1974 FJ40 through the Sahara and sand dunes!

[Soberacho]

Incredible journey. Loving every bit. Thank you for sharing.!

 

[Green Bean]

Since we are all riding along with you, can you please tell us a bit about yourself and your 40.

 

[RevISK]

Since we are all riding along with you, can you please tell us a bit about yourself and your 40.

I recall another thread OP did where he traveled over the French Alps? There was a bit more about him and the 40 in there. I’ll see if I can find it.

 

[peesalot]

Bitchin

 

[flx]

I recall another thread OP did where he traveled over the French Alps? There was a bit more about him and the 40 in there. I’ll see if I can find it.

The story of my Alps trip (and the Pyrenees one) were actually published in Toyota Trails, Nov-Dec 2022 (and Nov-Dec 2021).

Since we are all riding along with you, can you please tell us a bit about yourself and your 40.

Haha sure thing.
My FJ40 is a 1974 built in 10/1973. It was originally sold in France and was actually part of the first import batch of Land Cruisers to France (not entering in lengthy details but the importers had to do a few modifications for the homologations of this first batch, this how they can be spotted), from the surviving vehicles of this batch still known today it has the lowest serial number... so I'd generally call it the the oldest Land Cruiser originally sold to France.

It was originally sold directly by SIDAT (the French importer) to an IBM engineer who is the one that asked Toyota to install suspension seat to improve the comfort for his wife (cf. Front bench or not? - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/front-bench-or-not.1208426/). This worked until she was pregnant but then he did not had the choice and was forced to sell it... This is when in 1976 my father bought it.

My father had bought an old abandoned farm in the Cevennes mountains south of France. When it was abandoned in the 1920's it only had a trail for a donkey and a cart to access. Even if a bulldozer helped cleaned the trail and enlarge it, it was still a very steep trail that had the tendency to be very rutted after storms... So a 4x4 was needed.
And to rebuild the house he needed a lot of construction materials delivered and all the local stores obviously refused to deliver up there... So he needed something abled to carry and pull a lot of weight... once the FJ40.

Back then he was using as its main car and was regularly crossing France between Paris and the south, 6 people onboard and all the luggages on the roof...

At some point in the 80's it was left permanently in the south to be used locally around the house... To carry wood, buy construction material and go to the local town.

(maxed pictures, TBC next post)

 

[flx]

It's at this point that I'm coming in and started to learn to drive the FJ40

Years passed and the FJ got a few different paint but always stayed here.

Years after years the FJ40 lost reliability and we only dared using it for very local trip, in range of our garage...
It had various little problems electric, of fuel delivery and only started when it wanted... Body was not too bad for its age but clearly the rear sill was gone and needed some love.

So in 2018 I took over the vehicle from my father and my first action was.... to build a roof for it.

Then by end of 2019 we agreed to start a partial restoration with my local garage that was maintaining it since 20+ years. Not a Toyota or 4x4 specialized garage but guys capable to solve any problems.
I though that this restoration would take 3 years or so but they actually started to work on it just before the first covid lockdown, they just had time to send the body to the sandblaster guy the day before the lockdown started...

During the lockdown the garage was only opened the mornings and could only do jobs considered as safety/priority as per the lockdown rules. So they had nothing else to do of their afternoon than to work of the FJ40. It went wayyyy faster than expected and we ended up doing more than originally planned.

And that's how in 2021, on they day we were allowed to travel and cross border again, I decided it was time for the inaugural trip of my restored FJ40....
Bringing me today to Morocco.

 

[peesalot]

That tent is warm, does it have provision or heater ? like a roof vent

 

[RevISK]

The story of my Alps trip (and the Pyrenees one) were actually published in Toyota Trails, Nov-Dec 2022 (and Nov-Dec 2021).
View attachment 3493655View attachment 3493657

View attachment 3493651View attachment 3493654


Haha sure thing.
My FJ40 is a 1974 built in 10/1973. It was originally sold in France and was actually part of the first import batch of Land Cruisers to France (not entering in lengthy details but the importers had to do a few modifications for the homologations of this first batch, this how they can be spotted), from the surviving vehicles of this batch still known today it has the lowest serial number... so I'd generally call it the the oldest Land Cruiser originally sold to France.

View attachment 3493682View attachment 3493683
It was originally sold directly by SIDAT (the French importer) to an IBM engineer who is the one that asked Toyota to install suspension seat to improve the comfort for his wife (cf. Front bench or not? - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/front-bench-or-not.1208426/). This worked until she was pregnant but then he did not had the choice and was forced to sell it... This is when in 1976 my father bought it.
View attachment 3493684

My father had bought an old abandoned farm in the Cevennes mountains south of France. When it was abandoned in the 1920's it only had a trail for a donkey and a cart to access. Even if a bulldozer helped cleaned the trail and enlarge it, it was still a very steep trail that had the tendency to be very rutted after storms... So a 4x4 was needed.
And to rebuild the house he needed a lot of construction materials delivered and all the local stores obviously refused to deliver up there... So he needed something abled to carry and pull a lot of weight... once the FJ40.
View attachment 3493687

Back then he was using as its main car and was regularly crossing France between Paris and the south, 6 people onboard and all the luggages on the roof...
View attachment 3493691

At some point in the 80's it was left permanently in the south to be used locally around the house... To carry wood, buy construction material and go to the local town.
View attachment 3493693

(maxed pictures, TBC next post)

Ah yes, now I remember. Great stuff

 

[Green Bean]

It's at this point that I'm coming in and started to learn to drive the FJ40
View attachment 3493694

Years passed and the FJ got a few different paint but always stayed here.
View attachment 3493695

View attachment 3493696

Years after years the FJ40 lost reliability and we only dared using it for very local trip, in range of our garage...
It had various little problems electric, of fuel delivery and only started when it wanted... Body was not too bad for its age but clearly the rear sill was gone and needed some love.

So in 2018 I took over the vehicle from my father and my first action was.... to build a roof for it.
View attachment 3493701

Then by end of 2019 we agreed to start a partial restoration with my local garage that was maintaining it since 20+ years. Not a Toyota or 4x4 specialized garage but guys capable to solve any problems.
I though that this restoration would take 3 years or so but they actually started to work on it just before the first covid lockdown, they just had time to send the body to the sandblaster guy the day before the lockdown started...

During the lockdown the garage was only opened the mornings and could only do jobs considered as safety/priority as per the lockdown rules. So they had nothing else to do of their afternoon than to work of the FJ40. It went wayyyy faster than expected and we ended up doing more than originally planned.

View attachment 3493710
View attachment 3493711
View attachment 3493712
View attachment 3493716
View attachment 3493717

And that's how in 2021, on they day we were allowed to travel and cross border again, I decided it was time for the inaugural trip of my restored FJ40....
Bringing me today to Morocco.

Great journey and great story to go with it.

 

[flx]

That tent is warm, does it have provision or heater ? like a roof vent

Not sure what you mean? Do you talk about my swag tent?

If so I don't think you could practically put a heater inside but being small and made of thick canvas the inside heats up ok, even in very cold night.
In the opposite almost every panel open so can be very well vented (and admire the stars) during hot nights... which is not the case currently in Morocco, even if afternoons can be very hot in some regions, as soon as the sun disappear it quickly gets cold.

 

[Green Bean]

The scenery is beautiful but just wondering what you are doing for entertainment on those long stretches of desert?

 

[flx]

The scenery is beautiful but just wondering what you are doing for entertainment on those long stretches of desert?

Honestly while driving on trails I don't have time to get bored, have to keep the 40 under control, anticipate terrain to slow down before the bad parts, navigate and manage the GPS (and try to not get lost, I still keep missing the right trail with all the splits and some time I have to find my way around soft sand that blocks the theoretical track), admire the scenery and decide what I want to do next / where to go.
Actually that's where I really miss to not be solo, a co-pilot would be of great help to accomplish all of those tasks at the same time.

On long stretch on highway I get a lot more bored and at some point the constant noise without variation really gets tiring.

For this trip I was more afraid of being bored at camp the evening when not meeting other travelers. But in the end my biggest issue is the night that comes very early so I have a lot of things to do before it's dark... Setting camp, preparing food, dining, do the dishes, export pictures and movies from my cameras, posting on social medias, planning on the map next day plan, etc.
And after all of that I have used the 1 month free premium Youtube to use the feature to have offline access to videos and downloaded tons of videos from channels I follow (and each time I'm in a place with WiFi I download some new ones).

Generally I fall asleep in the comfortness of my swag before to have done everything I had to do.

Took a book also, haven't found the time to read a single page for now.

 

[John McVicker]

Subscribed. Really a great thread. Good luck!

 

[cruiserpilot]

I don't remember a better travel thread on this forum! Good for you for traveling in a Cruiser like they
are meant to be used. Solo travel rules! BTW, best looking truck on that ferry.

 

[RevISK]

I don't remember a better travel thread on this forum! Good for you for traveling in a Cruiser like they
are meant to be used. Solo travel rules! BTW, best looking truck that ferry.

In my opinion, this'll will go up with Seaknights adventure and The Baja one Nolan just did his thing to.
This guy is something else though, amazing. Definitely motivating me for my big solo cruise. Which I'm sure will start and end with, "I stopped at a bunch of gas stations."

 

[LakeLaurashawn]

A bucket list like no others!

Travel safe; looking forward to the stories and pictures along the way.

Please share food stories too... Amazing food in that region.

Lake

 

[RevISK]

A bucket list like no others!

Travel safe; looking forward to the stories and pictures along the way.

Please share food stories too... Amazing food in that region.

Lake

Best sandwich I ever had was in Morocco.
Good call.

 

[cruiserpilot]

One question. Do you have air conditioning? I’m probably not the only one wondering

 

[middlecalf]

My <current> question: do you have cell coverage or internet coverage out there in the boonies of Morocco?

This is so cool.

 

[RodrigzCrzr]

Just read the two articles on Toyota trails after seeing this thread.
Looking forward to more content from your travels.
Safe travels