them, and I had a 1 year old and three year old at the time too!

sk8salomon · 07-19-07, 02:46 PM

sweet rig, love the roof tent! how fast can you drive with it up? lol!
i'd bet you could scare the crap outta somebody asleep up there if the truck took off!

Pacific Swell · 07-19-07, 11:02 PM

Sharp looking rig! Congratulations! I hope you get many more good years on her.

calphi27 · 07-20-07, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cruiser_guy

Hey those blocks are positively rock solid!! Take a look at how we did the frame swap on my truck in Tegucigalpa, Honduras for scary!!

http://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=76509

With regards to running boards, there were a set on my truck when I bought it nearly 20 years ago. The VERY FIRST mod I made was removing them, and I had a 1 year old and three year old at the time too!

I remember following your thread back then. Well I dont feel too bad about the 6x6s now seeing your body up on rubber tires and rims.

I remeber setting mine down on the 4x4s first. My fingers were crossed as the weight was put on them. They made all sorts of noise and even bowed out a bit. I was scared, so that is why I put the 6x6s down there with jackstand backups on the frame.

I have driven about 20 feet with the tent open. I had to move campsites. It was fine as long as someone was holding the ladder up.

Darkrealms · 07-20-07, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cruiser_guy

Hey those blocks are positively rock solid!! Take a look at how we did the frame swap on my truck in Tegucigalpa, Honduras for scary!!

http://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=76509

With regards to running boards, there were a set on my truck when I bought it nearly 20 years ago. The VERY FIRST mod I made was removing them, and I had a 1 year old and three year old at the time too!

Wow, that just seems like it was ages ago! It was fun to follow.

calphi27 · 07-22-07, 11:46 AM

Well guys thanks for all the comments! If you have not already, please signup for the ROTW.

Thanks mace for putting this together!