Hi, I'm Steve, and I'm new to the club having only joined in January 2021, having just moved to Carson City - kinda still moving, actually...
It all started in '83 when a '73 40 series became my first car in high school. I wrecked it in a rollover outside of Barstow, and later got it put together just enough to sell it and finance one-way plane tickets cross-country to start the beginnings of married life and finish college. Next came a bone stock '87 FJ60 in '92. Over the years it has morphed into a dual-cased 1HZ/T Toyota diesel powered beast on 37's. I picked up a factory-locked '95 80 series in '97, sold that to my wife's sister and husband (they still have it) in '05, and then picked up an '06 100 series the same year. While my two son's learned to drive a stick in that 60, they both wanted an 80 and along the way I picked those up for them, both of them factory locked, both '97's. My wife never did like the 100 series as much as her 80 (and she let me know it...), so a few years ago I grabbed a '97 LX450 offered for sale here on MUD for her that was also factory locked and already sporting 35's (there's quite the fun story about the acquisition of it!). It wasn't lost on her, or me and the boys for that matter, that with that acquisition she had the biggest tires at the time - 35's - while we were all sporting 33's. Having always lamented never again having bought another 40, my wife surprised me with a birthday present in Feb 2020 - said I should buy the '73 offered here on MUD (
SOLD - North Mississippi Built 1974 FJ40 - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/north-mississippi-built-1974-fj40.1191534/post-12890436) - so I did. With the year of Covid being what it was the 40 never even made it out of the driveway in 2020. Might have been that I didn't want to register it in Cali when I knew I was moving to NV. Fun Fact: Out of all the Cruisers mentioned here, the '06 100 series and the just-new-to-me 40 series are the only ones that have not done the Rubicon. Speaking of the Rubicon, I lead the Wagon Run for TLCA during the Annual Rubithon event each summer. Normally I'd be encouraging you to sign up for it, but with last year's Covid cancellation and the carried-over registrations to 2021, the run is already full. Maybe we can just do it as a club run later in the year?
The Cruiser life is definitely a family affair for us. A little more difficult with the kids growing up and spreading out. But son Justin
@justintpryor is here local and part of the club. We've done quite a bit of wrenching together on our trucks, including a full engine rebuild for his 80 early last year just in time to spirit him off on his overlanding honeymoon. Son Johnathan
@JohnnyOshow22 is in MT, but he's a Cruiser nut as well. In fact he's wrenching at Overland Cruisers while putting himself through school. To say he knows his way around cruisers now would be an understatement. While my daughter Katelyn isn't into the whole wheeling/camping scene, she does love her '04 4Runner. And points out to her brothers that she has a V8 and they don't! And my wife Andrea is my strongest supporter. She's been with me nearly every time for Rubithon, and even piloted her own 80 over the Rubicon with a little help from her sons. Speaking of wives, the boys' wives are also all into this stuff. And as much as I like the Rubicon, I also love long road trips and just getting out there, even if the trail isn't necessarily difficult. I've made some pretty big loops in the area that is west of the Rockies and between the borders, and there is still so, so much more to see.
I'm really looking forward to having a club to participate in, but more specifically, to making new friends in this awesome Toyota community.
Andrea on the Rubicon, here, just leaving Buck Island lake headed towards the Springs.
@justintpryor on the Rubicon, here getting all twisty on the last obstacle before reaching Buck Island lake.
@JohnnyOshow22 on the Rubicon for the first time, and after much rock stacking and a lot of spotting, clears the rocks downslope of Decision Tree (which just blew down this winter
) in Big Sluice.
Me on the Rubicon, leading
@justintpryor in the white 80 and my wife and
@JohnnyOshow22 in her black 80 as we begin the drop into the slabs leading into Buck Island lake.
Me enjoying yet another breathtaking sunset at Saline Warm Springs in Death Valley.
He's a bit of a legend in the community, but a great guy and works exclusively on Land Cruisers. He's a bit of a drive, but well worth it imo and I know he's worked on the HDJ's quite a bit.
