Minnesota FJ40 theft and recovery and… going back to 2013 - A long saga moving towards the next chapter.

[jsweetd]

Hey everyone I have been a member for awile but never participated much. I appreciate all of the questions answered and problems solved from other owners experience.

Here we go.

Growing up my dad bought a 1979 FJ40 when I was 14 years old. He taught me how to drive manual transmission in St Paul along a dirt road that was destined to be the future interstate 35E which cuts through St Paul. The family loved that truck, my dad as I think all of us made it part of his identity. My sister and I bouncing around in the back on our way to Jackson Hole, sitting on the floor and then the jump seats, pretty wrecked on arrival. Unfortunately he had the 40 serviced at a shop on Grand Ave at the end of 1983. When he went to retrieve the cruiser from the shop he discovered that it had been stolen, it was New Year’s Day.

Fast forward to the winter of 1987, I was able to pick up a super rusty 1977 Freeborn Red 40 even with the rough condition I still got that feeling I would get when I saw my dad’s cruiser. In 1992 I sold the red cruiser to fund the purchase of my first home coincidently on Grand Ave, less then a mile from where my fathers 40 was stolen. In 1996 I was either browsing Craigslist which was new or the old auto trader and I found the 1977 (Oct 1976) Cygnus white cruiser that is at the center of this story.

Sometime not long after I picked up the white 40 my dad acquired a 1977 Freeborn Red 40 which would eventually become Brandon Bonnevilles first 40. Brandon lived across the alley from our place on Grand Ave and when my dad put out the for sale sign they struck up a deal. The rest is history of course and is Brandon’s story to tell.

To be continued…

 

[Rocky_LC]

You can’t keep us hangin’ like that!

 

[stonemasoncruiser]

Popcorn is ready for chapter 2

 

[jsweetd]

Chapter 2

In the mid 1990’s while working at the Audio King outlet center in a suburb of Minneapolis I met Steve Molina @stonemasoncruiser and David E, both cruiser guys. I would go to Molinas garage in St Paul and hang out while he wrenched on his 40 and later 55. David was also living in St Paul at the time and working on a couple cruisers. It was around this time that I first heard about the local legend Steve Cramer and his knowledge of all things cruiser.

Life goes on and we all get 80 series cruisers and have families and lose touch with one another.

Fast forward to the spring of 2013, my wife lets me know that she wants a divorce and my Dad calls from the house on Grand Ave to tell me not to leave the garage door open when I take the cruiser out. My first thought was my wife took the cruiser, not the case. I am having a terrible week.

I report the cruiser stolen to the police and start dealing with the insurance company. Unfortunately they had recently sent me a letter stating that the cruiser was insured for $2500 which I never disputed. I receive the check for $2000 and toss it in the top drawer of my desk.

Three years pass it is now 2016 finally ready to let go and move on I take the check out of the drawer, It is expired. I call the adjuster, she remembers me and agrees to reissue another check. The check arrives and I toss it on the kitchen counter. It sits there for another couple weeks, Sunday turns to Monday and I finally deposit the check in the bank. Thursday that same week my phone rings while working, it is the Maplewood police. They have found a white Jeep and asks me if I was the one that reported it stolen. I corrected him and told him it was a Toyota Landcruiser. He says yes a white landcruiser but it is no longer in your name the owner is listed as Progressive insurance.

I immediately call the adjuster and she already had the news that it was recovered. Unfortunately they were unable to unravel the claim. If I wanted it I was going to have to bid on it at auction. The adjuster told me that the file says that the coverage was only 20% of the vehicles value and that whatever it sold for I would get a check for 80% even if it was me bidding.

Auction day arrives, everyone including the auctioneer is aware that this is my truck. This is my first time reunited with my cruiser. It has been hot wired and recovered without my sweet seats and jump seats that David E hooked me up with back in the late 90’s. The auction starts and I am bidding against someone online from Georgia, Nolen? This goes on for a bit and then the phone rings and the auctioneer answers with his hand over the mic. It’s the insurance company and they are willing to end the auction If I would pay $8000. I agreed.

It is around this time that Brandon sends a sweet message to my Dad, thanking him for selling the cruiser to him. My Dad was a big fan of synchronicity. In the years between 2013 and 2016 I reconnected with Molina and David E connecting with them over the loss and recovery. It was at this time that I told myself that I was going to have the Legend Steve Cramer upgrade, renew and make a big investment in my 40.

To be continued…

 

[sogncab]

In the mid 1990’s while working at the Audio King outlet center in a suburb of Minneapolis

Burnsville?


Are you still in Minnesota?

 

[stonemasoncruiser]

This story...the more that is revealed...is living proof of how special Landcruisers, and especially 40s are to so many. And proof of how important and meaningful they are to John. Knowing him personally I can attest to what an amazing human he is and deserving of all the cruiser karma we can send his way.

 

[jsweetd]

Burnsville?


Are you still in Minnesota?

Yeah, still living in St Paul

 

[jsweetd]

You can’t keep us hangin’ like that!

I’ll try to crank out a chapter every night. Stay tuned!

 

[Chamba]

This story...the more that is revealed...is living proof of how special Landcruisers, and especially 40s are to so many. And proof of how important and meaningful they are to John. Knowing him personally I can attest to what an amazing human he is and deserving of all the cruiser karma we can send his way.

There's another kind of Land Cruiser besides the 40 series?! How have I never noticed this? I'll start looking.

 

[JohnnyC]

I read this and I keep feeling like it’s click bate like on all social media lol

I know it’s not however … my truck has been my DD for 30+ years and couldn’t imagine what it would be like if it was no longer there… it’s a friend I can always depend on

Look forward to chapter three

As for are there any other land cruisers other than the 40 …. I would consider the best to be the first the Toyota Jeep (BJ) (the father of all land cruisers) as well as all other direct lineage from the 20 series onward … and would even make the argument the AK10 would be in this lineage as it directly used heavy duty gear in its construction and toyota directly used as a ‘blueprint’ for the Jeep BJ and I consider it to be the grandfather of all Land Cruiser…. However the Prado and all using the shared platform are not in the category as they were light duty … but this can be an argument for a different thread LOL

 

[sogncab]

Yeah, still living in St Paul

Nice. There's a group of us that get together at least once a year and grab breakfast if you'd like to join. We have a WhatsApp thread going

 

[jsweetd]

Nice. There's a group of us that get together at least once a year and grab breakfast if you'd like to join. We have a WhatsApp thread going

That would be great! Lmk how to join the thread

 

[sogncab]

That would be great! Lmk how to join the thread

I'll send you a PM

 

[jsweetd]

Chapter 3

I reach out to Steve Cramer and tell him the story of the loss and recovery and ask if he is willing to work on my newly recovered rig. He agrees to stop by and have a look, it was the end of July 2016. Steve shows up in his sweet 45!

We have a nice meet up and Cramer agrees to take on the project! The excitement is starting to build, to be honest I couldn’t wait to get started. September 21, 2016 arrives and Steve is ready to receive my truck and the initial installment to install my new suspension.

Time passes and then drops off the clock…it is now December 22nd, 2018, suspension is in axles are out and we have established a snails pace. I give Cramer another installment with hopes I will be rolling with the wind in my hair and my dad riding shot gun by summer time. After all this is the legend Steve Cramer. During this visit i notice another cruiser waiting for Steves expertise. Later I find out it belongs to Terry Decker.

Communication with Cramer gets better it seems like he might be finally working and making progress. He discovers that the motor has no compression, we look around for another 2F briefly and then decide to pull the motor. I head down to his place so we can talk about everything that I want done and to make another installment. I feel hope and hopeless at the same time if it is possible but after the meeting I get the sense that I will be cruising soon. It is now January 5th, 2019. Looking back I am not sure where that was coming from. I believe Terry’s truck is now inside. Not long after making this installment Cramer asks if I would give him another check, and I do. I will never do this again. At this point we stall out…

To be continued…

 

[cruisermatt]

+Two years for less than two days of work… front axle isn’t even put back together.
ouch

 

[jsweetd]

Chapter 4

I was just reviewing my text thread with Cramer going back to this time in 2019. Lots of struggles and promises to get together or call to communicate but no movement, no calls. Most everyone would not put up with this delay. I realized later on that the money I gave him for the work he was supposed to complete was long gone. I think one of my checks helped to pay for his honeymoon. If there was going to be any progress he was going to need more money. The Covid era hits and for some reason I start buying some parts and restoring a pair of seats. I think he is at home he will for sure pick up some wrenches and get going. Steve answers some questions when I inquire and gives excuses and says he is sorry that there is no progress.

Sometime around September of 2021 Terry visits his truck at Cramers. By now Brandon has connected us and we start to talk and share our experience. He confirms that my cruiser is still on the lift and in the same condition. I am pretty hopeless at this point and don’t know what to do. It’s not like it could just be pushed out of there and hauled away.

Another year goes by and Terry has managed to get his cruiser back, hauled out on a flat bed. I am still stuck on the lift without axles.

Time passes, I occasionally connect with Brandon, David E, and Steve Molina as well as some other cruiser owners that have known Cramer for a long time. All of them reaching out to Cramer trying to help me.

It is now May of 2025, yes you are reading that correctly. My father passed away in July of 2024. He would ask all the time when we were getting the cruiser back. I wish we could have gone for one last ride. At 78 I caught him bidding on a 78 Cruiser on Bring A Trailer. He was worried he one the auction.

I am walking my dog on the normal route down Summit Ave. I am approaching a new brick porch project and I see Steve Molina working on the job. I call out his name and he reply’s “Have you got your cruiser back from Cramer yet?” I respond No I haven’t. He says we are going to go and get it back, do you know Malcolm and in that moment I didn’t recall. He tells me that Malcolm owns a junk removal business and he has lots of heavy equipment. I walk home and turn the corner to see my hand laid brick sidewalk that my dad started and Malcolm finished. The next day on my walk I told Molina that I know Malcolm and give him the run down. A plan starts to form. Malcolm knows Cramer too. Cramer finally allows a visit.

I was surprised that the axles were back and the wheels were on. A date is set to finally take it out of there.

It is June 21, 2025, Almost 9 years have passed, which is a percentage of anyone’s life. I treat Steve with respect and kindness while we are picking up the cruiser.

Malcolm, Molina, and Malcolms son are there to help. Cramer has the cruiser sitting outside ready to finally be taken away.

To be continued…

 

[WartHog73]

It is June 21, 2025, Almost 9 years have passed, which is a percentage of anyone’s life.

Wow…

 

[Chamba]

Shameful.

 

[jsweetd]

Yeah, still living in St Paul

I just realized you might be asking which store. I was at the St Louis Park Outlet on Excelsior Blvd

 

[jsweetd]

Chapter 5

July 6th, 2025 after spending a few weeks in the trailer at Malcolms place, the cruiser finally returns to the garage it was stolen from in 2013. At this point I realize I am missing parts. I reach out to Cramer and he says that he will look in the garage for me and pull them together. We start the stalling and excuses again. Trying to figure out my next move, I think I am going to put her back together in the garage with help from friends. Winter arrives.

I start ordering OEM parts from Toyota.

Winter is wrapping up and Spring is arriving. I am talking to Terry, Brandon, David E, and Molina about next steps. Molina has wrapped up a career as a stone mason and is trying to figure out his next chapter. I suggest that he put her back together. He says yes!

After about a month of garage preparation the time has come to transport the cruiser to Eagan, MN.

Excitement is building. It is now April 13, 2026

Steve Molina gets to work right away cleaning and prepping the frame, under carriage and the firewall. We agree that he will proceed as he would on his own rig. Brandon sends me a link for a case of Black VHT paint. I didn’t realize I would need a whole case, I wish I would have just pulled the trigger but I end up buying 2-3 cans at a time.

Now the fun part of the story. We are actually starting to move forward after pretty much standing still for so long.

To be continued…