55 road trip to all 50 states (7 Viewers)

[Ol Yeller]

Oklahoma we only hit the pan handle had to be in Texas to visit her family as he only had a few days off work. So had a time restraint on certain things. Last night we shared gator,lobster and shrimp tacos watched the sunset on the gulf in okaloosa island Florida

Hitting them all is huge commitment, not going to see everything in every state.

Still open to a hello if you get this far to BC.

 

[greenbeast]

Your pace is nothing less than amazing. I can’t make a trip to town for 30 minutes in less than 4 hours with my wife.

 

[sofj45]

Your pace is nothing less than amazing. I can’t make a trip to town for 30 minutes in less than 4 hours with my wife.

Yeah I really figured on some stops taking longer. At home everyone seems to want to talk about the cruiser or that they or uncle had one. Always adds time. Kinda disappointed in the landcruiser community seen one 60 on the road and one 40 parked in 5000 miles. Don’t know where all those SA imports end up but it’s not on the road.

 

[WarDamnEagle]

Don’t know where all those SA imports end up but it’s not on the road.

There's a reason for that.

 

[sofj45]

There's a reason for that.

Is it because they’re so nice everybody’s afraid to take them out? Or afraid if they take em out they won’t make it home. They all have such nice fresh shiny paint

 

[trainbufftony]

Yeah I really figured on some stops taking longer. At home everyone seems to want to talk about the cruiser or that they or uncle had one. Always adds time. Kinda disappointed in the landcruiser community seen one 60 on the road and one 40 parked in 5000 miles. Don’t know where all those SA imports end up but it’s not on the road.

It's no longer a utilitarian truck for working class people to abuse daily.
Now they're a vacation vehicle for the wealthy and my perception is that folks spend tens of thousands of dollars modifying em and keep em in enclosed storage all but one week a year.

Id like to understand it but I dont...

There's never any landcruisers on the road here either. They're all in private collections sitting.
Perhaps its because the modifications they've made have done nothing but compromise the reliability of the original equipment?
That's the best guess i can come up with.
They no longer have the reliability to be daily drivers and the folks that need em all Shiney and modern mostly have soft hands/couldn't fix a tuna sandwich...
Maybe the owner is so busy working to pay for all of it that he hasn't the time to enjoy the thing.
The situation is also made worse by restoration shops who keep a few classic car suckers in constant limbo so there's always someone to call for money....
Landcruiser guys are prime targets.
It's a minefield out there and the result is fewer of em that can be driven on the road on a daily basis, making those that can stand out from the crowd.

 

[clrussell]

It's no longer a utilitarian truck for working class people to abuse daily.
Now they're a vacation vehicle for the wealthy and my perception is that folks spend tens of thousands of dollars modifying em and keep em in enclosed storage all but one week a year.

Id like to understand it but I dont...

There's never any landcruisers on the road here either. They're all in private collections sitting.
Perhaps its because the modifications they've made have done nothing but compromise the reliability of the original equipment?
That's the best guess i can come up with.
They no longer have the reliability to be daily drivers and the folks that need em all Shiney and modern mostly have soft hands/couldn't fix a tuna sandwich...
Maybe the owner is so busy working to pay for all of it that he hasn't the time to enjoy the thing.
The situation is also made worse by restoration shops who keep a few classic car suckers in constant limbo so there's always someone to call for money....
Landcruiser guys are prime targets.
It's a minefield out there and the result is fewer of em that can be driven on the road on a daily basis, making those that can stand out from the crowd.

I’m in the stuck at work paying bills instead of our enjoying my cruiser crowd.

And mine is stuck in the garage mid engine swap.

 

[sofj45]

And mine is stuck in the garage mid engine swap.

That’s why you have to have multiple. One to keep roadworthy while the others are constant projects and switch em out as bills stack up. It’s the American way.

 

[sofj45]

@trainbufftony
There’s a place for all the different level of cruisers out there. Totally dig the 250k cruisers and the $500 rigs. There’s a place for all of them just different crowds of people, and most can come together over the enjoyment of the cars.

Some as a status and some just enjoy the car. They are definitely not the most comfortable rig to drive but they are fun and enjoyable for me. I’d rather drive any of mine on a daily than a new car mainly because I can work on them and get home pretty much always.

 

[YukonCruisers]

Wait until you head north, they are always out here, at least in the summer. From the crappy beat up 40s the locals drive to the done up troopy's they Germans bring with them to tour AK. When you come up the AK highway, I'll greet you in my 55, not exactly road worthy yet, but plated and good enough to get to the highway

 

[trainbufftony]

@trainbufftony
There’s a place for all the different level of cruisers out there. Totally dig the 250k cruisers and the $500 rigs. There’s a place for all of them just different crowds of people, and most can come together over the enjoyment of the cars.

Some as a status and some just enjoy the car. They are definitely not the most comfortable rig to drive but they are fun and enjoyable for me. I’d rather drive any of mine on a daily than a new car mainly because I can work on them and get home pretty much always.

You're correct there's a place for every type of landcruiser and for most of your resto mod type builds that place is climate controlled storage.

Taking them out and expecting them to work reliably with junkyard parts out of 7 different vehicles is a pipe dream and no amount of huffing paint fumes will make it better, the paint fumes make it worse...

It looks super baller on the forums, and no doubt the folks here have credit cards with 6 digit balances in order to try and fit in with a group of keyboard commandoes who don't actually use a 4x4 but maybe once a year for an Instagram shoot.

This all makes what You're doing so much more special. You have my respect and my well wishes. You are one of the few who gets the point.
Keep up the good work and move your
spare key...

 

[sofj45]

Wait until you head north, they are always out here, at least in the summer. From the crappy beat up 40s the locals drive to the done up troopy's they Germans bring with them to tour AK. When you come up the AK highway, I'll greet you in my 55, not exactly road worthy yet, but plated and good enough to get to the highway

Sounds roadworthy enough, acouple years ago when we drove my 63 fj40 up to Alaska the guy at Canada border asked if this thing was roadworthy. Told him I hope so we’ve made it 12 hours so far. Other than adding oil to the transfer case every few hundred miles no problems

 

[YukonCruisers]

I have decided that the 55 gets trail and highway ready before other trucks get any attention... it's hard as I just bought a 62 unimog I want to get to. The replacement PS pump I have been waiting on finally arrived, so that and lights and seatbelts are the major ones, plus a bunch of cosmetic stuff that really isn't that important.

 

[WarDamnEagle]

It's no longer a utilitarian truck for working class people to abuse daily.
Now they're a vacation vehicle for the wealthy and my perception is that folks spend tens of thousands of dollars modifying em and keep em in enclosed storage all but one week a year.

Land Cruisers were always for the wealthy. At least new ones in the US. The only LC owner I was aware of growing up was a doctor. No working class person could ever afford a new LC; not then and not now.

 

[bobm]

Mine is in driveway Still

 

[Devils Paw 80]

Sounds roadworthy enough, acouple years ago when we drove my 63 fj40 up to Alaska the guy at Canada border asked if this thing was roadworthy. Told him I hope so we’ve made it 12 hours so far. Other than adding oil to the transfer case every few hundred miles no problems

You might get the same question with your 55 on this trip. Seems to be common, since I got essentially the same concern expressed by Canadian customs many years ago with my 62, coming into Canada from Skagway.

 

[YukonCruisers]

That's because we care

 

[Devils Paw 80]

Land Cruisers were always for the wealthy. At least new ones in the US. The only LC owner I was aware of growing up was a doctor. No working class person could ever afford a new LC; not then and not now.

I remember two new 60s on the road here back in the 80's. One owner was a doctor, the other a pilot for Alaska Airlines. $20+K was a lot of money back then.

 

[TRDdrew]

@sofj45 what are your plans for MD / VA? If you need a place to stop or a place to do any quick repairs just let me know, The Southern Maryland property and Cruiser cottage are open to you if you need it

 

[WarDamnEagle]

Is it because they’re so nice everybody’s afraid to take them out? Or afraid if they take em out they won’t make it home. They all have such nice fresh shiny paint

I was thinking because they often won't crank.