New Pig owner

[Lifelong40Fan]

Just picked up my first FJ55. This has been my wife's favorite series for many years now. It needs a lot of work, but the boys and I are excited about the work ahead. Going to work on a frame-off restoration to bring it back to something closer to original.

Onward!

Mike

 

[Hank Tank]

You picked the right family truckster! Congrats!

 

[Ol Yeller]

That’s a big pit crew!

Better let the girls in on the fun too

 

[Gordobe]

Welcome to the ward

 

[scrapdaddy]

Welcome Mike,

Tell us some more about it. Looks to be someones stalled project with the body work done already, hopefully. You're a lucky man whose wife actually asked for a 55.

 

[bobm]

Should be bought 2 of them. Big Family.

 

[J Mack]

Mike you are a lucky man, sounds like you have the perfect wife, looks like you have a beautiful herd of kids and that’s a sweet pig.

Please keep us updated with lots of pictures of your project.

 

[RUSH55]

I’m counting 7 kids. All yours?
Maybe fix up the pig and trade it for a Toopy?

 

[Lifelong40Fan]

Actually, not 7, but 12! Yes, they’re all ours. We’re crazy, I know. The oldest is 26 and youngest almost 5. 8 boys and 4 girls. We’re homebodies mostly, except for our trips out west. My wife and I are native New Mexicans living in the mid south. Besides our Lord, we love baseball and Land Cruisers (we’ll most of us!).

I’ll post a few pics of the pig and a little better introduction when I get to a computer.

Cheers

 

[Hank Tank]

Actually, not 7, but 12! Yes, they’re all ours. We’re crazy, I know. The oldest is 26 and youngest almost 5. 8 boys and 4 girls. We’re homebodies mostly, except for our trips out west. My wife and I are native New Mexicans living in the mid south. Besides our Lord, we love baseball and Land Cruisers (we’ll most of us!).

I’ll post a few pics of the pig and a little better introduction when I get to a computer.

Cheers

You're my hero!

 

[bobm]

12 WOW not heard of nowadays. 8 kids in my family. Neighbors up the road had 15

 

[Lifelong40Fan]

So, here's just a bit about the FJ55 and the family.

It's the 1977 FJ55 that was available here:

For Sale - Tennessee: 1977 fj55

Tennessee: 1977 FJ55 A mostly disassembled FJ55 project. Everything disassembled except motor, transfer case, axels and wheels. The Birfield bar, oil pan, motor fan have been replaced with OEM parts. The rocker panels, driver side and passenger side floor pans have been repaired and the main...

forum.ih8mud.com

The PO bought it in 2007 from someone in Sacramento, CA, and it was his daily driver until 2016 when he decided to go through it to restore it. Home projects kept him from being able to complete it and he decided to let it go. I've had my eye on it since the thread was posted and decided it was time to get it. Below are a few pics that the PO gave me. Our plan is to take the body off the frame, patch up a few spots, paint the undercarriage and outside, and clean up and POR15 the frame. Easy to write ....

Here a few family pics. I've also got a few of the FJ40 that my dad had when I was a kid. I loved that truck. Lots of great memories out four wheeling around southern NM in the jump seats. There wasn't a Jeep that could touch where we took that truck. Then a pic of my 1974 FJ40 that I bought in 1999 when I first got it home. First purchase after my first real job was a 4 bedroom, 1 bath home in Los Alamos, NM and about 2 hours after that was this FJ40 I found in Albuquerque sitting under a tree with a blown engine. Got it for $750! Purists will have to forgive me, but I put in a V8/SM465 (also forgive the upside down bezels on this truck and my dad's). Moving to TN in 2001 and rapid expansion of the family meant that it had to go.

So, after an absence of almost 20 years from Land Cruisers (and this forum) and about half our kids on their own, I'm anxious to teach my younger boys and girls how to work and work on vehicles, in particular. So, I've got back into Land Cruisers. I've got a '76 FJ40 with a Chevy 350 that I bought a couple of months ago. It needed a cam, so we did it and learned a lot. That truck now runs pretty well and seems stable, so, hopefully, we'll have time and resources to start on the FJ55.

Mike

 

[Gordobe]

That’s a lot of pigs owners in one happy family

 

[Gordobe]

Happy pig owners. Meant to say

 

[DirtDauberGarage]

Love it! Can't wait to see how it goes!

 

[tstockto]

I guess when you raise 12 kids, restoring a simple old FJ55 is a cake walk. I'd say good luck but I doubt you need it

 

[wngrog]

12 kids and a redhead.

wow.

 

[PabloCruise]

So, here's just a bit about the FJ55 and the family.

It's the 1977 FJ55 that was available here:

For Sale - Tennessee: 1977 fj55

Tennessee: 1977 FJ55 A mostly disassembled FJ55 project. Everything disassembled except motor, transfer case, axels and wheels. The Birfield bar, oil pan, motor fan have been replaced with OEM parts. The rocker panels, driver side and passenger side floor pans have been repaired and the main...

forum.ih8mud.com

The PO bought it in 2007 from someone in Sacramento, CA, and it was his daily driver until 2016 when he decided to go through it to restore it. Home projects kept him from being able to complete it and he decided to let it go. I've had my eye on it since the thread was posted and decided it was time to get it. Below are a few pics that the PO gave me. Our plan is to take the body off the frame, patch up a few spots, paint the undercarriage and outside, and clean up and POR15 the frame. Easy to write ....

Here a few family pics. I've also got a few of the FJ40 that my dad had when I was a kid. I loved that truck. Lots of great memories out four wheeling around southern NM in the jump seats. There wasn't a Jeep that could touch where we took that truck. Then a pic of my 1974 FJ40 that I bought in 1999 when I first got it home. First purchase after my first real job was a 4 bedroom, 1 bath home in Los Alamos, NM and about 2 hours after that was this FJ40 I found in Albuquerque sitting under a tree with a blown engine. Got it for $750! Purists will have to forgive me, but I put in a V8/SM465 (also forgive the upside down bezels on this truck and my dad's). Moving to TN in 2001 and rapid expansion of the family meant that it had to go.

So, after an absence of almost 20 years from Land Cruisers (and this forum) and about half our kids on their own, I'm anxious to teach my younger boys and girls how to work and work on vehicles, in particular. So, I've got back into Land Cruisers. I've got a '76 FJ40 with a Chevy 350 that I bought a couple of months ago. It needed a cam, so we did it and learned a lot. That truck now runs pretty well and seems stable, so, hopefully, we'll have time and resources to start on the FJ55.

Mike

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With your background sir, I am guessing you have some pretty sharp husbanding & parenting skills - my hat is off to you!

Los Alamos? I spent some time "on the hill". I enjoyed being there, but the contract I was on did not get extended. If it had my wife (back then she was GF) and I might be playing house down there. I miss it!

 

[Lifelong40Fan]

Well, I don't know about those skills. They're still developing. Always learning! My wife and kids are great though!

I was in T-division at LANL, T-12. My wife and I miss NM a lot.

 

[PabloCruise]

Well, I don't know about those skills. They're still developing. Always learning! My wife and kids are great though!

I was in T-division at LANL, T-12. My wife and I miss NM a lot.

I bet your crew is great, they look wonderful.

I don't remember what T-12 does, but anyone from T division was always several powers more intelligent than I!

Did you go out to Oak Ridge?