RIP CSC#007, Kevin Patterson AKA Tools R Us

[richardlillard1]

his 40 has always been in his signature line - just sayin' - look it up

and just as one indication of how complete it was (discounting the Jeepish round rear wheel cut-outs): the rubber cover of the windshield wiper switch on the windshield wiper motor was still there

[and no, I was not personally interested in that highly coveted switch cover, since there is indeed a difference between the '72 and '73 wiper motor switch covers - on my '72, there's no provision for the cover to be bolted down, while the '73 has provisions for a screw both in the cover and the bracket it mounts to]

He removed it from his sig line late last year, just before he passed. Probably because he was starting to talk about getting rid of it.

 

[Hugh Heifer]

Thanks to the Copper State folks (Claudia, Richard, John and Travis) who helped get this thing loaded. And thanks to Claudia for getting this deal together. And special thanks to Sue for picking me to have the rig. Anyone out there could have taken it to do as they wished but I really feel kind of special. I bantered back and forth with Kevin in Chat and elsewhere on here over the years but never met him in person since all my wheeling has been East Coast.

It is true the rig is super straight and solid. The AZ sun of course has played havoc on some plastic and rubber bits but all that stuff can still be found.

The truck is still in the trailer as we did not get back to Georgia until about 9pm on Tuesday night. Last night I got some parts out of the trailer and got them stored away. The 40 will be out of there by the weekend.

I intend on writing a Trails article about the trip. It was very special in many ways. My co-driver (who also has a 40 but is not active in the Toyota community) commented at how helpful everyone was. He had a blast on the trip and the 4000 miles was full of stories and a barrel of laughs.

I originally was going to build this thing to be a big bad ass wheeler since I do not have one of those anymore - wheeling a 100 is just not the same as a 40 - but they darn thing is so original, it is going to be tough making some of the necessary changes. It even still has the AM radio and pocket speaker! What ever I do, it will be well documented on the board - at leas until I get banned again.

 

[Jim S.]

Congratulations Chris! Looking forward to following the build.

 

[richardlillard1]

Hello everyone,

First off, my apologies for the length of this message, but bear with me.

It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly a year since we lost Kevin; world events have changed and shaped our daily lives in ways we never realized or imagined it would. With that in mind, and after much discussion about how best to approach doing something this year and whether or not that was even a good idea we all came to the same conclusion; Kevin would want to go wheeling.

So that’s exactly what we’re doing. On Saturday, November 28th at 9am, we’re going to hit the trail with our CBs set to channel 4. To keep things scenic and inclusive to all 4wd vehicle types, the plan is to go play around on the Montana Mountain loop. If you’ve never been, it’s got fantastic views.

Here is the staging area, for those interested in attending:

33°16'59.6"N 111°09'56.1"W

goo.gl

We plan to roll out of the staging area at 9am.

As we all know, things are and will feel a bit different with regards to Covid-19 and its affect on the world today. People’s opinions about COVID-19 safety vary and we ask that everyone respect other’s approaches. If you are uncomfortable with proximity, feel the need to wear a mask, want to remain in your vehicle, or take other precautions we are not here to judge or dispute, but just to enjoy a day in the outdoors doing what a friend of ours would have loved. We’re here to go wheeling.

The staging area and the trails around Hewitt Station can get a little busy, especially on a holiday weekend so please plan accordingly. We encourage you all to practice social distancing and act in a manner which is both comfortable to you and those around you.

We’ll get on the radio (again, channel 4!) and let everyone know when we’re rolling out.


Richard

 

[Safado]

RIP Kevin. Kevin and Phil were some of the first faces I met here in AZ. Kevin was always rough around the edges...wouldn't have had it any other way.

 

[DSRTRDR]

today, one year ago, Kevin died

 

[Hugh Heifer]

How about an update on the project we are calling "ToolShed". Appropriate to celebrate the day of Kevin's life beyond.

I finished my leanto to keep the FJ40 relatively dry along with some other odds and ends as a stop gap for my full on garage shop project. (Hidden under the blue tarp of the south.)

Also, while at the Great Smokey Mountain Trail Ride I "won" a 4plus front bumper and then got hooked up with a guy who had a rebuildable 8274 for a reasonable price.

I got with Kurt at Cruiser Outfitters and with his help and everything Claudia threw in and some birfs from @jynx, I can get the front end back together with 60 discs. Also, I got a Decker Saginaw mount (which I know Kevin may disapprove of but hey - gotta do what we gotra do!) And my J20 box should be here any day from Rockauto.

Next weekend we are going to Cleveland, TN to pick up a donated 2f and 4 speed with the xfer case.

So we are on our way to bringing life back to something that belonged to Kevin for years.
I remain humbled I was chosen to do this and excited to be able to do so.

One day in the future one of Kevin's black bandanas will be covered in Eastern mud on his old truck in the mountains of Tennessee and North Georgia.

 

[Rudster]

Rest in Peace my friend. I miss you.

 

[ScottyDog]

Kevin is truly missed.. not only did he probably know more than any Toyota engineer... he was extremely generous with sharing knowledge or fixing some weird quirky thing. Extremely dedicated to TRAL and the Tonto National Forest.. Nothing like going to the shop and him and John sharing photos of where TRAL has been and leaving the shop smelling like an ashtray! It was great! RIP Kevin.

 

[Rudster]

Kevin is truly missed.. not only did he probably know more than any Toyota engineer... he was extremely generous with sharing knowledge or fixing some weird quirky thing. Extremely dedicated to TRAL and the Tonto National Forest.. Nothing like going to the shop and him and John sharing photos of where TRAL has b

een and leaving the shop smelling like an ashtray! It was great! RIP Kevin.

A scene from the other day. Nice seeing you Scotty.

 

[ScottyDog]

A scene from the other day. Nice seeing you Scotty.

Yessir.. good seeing you as well Mark!

 

[DSRTRDR]

Hello everyone,

First off, my apologies for the length of this message, but bear with me.

It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly a year since we lost Kevin; world events have changed and shaped our daily lives in ways we never realized or imagined it would. With that in mind, and after much discussion about how best to approach doing something this year and whether or not that was even a good idea we all came to the same conclusion; Kevin would want to go wheeling.

So that’s exactly what we’re doing. On Saturday, November 28th at 9am, we’re going to hit the trail with our CBs set to channel 4. To keep things scenic and inclusive to all 4wd vehicle types, the plan is to go play around on the Montana Mountain loop. If you’ve never been, it’s got fantastic views.

Here is the staging area, for those interested in attending:

33°16'59.6"N 111°09'56.1"W

goo.gl

We plan to roll out of the staging area at 9am.

As we all know, things are and will feel a bit different with regards to Covid-19 and its affect on the world today. People’s opinions about COVID-19 safety vary and we ask that everyone respect other’s approaches. If you are uncomfortable with proximity, feel the need to wear a mask, want to remain in your vehicle, or take other precautions we are not here to judge or dispute, but just to enjoy a day in the outdoors doing what a friend of ours would have loved. We’re here to go wheeling.

The staging area and the trails around Hewitt Station can get a little busy, especially on a holiday weekend so please plan accordingly. We encourage you all to practice social distancing and act in a manner which is both comfortable to you and those around you.

We’ll get on the radio (again, channel 4!) and let everyone know when we’re rolling out.


Richard

this was a really great day - thanks to everyone who came out: 28 trucks, and some new faces, too - Kevin would have liked that

the weather was perfect, the trail has gotten much more interesting since I was on it last time, and the most fun was the great company of all who participated

see you all on the trail again soon

 

[richardlillard1]

this was a really great day - thanks to everyone who came out: 28 trucks, and some new faces, too - Kevin would have liked that

the weather was perfect, the trail has gotten much more interesting since I was on it last time, and the most fun was the great company of all who participated

see you all on the trail again soon

Another great day in the Tonto!

The count I got was:

14 80s (four LXs and ten 80s)
2 4Runners (2nd Gen & 5th Gen)
3 FJ Cruisers
1 Hundy
1 Taco
3 JKs
1 JT Gladiator
1 TJ

And of course, one very important ‘96 LX450

This begs the question...where should we go next year?

 

[fumann]

Great time! Enjoyed getting out with the 80, seeing old friends and making some new ones. @Wife did a great job on a "not for the feint of heart" trail. Way to go Sue!

...where should we go next year?

Devils Canyon was one of Kevin's favorites. The petroglyph slide rock-like swimming hole out there would be a great destination with lots of room for vehicles and not so much traffic.

 

[Rudster]

Wish I could have made it but was spending Thanksgiving with my parents. Thanks to all who participated in keeping Kevin and the memories we have of him alive. We miss you buddy.

 

[Hugh Heifer]

What a great showing. I trust Sue got to enjoy the run?

 

[richardlillard1]

What a great showing. I trust Sue got to enjoy the run?

Not only did she enjoy it, she went out wheeling again the next day!

Maybe come out here with the 40 when it’s finished?

 

[richardlillard1]

Wish I could have made it but was spending Thanksgiving with my parents. Thanks to all who participated in keeping Kevin and the memories we have of him alive. We miss you buddy.

You were there in spirit! Did you have a good time down in Tucson?

 

[Hugh Heifer]

Not only did she enjoy it, she went out wheeling again the next day!

Maybe come out here with the 40 when it’s finished?

That's great!
I don't want to wait until then. It may be a while. We had discussed coming out over xmas in the Hundo but like so many places, the kung flu is coming on strong. I had a direct exposure at work yesterday so plans are up in the air.

Also, check your PMs.

 

[richardlillard1]

That's great!
I don't want to wait until then. It may be a while. We had discussed coming out over xmas in the Hundo but like so many places, the kung flu is coming on strong. I had a direct exposure at work yesterday so plans are up in the air.

Also, check your PMs.

Replied.

Stay safe. Hope you can make it out soon!