'78 FJ45 (1 Viewer)

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JohnnyFish

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Friends, have you ever experienced a situation where the reward was so enticing that you kept accepting unacceptable risk way beyond rationality? Well, I now have, and it's not over.

Tomorrow afternoon my brother and I are going to start this trip:
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In this 1990 JDM Dyna 200:
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... because it has this on its back:
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I knew I was going to be in Seattle this week for business, so like many of us do I browsed for land cruisers. An add came up on OfferUp with three pictures of a 1978 FJ45 that were literally screen shots of a google photos page. Certainly a scam, right? Ever an optimist, I messaged the guy on offerup and he seemed a little legit, so we traded phone numbers and he sent me some additional photos.
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He said it had a two speed rear diff, which I couldn't find any reference to here. I asked @cruiserdan, who was nice enough to confirm that no such thing exists. He speculated that it's a Fairey overdrive... which reminds me I haven't yet looked closely.
 
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is the lock cylinder pulled out? i admit i dont know anything about the PNW but i do know, based off of forums and FB groups, that evidently all people have time to do up there is steal each others rigs and sell them on other platforms before word spreads. not saying this is the case but if he doesnt have a title it might be a concern.
 
Congrats on your acquisition. I don't think you're taking too much risk. That is a long ass ride in a Dyna. I hope the seats are comfy :p
 
So, as I talked to the seller, it became clear that this wasn't going to be a Roadkill/Vice Grip Garage get it running and drive it home kind of thing. For one thing it has no gas tank. It was still sketchy enough that I wanted to pick it up in person, not send a shipper. So, a rational person would rent a uhaul truck and a dolly. Then I saw this:
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... which has everything I need, seemed like fun, and seems like something I can resell when needed. The lift bed, winch, ramp and tie-down cables work perfectly, and the engine and trans are great. This is going to be a long slow trip, but we're looking forward to it.
 
Congrats on your acquisition. I don't think you're taking too much risk. That is a long ass ride in a Dyna. I hope the seats are comfy :p
Thanks! They are not.
 
Well there you go, swap the 14b/5sp into the 45 after you get it home. Genius :p
 
I love your trip. But did your tie-down crush the rocker panel under the pax door?
No, that tie down is looped around the frame. What you see is the slack tail of the strap thrown inside the truck. The passenger step was hit at some point, and that rocker is crushed in a bit. The hood has some damage, as does the top, and the bed is rusty with a couple bad repairs. This is a project.
 
He said it had a two speed rear diff, which I couldn't find any reference to here. I asked @cruiserdan, who was nice enough to confirm that no such thing exists. He speculated that it's a Fairley overdrive... which reminds me I haven't yet looked closely.
Congratulations! And Dan is correct, the overdrive lever with skull head knob can be seen in the interior pics poking out between the seats
 
What a great adventure and nice truck too, life is about chances. This one looks like it paid off👍 And you did it with your brother, how could anything be cooler than that??? Congrats and cheers 🍻
 
Stopped near Boise to meet @mattressking and help a little in his effort to clean out his garage. Achievement unlocked: new Land Cruiser friend.
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🙋‍♂️ Hello from Meridian...
 

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