Sark's HZJ73 Adventures (10 Viewers)

[sark]

Day 11:

From Gunnison, we made our way East again until we got to Poncha Springs, CO. A random person told us to check out a place in this town known for restoring Land Cruisers, but he couldn't remember the name. Pretty sure we found the correct place. Incidentally, the same truck stop somewhere off HWY 17 is the same spot where we left the cruiser's OEM fuel cap behind. I blame my dad for that, since he was in charge of refueling while I went inside. We bought a "modern" replacement cap from a NAPA store in Kayenta, AZ to replace it.

 

[sark]

Day 11, part 2:

After stopping by Classic Cruisers, we kept going East until Canon City, where we then took a cool little trail north (Phantom Canyon). We ran into some mini-vans here, so you can guess how technical it was Either way, the views were nice, and it was better than continuing on the never-ending stretch of main roads in the cruiser.

We also found a cool little tunnel on the early portion of this trail, so being the photographer, I let my dad drive the cruiser again, through the tunnel for me.

 

[sark]

Day 11, part 3:

We finally made our way through some really cool little small towns in the area until we reached Divide. From here we linked up with the main road again and went East to Colorado Springs. The traffic near here was something I never wish to experience again...

We made our way up to Castle Rock and checked out the Great Divide brewery for dinner.

 

[sark]

Day 12:

From there, we continued North through Denver and all the way up to Wyoming. As soon as we entered the state, we were greeted by giant billboards advertising fireworks!

We stopped for fuel in Chugwater, WY, which we found entertaining, and did just that. Important to stay hydrated on these long drives! Got the stretches in too.

From Chugwater, we continued all the way up to Gillette, WY. This stretch was by FAR the most boring section of the trip. Seemingly endless roads with quite literally nothing around you for miles, and flat WY scenery to boot.

We decided to check out Devil's Tower, since we were nearby. It was basically a tourist trap, so we decided a roadside picture would do, and we continued East.

Eventually, we arrived in Rapid City, where the terrain was much more pleasurable. We stopped at the Firehouse Brewing Company and devoured more than our fair share of BBQ food. Afterwards, we decided to check out a nearby rock which looked like it had some faces carved into it, or something.

 

[Gun Runner 5]

Keep the trip photos coming…..


** Note to self: Never post another Cruiser shot from the Tractor Supply parking lot.

 

[sark]

Day 13:

We left Rapid City and passed by the Badlands. We didn't have time to check it out, since we were coming up on our 2-weeks. We kept going East and eventually made our way to the corn fields to check out Toppling Goliath Brewing Company. Their beer is some of my favorite, so it was a definite stop we had to make.

Our next Iowa stop was the Field of Dreams. My dad and I both played baseball in our time, and are fans of the movie, so we did our thing here. I'll leave you with this bonus shot I took at Engineer Pass instead.

 

[sark]

Day 14:

If you check the Portillo's locations, there's one in Davenport, IA, so of course we made a stop for lunch.

From Iowa, we made our way straight East until we arrived at a small town in Ohio to sleep.

Day 15:

Today was the last day of the trip. Still no real issues on the entire trip, so thank you again Armando. From Ohio, we drove straight East on 90 until we made it home. No real pictures to share after Iowa. We made it home to MA and had a very successful trip.

 

[Broski]

Day 6, part 2:

Next stop, Cruiser Outfitters! I regret not getting a picture with @cruiseroutfit, but we did acquire a few items:

- FRP window weatherstripping
- Center console lid
- New Grille

Also, we conveniently found a friend. Only 70-series I've come across so far in person. This one looks like a South American import, given that it is an FZJ73 by the look of it.
View attachment 2921987

Nice score really sweet 73, I really like the color.
The trip across country with your Dad priceless!
If you look at the top on the one you parted next to it, the round corners on the top of the back windows are a tell tail sign of a south American truck

 

[sark]

Nice score really sweet 73, I really like the color.
The trip across country with your Dad priceless!
If you look at the top on the one you parted next to it, the round corners on the top of the back windows are a tell tail sign of a south American truck

The "4.5" decal on the front fender is the obvious one for me, at least knowing it's got the gas engine in it!

 

[sark]

Since the importation trip, I went to Alaska. The cruiser stayed behind unfortunately, but I did spot a clean 60-series in Anchorage:

Otherwise, the cruiser has been used to explore the New England Fall. Maintenance wise, it's gotten fresh oil changes and some minor cosmetic items, such as swapping in the new grille and a thorough bath or two.

Conway, NH:

Woodstock, VT:

Small town, TV:

 

[sark]

We even met a friendly fellow relaxing in a parking lot with his FJ40. Cruiser friend up in Northern NH!

 

[Broski]

The "4.5" decal on the front fender is the obvious one for me, at least knowing it's got the gas engine in it!

Just for reference the 4.5 came in Middle Eastern trucks as well. But only the south American trucks had the reproduction top.

 

[sark]

I also found a very special camping spot somewhat "off-grid", which has been marked for future adventures

 

[sark]

Just for reference the 4.5 came in Middle Eastern trucks as well. But only the south American trucks had the reproduction top.

True! But those also usually have a hood ornament, don't they?

 

[sark]

In terms of other projects with the cruiser, I filled in the lettering for the FRP top on both sides. A couple hours with an X-Acto blade and black vinyl tape took care of it!

Here's how it turned out:

 

[coldtaco]

Too bad you didn’t let me know you was in Anchorage.

 

[Broski]

In terms of other projects with the cruiser, I filled in the lettering for the FRP top on both sides. A couple hours with an X-Acto blade and black vinyl tape took care of it!

View attachment 2923537

Here's how it turned out:

View attachment 2923538

So is this truck a repaint in the factory color ?

 

[sark]

Too bad you didn’t let me know you was in Anchorage.

View attachment 2923741

Next time!

 

[sark]

So is this truck a repaint in the factory color ?

The paint is custom, done in Japan. The original color was 183, the dark gray color with the blue tint. The FRP from factory was the silver color, but is now white obviously. I quite like the blue/white combo. The blue apparently was a custom blend as well, so re-producing it would be tough but one day I may be able to touch it up again.

 

[Broski]

As I said before, I really like the color.
Even if it’s not factory.