Media FJ40 Pics from "Back in the day" (70's, 80's) (2 Viewers)
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What a great way to spend the afternoon!............Wait! I'm gonna go drive my cruiser! Is it me or does this thread kinda bring a tear to the eye, all those cruisers, all those memories, all those stories. Thanks to all you guys that are buying these old "memories" and bringing them back to life for another generation of more stories!
Awesome pix ... I just spent the last hour and a half reading.
It's taken me 2 sittings to finish reading every post and link in this thread. INCREDIBLE thread....bump...bump...BUMP!
this thread sums it all up, it's not about a chunk of metal, it's not about time with friends/family, it's not about exploring the Great Outdoors, it's not about the good times.....it's all those things and the ability to hold onto those memories in a tangible (stylish, fun to drive, ultimate machine) piece of Japanese engineering.
thanks to everyone who has posted. I was born in 80 and finally at 30 bought my first, 76 green, FJ 40. All this heritage and memorobilia makes me realize how truly special the oil dripping, rust bucket in my garage is and why she needs my help!
Cheers Fellas/Gals
this thread sums it all up, it's not about a chunk of metal, it's not about time with friends/family, it's not about exploring the Great Outdoors, it's not about the good times.....it's all those things and the ability to hold onto those memories in a tangible (stylish, fun to drive, ultimate machine) piece of Japanese engineering.
thanks to everyone who has posted. I was born in 80 and finally at 30 bought my first, 76 green, FJ 40. All this heritage and memorobilia makes me realize how truly special the oil dripping, rust bucket in my garage is and why she needs my help!
Cheers Fellas/Gals
After much digging around, I found the vintage photo that has been engraved in my mind. My wife … our ride. We bought it new in 1978 after being married for two years. We still have it. It is my primary vehicle in the winter and has been used rather heavily as a snowplow for the last 14 years. After we bought our second car in 1985, the FJ40 never again left Grand County, Colorado or went below 8000 feet. The only road trip after 1985 with the FJ that I can recall was through the mountains to Salida, Colorado to Classic Cruisers for a major restoration seven years ago. They did an amazing job … powder coated everything that was originally black and sealed the car better than it was originally. They installed a new “tub” because my original was so rusted one could not bolt the seats down anymore or fix it. The heavy rust damage was due I think to snow and ice being packed around the car for months on end … and plenty of entries with wet snow boots. The car has never had a garage and has weathered 32 winters (32x16’ = 512 feet of snow).
You see those three wheeled tricycles …. they tip over real easy. They are from before all manufactured ATV’s got 4 wheels.
Scroll down for a few more vintage typical photos (sorry, I can’t top the desert image). Later I’ll show you how the FJ looks with her plow. As at least one person here knows, I’ve been wondering how much longer I can keep this car running as a snowplow. The more I have researched the issue, the more my appreciation for the car has grown. It has its original engine and transmission … with attributes I have learned are not available in newer vehicles. I have decided to keep this FJ40 running forever, as a primary vehicle, and do what is needed to keep it competitive (never too late for ARB lockers).
If it were not for the support of all of the FJ40 enthusiasts out there, this would not be possible. A big cheer and wolf whistle to all of you!
This is my first post here. If you want to see more recent photos of my FJ40 and what has been on my mind …. see my introduction at
Pushing Snow - Toyota FJ Cruiser Forum
You see those three wheeled tricycles …. they tip over real easy. They are from before all manufactured ATV’s got 4 wheels.
Scroll down for a few more vintage typical photos (sorry, I can’t top the desert image). Later I’ll show you how the FJ looks with her plow. As at least one person here knows, I’ve been wondering how much longer I can keep this car running as a snowplow. The more I have researched the issue, the more my appreciation for the car has grown. It has its original engine and transmission … with attributes I have learned are not available in newer vehicles. I have decided to keep this FJ40 running forever, as a primary vehicle, and do what is needed to keep it competitive (never too late for ARB lockers).
If it were not for the support of all of the FJ40 enthusiasts out there, this would not be possible. A big cheer and wolf whistle to all of you!
This is my first post here. If you want to see more recent photos of my FJ40 and what has been on my mind …. see my introduction at
Pushing Snow - Toyota FJ Cruiser Forum
pbgbottle
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nice pics snowpusher welcome to MUD
DanS HJ-45
SILVER Star
Welcome snowpusher! 
I have seen your truck, a while ago when I lived in Fraser. No doubt, I remember those things.
Start a thread on it, I beg of you. I have questions aplenty for you.
Very cool pictures of it from back then. Seriously cool.
Dan
I have seen your truck, a while ago when I lived in Fraser. No doubt, I remember those things.
Start a thread on it, I beg of you. I have questions aplenty for you.
Very cool pictures of it from back then. Seriously cool.
Dan
Thanks for the pics Snowpusher, it is really cool to see one from a one owner standpoint. Mine I picked up from the 1st owner and he had used it for winter driving only and the snow/salt took it's toll on the frame and body, so I have replaced alot of sheet metal. But those pics are very cool....Oh and mine is rustic green just like yours...
JohnnyC
Long ago TLCA# 2231
x2 welcome to mud
(trikes) ....scary at times....i lost a shoe to one of those trikes on a burm...had it speed away while i was holding it up a hill...let go...hit a tree and almost rolled over me on its way back down...hated that thing
The wooden bridge in the photo is in Hot Sulphur Springs by the main highway. There are a lot of back roads between Hot Sulphur Springs and Fraser. I have wanted to visit them again and also see how close one can get to the backside of Byers Peak. Set up a base camp and do some hiking …The switchback road up the front side (to Bottle Pass) facing Fraser was closed to vehicles years ago. Another base camp I want to do in my big back yard is on the backside of the Never Summer Mountains. I will not be able to try it until next summer. You go up Hwy 125 from Granby, almost to Rand, turn east and go as far as you can … I am a bit of a virtual guide for my area. I considered being a real guide, but didn’t like the liability issues or want to suffer through impatient clients.
Scroll down this link for virtual hikes starting from near Grand Lake or Fraser: 2 Scenery, Sports & Wildlife in Grand County, Colorado also Himalayas, Bhutan, Jomolhari Trek
Recent images go on our weather page: Grand Lake Colorado Weather, Snowfall, Temperature, Live Scenery, Winter Park, Grand County, Skiing, Snowmobiling, Boating, Hiking, Camping, Wildlife, IceCam, TundraCam, WebCam, NetCam
One of the unusual things I have done with my FJ40 is carry enough lumber, plywood and sheetrock to build an entire home. I did it without a roof rack and without a trailer. It was a slow cash-only process, which was fine with me, because I did not want to borrow money. Each time I went to the lumberyard, I would start with a 5/8” sheet of plywood. I would set it on the roof and then add some drywall spacers inside between the roll bar and the roof. I would then load up the plywood on top with whatever I needed, even 18 feet long 2x10 rafters. The roof never cracked. I tied everything down and often used the vent windows in back to feed the rope through. This was before the ubiquitous tie downs …
I have looked through some of the vintage literature that JohnnyC has posted here. Apparently, an FJ could be modified to do almost anything and tougher than I have realized. I just spent all of this money buying a lighter weight plow to get more years out of my FJ and then I discover that JohnnyC has shown this (clearing an avalanche?):
Maybe that set up did not last long … pushing the limits for sure.
Here are more mods to consider (originally posted here by JohnnyC):
These mods were proposed and done in the early 1960s. Nice Power-Take-Off winch on the pickup … or is it a spooler?
Time for one more pic. This one has a foreign look to me (Mejico). I think it is actually just outside of Colorado Springs. I wonder if the neighborhood is still there. Nice classic in the background. I think we slept there. Been musing that I could go back to some of these places and compose the same images.
Scroll down this link for virtual hikes starting from near Grand Lake or Fraser: 2 Scenery, Sports & Wildlife in Grand County, Colorado also Himalayas, Bhutan, Jomolhari Trek
Recent images go on our weather page: Grand Lake Colorado Weather, Snowfall, Temperature, Live Scenery, Winter Park, Grand County, Skiing, Snowmobiling, Boating, Hiking, Camping, Wildlife, IceCam, TundraCam, WebCam, NetCam
One of the unusual things I have done with my FJ40 is carry enough lumber, plywood and sheetrock to build an entire home. I did it without a roof rack and without a trailer. It was a slow cash-only process, which was fine with me, because I did not want to borrow money. Each time I went to the lumberyard, I would start with a 5/8” sheet of plywood. I would set it on the roof and then add some drywall spacers inside between the roll bar and the roof. I would then load up the plywood on top with whatever I needed, even 18 feet long 2x10 rafters. The roof never cracked. I tied everything down and often used the vent windows in back to feed the rope through. This was before the ubiquitous tie downs …
I have looked through some of the vintage literature that JohnnyC has posted here. Apparently, an FJ could be modified to do almost anything and tougher than I have realized. I just spent all of this money buying a lighter weight plow to get more years out of my FJ and then I discover that JohnnyC has shown this (clearing an avalanche?):
Maybe that set up did not last long … pushing the limits for sure.
Here are more mods to consider (originally posted here by JohnnyC):
These mods were proposed and done in the early 1960s. Nice Power-Take-Off winch on the pickup … or is it a spooler?
Time for one more pic. This one has a foreign look to me (Mejico). I think it is actually just outside of Colorado Springs. I wonder if the neighborhood is still there. Nice classic in the background. I think we slept there. Been musing that I could go back to some of these places and compose the same images.
AWESOME pics!!! thanks so much!
Note to EgyptOffroad: How did you get a picture of my mom? I was in living in Cairo and Maadi from 1964 to 1966. Attended Cairo American College for the 4th and 5th grades. A lot of ladies back then wore headscarfs and looked like that perhaps. It would be unusual for a woman to be driving a car back then … unless she was out in the desert with other westerners. My mom tended to break through cultural barriers and mix with the locals. My dad was working with the Ford Foundation. After Cairo, our next stop was in Cali, Colombia.
It was my experience in Colombia, South America that led me to buy my FJ40 in the first place. We did not travel outside of the city much because it was considered to be too dangerous to do so. In 1973, I was longing to make a return visit and to see some of the spectacular country that I had missed. With a companion who did not speak Spanish and no map, we flew into Santa Marta with the intention of getting as far up into the Sierra Nevadas de Santa Marta as we could. We took a bus around to the drier backside of these mountains that rise over 18,000 feet within a few miles of the Caribbean Sea. The public bus took us to a remote village. We saw lots of jeep taxis scurrying about. I inquired about going in higher and deeper to the next village, Pueblo Bello. We were told that we would need a Landcruiser. The jeep drivers would not take us there, We were led to the one driver who had a Landcruiser and he took us on up. The road didn’t seem to be too bad. He put it in 4-wheel low for one small stream crossing. From Pueblo Bello we had to walk for two days (plus a day's rest?) to get to San Sebastian. From there we hired a boy with a donkey to guide us and carry our load for 50 pesos a day. We were young and innocent back then and didn’t have much too lose … except our lives. I grew up and got reasonable. Bought a FJ40 and moved into mountains which are friggin cold, yet very safe.
It was my experience in Colombia, South America that led me to buy my FJ40 in the first place. We did not travel outside of the city much because it was considered to be too dangerous to do so. In 1973, I was longing to make a return visit and to see some of the spectacular country that I had missed. With a companion who did not speak Spanish and no map, we flew into Santa Marta with the intention of getting as far up into the Sierra Nevadas de Santa Marta as we could. We took a bus around to the drier backside of these mountains that rise over 18,000 feet within a few miles of the Caribbean Sea. The public bus took us to a remote village. We saw lots of jeep taxis scurrying about. I inquired about going in higher and deeper to the next village, Pueblo Bello. We were told that we would need a Landcruiser. The jeep drivers would not take us there, We were led to the one driver who had a Landcruiser and he took us on up. The road didn’t seem to be too bad. He put it in 4-wheel low for one small stream crossing. From Pueblo Bello we had to walk for two days (plus a day's rest?) to get to San Sebastian. From there we hired a boy with a donkey to guide us and carry our load for 50 pesos a day. We were young and innocent back then and didn’t have much too lose … except our lives. I grew up and got reasonable. Bought a FJ40 and moved into mountains which are friggin cold, yet very safe.
1911
chupacabra
Welcome snowpusher, good to see you over here too.
JohnnyC
Long ago TLCA# 2231
funny to see the progression of a flipped bezel ....sooo when you get married and then have kids is when the bezel gets flipped
Well, my first child was not born until 1989.
The dog and kids in the photo are not mine. That is what gives the scene a Latin American flavor: kids in the neighborhood taking an interest, saying hi and visiting with strangers. I don’t think that happens so much anymore in America.
The bezel … that was hopefully soon corrected. The original factory paint on it chipped easily. I remember trying to touch it up now and then and matching it with the silver of the bumper. When the car was restored, the hardest part for them to paint and get right was the ZB license plates. They hand painted them and it looked hand painted up close. I was lucky that the “forest green” of the car matches the green on standard Colorado plates. In the seventies (and early eighties?), all of the vehicles from interior mountain counties of Colorado got a Z for their first letter. The next letter indicated which county. When you were in Denver, you could easily tell who was actually from the mountains and where. Those Z plates were an unspoken neighborhood watch code ... everywhere you went.
The dog and kids in the photo are not mine. That is what gives the scene a Latin American flavor: kids in the neighborhood taking an interest, saying hi and visiting with strangers. I don’t think that happens so much anymore in America.
The bezel … that was hopefully soon corrected. The original factory paint on it chipped easily. I remember trying to touch it up now and then and matching it with the silver of the bumper. When the car was restored, the hardest part for them to paint and get right was the ZB license plates. They hand painted them and it looked hand painted up close. I was lucky that the “forest green” of the car matches the green on standard Colorado plates. In the seventies (and early eighties?), all of the vehicles from interior mountain counties of Colorado got a Z for their first letter. The next letter indicated which county. When you were in Denver, you could easily tell who was actually from the mountains and where. Those Z plates were an unspoken neighborhood watch code ... everywhere you went.
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How about a few Split-windshield...
JohnnyC
Long ago TLCA# 2231
Eshu you need to give us alil more background to that pic thats ....welll...just WOW very hard to find any split pics let alone a group acruisers with them
thats ....welll...just WOW very hard to find any split pics let alone a group acruisers with them 
Just WOW
JohnnyC,
I enjoy seeing your enthusiasm when others post up rare pictures! It's nice seeing others appreciate Land Cruiser history as well.
This thread is full of epic win.
