Hello everyone,
I've been a lurker for about a year now as I've planned this project. I'm a college student in Portland, who has been obsessed with 40s since living in Bolivia while in high school. They're everywhere there and for a few years I planned on importing a couple (turns out people have already been doing this in Colombia for a hot minute and Bolivian export is a nightmare---ah well). Anyhow last month I finally got enough money together to buy my first 40. I found a beautiful 78' in Washington State, an hour from where I was born. I bought it from a guy who had the truck since he was 26, back in 1988. That makes me the third owner. The body is in about as good of condition as you can get, but mechanically and electrically there are more than a few gremlins---no matter. This is purposeful as I have enough experience with engines to not blow anything up, but welding is out of my league for the time being.
I managed to convince my advisor, after about a year of cajoling, to let me write my senior thesis on the restoration and retrofitting of an FJ40. I study how 4x4s and motorcycles facilitate rural supply chains in the developing world (you can see where I got that idea from). Anyhow, the goal with this cruiser (build thread to follow) is to get some first-hand experience outfitting a rig that might be used in one of those places. The dream would be to do a run somewhere in SA or Central Asia, moving god knows what, with the finished cruiser.
I've heard grumblings from time to time about young folks buying cruisers or r***rs and not "appreciating" them because they're too young. I'm here to squash that. Y'all are a treasure trove of information and lore and I sincerely look forward to meeting you and learning from you here on the mud.
Cheers,
Sawyer
*EDIT* The first thing I did was flip the bezel, don't you worry.
I've been a lurker for about a year now as I've planned this project. I'm a college student in Portland, who has been obsessed with 40s since living in Bolivia while in high school. They're everywhere there and for a few years I planned on importing a couple (turns out people have already been doing this in Colombia for a hot minute and Bolivian export is a nightmare---ah well). Anyhow last month I finally got enough money together to buy my first 40. I found a beautiful 78' in Washington State, an hour from where I was born. I bought it from a guy who had the truck since he was 26, back in 1988. That makes me the third owner. The body is in about as good of condition as you can get, but mechanically and electrically there are more than a few gremlins---no matter. This is purposeful as I have enough experience with engines to not blow anything up, but welding is out of my league for the time being.
I managed to convince my advisor, after about a year of cajoling, to let me write my senior thesis on the restoration and retrofitting of an FJ40. I study how 4x4s and motorcycles facilitate rural supply chains in the developing world (you can see where I got that idea from). Anyhow, the goal with this cruiser (build thread to follow) is to get some first-hand experience outfitting a rig that might be used in one of those places. The dream would be to do a run somewhere in SA or Central Asia, moving god knows what, with the finished cruiser.
I've heard grumblings from time to time about young folks buying cruisers or r***rs and not "appreciating" them because they're too young. I'm here to squash that. Y'all are a treasure trove of information and lore and I sincerely look forward to meeting you and learning from you here on the mud.
Cheers,
Sawyer
*EDIT* The first thing I did was flip the bezel, don't you worry.
