Well, I thought I would start a build thread to share some pics, and a little history, and also give myself some extra motivation.
I have been a Toyota fanatic since my dad first bought an '85 mini truck, and I watched it generally show-up and out last my first vehicle: a Heep.
I've owned and wheeled three '84/'85 mini trucks. While reading everything I could about my mini's, I ran across more and more FJ40's. I decided that I just had to have the grand-daddy-of-them-all, the truck that my "indestructible Hi Lux" was engineered after.
While visiting one of my newer customers one day, I noticed in his open garage, the rear of a blue Jeep........After spending another 15 minutes there, something caught my eye........it said Toyota! I tried to play cool, and not show him how exited I actually was. So I said, "What year is your FJ40? The first thing out of his mouth was, "You wanna buy it?" Err uh...He he.......Yeah, I might! So I walked over to take a look at it, again trying real hard not to show too much enthusiasm. Wow, it was really solid!
Turns out, he loved it, but it just wasn't practical for his family anymore. He told me that his son had just gotten his learners permit, and he didn't want to have his son begging to drive it, as he felt that it just wasn't safe enough to be his first vehicle. He had not advertised in any way at that point, and said that I had first dibs on it, and that he would contact me before selling to any one else.........
It took me six months to convince my wife to let me buy it ! I sold my mini truck....I was a nervous wreck! I couldn't sleep. I had pictures of FJ40's on my refrigerator to "remind" my wife.
Once it was mine, I spent endless hours going over every nut and bolt. Unfortunately, even though I had stumbled onto it a couple of times, I didn't take much notice of IH8MUD. The only forums that I'd been on previously didn't do much for me......Soo, I wasted my time looking through other not-as-helpful websites, auto traders, newspapers, and junk yards, in my spare time, looking for parts and ideas. It was a lot of work, to say the least! If only I had 'Mud!
Fast forward to two years ago: I moved, and started my own business from scratch, which meant no more discretionary income to buy Cruiser parts! Well I hate to see my rig just sit and do nothing, so basically I've been tearing it up, little by little, over the last two years wheeling, and haven't been able to keep up with replacing what I've damaged.
Finally, my business is taking off, and it's back to fun...er..work.
I lost most of the pictures I took while restoring the first time due to a computer crash. I'll start with the old poser pictures that I have left.
Yes, I have a square bezel: ask the P.O.
I have been a Toyota fanatic since my dad first bought an '85 mini truck, and I watched it generally show-up and out last my first vehicle: a Heep.
I've owned and wheeled three '84/'85 mini trucks. While reading everything I could about my mini's, I ran across more and more FJ40's. I decided that I just had to have the grand-daddy-of-them-all, the truck that my "indestructible Hi Lux" was engineered after.
While visiting one of my newer customers one day, I noticed in his open garage, the rear of a blue Jeep........After spending another 15 minutes there, something caught my eye........it said Toyota! I tried to play cool, and not show him how exited I actually was. So I said, "What year is your FJ40? The first thing out of his mouth was, "You wanna buy it?" Err uh...He he.......Yeah, I might! So I walked over to take a look at it, again trying real hard not to show too much enthusiasm. Wow, it was really solid!
Turns out, he loved it, but it just wasn't practical for his family anymore. He told me that his son had just gotten his learners permit, and he didn't want to have his son begging to drive it, as he felt that it just wasn't safe enough to be his first vehicle. He had not advertised in any way at that point, and said that I had first dibs on it, and that he would contact me before selling to any one else.........
It took me six months to convince my wife to let me buy it ! I sold my mini truck....I was a nervous wreck! I couldn't sleep. I had pictures of FJ40's on my refrigerator to "remind" my wife.
Once it was mine, I spent endless hours going over every nut and bolt. Unfortunately, even though I had stumbled onto it a couple of times, I didn't take much notice of IH8MUD. The only forums that I'd been on previously didn't do much for me......Soo, I wasted my time looking through other not-as-helpful websites, auto traders, newspapers, and junk yards, in my spare time, looking for parts and ideas. It was a lot of work, to say the least! If only I had 'Mud!
Fast forward to two years ago: I moved, and started my own business from scratch, which meant no more discretionary income to buy Cruiser parts! Well I hate to see my rig just sit and do nothing, so basically I've been tearing it up, little by little, over the last two years wheeling, and haven't been able to keep up with replacing what I've damaged.
Finally, my business is taking off, and it's back to fun...er..work.
I lost most of the pictures I took while restoring the first time due to a computer crash. I'll start with the old poser pictures that I have left.
Yes, I have a square bezel: ask the P.O.