When did the 45 sickness start thread!! (5 Viewers)

[whitey45]

It was about 20 years ago that I saw a picture of the WARN fj45 in four wheeler magazine(huge on 44 inch tires)and just had to have one! I started searching (pre internet days) and remembered a funny looking fj40 with a bed! in my old neighborhood,so I went to see if it was still there and to my surprise it was.First time I ever saw a 45 pickup in the flesh.I knocked on the door and talked to the owner,he was willing to sell,so I offered him 1500,(18 years old at the time and 1500 was a stretch,and he said he wanted more.So I left heartbroken,and came back 2 weeks later and learned that he had sold it for $2500!!!. So after I stopped crying!! the search continued and I remembered another cruiser from the hood,that was parked next to my buddies house from elementary school! I always rembered it as being a 55 wagon and thought why not go see if it was still there.After 17 years, it was still parked in the same spot!!! But wait,it has an fj40 frontend on it!! You can imagine the feeling I got when it was indeed an fj45 wagon.I didnt even know they made a 45 wagon! I had to have it and knocked on the ORIGINAL OWNERS door and turns out he was getting ready to put it in the local auto trader.I asked how much he wanted and he replied..I would like to get 8 or 900!!!I told him I would give him $900 and the first of what would be many 45's was mine.I ended up selling it a few years later to purchase a 65 fj45 lwb.Gumby on the board now owns my old 45 lv and is currently restoring it!! Lets hear some stories, I will dig up some old photos of the lv with original paint!!!

 

[Poser]

1988...

 

[cruiser_guy]

I was looking for a vehicle to work on in my autoshop class in Guatemala when I responded to an ad for a '69 LandCruiser wagon. I arranged a time to go look at it and it was the "strangest" FJ40 I ever saw (I was expecting to see an early FJ55). I went back to see if it was for real or some "bastardized" vehicle created in Guatemala. I was pleasantly surprised to find out about the FJ45LV and ended up buying it. So far I've driven it maybe 20 miles and towed it across 5 countries!!
I hope to be able to get it drivable soon.

 

[Rix 45]

My first FJ45 sighting was back in the mid 60's when my father had an intrest in building a fly in fishing hotel in Baja Calif. Mex. It was called Punta Chivato .They had several old Gas Co. slant 6 Dodges and the 45 PU. At the time it took ten days to get a truck down there and they were needed to bring patrons up from the fishing boats to the hotel with their catch. The Mexicans that worked there thrashed all those trucks and I thrilled at ridding in right hand seat with the dirt road rushing by below my feet through the gapeing hole in the floor. The truck even in delapidation was faithfully performing it's duties. I was hooked at the tender age of 14. Since then I have a 79 FJ 55 that I have raised three boys and a wife in, (all grown and on their own now including the wife) my FJ 45 LBP I have refurbrished as it survived all three boys driving it to high school and a nice survivor 65 FJ 45 LV. Oh yeah there's a Unimog out in the drive way too.

 

[Gumby]

I've wanted a pick up since I got introduced to the Land Cruiser world. Fell into an LV a year or so ago, now just got my pick up.

 

[3_puppies]

first actual sighting was in summer 1989, eastern PA. saw Larry's? at Ozone offroad near Albany NY in 1990.
didn't finally get my own until 2002, since then they've multiplied in the yard. I've owned 6 total, 1 scrapped, 1 now owned by Mike G in CO, 1 now owned by Greg M in CO. I still have 3 in the yard now.
2 LPB's and an LV

 

[mhall10407]

Mine all started with my buddy getting an FJ55. My first cruiser was an FJ40 and as I started learning more and reading Toyota Trails I told myself I always wanted an FJ45. A couple years ago an HJ45 popped up on Mud and all the stars aligned and off to Elko, NV I went to pick her up. I'd drive my 45 over my 100 series any day of the week.

 

[owensexport]

1982 Reseda, CA.
Purchased truck from Marv Spector.
He found it in Gerlach Nevada a few years before.
It was the second to the nicest one left of about 10 trucks
purchased for use by the John Espil Sheep Ranching Company.
they ran these trucks back and forth over an area from Gerlach
nevada to Susanville, Ca. Look on a Sat Map to see a whole
lot of nothing between these cities!!
Restored over 1 years time.
Owned for 25 years before I sold it!!

 

[Owyhee Jackass]

Late 90's

 

[24HOURSOFNEVADA]

1982 Reseda, CA.
Purchased truck from Marv Spector.
He found it in Gerlach Nevada a few years before.
It was the second to the nicest one left of about 10 trucks
purchased for use by the John Espil Sheep Ranching Company.
they ran these trucks back and forth over an area from Gerlach
nevada to Susanville, Ca. Look on a Sat Map to see a whole
lot of nothing between these cities!!
Restored over 1 years time.
Owned for 25 years before I sold it!!

I'm good friends of the Espils. I did a three year stint out in Gerlach. John Sr. Has passed of course, but the family still has two 45's left. They are sold and the new owner just needs to pick them up.

John Sr. Likes the Toyotas over the domestic trucks because "They were tougher, lasted longer and one could easily swap parts around.". At one time they had a total of 16, 45's on the two ranches. Which I think is the size of Rhode Island. They are good people.

I'd love to see a picture of the one you got from them whole. I've been promised one of the remaining trucks if the owner never comes and gets it. If I do get it, I'll restore it and put "Espil Sheep and Cattle Inc" on the doors...Eat Nevada lamb, 1 Million coyotes can't be wrong.

 

[rockcod]

For me it started after I saw Wardens "Junkyard Dog" short wheelbase truck in a magazine. I just had to have a removeable top "shorty" after that.

 

[vagabondcruiser]

1976 FJ45 LBP Fix

After an exhausting search over many years I found what most 45 guys want.Check this rig out.It was in hiding for nearly 20 years because of a bad rear axle.Glad the guy didn't shoot it.I brought this truck down from Calgery Alberta last year to Wisconsin.Only time it's been wet in the last year is from drule.Imagine my smile when I found it with low mileage,no rust other than a little surface rust in the common places,unrestored and nearly 100% original.After some cosmetic and mechanical work this is what I got to drive for the last year.Many stories.Well,some health issues are dictateing my life now and I'd like to see this truck go to someone who would really appreciate what it is.Would there be any interests in the mid 20's depending on what goes with it.I have a brand new OEM top for it,new seat covers etc.Let me know.Your comments and questions are welcome.The truck is in winter storeage right now but will be out soon.Thanks

 

[owensexport]

I'm good friends of the Espils. I did a three year stint out in Gerlach. John Sr. Has passed of course, but the family still has two 45's left. They are sold and the new owner just needs to pick them up.

John Sr. Likes the Toyotas over the domestic trucks because "They were tougher, lasted longer and one could easily swap parts around.". At one time they had a total of 16, 45's on the two ranches. Which I think is the size of Rhode Island. They are good people.

I'd love to see a picture of the one you got from them whole. I've been promised one of the remaining trucks if the owner never comes and gets it. If I do get it, I'll restore it and put "Espil Sheep and Cattle Inc" on the doors...Eat Nevada lamb, 1 Million coyotes can't be wrong.

Photos of my truck are in this thread:
https://forum.ih8mud.com/fj45-owners-club/245027-old-45-photos.html

I called John Espil after I bought the truck from Marv Spector, even though He did not know me from Adam he very kindly spent about an hour on the phone telling me all about the FJ45's on the ranch. He even went out of his way to dig out the original title for the truck and mail it to me.
Sounded like a very nice man, sorry to hear he passed away.

If any of the other FJ45's from the Espil Ranch turn up, we should start a photo thread!

 

[My71FJ40]

The first time I saw one was around 1981, I was just a kid growing up in N. Idaho and a friend of my dads was this old timer and he had a little mill at his place for cutting lumber. So I went with my dad and saw his mill, but was more impressed with the white fj45 pickup with pto...that was POWERING the mill! He was using the pto shaft in some way to power the saw. I believe he traded it in on a subaru wagon a couple of years after that... It took me about twelve years to figure out what kind of truck that was when I bought my first fj40 and started to research them. And for some reason two of mine have a pto winch...?

 

[jmccandless]

I first fell under the 45 spell when I saw Bull's and Duke's 45s for sale this past year...I knew about them but hadn't paid too much attention until those two trucks came across my screen.

I had just bought a super clean FJ60 after more than a year of searching. I tried hard to justify the 45 addition to myself...didn't happen. Yet.

Every couple of month I see another for sale that tests my will power! (gotta say, 55s have piqued my interest too, I go back and forth. But for sure, my bank account is going to suffer...)

 

[nocents]

The first Cruiser I saw was a 45 back in 1970. Older sisters friends had come to visit in their Cruiser and all they did was talk about Land Cruisers and how they were better than Jeeps. They convinced me and I got my first 40 in 1974. I did the V8 conversion stuff and keep it for several years but the poor freeway speed and noise took its toll and I sold it to get a 260Z. I always regretted selling the 40.
Pan ahead some 25 years, kid are grown and I convinced the wife to let me get another Cruiser. I bought a rusty 40 to rebuild and started to work fixing it up. I found this website and started exploring the forum. Someone posted a link to a 45 for sale on Ebay, I had always wanted that first Cruiser I saw so I bid...and won.
My 65 SWB is my favorite Cruiser. The 40 is STILL being rebuilt and now a 55 sits in the garage too, but the 45 is the real beauty. The 45 run is a great get together every year as an added bonus to the 45 ownership.

 

[Keepinitstock]

Photos of my truck are in this thread:
OLD 45 Photos

I called John Espil after I bought the truck from Marv Spector, even though He did not know me from Adam he very kindly spent about an hour on the phone telling me all about the FJ45's on the ranch. He even went out of his way to dig out the original title for the truck and mail it to me.
Sounded like a very nice man, sorry to hear he passed away.

If any of the other FJ45's from the Espil Ranch turn up, we should start a photo thread!

I have the last one of that Espil fleet.

 

[whitey45]

Tell and show us some pics! I heard stories of a fleet of 45’s years ago and always thought it was a myth!

 

[xtremeVA]

I thought a few lucky people were born with a special Toyota gene?

 

[67azcruizr]

If any of the other FJ45's from the Espil Ranch turn up, we should start a photo thread!

It's been through a "bit" of a transformation Steve, but here is mine.

1964 SWB Stretched Fixed Top Cab

I purchased the truck in 2012. The truck, along with nine other FJ45's, grew up on a sheep farm in Northern Nevada just outside of Gerlach. While I love the rear split window configuration of the early fixed cab's, it became evident that the rubber extrusion would need to be replaced and...

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