Before there was an internet.
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windows 98se and burning cd’s. was when things got cool. I’m still on a message board for my British motorcycles. Crazy.
jim land
SILVER Star
Yes Sir! I was looking for that article online a while back, could only find a blurry version though. I remember doing that to my 71 back then. I'm in Northern California so I sent my front housing to Danny for the knuckle rotation and other work needed on it. Thanks for the read.
I was just thinking about Cruiser-itis, before there was an internet. If you are like me, you had a severe case of Cruiser-itis before you actually bought the vehicle. About 2000, I was searching thru newspaper classifieds, and Thrifty Nickle want-ads. Basically, there was a short verbal description of the vehicle, and a phone number to call, and only certain ads came with a photo. That meant that you had to actually travel somewhere if you wanted to simply look at a vehicle. Today's Craigslist is so much more advanced, relative to the old want-ads.
The first FJ40 that I followed up on was about as bad as they get in terms of condition, a '65 for $500. No surprises when I arrived there - most of it was missing or rotted. But, I had to actually take time away from my schedule, and drive across to an area of the metropolitan region that I'd never go to otherwise for really any reason, just to find out if it was a deal or not. About an hour-and-a-half for the round trip to see something parked on the street with a sign taped to the glass, I never talked to the owner, and nature reclaiming the vehicle for habitat. The second FJ40 was a sweet Chevota (even though I don't like Chevotas), but, again, I had to drive across town, skip dinner, etc., just to see what the rims were. The owner was with me on the test drive. My buddy came with, so the owner had his knees in his face as he squeezed into a YJ-jeepy rear seat, on the test drive around the block. He was asking &13,000, and I knew that I was about 10K short of that, lol... Cruiser-itis made do it.
Don't get me wrong, I was always impressed by shopping for vehicles, sold by individuals, at their houses. When I was a kid, I'd go with my dad to follow-up on a used car. You'd spend all kinds of time kicking tires and asking questions about the mechanicals that you can't actually see, dogs barking in the background. And, as you entertain your Cruiser-itis, you'd be taking up the precious time of someone who actually wants to sell the vehicle. I recall this one time following up on a essentially a GM parts stash, talking to an old-timer in his funky kitchen about some kind of backyard GM project that was steadily loosing its boyancy. It is strange going into someone's home and buying something, like a steering box, from a pile of parts that is clearly made a domestic scene disfunctional. If nothing else, you'd knock on the door, some kid would answer, you'd explain that you are responding to the ad, the son or daughter would scream out, "Dad, someone's here at the door," and you'd patiently be seated on the vintage sofa, next to the kids watching cartoons, eating cereal, waiting for the seller to greet you. Before there was a FleaBay...
The first FJ40 that I followed up on was about as bad as they get in terms of condition, a '65 for $500. No surprises when I arrived there - most of it was missing or rotted. But, I had to actually take time away from my schedule, and drive across to an area of the metropolitan region that I'd never go to otherwise for really any reason, just to find out if it was a deal or not. About an hour-and-a-half for the round trip to see something parked on the street with a sign taped to the glass, I never talked to the owner, and nature reclaiming the vehicle for habitat. The second FJ40 was a sweet Chevota (even though I don't like Chevotas), but, again, I had to drive across town, skip dinner, etc., just to see what the rims were. The owner was with me on the test drive. My buddy came with, so the owner had his knees in his face as he squeezed into a YJ-jeepy rear seat, on the test drive around the block. He was asking &13,000, and I knew that I was about 10K short of that, lol... Cruiser-itis made do it.
Don't get me wrong, I was always impressed by shopping for vehicles, sold by individuals, at their houses. When I was a kid, I'd go with my dad to follow-up on a used car. You'd spend all kinds of time kicking tires and asking questions about the mechanicals that you can't actually see, dogs barking in the background. And, as you entertain your Cruiser-itis, you'd be taking up the precious time of someone who actually wants to sell the vehicle. I recall this one time following up on a essentially a GM parts stash, talking to an old-timer in his funky kitchen about some kind of backyard GM project that was steadily loosing its boyancy. It is strange going into someone's home and buying something, like a steering box, from a pile of parts that is clearly made a domestic scene disfunctional. If nothing else, you'd knock on the door, some kid would answer, you'd explain that you are responding to the ad, the son or daughter would scream out, "Dad, someone's here at the door," and you'd patiently be seated on the vintage sofa, next to the kids watching cartoons, eating cereal, waiting for the seller to greet you. Before there was a FleaBay...
cruiserkev
3 decades in the same FJ40
Ah the good old days. I started this adventure in the mid 1990s and was lucky to find anything about FJ40s in the mainstream 4x4 magazines. Had to settle with flipping through SOR, Downey and TPI catalogs for fun and information as well as TLCAs Toyota Trails which was just a bunch of stapled papers back then. Finally got a PC and access to AOL in '96. Ordering parts online and access to the old LCML digest helped me out tremendously. Technology has definitely come a long way since those times. 
6f40j9
SILVER Star
4wd&SU was the bomb back in the day. The other ones were fine, but it always seemed more real, diy.
I loved the time of month when all of them came out though. I’d buy the ones that had Toyotas, but read the others in the stores
Got my first 40 in 1995 for $800; no top, doors, carburetor or exhaust from the manifold back.
Bought a carb from Spector, a complete exhaust from the dealer, changed the plugs and I was good to go. Threw some conferr shackles on it and (2) new 31x10.50 bfg mud TAs and thought I was living large lol.
First credit card got me a bestop and then I could drive all winter.
Found another one in a yard and bought it. Body swapped mine (it had been put on its side sometime prior) and kept the rusty roll cage and 8274 from the ‘new one’.
Made a trip or two up to Warden’s (by then it was Danny iirc) for parts.
All before the internet (for me anyway).
My wife (girlfriend then) had an 82 Toyota 4wd pickup and when she got pregnant with our first I sold the 40 and kept the truck. We had some great times in it and eventually ended up with an 85 4Runner for a few years.
By then the internet (and PBB) had started and magazines faded a bit.
I honestly miss them though. Something about the anticipation of the next issue.
I loved the time of month when all of them came out though. I’d buy the ones that had Toyotas, but read the others in the stores
Got my first 40 in 1995 for $800; no top, doors, carburetor or exhaust from the manifold back.
Bought a carb from Spector, a complete exhaust from the dealer, changed the plugs and I was good to go. Threw some conferr shackles on it and (2) new 31x10.50 bfg mud TAs and thought I was living large lol.
First credit card got me a bestop and then I could drive all winter.
Found another one in a yard and bought it. Body swapped mine (it had been put on its side sometime prior) and kept the rusty roll cage and 8274 from the ‘new one’.
Made a trip or two up to Warden’s (by then it was Danny iirc) for parts.
All before the internet (for me anyway).
My wife (girlfriend then) had an 82 Toyota 4wd pickup and when she got pregnant with our first I sold the 40 and kept the truck. We had some great times in it and eventually ended up with an 85 4Runner for a few years.
By then the internet (and PBB) had started and magazines faded a bit.
I honestly miss them though. Something about the anticipation of the next issue.
pb4ugo
SILVER Star
Back in the 80s and 90s I used to subscribe to 4 Wheel and Offroad magazine, and would attend their Indy Jamborees for yrs. The Jamborees were a blast. I met folks with 40s at these events and have wheeled with them thru out the US and we all still keep in touch and wheel together to this day.
When I was in college in Toledo back in the 80s, a 40 popped up in the local trader paper, so I went to look at it. I showed up and the owner explained to me he used to be an Asst. Parts Mgr at the local Toyota dealership. He would order 40 parts for their inventory that he wanted. He eventually quit and walked out with the parts, along with the microfiche files. It was a 76 40 with the typical rust from the rust belt. He had just swapped out the the old dist for a new one. I took it for a test drive and the engine lost power and i had to walk back to his house. The new dist had a raised dist clamp which prevented oil pump engagement. I walked away from the deal. 2 or 3 weeks he called me with a smok'n deal I couldn't refuse. My 72 40 ended up with updated 76 driveline and a Kayline 1/2 cab soft top. I spent hours in the library with the microfiche files to figure out what parts interchanged through out the various yrs.
In 96 a 1975 40 popped up in the local trader that had driveline mods that I was thinking of doing. I decided to look it with no intentions to buy it. It had a professionally installed fresh sbc, and an AA adapted nv4500 and a disc brake frt end. It sat on new bfg at's with new aluminum wheels. I crawled under it. I was looking at relatively rust free 40 with a lot off expensive mods for a cheap price. I told the owner I wasn't expecting to buy a 40 today and worked out a deal. I drove it that summer and then stored it for about 25 yrs, until recently. I did some additional mods and a little paint and have been driving it the last 3yrs.
I loved those local trader papers. The internet destroyed that market in many ways.
When I was in college in Toledo back in the 80s, a 40 popped up in the local trader paper, so I went to look at it. I showed up and the owner explained to me he used to be an Asst. Parts Mgr at the local Toyota dealership. He would order 40 parts for their inventory that he wanted. He eventually quit and walked out with the parts, along with the microfiche files. It was a 76 40 with the typical rust from the rust belt. He had just swapped out the the old dist for a new one. I took it for a test drive and the engine lost power and i had to walk back to his house. The new dist had a raised dist clamp which prevented oil pump engagement. I walked away from the deal. 2 or 3 weeks he called me with a smok'n deal I couldn't refuse. My 72 40 ended up with updated 76 driveline and a Kayline 1/2 cab soft top. I spent hours in the library with the microfiche files to figure out what parts interchanged through out the various yrs.
In 96 a 1975 40 popped up in the local trader that had driveline mods that I was thinking of doing. I decided to look it with no intentions to buy it. It had a professionally installed fresh sbc, and an AA adapted nv4500 and a disc brake frt end. It sat on new bfg at's with new aluminum wheels. I crawled under it. I was looking at relatively rust free 40 with a lot off expensive mods for a cheap price. I told the owner I wasn't expecting to buy a 40 today and worked out a deal. I drove it that summer and then stored it for about 25 yrs, until recently. I did some additional mods and a little paint and have been driving it the last 3yrs.
I loved those local trader papers. The internet destroyed that market in many ways.
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