My "new" 45

[poose]

Great find!! Any idea about the history of the rig? I find that stuff nearly as interesting as the pictures (not to say that you should stop posting photos once you post the history).

I lived in a little mountain town called Ward, Colorado when I was a kid, and there was an old lady there named Hazel. Hazel had been born and raised in Ward, and was a really neat lady. She must have been born in about 1890 or so (she lived in Ward during the mining boom, and never left). Hazel bought a brand new FJ45 LV in 1964, and drove it until the day she died.

About 3 or 4 years after she died, I tried to buy that FJ45, but the estate had still not settled. It was in perfect condition, as it had never been out of the high mountains. I kept after it every time I was back in Colorado, and then a few years later it was gone.

I asked a neighbour if he knew what had happened to it, and he told me that the new owner of the house had if towed away to a wrecking yard in Nederland along with all the other 's****' in the yard I'm glad you saved that FJ45 LPB from a similar fate.

Cheers,

Josh

Give me this address they do not deserve to live.

 

[Landpimp]

great story

widows are not easy to get to part with "stuff" it takes the right person in alot of cases......just someone that she feels will do the right thing with it and make her and her husband proud.

and thats pretty much how I got my 82 Fj40 from the widow of the orignal owner.......she didnt care about the $ but the person who got it......she see's me driving it and is SO happy

It's kind of funny how I found out about it. I had just bought my 40 about 2 and a half years ago and it didn't run so I had it on the car hauler and I stopped for gas and this lady says "I've got a Land Cruiser I'd sell ya for $500 and it runs". I had just paid $1,250 for the 40 and it was pretty rusty, so I went up the next day and looked at hers, way up on a mountain....and it was actually a 1971 FJ55. It was in ok shape, but that wasn't anything I was interested in, but sitting right next to it was this 45. I was so naive, I didn't even know what it was. I thought someone had put a mini truck bed on a cut down 40. Then, after finding mud, I realized just how cool it was and asked her if she'd be interested in selling and she said her husband had just passed away (after I had seen it the first time) and it was his pride and joy and she just couldn't part with it. I ran into her from time to time and she said she wasn't ready. I went out to look at it back in the spring and she came out and was just about ready and then she got choked up and said not yet. I had just given up on getting it before the snow flies (which we just had two days ago) and rolled my '49 Olds in the garage and stripped it down when she called. They were the second owner and had owned it since the late '70's. She said they use to gold mine with it and used the winch with a block and tackle to move the dredge around. There's some really big plates that hang down from each frame rail about under the winch. They are welded on and look like possibly some sort of home made snow plow attachement. I'm going to redue it, but keep it pretty stock.

 

[D'Animal]

That is great!

I'm going to redue it, but keep it pretty stock.