Gitmo Pig

[AA996]

Just dropped the Landcruiser off at the dock in Baltimore for shipping to Guantanamo Bay Cuba. It will be trucked to Jacksonville then loaded on a ship for Cuba. Estimated delivery date - May 9. If anyone spots a red FJ62 with a white top barreling down I-95 on a car hauler it's probably mine!

I'm missing her already. Godspeed Gitmo Pig.

 

[esh]

There is only 1 style of land cruiser worthy of being called a pig, and this is it...

 

[jgordon]

If you're standing post down there, then thank you. Hopefully having the truck makes the duty a little easier. If you're just going down for chyts and giggles, bring some cigars back.

 

[Pighead]

There is only 1 style of land cruiser worthy of being called a pig, and this is it...


What he said...

If you're standing post down there, then thank you. Hopefully having the truck makes the duty a little easier. If you're just going down for chyts and giggles, bring some cigars back.

Ditto...

 

[IndianDoc]

Can;t believe you left behind the Ducati, Need Both!

 

[nodaksn3]

Good luck down there. How much space is there for 4 wheeling? Pretty big base, I hear. I'm sure you've seen the very nice blue FJ60 at Pax River, owned by a friend of mine. Ned

 

[CruisinFJ60]

SOA pigs look so awesome.

 

[AA996]

Ned, there's two blue 60's here right now, one belongs to a Marine Harrier pilot and the other to a guy attending test pilot school, he's from Montana or Wyoming I think. Then there's a nice 62 here too, a helicopter mechanic owns it. Seems we know quality around these parts. I know there's a Jeep club on the base, perhaps they'll let me tag along. If only to pull them out.

Who said I'm not taking the Ducati? And my Triumph Bonneville, too. We have a nice house with a garage so they come with us. Although with a 25 mph speed limit it's gonna be torture to ride the Duc down there. I just feel more comfortable having it with me than storing it. I might do the "Ducati poser" thing and put it in the living room!

My wife is the reason I'm going down there, she's a Special Agent for NCIS.

Sorry you purists, but if you've tried to get an FJ62 up to speed on the on-ramp, you know it deserves to be called a pig.

 

[jb2073]

I spent a year in Gitmo not too long ago. Not in a hurry to go back. You will be hard pressed to do any wheeling but your pig will work well hauling dive gear around. As for your Ducati, painful is more like it. I would be interested to know when you pig actually makes it down. Don't want to rain on your parade but things have sat Stateside for an extra month or so. Best of luck.

 

[AA996]

Thanks for the info, are you familiar with Paola Point? That's where our house is, they say it's pretty nice. We're going on April 19, stuff to come sometime after, Cruiser May 9...maybe? Just as long as it gets there. BTW, it's literally dripping from Fluid Film sprayed in every nook, cranny and inside body part.

The Ducati may be painful to ride down there, especially in the summer. The heat coming off that thing is tremendous. Oh well, that's why the Bonnie is coming along too. And at least there's not too far to ride!

The girl that was there before my wife has already told the dive instructor to jump on us as soon as we get there. She raves about the diving there. Can't wait.

 

[jb2073]

The Point is nice, away from the center of the base. Diving there was a lot of fun. Only place I ever lived where you can dive 24/7 and hop into the water to literally catch dinner (snapper, grouper and hogfish) right after work.

 

[AA996]

UPDATE: The Cruiser is on the boat!

Damn' thing will probably beat us there, we're flying in on the 19th.

 

[AA996]

Well, a couple of weeks ago a barge from Jacksonville Fla. pulled into Guantanamo Bay NAS Harbor. The manifest indicated our Landcruiser was in one of the CONEX containers. So it was with a little more than passing interest that I watched them unload the barge.

Desmo : photos : GITMO- powered by SmugMug

Sure enough, it eventually emerged from the container and we now have our machine here, safe and sound. So we took it out for a tour of the base - with the gratuitous "money shot"....

Desmo : photos : GITMO- powered by SmugMug

When I returned from taking the picture, I found I'm not the only Landcruiser enthusiast here.

Desmo : photos : GITMO- powered by SmugMug

Obviously he's a stickler for details, he spotted the non-standard exhaust pipe placement and shook his head in disgust.

Desmo : photos : GITMO- powered by SmugMug

By the way.....I was surprised to find that mine isn't the only Landcruiser in Cuba - or even Guantanamo. There's a nicely restored FJ40 running around here. I'll get pics as soon as I can.

Oh yes, at a strictly-enforced 25 mph I'm getting a solid 17 mpg...and gas here is $3.45/ gal. !!

 

[jb2073]

Glad to here that it actually made it when it was supposed to. You may want to talk with some folks about keeping the banana rats from crawling into the undercarage and chewing your wiring. Some folks have used chicken wire. Just a thought. Don't forget to let us know how things go.

 

[IndianDoc]

Great to hear that your ride made the ride be safe and come back soon as u can.

 

[Spook50]

There is only 1 style of land cruiser worthy of being called a pig, and this is it...

Y'know, I've looked and looked and I have been unable to find anything clearly stating that only the FJ55 can be called the Iron Pig, aside from statements made by 55 owners themselves. Nothing against the 55 (s***, I love it), but I respectfully present my contribution to the principle of all solid axle Land Cruisers being called Iron Pigs:

The EGR blockoff plate for my FJ62, etched with my "Iron Pig" emblem I designed in college. Matter of fact, I know of a couple who sport decals made from my design

 

[Cruiserdrew]

Awhile back, someone wanted to call FJ60s Iron Mules. I thought that was OK. Pigs are 55s, but 60s are like 55s only better, so it's a tough call.

Anyway, enjoy Gitmo. A very curious place in many ways. Glad your 62 arrived in good condition.

 

[AA996]

Resurrecting this old dead thread. My wife's tour of duty here in GTMO is over. We're putting the Landcruiser back into the Conex container on Wednesday, July 7 2010, for her barge trip to Jacksonville, then on the back of a semi to Oxnard, California. She has been a faithful and reliable servant to us down here, and I can't wait to get her back to the States for some well-deserved TLC. Engine work, paint and upholstery, maybe even a new Rodney-built transmission is in the works for her.

BTW, while house-hunting in Oxnard, we saw two beautiful FJ62's in Malibu - one grey, one white. Could they belong to anyone on this forum?

 

[cruiser_guy]

There is only 1 style of land cruiser worthy of being called a pig, and this is it...

Get that away from the salt water!! I can hear it rusting

 

[cruiser guy]

didnt 55 get the names iron pigs because they are a bitch to work on??