What's in a name?
I'm sure some of you are wondering just why, out of now where up comes this clover for an avatar? Well, after reading threads everyday for over a year now I come to understand that nearly everyone has a name for their 40. I told my wife, we have to come up with a name, a fitting name for the green 40. After several days and many names tossed around we came to "Clover."
Many reasons came to mind "after" the name. Mainly her story. I hit it shortly on page one but here it is in better detail. In 1992 my dad, having always wanted a Land Cruiser found it for sale in Garner off Woodland Road. I remember being 21 years old and having already owned a 4x4 jacked up truck and K5 blazer, I wondered what this would be. I was in college at East Carolina at the time and remember taking "official" ownership of the vehicle in 1993 the same year my wife and I were married. We used the 40 as a second vehicle and drove it sparingly with all aspirations of restoring her to better than new. The idea I think had come from my step mother's brother, John West. John has been known in Raleigh as a master engine builder, excellent mechanic and true Toyota enthusiast. I remember John having an old FJ40, tearing it down to the frame and building it back complete with 400 Chevy small block that would chirp the tires in third gear. Awesome truck, and that must have inspired me. Saw a picture of it just the other day, white in color blue strips, soft top with stock wheels and a bow tie.
I tried for years to piece together new parts from SOR (all I knew of back them) and do what little I knew to make it better. But realizing that parts were hard to find and very expensive I was getting no where. Fast forward to 1998 when we had one child with another on the way and a change in jobs coming we made the decision to sell the 40. John said he would buy it and fix it as he had done others so I was pleased with where it would go and what it would become. The deal was done.
Years later I still had the fix to buy a vehicle "like" the 40 and restore it. I knew I could not afford the parts before so I purchased a 1984 CJ-7. Drove it for years as is, then saved money and restored it to what I thought was excellent condition. But my hankering for that Land Cruiser never left. I always asked my dad about the 40 and if John had done anything with it yet. He had not. I would ask maybe once a year if he would ever sell it back mostly with no response. I always wanted another but knew it would be a while.
Then in the fall of 2009 dad said John would be willing to sell the 40, only to me, if I stilled wanted it. We went to his shop one day and took a look. There she was, just as I had last left her in 1998 with the 1999 inspection sticker still in the window. The 40 had been sitting outside sometimes covered sometimes not for 11 years. John had the opportunity to sell the 2F since he was going to put a Chevy in her. So here she was rusted (some say patina) with no engine. I thought, no way could I ever bring that back to life on my budget and my lack of knowledge of wrenches. I thought I'd take a pass.
Then on Christmas morning my dad and step mom stop by the house to exchange gifts when he asks me to look outside. Pulling in the driveway is a truck and trailer and the old 40 coming home. How lucky were we both? At first I thought what a long road ahead. Thanks to dad and my step mom who probably really pushed him to do it. The cruiser was mine again and the journey continues.
During the month of November and December when I first had the offer is when I found this site and the ONSC guys. It was then that I remembered when growing up my father in law was a member of the NC Corvair club and how cool it was to have like minded people sharing ideas on their old cars. I knew that with his knowledge of cars and since he had been the master mind behind the CJ we could do this. In less than a month a fellow on this site found me a 2F and off we go.
I know it sounds corny to name a vehicle but we though this one was appropriate considering the circumstances and being “lucky.” The deal I have now with my dad is I cannot sell the 40, ever. He said he has bought it twice and thats enough. So the instruction to my wife is it must be given to our kids and once I’m gone then they can do whatever. I always thought it cool to see guys with names for their cars and always wonder the meaning or story behind them. Guess I just wanted to share mine and the reasoning for the avatar and the “new” name for the old 40.
Pics are vintage from '93 see it did once have a decent paint job.
R
