In the beginning it was blue and stock. Now its green and tan and stock would not even enter your mind. I bought my 55 in; I think 1991 from Jim McFarlin AKA “Hopper” in Ocean beach Ca. That’s San Diego. Hopper is a true cruiser gear head. He has bought and sold so many cruisers he lost count. In fact he sold the 68 they used in the movie Lost Boys. They even used his wife’s name Star for the name of one of the characters in the movie.
I wanted to travel in Baja with friends from a Baja group and my old Subaru 4WD wagon would not work. I don’t remember how I got pointed in the Land Cruiser direction but I found my 55. I don’t remember if I knew what a 55 was back then.
The rig was your typical 55 rust and all. It had a Rochester carb. Man-A-Fre header a leak in the gas tank and the bench seat sucked. So I started out doing the brakes, center arm, bucket seats Weber carb and a 53gal gas tank not quite in that order and not at once. I made a few trips to Baja; up too Oregon and then I found TLCA, Beach and Toys, Rubithon and the fever hit.
I will post the pictures in a bit. I decided the rust needed some attention so I did a quick job on it. I built a front bumper and added a Hickey Sidewinder winch. After my first Rubithon, not in the cruiser but on an Mt bike tandem. We might be one of the first tandems to do the Rubicon. This was ’93-’94? Anyway I saw a SOA. and power steering and disk brakes. And I needed them. I took it to We 4-Wheel in Lake Arrowhead Ca. And had Bill Frances do the work. I was in San Diego at he time. Well all that led to an SM 420. What does that stand for? Smoke More 420? 35” BFGs Lock-Rites front and rear. Also added were on-board air, hot shower and so on.
By this time the rust epically the roof was back. I knew this Hot Rod builder that was behind my Screen-printing shop. And he let me use his space and showed me a few tricks, then turned me loose on my 55. I got the new roof from Rick D. I got a 1966 45lv also. But that’s another story. I proceeded to cut off the old one and repaired the new one and put it on. I use a torch to weld it on and did a very good job at it. That was 8 years ago and it is still in fine shape.
At about this time it was early 2000. I moved to the mountains of Colorado. From sea level to 8500’ above. It took me a good 6-8 months to clematises, The 55 never really did. The SM 420. 4:11, and 35” tires made the climb up from Denver or any of the passes a real drag. So it did not see much action. In 2005 at Cruise Moab I got the bug to either sell both the 45lv project and the 55 and get an 80. Sell the 45lv and put in a V8, which would give me the power but the gas mileage still was not economically viable. Then I saw Andre’s 55 with 4BT and Bio diesel. That’s the rout I decided to go. I talk to Proffitts Cruisers. They were interested in the 45lv and the deal was made.
I got the 4BT ARBs F/R and some other stuff. I’m still dialing it in I got a problem with running hot and a few other tweeks but I like it. Not at first though. I have become accustom to the Subaru Forester I have been driving while the 55 has be down. But I drove the 55 for about 3 weeks straight and have grown to like it again.
Well the rust is still a problem on the lower half. And it bugs the heck out of me It’s the one thing that has not changed all the years I’ve had it. I have looked at Andre’s build thread and a few others and to do the body right it needs to come off. I don’t want to loose the wagon for the time to do that it usualy takes longer than expected unless you pay to have it done. So I decided I need a different body to start with and do all the mods and repairs and switch them out. That night I was looking on mud and saw that Brian Steen was selling his 73 that was in way better shape than mine so I had to have it. Deal was made and Treeroot help me get it. The great luck of it was it was in Cheyenne Wo. 2 hrs away.
So that’s were it’s at now. I got a Tig welder and Plasma Cutter To help with the project. And some 60 axels to finish I hope it the final phase for my 55. As an expedition rig. That’s all for now. I’m way behind on getting this posted. It’s been a very busy week and now I have a welding job I do from my house + all planning of my expedition PIG rig. I hope you enjoy my story and here’s the pics. In some kind of order.
Arthog “Terry”
1st pic is the only photo I have of it in the stock blue
2nd pic is on the Alpine Loop Trail in Co.
3rd pic is my first cruiser T-shirt. I drew it in 93 I think.
I wanted to travel in Baja with friends from a Baja group and my old Subaru 4WD wagon would not work. I don’t remember how I got pointed in the Land Cruiser direction but I found my 55. I don’t remember if I knew what a 55 was back then.
The rig was your typical 55 rust and all. It had a Rochester carb. Man-A-Fre header a leak in the gas tank and the bench seat sucked. So I started out doing the brakes, center arm, bucket seats Weber carb and a 53gal gas tank not quite in that order and not at once. I made a few trips to Baja; up too Oregon and then I found TLCA, Beach and Toys, Rubithon and the fever hit.
I will post the pictures in a bit. I decided the rust needed some attention so I did a quick job on it. I built a front bumper and added a Hickey Sidewinder winch. After my first Rubithon, not in the cruiser but on an Mt bike tandem. We might be one of the first tandems to do the Rubicon. This was ’93-’94? Anyway I saw a SOA. and power steering and disk brakes. And I needed them. I took it to We 4-Wheel in Lake Arrowhead Ca. And had Bill Frances do the work. I was in San Diego at he time. Well all that led to an SM 420. What does that stand for? Smoke More 420? 35” BFGs Lock-Rites front and rear. Also added were on-board air, hot shower and so on.
By this time the rust epically the roof was back. I knew this Hot Rod builder that was behind my Screen-printing shop. And he let me use his space and showed me a few tricks, then turned me loose on my 55. I got the new roof from Rick D. I got a 1966 45lv also. But that’s another story. I proceeded to cut off the old one and repaired the new one and put it on. I use a torch to weld it on and did a very good job at it. That was 8 years ago and it is still in fine shape.
At about this time it was early 2000. I moved to the mountains of Colorado. From sea level to 8500’ above. It took me a good 6-8 months to clematises, The 55 never really did. The SM 420. 4:11, and 35” tires made the climb up from Denver or any of the passes a real drag. So it did not see much action. In 2005 at Cruise Moab I got the bug to either sell both the 45lv project and the 55 and get an 80. Sell the 45lv and put in a V8, which would give me the power but the gas mileage still was not economically viable. Then I saw Andre’s 55 with 4BT and Bio diesel. That’s the rout I decided to go. I talk to Proffitts Cruisers. They were interested in the 45lv and the deal was made.
I got the 4BT ARBs F/R and some other stuff. I’m still dialing it in I got a problem with running hot and a few other tweeks but I like it. Not at first though. I have become accustom to the Subaru Forester I have been driving while the 55 has be down. But I drove the 55 for about 3 weeks straight and have grown to like it again.
Well the rust is still a problem on the lower half. And it bugs the heck out of me It’s the one thing that has not changed all the years I’ve had it. I have looked at Andre’s build thread and a few others and to do the body right it needs to come off. I don’t want to loose the wagon for the time to do that it usualy takes longer than expected unless you pay to have it done. So I decided I need a different body to start with and do all the mods and repairs and switch them out. That night I was looking on mud and saw that Brian Steen was selling his 73 that was in way better shape than mine so I had to have it. Deal was made and Treeroot help me get it. The great luck of it was it was in Cheyenne Wo. 2 hrs away.
So that’s were it’s at now. I got a Tig welder and Plasma Cutter To help with the project. And some 60 axels to finish I hope it the final phase for my 55. As an expedition rig. That’s all for now. I’m way behind on getting this posted. It’s been a very busy week and now I have a welding job I do from my house + all planning of my expedition PIG rig. I hope you enjoy my story and here’s the pics. In some kind of order.
Arthog “Terry”
1st pic is the only photo I have of it in the stock blue
2nd pic is on the Alpine Loop Trail in Co.
3rd pic is my first cruiser T-shirt. I drew it in 93 I think.
