It all started back when I was 18 years old (21 years ago!). I was looking to buy a truck and really wanted a Toyota 4X4. My parents who were going to help me financially with the purchase said, “No pickup trucks”. So a friend of the family sold them a 1984 VW Rabbit GTI and they gave it to me. Within a week I was in a bad accident (not my fault) and the Rabbit was totaled. The car was in my name so when the insurance company cut me a check to replace it, I went looking for a truck. All of the pickups that I was looking at were beat up and they were cramped inside (I am 6’2”). I remembered a couple of friends of mine from high school had Land Cruisers in their family and I always thought they were cool, so I started looking for one.
I found a 1974 FJ40 and from then on I was hooked. I drove that thing everywhere. I purchased a set of craftsman tools and learned how to wrench on that truck. I did everything from a farm rebuild to R&R the transfer case. I learned a lot and started to wrench on all my friends cars and trucks too.
I took it on many surfing trips to Baja, it worked as my prerunner for desert racing, and snow wheeling in the Sierras, etc. Gas seemed cheap so I did not mind driving it everywhere. I remember filling the tank on the corner of Venice Blvd. and Sawtelle Blvd. in west L.A. (Mar Vista) for 75cents a gallon. On a trip down in Baja I got a blow out in the front right tire on Hwy. 1 just north of Ensenada (where the huge cliffs are), the truck went into the drainage ditch and rolled over many times. The truck was totaled. It was heartbreaking but at least my passenger and I were uninjured.
While I was in college I was working and saving money to get another FJ40. When I was ready to buy I opened up my search to include FJ60’s. In 1989 I found a 1982 FJ60 with 60,000 miles and decided to buy it. I paid $7,500. The truck was super clean and very well maintained. I am the third (and final) owner of this truck. It was originally sold in Santa Monica at the old Len Sheridan dealership on Santa Monica Blvd. And came with a folder full of dealer service receipts for the maintenance. This is the same FJ60 that I drive today.
My FJ60 (The Dynosoar) has been everywhere with me. I drove it until the 2F would hardly move the truck anymore. At the time I was very involved with off-road racing (Baja) and I had been towing my race car with the 60. I decided to do a V8 swap to add power for towing. I found a TPI 350 from a 1991 Camaro and matched it with a turbo 400 trans. That was in 1995 (I wish there was a resource like IH8MUD back then!!!) I did all the fabrication myself.
The truck got its name from my first race car (Class 11: full bodied VW) It was green with a big dinosaur painted on the hood. This car was later painted light blue with black and white checker graphics. This has been the color scheme on all my race cars since 1994. Since 1993 my race team name was Dynosoar Racing. The name has stuck and the 60 will always be my Dynosoar.
Mods:
Chevy 350 TPI (Tuned Port Injection)
Summit aluminum radiator with Volvo electric fan
TH400 trans to stock split case (Advanced Adapter)
B&M Sport Shifter
Mechanical water temp/oil pressure gauges & voltmeter
Full floater rear end with Cable Locker (Stock Toyota) (3.70 F&R)
33x12.50x15 BFG all-Terrains on American Racing 15x8’s
4+” SUA lift – springs custom made by National Spring (Santee, CA)
Louvered hood vents (Race Ace)
4 Runner caliper brake mod with 15/16” Toyota Master
Yaesu FT-2600 2M radio
Garmin GPS3
Kenwood Stereo / Sirius Satellite
Spare mounted in cargo area (temporary as bumper is being built)
Bilstein shocks and Ford towers for front end (not on truck yet)
Trail Gear sliders
Blacked out grill, and all chrome
Gas hood struts
Hella E-code H4 lamps with ARB/IPF harness
Hella three tone air horn
Stock sway bars for on-road/ with quick disconnects for off-road
Task LED interior lighting (thanks George)
Dynosoar hood sticker
I am sure there is more, I just can’t think of anymore right now!
Picture #1 : This is a pic of my first land cruiser. It was a 1974 FJ40 with a F ½ engine. (Stuck Again)
Picture #2 This is a picture of "The Dynosoar" Stuck again (Pre Sliders)
Picture #3 Surf and Turf 2007 : The Dynosoar on the right, Philos1 on the left and Andrew.fletcher in the rear
I found a 1974 FJ40 and from then on I was hooked. I drove that thing everywhere. I purchased a set of craftsman tools and learned how to wrench on that truck. I did everything from a farm rebuild to R&R the transfer case. I learned a lot and started to wrench on all my friends cars and trucks too.
I took it on many surfing trips to Baja, it worked as my prerunner for desert racing, and snow wheeling in the Sierras, etc. Gas seemed cheap so I did not mind driving it everywhere. I remember filling the tank on the corner of Venice Blvd. and Sawtelle Blvd. in west L.A. (Mar Vista) for 75cents a gallon. On a trip down in Baja I got a blow out in the front right tire on Hwy. 1 just north of Ensenada (where the huge cliffs are), the truck went into the drainage ditch and rolled over many times. The truck was totaled. It was heartbreaking but at least my passenger and I were uninjured.
While I was in college I was working and saving money to get another FJ40. When I was ready to buy I opened up my search to include FJ60’s. In 1989 I found a 1982 FJ60 with 60,000 miles and decided to buy it. I paid $7,500. The truck was super clean and very well maintained. I am the third (and final) owner of this truck. It was originally sold in Santa Monica at the old Len Sheridan dealership on Santa Monica Blvd. And came with a folder full of dealer service receipts for the maintenance. This is the same FJ60 that I drive today.
My FJ60 (The Dynosoar) has been everywhere with me. I drove it until the 2F would hardly move the truck anymore. At the time I was very involved with off-road racing (Baja) and I had been towing my race car with the 60. I decided to do a V8 swap to add power for towing. I found a TPI 350 from a 1991 Camaro and matched it with a turbo 400 trans. That was in 1995 (I wish there was a resource like IH8MUD back then!!!) I did all the fabrication myself.
The truck got its name from my first race car (Class 11: full bodied VW) It was green with a big dinosaur painted on the hood. This car was later painted light blue with black and white checker graphics. This has been the color scheme on all my race cars since 1994. Since 1993 my race team name was Dynosoar Racing. The name has stuck and the 60 will always be my Dynosoar.
Mods:
Chevy 350 TPI (Tuned Port Injection)
Summit aluminum radiator with Volvo electric fan
TH400 trans to stock split case (Advanced Adapter)
B&M Sport Shifter
Mechanical water temp/oil pressure gauges & voltmeter
Full floater rear end with Cable Locker (Stock Toyota) (3.70 F&R)
33x12.50x15 BFG all-Terrains on American Racing 15x8’s
4+” SUA lift – springs custom made by National Spring (Santee, CA)
Louvered hood vents (Race Ace)
4 Runner caliper brake mod with 15/16” Toyota Master
Yaesu FT-2600 2M radio
Garmin GPS3
Kenwood Stereo / Sirius Satellite
Spare mounted in cargo area (temporary as bumper is being built)
Bilstein shocks and Ford towers for front end (not on truck yet)
Trail Gear sliders
Blacked out grill, and all chrome
Gas hood struts
Hella E-code H4 lamps with ARB/IPF harness
Hella three tone air horn
Stock sway bars for on-road/ with quick disconnects for off-road
Task LED interior lighting (thanks George)
Dynosoar hood sticker
I am sure there is more, I just can’t think of anymore right now!
Picture #1 : This is a pic of my first land cruiser. It was a 1974 FJ40 with a F ½ engine. (Stuck Again)
Picture #2 This is a picture of "The Dynosoar" Stuck again (Pre Sliders)
Picture #3 Surf and Turf 2007 : The Dynosoar on the right, Philos1 on the left and Andrew.fletcher in the rear