This is the latest distraction to the 69 that I am supposed to be finishing. My local welding supplier told me about this one back in September. It took about a month to find the owner and till now to work out a deal on it. From what I have found out so far, it was owned by the wife of a local rancher that also owned the local Toyota dealership here for years. She was a tough lady and took care of the game hunting on the ranch. It was passed down to the grandson in the 90s. This is the third Cruiser I have bought from this ranch.
The last license plate on it was 2004. The guy told me that the brakes went out on it so it was parked. According to him, it had been restored before he got it. It had a soft top of some sort but there was nothing left of it when I got it. The soft doors were stored in the back of it. The bows were on the ground behind it.
I towed it home this morning and cleaned it out. Started with removing the wall to wall carpeting and attached moss. Luckily, only minor surface rust underneath of the carpet. And the adhesive is coming off with a scrub brush. The body is solid and straight except for some moderate rust on the rear sill. Tailgate is perfect and complete. It has been repainted directly over the original paint and it is flaking off around the edges. The eyelets on the a-post for the safety straps have been removed and welded shut. The motor looks like an early 70s F. I haven't run the numbers yet to verify the year. It looks like a rebuild.
It's missing the soft top frame pieces that go from the b-piller to the top of the windshield and the drivers side horizontal brace is damaged but probably repairable.
The plan is to get it running and keep it as stock as possible. I already put a new stock bumper on it that was supposed to be for another rig. I have a line on a factory pto winch that will probably end up on it instead of my 45.
If anybody has the soft top pieces that I am missing, please send me a pm.
The last license plate on it was 2004. The guy told me that the brakes went out on it so it was parked. According to him, it had been restored before he got it. It had a soft top of some sort but there was nothing left of it when I got it. The soft doors were stored in the back of it. The bows were on the ground behind it.
I towed it home this morning and cleaned it out. Started with removing the wall to wall carpeting and attached moss. Luckily, only minor surface rust underneath of the carpet. And the adhesive is coming off with a scrub brush. The body is solid and straight except for some moderate rust on the rear sill. Tailgate is perfect and complete. It has been repainted directly over the original paint and it is flaking off around the edges. The eyelets on the a-post for the safety straps have been removed and welded shut. The motor looks like an early 70s F. I haven't run the numbers yet to verify the year. It looks like a rebuild.
It's missing the soft top frame pieces that go from the b-piller to the top of the windshield and the drivers side horizontal brace is damaged but probably repairable.
The plan is to get it running and keep it as stock as possible. I already put a new stock bumper on it that was supposed to be for another rig. I have a line on a factory pto winch that will probably end up on it instead of my 45.
If anybody has the soft top pieces that I am missing, please send me a pm.
that we're going somewhere new for dinner and then halfway there I say, "Oh by the way...I need to make one short stop and look at something. After the third time, she was on to me. 
Nope ..... 
