I'm late to this party, as I haven't been on the forum for a bit. But, man, this thread really resonates with me. Both as a grumpy(ish) guy turning 50 this year, a Doc trying to stay sane in the field, and as a once and almost certainly future Pig owner.
I didn't grow up with cruisers. My Dad was a die hard Chevy man. I grew up with 63-67 corvettes, 55-57 Chevy trucks, and a handful of muscle cars as a backdrop to my childhood. Dad is a Suburban Man as a DD, still to this day. Land Cruisers were "Jap Junk" and there were none to be found in my household.
I did pick up this truck recently during my cruiser purge. Mainly so my Dad would have one to use in his waning years. We actually have 3 of them in his barn, but he'll never get around to restoring them. Too much Yankee pride in him for me to give it to him. But, my house in Maine is right next to his, so he gets to "watch" it for me and exercise it. My brother catches him out in the wild pretty frequently
I grew to be a Toyota fan over the years. Tacomas, 4runners, and yes Siennas. I still maintain that a minivan is the most useful appliance on the planet, but that's a topic for another thread. I'm only mildly ashamed that I no longer own a land cruiser, but DO still have a Sienna
@wngrog said there is no greater "Cruiser spaz" than Navydivedoc. There is truth there. I stumbled on Mud at some point a few years ago, maybe 2017 or so. I was 17 years into my 20 in the Navy. You could say I was over it by then, with 3 years left until I could retire. Patients were always a priority, and I never once "phoned it in" when it came to them. But, the Navy and I had started to diverge in what we thought was appropriate around that time. Again, thoughts for another thread. But, that sense of being in a holding pattern is what I think got me headed down the LC pathway. I dove deep into @wngrog patina land. Project patina got me inspired, and I ended up finding my own patina rig. 1967, yosemite yellow, 1 owner FJ40 with perfect balanced Patina. I was hooked. I bought it and promptly stored it. Then, a neighbor had a pristine FJ80 1991 sitting in his yard. I used to see it daily walking the dogs. I had a standing agreement with my wife that if ever one was up for sale, it might randomly land in our driveway. It did. I moved that along after I discovered what a 3FE and an auto meant in an 80. Then a 100 series with 285k miles that my neighbors thought was a new Lexus...it was that good. Another 100. A 1961 FJ40 from
@JackA. God's own unicorn FJ45 from
@ClemsonCruiser. "Chuck", the west coast Pig I owned but never saw. And then the local 68 Pig that I picked up, now in @Pigeaten's sty.
Amidst all of this, I found myself on the forum every day. Checking in on the various threads, enjoying all of the input from everyone. I looked forward to this world that wasn't the Navy, wasn't medicine, but was a community of like minded and excellent people. That's hard to find in this crazy world, and I really appreciated it. Also in the midst of all of this, I retired from the Navy. moved back north, and started over. One thing about the military is it does force a midlife shift that most people don't have to go through.
Then I realized I had far too many cruisers, didn't really have the time that I planned originally to work on them, and didn't have space. When the barn to house them breached $300k in build costs, I stepped back and gave it some thought. Did I need more space for old trucks, or less old trucks? The answer, it seemed, was less old trucks. And the great cruiser purge began. And there is a huge part of me that has breathed a sigh of relief. My modern vehicles start everytime, don't leave puddles of oil on my garage floor, and don't require constant tinkering. I have shelf space from the parts leaving my life. In truth, in many ways, life is better without them.
What I didn't appreciate, and really the point of this long rant, is how much I missed this community. And, in particular, how much I missed this sub forum. I had fun in the 40 and 45 subsection, but this crazy corner of mud was my favorite. Something about this crew of misfits, caring for the oddest and objectively biggest PITA subset of cruisers, just fits. Aside from @bobm who is sort of a neighbor I haven't met any of you. Yet, I spent a lot of time with you during my transition to civilian life. In the time of Covid, I "interacted"more on mud than in the real world.
In the end, I guess I just want to say thanks to all of you fine gentlemen down here. The comaraderie here is real, even if it is from a distance. I think the great Cruiser Purge of 21 was probably 1 too many. Though my Pig was the "worst" of my cruisers from a mechanical and condition standpoint, it's the one I miss the most. That's not just due to oddball iron.
So, Thanks to all of you. For welcoming me, and more importantly for supporting each other. It's a tough world right now for everyone. A community is not just where you live.
1 in person and 1 in lengthy conversations on the phone!! You are both Outstanding individuals and must be Major assets to you Proffesions! You are both down to earth and understanding of people from all walks of life and can interact with all on intellectual and personal ,and layman terms ❤! My Neurosurgeon was the same! A very well spoken Dr. From South Africa named Thabele Leslie Mazwi, my Hero. The man that saved my life 
. He worked at MGH in Boston but has since moved to Seattle. He could speak with anyone no matter what level of intelligence and treated all with the same respect. He is a Great man like both of you 
❤, you all deserve the utmost respect from all of us 
. We appreciate your service and the service of all who are on the front line protecting us and our Freedom. You don't need a FJ55 to be a Brethren of this group!! You just need the desire. ❤ @navydivedoc and Dr.John AKA @greenbeast
now. Gnite.
. You opened the door and it dropped about 1/4 inch 
. Is this ****ing thing closed, make sure that doors closed 
