Hey all,
After a very short time without a 60, I am breaking back in with a new project truck and great engine combo. I used to own a Freeborn Red 1984 60 named Patina Louise. She is a beauty but I have always wanted a white 60 and my buddy @Ocho77 wanted a red 60. He is now the owner of Louise and I'm glad a friend ended up with her, even with a bit of sellers remorse on my part.
I knew another 60 would pop into my world and it did, but kind if in a backward manner.
The chain of events to get to the now starts with the Solid Axle Summit in Colorado last August. I signed up for it last spring to make myself get out and do something long distance and meet new mud friends, and put faces to names and such. This was an amazing event that I will never forget, and hope to always attend. There were so many great Cruisers and great people there it was like a moving car show and a meeting with family you never knew you had. A few of the people I met had diesel Cruisers; @CenTXFJ60 , @roma042987 ,@76 FJ40 ,@cruiserfj08 ,@mcguirejohnson , and several others. These things were so cool to see and just hearing that diesel sound was awesome, let alone how well they fit for a Cruiser. I decided to keep the whole diesel swap into some cruiser on my radar.
Also during SAS, I got to know CD,@ceylonfj40nut. Awesome positive guy that just leaves you feeling like life is better than before every time you have a conversation. We covered a lot of "favorite Cruiser" ground and we were both digging Micheal @76 FJ40 's sweet HJ45, saying we would both love a 45. Well, fast forward about a month and CD and I were talking on the phone and he told me of the HJ45 he was hunting for a project with his son. I said I really thought I would like to find a good project U.S. market 65-67 truck. He immediately told me of one for sale in Kentucky and got me in touch with Bryan @bdyer12 who had just such a truck for sale. Pretty much that one conversation with Bryan sealed the deal and I bought myself a 1965 FJ45 pickup all nice and patina'd out.
I made the trip to get the 45 from Michigan to Kentucky, met Bryan and had a great time and a great trip. We talked Cruisers for quite a while before I headed home. While I was there, he let me drive his amazing FJ60 with the 12ht transplant, and it was a great experience, pure Cruiser awesomeness. Also, as fate would have it, as much as he liked the swap, Bryan was considering changing up his plan on his 60 and going with a different diesel option. We kept in touch on the subject over the next month and I am at this point now where I am about to embark on the journey to pick up my new to me 12ht!
But wait, there's more!
As soon as the 12ht talk started heating up, I realized that I needed the perfect 60 for the combo. I sold Louise to try to find a white truck, and I had checked out a few, but figured I would just be patient (yeah, right). As I looked at them, I was turned off by how many were either lower mileage perfect runners, or had fresh rebuilt 2f engines. Normally this would be great, as I love the 2f, but in this case not so good as I would be just pulling the engine anyway.
I remembered that JT @Trapper50cal had put his 60 "Chunk" for sale in the spring and that it sucked that the engine had gone bad on him. He did all of my graphic design work for my new business and I really enjoy our long Cruiser conversations that break out when we are talking work stuff. I hadn't considered buying it then because there was no need even though I thought it was a good deal (albeit a little far away!), and it wasn't white. Fast forward a summer and suddenly it seemed like the perfect 60 for the project and I went to the thread to find he thought he had a fix for it. Can't be too upset there because there is no way I would rather it be broken and mine to buy vs. easily fixed and his to keep. As it worked out, the problem is not so easy so back for sale and I was in. He agreed to let it sit at his house as long as I could get it by winter.
So we have a 60 named Chunk, and we have a 12ht diesel, sort of.
I still have to pick them both up, so here comes one lap of America.
I have a great old friend that is a ton of fun and has been all over the country, the kind of guy that loves a road trip. We hadn't seen each other in a while and I told him what I had cooking and that I might have the 60 hauled to Michigan. His reply was "Screw that, road trip!". He has next week off of work and things are only crazy busy at work for me, not stupid crazy busy so we are a go for a long drive. First stop, Indy to pick him up. Second stop Louisville to drop of a 40 parts truck I have (did I mention that?). Third, Richmond KY to pick up the engine. Fourth, Durango to go see JT and pick up Chunk. Fifth, not sure, running out of room!. Last stop back in Greenville Michigan. Should take 5 ish days. Should be fun.
After a very short time without a 60, I am breaking back in with a new project truck and great engine combo. I used to own a Freeborn Red 1984 60 named Patina Louise. She is a beauty but I have always wanted a white 60 and my buddy @Ocho77 wanted a red 60. He is now the owner of Louise and I'm glad a friend ended up with her, even with a bit of sellers remorse on my part.
I knew another 60 would pop into my world and it did, but kind if in a backward manner.
The chain of events to get to the now starts with the Solid Axle Summit in Colorado last August. I signed up for it last spring to make myself get out and do something long distance and meet new mud friends, and put faces to names and such. This was an amazing event that I will never forget, and hope to always attend. There were so many great Cruisers and great people there it was like a moving car show and a meeting with family you never knew you had. A few of the people I met had diesel Cruisers; @CenTXFJ60 , @roma042987 ,@76 FJ40 ,@cruiserfj08 ,@mcguirejohnson , and several others. These things were so cool to see and just hearing that diesel sound was awesome, let alone how well they fit for a Cruiser. I decided to keep the whole diesel swap into some cruiser on my radar.
Also during SAS, I got to know CD,@ceylonfj40nut. Awesome positive guy that just leaves you feeling like life is better than before every time you have a conversation. We covered a lot of "favorite Cruiser" ground and we were both digging Micheal @76 FJ40 's sweet HJ45, saying we would both love a 45. Well, fast forward about a month and CD and I were talking on the phone and he told me of the HJ45 he was hunting for a project with his son. I said I really thought I would like to find a good project U.S. market 65-67 truck. He immediately told me of one for sale in Kentucky and got me in touch with Bryan @bdyer12 who had just such a truck for sale. Pretty much that one conversation with Bryan sealed the deal and I bought myself a 1965 FJ45 pickup all nice and patina'd out.
I made the trip to get the 45 from Michigan to Kentucky, met Bryan and had a great time and a great trip. We talked Cruisers for quite a while before I headed home. While I was there, he let me drive his amazing FJ60 with the 12ht transplant, and it was a great experience, pure Cruiser awesomeness. Also, as fate would have it, as much as he liked the swap, Bryan was considering changing up his plan on his 60 and going with a different diesel option. We kept in touch on the subject over the next month and I am at this point now where I am about to embark on the journey to pick up my new to me 12ht!
But wait, there's more!
As soon as the 12ht talk started heating up, I realized that I needed the perfect 60 for the combo. I sold Louise to try to find a white truck, and I had checked out a few, but figured I would just be patient (yeah, right). As I looked at them, I was turned off by how many were either lower mileage perfect runners, or had fresh rebuilt 2f engines. Normally this would be great, as I love the 2f, but in this case not so good as I would be just pulling the engine anyway.
I remembered that JT @Trapper50cal had put his 60 "Chunk" for sale in the spring and that it sucked that the engine had gone bad on him. He did all of my graphic design work for my new business and I really enjoy our long Cruiser conversations that break out when we are talking work stuff. I hadn't considered buying it then because there was no need even though I thought it was a good deal (albeit a little far away!), and it wasn't white. Fast forward a summer and suddenly it seemed like the perfect 60 for the project and I went to the thread to find he thought he had a fix for it. Can't be too upset there because there is no way I would rather it be broken and mine to buy vs. easily fixed and his to keep. As it worked out, the problem is not so easy so back for sale and I was in. He agreed to let it sit at his house as long as I could get it by winter.
So we have a 60 named Chunk, and we have a 12ht diesel, sort of.
I still have to pick them both up, so here comes one lap of America.
I have a great old friend that is a ton of fun and has been all over the country, the kind of guy that loves a road trip. We hadn't seen each other in a while and I told him what I had cooking and that I might have the 60 hauled to Michigan. His reply was "Screw that, road trip!". He has next week off of work and things are only crazy busy at work for me, not stupid crazy busy so we are a go for a long drive. First stop, Indy to pick him up. Second stop Louisville to drop of a 40 parts truck I have (did I mention that?). Third, Richmond KY to pick up the engine. Fourth, Durango to go see JT and pick up Chunk. Fifth, not sure, running out of room!. Last stop back in Greenville Michigan. Should take 5 ish days. Should be fun.
. As CD said the co-pilot will be key. I believe Ryan’s nickname became something...wife along the way. Can’t recall but I know Ryan will chime in. Very jealous as y’all will have a blast. Look forward watching along via this thread.
