TLCA Hall Of Fame

[65swb45]

I don’t know how many of you have visited the TLCA’s homepage recently, but there have been a LOT of changes recently. The website was bound to undergo a lot of changes, and our new webmaster Matt Farr has taken his position VERY seriously, really nothing short of a steamroller at this point.

Our illustrious president Alan Loshbaugh recently jumpstarted a discussion about starting a Hall of Fame page promoting icons within the Landcruiser community. Now that we have a 30 year heritage to look back on, it is obvious that there are some individuals who stood out in the formation and evolution of this organization. If you know of someone special that you would like to nominate, you can mention them here, and submit a short bio on them to webmaster@tlca.org for consideration.

There are obviously a LOT of people who deserve recognition in the long term. These are just my personal pics to enter in the inaugural year.

Earl Warden. Earl is the oldest cruiserhead I know, and I don’t mean that just in people years. As the head mechanic for one of the very first dealerships to import Toyotas into the country, Earl was working on Landcruisers long before the TLCA was even a pipedream. Earl eventually left the dealership to start his own Toyota repair shop, which soon became a Mecca in the Landcruiser world.

He was an innovator in his day, but also respected the old school. As my own personal evidence that Earl was more of a cruiserhead than a businessman, I offer this: when I approached him in 1992 with my plans to do a frame up restoration on my 65swb45 pickup, Earl gifted me the mint condition, unobtanium early hubcaps that you see on the truck to this day. That’s a cruiserhead!

Jim Sickles. Jim was not only one of the founders of SEMA, but played an important role in the formation of the TLCA. As one of the earliest Toyota Landcruiser businesses, who was also VERY active in the off road community, it was Jim that was approached in 1975 at a Cal 4 Wheel meeting to help spearhead the formation of a new Toyota-only 4 wheel drive club. If you catch him in a good mood, Jim still has some very colorful stories to tell about those early days.

Jim’s business flourished in the early 80’s with the Toyota’s introduction of the mini truck 4x4, and could be easily sustained today by devoting 100% of his attention to that market. Despite this, Jim still continues to develop and market accessories for the niche market in Landcruisers because in his heart, he is still a cruiserhead.


John and Melissa Fulton. John and Melissa Fulton were not only two of the founding members of TLCA, but they were icons in the Landcruiser community and beyond. From the time that I first met them at a Cal 4 Wheel district meeting in 1982, it was obvious that both John and Melissa commanded respect whenever they spoke. Neither of them were afraid to question Cal 4 Wheel’s position on just about ANYTHING if it did not seem correct. They were principled AND passionate about the sport and it’s appearance to the outside world.

I was fortunate enough to wheel with John and Melissa, Bob and Jan King, and another larger than life figure, Bob Brewer, in the summer of 1986 and I can still remember that in the Landcruiser camp, no matter how boisterous the conversation had become, people toned down to listen when John or Melissa spoke. They were that well respected. John and Melissa were also instrumental in my decision to buy my first Landcruiser.

Marlin. It’s a pretty good bet you’ve reached icon status when you have first name-only recognition! I’m not really sure when Marlin first came on the ‘scene’ in the TLCA, but I know that he was already a well-established figure by the time I met him on the first Rubithon in 1989. Marlin, like myself [and probably many of you], is one of those guys that got bit hard by the Landcruiser bug, to the point that it was the beginning of a life-altering relationship.

One of the things that most endears people to Marlin is that as his reputation in business and the community has flourished over the last 15 years, and his expertise in gearboxes has become legendary, he remains one of the most approachable, amicable cruiserheads you will ever meet. There is no pretence about him.

[Chef]

Mark, thanks for starting this, I hope some other folks chime in.
I think #1 ought to be Bob Garrett for starting the whole thing
(that's right isn't it?)

I'm gonna add some emails that were sent to me as an archiving thing for myself...

[Chef]

Ross Woody wrote me with:

Sounds like great ideas.

The Hall of Fame could be huge

Just some names off the top of my head
Danny Warden -- As far as I know, one of the first to innovate the FJ40
with Spring Over Axle and Saginaw Power Steering.
Henry Cubillan -- prolific writer, great contributor to both TT and LCML
Gary Bjork -- Toyota Trails
Henry Brimmer -- Toyota Trails
Mudrak - Gary Kardum -- Longtime supporter of TLCA and an excellent
fabricator, specializing in FJ40's and SOAs
Butch Lewis (R.I.P.) -- A fabulous fabricator, that perfected many
designs, including the SOA frame reenfrcement plates

Those are some names that I know. I'm sure there are others throughout
the country.

[Chef]

Bruce Loewen wrote me with:

That's a really good list. It was actually Earl Warden who started a lot
of the Cruiser mods that are main stream now. Danny inherited the business.

A few more names...

Todd of Aqualu Ind.
John Pardi
Rob Mullen (TLC FAQ)

Cheers,
Bruce Loewen
RMLCA

[Chef]

FRom Chris Hatfield:
I'd like to find Al Roth. He's the one that kind of suggested back in
'95 that some club ought to put on an event in Moab. We bit. :-)

Chris Hatfield

[Chef]

I'd also like to nominate a "Member of the Year" every year. Someone inside TLCA who has made a substantive contribution to community thru good work, good will, or?
It's nice to recognise folks for good work!

[TLCA_Paul]

Greg Mumm. -From TLCA to the Blue Ribbon. What a real Land Lubber.
Jim Chenoweth(sp). -Carborator GURU

[Chef]

Mark Whatley: another guy who has spread reams of cruiser knowledge around, just because he likes to.

[peterb]

We've got to consider Woody for all he does with IH8MUD and the TLCA site.
Thanks for the curds.
Peter

[nuclearlemon]

cruiserdan for helping to make our addiction a bit more affordable

[Hulk]

We could probably put anyone who has served as TLCA president in the Hall of Fame. Thankless, unpaid job that somebody's gotta do. I'm thinking of Dave Brown, Tony Twiddy, and that current guy.

[Chef]

Thanks Matt...I kewl with putting past Presidents in there. Putting 'that other guy" in there seems kinda self serving. Not why I started this. I just want to recognise some folks, and have some new web content.

By the way, there's a robot fixin to steal yer cruiser.

[Hulk]

Well, we wouldn't put ya in there until you finished your term(s). Then you'd get the official golden Hall-of-Fame beer stein.

/He's a friendly robot, unless you try to mess with my Cruiser.
//mmm, beer.

[tarbe]

Originally Posted by Chef

FRom Chris Hatfield:
I'd like to find Al Roth. He's the one that kind of suggested back in
'95 that some club ought to put on an event in Moab. We bit. :-)

Chris Hatfield

Ha! My wife asked me the other day if I knew where Al was and what he was up to. He sucked us to Moab for one of those pre-Cruise Moab runs and he was a great guy to wheel with.

[Radd Cruisers]

Being out of touch and not even knowing TLCA existed until I got a computer and went on line googled or something like that LANDCRUISER.

Came across a article written about some guy whos 60 series cruiser was borrowed by a friend who called to inform the owner he had got his 60 series stuck in mud.

The owner went out in his FJ40 to retrieve his beloved 60 from the mud whole(too which he described as never taking his rigs near mud).

Read this a long time ago and going off memoy, could have it all backwords.

But that person is Nolen Grogen who I think has given a lot of his his time to the association and continues to greatly support TLCA.


Rob

[TRT2]

Tough choices and decisions.

Remember this...

first off, don't mix Land Cruiser community with TLCA association when thinking of Hall of Fame. While someone may have stood out in teh community, their TLCA efforts might not have been at the same level.

a 'Hall of Famer' usually reaches that distinction after a life time of effort. To that end, no one in the Hall of Fame would have a TLCA # higher than 1500 at this point in time. Simply because someone (like myself as example) offered 10 years of volunteer service including chapter involvement, TLCA (active) event involvement, TT writings and even TLCA President role... does not mean they are Hall of Fame material.

I believe the decision should be based upon the gift or results of that persons efforts, as viewed by their peers, many years later.

Garrett - the father of our association, yes.
George Rice, Fultons, Schuellers, Estrada - key players that kept our association alive even in the most difficult times. yes.
Gary Bjork - Key player in turning Trails into what it is today, event chairma, all around cheer leader for this association throughout the 90s... Yes. It should also be noted that to date, Only Garrett and Bjork have been acknowledged by the association for their key roles by providing a never ending expiration date. In other words, folks before us have thought about this subject (although titled differently) and put forth their recommendations.

Woody, Matt, Nolan, Alan, Myself.... Sorry, love you guys but No.

Algazy, Trathen, Petrulio, Warden, Marlin, Mudrak... perhaps in time, perhaps not.

Watley... destined, yes.

These are just my views, I am sure yours differ and that is a good thing.

But Hall of Fame choices should be for a reason, and no where in that reason is personal feelings. It should be a small select group which being a part of means something. Not a group of folks who met the average 7 year volunteer time frame before burning out.

Personally, I think we already have a hall of fame. Pick up any issue of Trails, open it to the contents page, and read a list of Hall of Famers in my book. You want to see Hall of Famers in action, attend an event and spot the guy who is pulling the long side axle out of his cruiser and handing it to someone he does not even know, who needs it desperately.
You want to watch a Hall of famer, find the new TLCA member who has never been off road and check out his facial expression after he successfully tackled the most difficult obstacle he has ever come across.

The Hall of Famer in my book??? the stalwort TLCA member who always renews his registration and stays the course regardless of the flavor of the month.

[65swb45]

Tony,

That sounds like a campaign speech if I ever heard one!

We could just make you ombudsman for life!

A very thoughtful response. I think that based on the lack of imput that this, and the other thread, have recieved, that there are just NOT a lot of people around today that ever met the people we are talking about, much less witnessed their efforts.

And I mean this with all due respect and ABSOLUTELY no criticism, that your very worthy efforts to document what will more than likely become the official record of TLCA, will largely shape people's opinions for years to come, both by what was included, and by what was left out. This will no doubt extend to consideration of the Hall of Fame nominees.

I have enjoyed your articles immensely, remembering even more things about the early days that I had long forgotten. One in particular involved a friendly rivalry between George Rice and Bob King that resulted in a change in the Cal 4 Wheel Truck show rules in 1985!

Nonetheless, it also sparked my interest in writing an essay about the documenting of history in general once I realized just how malleable it actually was and is. I haven't finished it or decided where to post it yet, but rest assured it is not critical of anyone. Just some of my usual meanderings.

Final thought. Just because their efforts didn't show up in an official record somewhere, doesn't discount them in any way in my book. I stand by my initial recommendations.

[Hulk]

Originally Posted by TRT2

first off, don't mix Land Cruiser community with TLCA association when thinking of Hall of Fame. While someone may have stood out in the community, their TLCA efforts might not have been at the same level.

That's a good point. The Hall of Fame should recognize those folks who have gone the extra mile for TLCA.

I still stand by my recommendation that anyone who has put up with the presidency of TLCA deserves some recognition. If that ain't going the extra mile, I don't know what is!

[ginericLC]

I agree with Tony. When I was pimping the 76 shirts at CM I had a lot of conversations with some of the older members. They told me stories about wheeling trips that occurred when I was in grade school. Marlin had some really interesting stories. Stories about struggles and about people leaving clubs over principles. Stories about wheeling trips gone bad but about the people who made everything all right. It was also pretty interesting, the people who bought these shirts were generally the old timers. The only youngster who bought one was on the FJ Cruiser trail team. The stories these folks shared with me made all the time and effort I put in seem meaningless. It made me appreciate how easy we have it today. Email, forums, etc... These guys were diehards. They had to work their butts off to build rigs and develop their own tech. They couldn't just look it up on the net. And they had to hold people together with newsletters and real-time real-place meetings. We have it so easy today. I often feel good about my membership number that is almost 10 years old but in comparison to an organization turning 30 it doesn't mean squat. Anyway, I think Tony is on the right track about the honorary members.

[Radd Cruisers]

Gotta admit Hall of Famer does mean oldest and longest particpating person in the TLCA.


Right up thier with Bobby Ore and Wayne Gretzky, although Wayne has not been around as long, but Wayne has made a difference.

[Exiled]

Originally Posted by tarbe

Ha! My wife asked me the other day if I knew where Al was and what he was up to. He sucked us to Moab for one of those pre-Cruise Moab runs and he was a great guy to wheel with.

My first time on the Lion's Back was riding shotgun with Al Roth on his lime green FJ40 at the first 'Cruise Moab. Super nice guy, one of those gentlemen of the Cruiser world, like Marlin.

[Wayneraintree]

Many people's various amounts of contribution has resulted in the coolest association around the coolest vehicles and activities, regardless of age, tenure, or social status (within the community or other).

I think a measure of contribution deserves a measure of recognition. Elect those that impact and contribute to our inherent enjoyment, and those names listed are the foundation of the tlca. This is a great idea, then new and unknowing members will be able to relate to the individuals in the Hall and understand the general philosophy of the tlca. Mis dos centavos....

[dieselcruiserhead]

I think Marv Specter deserves at least a nomination too IMO... Granted he is in business and has not (at least recently) been too directly affiiated with the TLCA but is a great community supporter and seems to bend over backwards for cruiserheads of all sorts pretty commonly IMO...

[hatfieldcb]

Reading Tony's history, I know Marv was very involved in the early days.

[dieselcruiserhead]

Chirs I love you photo to the left.. Just when I though a sex change operation was a bad idea, dayum!