First, and introduction. I'm Karl. I'm a cabinet maker, I own a small cabinet shop in Minnesota. I grew up with a 47' CJ2A. It's what I learned to drive on when I was probably about 8 years old. That gave me a love of this style of vehicle. If it's boxy uncommon/weird, sign me up.
I've thought Land Cruisers were cool for quite a while, but I really hadn't been actively searching for one until about five years ago. It didn't become a must have toy for me until a couple of years ago. A dude in town owns a brewery. About five years ago he had a 70's 40 sitting out front for sale for the better part of a summer. That thing was HAUNTING me. I drove by it every day. At the time I was pouring dumptrucks full of dollars into putting up a new building for my business. I could've afforded to buy his, but it would've been really stupid. I chased him down and told him he needs to sell it, before I do some thing stupid and buy it.
A few years pass, and I don't really have any spare cash, but two(ish) years ago I started hunting for the right project. I'd love to plop down $200k and get on the list with Icon or FJ Company, but that's just not possible and still have a place to sleep at night for me. It seems that Land Cruisers for sale exist in an almost binary universe.
1. "Here is a dumpster full of rust we swept up, it doesn't have a title, hasn't run in 20 years, have fun with the raccoons. $5000.00"
or
2. "My son and I lovingly restored this FJ40, which my wife and I conceived him in it, in high school. He's battling leukemia, and my wife passed last fall from rabies. $95,000"
So you're either bying some badges, or something somebody really doesn't want to sell, and has a ton invested into it.
I had been scouring Craigslist, Hemmings, and a few other places when recently somebody turned me onto this forum, and I found this 1976 FJ40. It was, for me, the perfect project. It needs very little sheet metal repair. It's mostly there. So I grabbed the skidloader trailer, a fist full of Franklins, and headed to the Nebraskan prairie.
My plan for this is to make it into a nice daily driver. (As nice as a 45 year old more or less tractor can get for a driver) Not in the winter though, it's Minnesota, the chemicals that get used will rot this thing out pretty much instantaneously.
My first "phase" will be to go through the driveline. I pulled the fill plug on the transmission, and immediately I got the treat of being full of water.
So I pulled the plug, full of metal.
At least the oil wasn't orange because it was full of rust along with the water. The inside of the cases were actually pretty clean.
I've thought Land Cruisers were cool for quite a while, but I really hadn't been actively searching for one until about five years ago. It didn't become a must have toy for me until a couple of years ago. A dude in town owns a brewery. About five years ago he had a 70's 40 sitting out front for sale for the better part of a summer. That thing was HAUNTING me. I drove by it every day. At the time I was pouring dumptrucks full of dollars into putting up a new building for my business. I could've afforded to buy his, but it would've been really stupid. I chased him down and told him he needs to sell it, before I do some thing stupid and buy it.
A few years pass, and I don't really have any spare cash, but two(ish) years ago I started hunting for the right project. I'd love to plop down $200k and get on the list with Icon or FJ Company, but that's just not possible and still have a place to sleep at night for me. It seems that Land Cruisers for sale exist in an almost binary universe.
1. "Here is a dumpster full of rust we swept up, it doesn't have a title, hasn't run in 20 years, have fun with the raccoons. $5000.00"
or
2. "My son and I lovingly restored this FJ40, which my wife and I conceived him in it, in high school. He's battling leukemia, and my wife passed last fall from rabies. $95,000"
So you're either bying some badges, or something somebody really doesn't want to sell, and has a ton invested into it.
I had been scouring Craigslist, Hemmings, and a few other places when recently somebody turned me onto this forum, and I found this 1976 FJ40. It was, for me, the perfect project. It needs very little sheet metal repair. It's mostly there. So I grabbed the skidloader trailer, a fist full of Franklins, and headed to the Nebraskan prairie.
My plan for this is to make it into a nice daily driver. (As nice as a 45 year old more or less tractor can get for a driver) Not in the winter though, it's Minnesota, the chemicals that get used will rot this thing out pretty much instantaneously.
My first "phase" will be to go through the driveline. I pulled the fill plug on the transmission, and immediately I got the treat of being full of water.
So I pulled the plug, full of metal.
At least the oil wasn't orange because it was full of rust along with the water. The inside of the cases were actually pretty clean.