Three years ago, I was sitting outside of a Starbucks with my girlfriend (now wife) as we chatted about me wanting another 4wd and what to get. You see, I grew up in the passenger seat of either a lifted 70’s era Chev truck or one of the CJ5’s my dad had built. Over the course of my driving, I have owned a few J**ps and a few Chev trucks, but I was tired of the size of a Chev and I was really sick of breaking J**ps! I bought my first Toyota in 2000. It was a 1987 4Runner that I put 31’s on and wheeled the snot out of. I was very impressed with it’s dependability and functionality… And it was a blast to drive. However, a very bad traffic accident sent her to the crusher. :sad: My second Toyota was a 1985 4Runner that I lifted with 33’s, 4.88 gears, ez-locker in the rear and custom bumpers. I eventually blew the motor up in it and couldn’t afford to fix it, so I sold it to a friend. It was time for me to get into the woods again, I was going crazy! Anyway, there we were, smoking a cigarette out in the sun, chatting about 4Runners, Land Cruisers and Chero-cars when low and behold Mark Hawley of MetalTech fame pulls up in a bone stock 80, covered in mud and hops out with his family. I strike up a conversation with him and mention what we were talking about and his eyes lit up… (For those of you who know Mark, he will talk for hours about Land Cruisers and is a wealth of knowledge!) He left me with three copies of Toyota Trails, a recommendation to ‘Mud and his business card. It was at that moment, as if by fate, I made my decision to get an 80. And this was before I’d ever been inside one!
(pic of my 85 4Runner)
Two weeks later I found a 40th Anniversay in Emerald Pearl with 126k miles with lockers.
I had my girlfriend drive me to see it as I was suffering through a suspension of my license. (I also used to be into fast European cars and street racing… Stupid, I know.) I checked it out and risked driving it around a neighborhood before making an offer and arranging for the seller to drop it off at my house! Two weeks after that, I was able to drive my Land Cruiser for the first time legally and I was in love.
I ended up naming my 80 Jillian and she has become a friend I can depend on. I started out removing the running boards and roof rack.
Then I put her on 33” Trxus on some 16x10 black steels I had lying around. After that came the OME “J” lift and flair removal.
It was around this time that I joined Cascade Cruisers and TLCA.
Eventually 35” Toyo MT’s on 16x8 black steels found it’s way on my truck as a wedding gift from my wife.
(pic of my 85 4Runner)
Two weeks later I found a 40th Anniversay in Emerald Pearl with 126k miles with lockers.
I had my girlfriend drive me to see it as I was suffering through a suspension of my license. (I also used to be into fast European cars and street racing… Stupid, I know.) I checked it out and risked driving it around a neighborhood before making an offer and arranging for the seller to drop it off at my house! Two weeks after that, I was able to drive my Land Cruiser for the first time legally and I was in love.
I ended up naming my 80 Jillian and she has become a friend I can depend on. I started out removing the running boards and roof rack.
Then I put her on 33” Trxus on some 16x10 black steels I had lying around. After that came the OME “J” lift and flair removal.
It was around this time that I joined Cascade Cruisers and TLCA.
Eventually 35” Toyo MT’s on 16x8 black steels found it’s way on my truck as a wedding gift from my wife.