Is owning a Pig a sign of aging?
- Thread starter greenbeast
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This thread has been a fun read. I feel like I can relate to many here. I'm 45, bought my pig a few years ago. My first vehicle at 16 was a 40 because my bro (a year older than me) had just restored a Mustard 1976 FJ40 and wanted to sell it to get a 45. I couldn't pass it up. I used to look through all the specter offroad and Man-a-Fre catalogs after school and dreamed about owning a 55. I had never seen one in person back then and just thought they were really cool. The fact that many thought it was the least desirable Landcruiser made me want one, cause I'm weird like that.
I met my wife and dated her in my 40. I sold the 40 to serve as a missionary for my church for 2 years in Brazil. In the 90s they were still producing new 40s and 45s (bandeirantes) in Brazil which made me want another cruiser even more when I got home. Soon after we were married we decided Landcruisers were a part of us and I needed another. The problem was we were broke and had a kid on the way. I finally found one I could afford just outside of Aspen, CO. We drove 8 hrs and slept in our car so we could pick it up the next morning. The 40 was my daily driver for quite a while and we've made a lot of memories in it with our kids over the years.
Now, 20 years later I guess my midlife crisis is cruisers. A few years ago I imported an HJ45. It was a fun project but soon after I bought it some dude that has a summer home nearby saw it and had to have it. His offer was great and the timing was right because I had my eye on a really clean 1 owner FJ55. So finally at 41 I bought a 55. I stockpiled parts for a couple of years then gutted and restored it during COVID. It's rewarding driving around a vintage vehicle like the 55 that you have spent so much time restoring all on your own. I've really enjoyed my shop time learning new skills and not being on a computer like I am at work all day. I've found I quite like welding, fabbing, painting and customizing.
Fortunately I have a very supportive wife because I now have 4 cruisers. I bought a really nice 60 thinking maybe I'd sell the 55 now that it's done, but I just can't do it. I have 5 kids and they are already staking claims on which Cruiser they get when I bite the dust, so I guess maybe I need one more. My FJ40 after 20 years is finally dismantled in my garage as I am working on restoring it next. Like all of you, I love the simplicity of old cruisers. Driving them reminds me of my younger years and many great memories with my brothers and my young family. There is just something special about driving them - the 2F, the smell, the slow speed. But I have to admit, on the longer trips I prefer and love driving my newer 200.
Recently I found an FJ40 for sale some guy had sitting in a field. He used it once a year as a hunting rig. The price was great so I bought it and brought it home. After a little clean-up and un-doing some poorly executed mods, I sold a 1976 Mustard FJ40 back to my older brother. Funny how life goes sometimes.
I met my wife and dated her in my 40. I sold the 40 to serve as a missionary for my church for 2 years in Brazil. In the 90s they were still producing new 40s and 45s (bandeirantes) in Brazil which made me want another cruiser even more when I got home. Soon after we were married we decided Landcruisers were a part of us and I needed another. The problem was we were broke and had a kid on the way. I finally found one I could afford just outside of Aspen, CO. We drove 8 hrs and slept in our car so we could pick it up the next morning. The 40 was my daily driver for quite a while and we've made a lot of memories in it with our kids over the years.
Now, 20 years later I guess my midlife crisis is cruisers. A few years ago I imported an HJ45. It was a fun project but soon after I bought it some dude that has a summer home nearby saw it and had to have it. His offer was great and the timing was right because I had my eye on a really clean 1 owner FJ55. So finally at 41 I bought a 55. I stockpiled parts for a couple of years then gutted and restored it during COVID. It's rewarding driving around a vintage vehicle like the 55 that you have spent so much time restoring all on your own. I've really enjoyed my shop time learning new skills and not being on a computer like I am at work all day. I've found I quite like welding, fabbing, painting and customizing.
Fortunately I have a very supportive wife because I now have 4 cruisers. I bought a really nice 60 thinking maybe I'd sell the 55 now that it's done, but I just can't do it. I have 5 kids and they are already staking claims on which Cruiser they get when I bite the dust, so I guess maybe I need one more. My FJ40 after 20 years is finally dismantled in my garage as I am working on restoring it next. Like all of you, I love the simplicity of old cruisers. Driving them reminds me of my younger years and many great memories with my brothers and my young family. There is just something special about driving them - the 2F, the smell, the slow speed. But I have to admit, on the longer trips I prefer and love driving my newer 200.
Recently I found an FJ40 for sale some guy had sitting in a field. He used it once a year as a hunting rig. The price was great so I bought it and brought it home. After a little clean-up and un-doing some poorly executed mods, I sold a 1976 Mustard FJ40 back to my older brother. Funny how life goes sometimes.
- Thread starter
- #63
That looks like a beautiful 55!!
Love reading your backstory. I find myself in a similar space with 4 kiddos. I'm looking at a 60 later this week. It's a sickness. Your 55 looks great btw, great color. In 6 years, I've only seen 1 other 55 driving down the road (except for Pig Party gatherings). Their unique weirdness is so appealing. Cheers!
I agree. I still have only seen a handful in person. One of these days I'd like to see yours in person, looks really nice! I was just down at SAS in Ouray for a few days and it was fun to see people in town and on the trails stopping to take pictures or give me the thumbs up as I drove by. You rarely see one on the road, even less at 12k ft I guess.
Great thread. Love the stories. Here's my contribution.
No doubt the Land Cruisers are one of the few things that allow me to "disconnect". I like the simplicity and driving them makes me feel alive. Just hit the BIG 60. Age doesn't mean much to me but I have to admit this one is making me think! My plan is to find more time and more adventures to spend in the Land Cruisers.
Always thought Land Cruisers were cool. Never saw any in my area going up? Maybe I didn't look hard enough? My first 4x4 was a 1976 CJ5. Wish I would have started my cruiser collection back then. Started with my first Toyota when I was 37. Bought an 93 80 and frankly just drove it, it was my daily driver. Had young kids and it was perfect for our lifestyle including sports, skiing, camping etc. Picked up the 2nd Land Cruiser almost unintentionally. Was time to get the wife a replacement vehicle. Went to the Toyota dealership to check out the new Sequoia which had just come out. While there, we noticed a 100 series on the lot. Couldn't pass it up, it wasn't cheap for us. The salesman asked me if I could afford it!! Maybe it was my long hair? Told the wife "this a 10 year vehicle". Back in the day, new cars would last 4-5 years. Bought the 2000 100 series. My son mistakenly continued to drive the 80 while it was running hot, that neglect caused a large hole in the block. Parted out the 80. After 12 years my wife said the kids are are grown, the 100 is too big for one person and the gas mileage is terrible. All true. Put it on Craigslist and it literally sold in 15 minutes. (obviously too cheap). Of course I wish I still had both of these cars.
It got more personnel when my son went to college and one day I received an email from him. We communicated often but not by email. The email said, "hey dad look at this vehicle for sale" I went on the website expecting to see some low riding, boom box banging car some young people may like. To my surprise it was a 72 FJ40. He said he always liked them, I said me too! That was an easy sell to the wife. Your son wants an FJ40. Great father/son project. Bought the 72 40. The family, yes the entire family, all loved the 40. Top down, family cruising. They loved it so much we used to fight over it! I'd come home from work on a nice day, hoping to take the 72 for a ride only to find my daughter is already out for the night! We talked about reserving driving dates on the calendar. What to do?................Buy another Land Cruiser! That's when we purchased the 76 FJ40. Neither were daily drivers? So we bought an 86 FJ60 for my son's daily driver. He was in college and would drive it to center city Philadelphia. I was always worried something would happen to it. Stolen, stripped? But it survived. He got good at calling AAA until we got all the bugs out.
You know my 55 story from my thread. Went to buy some 60 parts from @schmukster. While there, over in the corner was a 1974 FJ55. I'd never seen one up close. After checking it out, I had to have it. Gary was very accommodating, at this point I had two kids in college and not much disposable cash. Cleared out my parts stash for payment and some cash. Bought it without telling the wife. Had my son call from college and told his mother he needed an FJ55 for a research paper he was doing on Land Cruisers. The marriage survived. Again I think it's because my son, her little boy likes them too. As he has grown to become a young man, Land Cruisers are one of our closest father/son bonds.
Since then I picked up a 2019 200 series for my daily driver. It may be my last vehicle?
The adventures with my kids including searching, traveling around to look at, buying, transporting and repairing the Land Cruisers have been awesome and memorable. Now I can't seem to sell anything and have no plans to. Hope the kids continue to enjoy them. We now have 5 Land Cruisers, the wife has a Lexus GX460, my son an FJ Cruiser and my daughter drivers a 4Runner. Some may call this a problem?
No doubt the Land Cruisers are one of the few things that allow me to "disconnect". I like the simplicity and driving them makes me feel alive. Just hit the BIG 60. Age doesn't mean much to me but I have to admit this one is making me think! My plan is to find more time and more adventures to spend in the Land Cruisers.
Always thought Land Cruisers were cool. Never saw any in my area going up? Maybe I didn't look hard enough? My first 4x4 was a 1976 CJ5. Wish I would have started my cruiser collection back then. Started with my first Toyota when I was 37. Bought an 93 80 and frankly just drove it, it was my daily driver. Had young kids and it was perfect for our lifestyle including sports, skiing, camping etc. Picked up the 2nd Land Cruiser almost unintentionally. Was time to get the wife a replacement vehicle. Went to the Toyota dealership to check out the new Sequoia which had just come out. While there, we noticed a 100 series on the lot. Couldn't pass it up, it wasn't cheap for us. The salesman asked me if I could afford it!! Maybe it was my long hair? Told the wife "this a 10 year vehicle". Back in the day, new cars would last 4-5 years. Bought the 2000 100 series. My son mistakenly continued to drive the 80 while it was running hot, that neglect caused a large hole in the block. Parted out the 80. After 12 years my wife said the kids are are grown, the 100 is too big for one person and the gas mileage is terrible. All true. Put it on Craigslist and it literally sold in 15 minutes. (obviously too cheap). Of course I wish I still had both of these cars.
It got more personnel when my son went to college and one day I received an email from him. We communicated often but not by email. The email said, "hey dad look at this vehicle for sale" I went on the website expecting to see some low riding, boom box banging car some young people may like. To my surprise it was a 72 FJ40. He said he always liked them, I said me too! That was an easy sell to the wife. Your son wants an FJ40. Great father/son project. Bought the 72 40. The family, yes the entire family, all loved the 40. Top down, family cruising. They loved it so much we used to fight over it! I'd come home from work on a nice day, hoping to take the 72 for a ride only to find my daughter is already out for the night! We talked about reserving driving dates on the calendar. What to do?................Buy another Land Cruiser! That's when we purchased the 76 FJ40. Neither were daily drivers? So we bought an 86 FJ60 for my son's daily driver. He was in college and would drive it to center city Philadelphia. I was always worried something would happen to it. Stolen, stripped? But it survived. He got good at calling AAA until we got all the bugs out.
You know my 55 story from my thread. Went to buy some 60 parts from @schmukster. While there, over in the corner was a 1974 FJ55. I'd never seen one up close. After checking it out, I had to have it. Gary was very accommodating, at this point I had two kids in college and not much disposable cash. Cleared out my parts stash for payment and some cash. Bought it without telling the wife. Had my son call from college and told his mother he needed an FJ55 for a research paper he was doing on Land Cruisers. The marriage survived. Again I think it's because my son, her little boy likes them too. As he has grown to become a young man, Land Cruisers are one of our closest father/son bonds.
Since then I picked up a 2019 200 series for my daily driver. It may be my last vehicle?
The adventures with my kids including searching, traveling around to look at, buying, transporting and repairing the Land Cruisers have been awesome and memorable. Now I can't seem to sell anything and have no plans to. Hope the kids continue to enjoy them. We now have 5 Land Cruisers, the wife has a Lexus GX460, my son an FJ Cruiser and my daughter drivers a 4Runner. Some may call this a problem?
Yeah! The Mexican Hummer.PP2017 was a local cruising around in 1
- Thread starter
- #69
Love it!!!! See all the times my Mom said I was unique and that the good lord broke the mold after me I knew there had to be others…
Really cool stories. I did not grow up around land cruisers. The occasional bronco, jeep, blazer, or scout but mostly just Ford and Chevy 4WD pickups. Wife and I had his and her 4Runners for a while, '85 and '86, and I think those were my entry drug into Land Cruisers. It started with my '97 80 and from there I have slowly regressed into everything older. I can't remember exactly how or when I decided I wanted a 55 but it wasn't because I had ever seen one in person. In fact the only one to this day I have ever seen in person is the one I bought....and that was after I bought it. 
I used to see them all the time around where I’m at. Several guys in the Verde Valley used to drive them around. Most of them have vanished. Every time I’d see one or an FJ40 when driving around with my wife, I’d yell out, “Cruiser!” Wouldn’t extend that excitement as much to 60 series and definitely not 80’s. Well now I gotta call out the 60’s and 80’s cause they’re the only ones left driving around, and I don’t know 100’s or 200’s enough to tell them apart from Sequoia’s. Now if I do see a 40 or even more rarely a 55, it’s, “Oh my GAWD!!! Turn around! Turn around!!”
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I can relate to the head snapping. When we first moved to Riyadh my head would turn every time I saw a 70 series pickup. Took me a while but I finally got over it. They are still just rare enough though that they always catch my attention. On the other hand, there are so many 200 series land cruisers on the road here there is always one or two in your vista....always. And they are all white, including the two company cars I drive (two locations - both white 200 series).
@smooth got a line on a project 45 long bed an hour from me in west TN. Given your skills, it'd be perfect for you!
- Thread starter
- #74
Hope the kids continue to enjoy them. We now have 5 Land Cruisers, the wife has a Lexus GX460, my son an FJ Cruiser and my daughter drivers a 4Runner. Some may call this a problem?
Sounds like a good start!!!
Sounds like a good start!!!
Have had 40's and grew up with 40s. In around 2003 I saw and had to acquire my first pig. One of my favorite land cruisers until...well you all know.
I owned that when I was younger and wheeled the crap out of that 55. I've always kind of lived life in the slow lane of vehicles. The 55 is pretty great. Old school, stands out from all vehicles, kicks ass and looks awesome (as long as it's not painted green)
I guess I'm old now, not as old as the OP, but I upgraded to the "new pig" 70 series. Still spartan enough, looks very much like an updated pig.
@greenbeast if you need an IT guy at the clinic, I'm your guy!
I owned that when I was younger and wheeled the crap out of that 55. I've always kind of lived life in the slow lane of vehicles. The 55 is pretty great. Old school, stands out from all vehicles, kicks ass and looks awesome (as long as it's not painted green)
I guess I'm old now, not as old as the OP, but I upgraded to the "new pig" 70 series. Still spartan enough, looks very much like an updated pig.
@greenbeast if you need an IT guy at the clinic, I'm your guy!
- Thread starter
- #77
Ha, I get it. EHR systems have been the bain of my existence in medicine and EPIC with UC Health is going to put me in semi retirement pretty quickly. When I look back 20 years ago how easy it was to practice medicine its unbelievable how complicated and and how far away the physician patient relationship has digressed. Medicine is no longer evolving around the patient, it is assimilating to EPIC which is not a positive. When things are so complicated it benefits a practice to have someone type things in a computer as you see a patient to get things done we have moved backwards. Most time is spent looking at a screen not the patient. The farce of telehealth which bastardizes medicine is being promoted by health plans promoting access over quality. I learned medicine when the clues a good physical exam could provide towards an accurate diagnosis. That's out the window, now someone expects you to diagnose their abdominal pain over a small screen.
Sorry, kinda lost it there. Back to our regular channel! IF I ever open another clinic you will be first I will call...Ha
Sorry, kinda lost it there. Back to our regular channel! IF I ever open another clinic you will be first I will call...Ha
Met with a group of local docs while in the midst of a political campaign more than a dozen years ago. One said he was seeing half as many patients as he used to. No extra time on the golf course (or traveling around buying Pigs)...it was being spent managing the systems and staff necessary to deal with all the all the different insurance company requirements, government program regs, differing billing systems, etc.
Far cry from the days when the local doc who did insurance physicals for my Dad gave me a high school athletic physical over the phone. (We did live three doors down and he observed be virtually every day.)
We now return to our regular programming.....
Far cry from the days when the local doc who did insurance physicals for my Dad gave me a high school athletic physical over the phone. (We did live three doors down and he observed be virtually every day.)
We now return to our regular programming.....
Bought my pig when I was 24 and I owned 2 before that. Now I’m 55 and it’s reborn. Best vehicle I’ve ever owned. And I’m grumpy
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I immediately started laughing out loud
then you got me thinking. Hmmmmmmm? No temptations please. You and your boys have plenty of skills to get it done and keep me out of trouble (at least for now) I'll be watching.