I'm sorry to hear of his passing. RIP Andrew.
ROTW ROTW - Gertrude - 1975 FJ40
- Thread starter andrewfarmer
- Start date
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Sh#t. Sh#t Sh#t!
Why is the big C so blooody cruel?
I was wondering why I've been seeing his cruiser (pride&joy) and all his spares for sale on Trademe here in NZ. (And recently the seller's name changed and I still didn't realise Andrew was in any sort of trouble.)
In fact I find it hard to believe that this sad news is true.
I seem to remember Andrew was the person who helped me get the police onto a "Trademe scammer" a couple of years ago. (Sold me a cruiser part that he had no intention of supplying.) At that time others here on MUD were able to tell me who really owned that cruiser because the image used was really of a USA-based cruiser downloaded off the Internet!
Andrew is the sort of person that would go out of his way to help anyone.
And, although I don't think I've ever spoken to him face-to-face, I've seen him around here and probably spoken to him on the phone.
And hell - his last activity here on MUD was only yesterday. (Perhaps another family-member logging in though?) But I recall seeing his name as a "viewing member" quite a lot in recent times - Often when I log at at very peculiar hours (due to my anti-social work hours) .. and this gave me a nice feeling .. that someone else in this city was up at this ungodly hour "thinking cruisers".
Sorry. I just keep thinking - This cannot be true!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why is the big C so blooody cruel?
I was wondering why I've been seeing his cruiser (pride&joy) and all his spares for sale on Trademe here in NZ. (And recently the seller's name changed and I still didn't realise Andrew was in any sort of trouble.)
In fact I find it hard to believe that this sad news is true.
I seem to remember Andrew was the person who helped me get the police onto a "Trademe scammer" a couple of years ago. (Sold me a cruiser part that he had no intention of supplying.) At that time others here on MUD were able to tell me who really owned that cruiser because the image used was really of a USA-based cruiser downloaded off the Internet!
Andrew is the sort of person that would go out of his way to help anyone.
And, although I don't think I've ever spoken to him face-to-face, I've seen him around here and probably spoken to him on the phone.
And hell - his last activity here on MUD was only yesterday. (Perhaps another family-member logging in though?) But I recall seeing his name as a "viewing member" quite a lot in recent times - Often when I log at at very peculiar hours (due to my anti-social work hours) .. and this gave me a nice feeling .. that someone else in this city was up at this ungodly hour "thinking cruisers".
Sorry. I just keep thinking - This cannot be true!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Heard this on the LCML earlier in the week... 
Didn't know him personally, but really enjoyed his posts. Andrew and Gertrude were one of a kind for sure.
Best wishes for the family and may the Cruiser Gods take care of him...
Wheel in peace Andrew...
Didn't know him personally, but really enjoyed his posts. Andrew and Gertrude were one of a kind for sure.
Best wishes for the family and may the Cruiser Gods take care of him...
Wheel in peace Andrew...
There's a running (not so much) joke in my family that dad wants to be buried in his FJ40 so that my sister and I wouldn't fight over who gets it. My sister says she'll put his ashes in the ashtray....
I couldn't know Andrew, but this chronicalling of his work reveals him as a kindred spirit too rare these days. Can you imagine, if it's true what they say about heaven being the things you loved most in life, the trails, climbs, and mudholes Andrew is riding now?
Rest in peace, friend.
I couldn't know Andrew, but this chronicalling of his work reveals him as a kindred spirit too rare these days. Can you imagine, if it's true what they say about heaven being the things you loved most in life, the trails, climbs, and mudholes Andrew is riding now?
Rest in peace, friend.
Really don't know what to say. A brilliant man.
sweet fabrication ,man I wish we had a place like that to wheel at around here
rip 
Yep, was trying to research something Andrew wrote about, read through the whole thread just cause its awesome. Your presence in the offroad world is greatly missed. RIP Andrew Farmer
His work really was a contribution to the LC standards. RIP, Andrew!
Gertrude will live again
Back New Years Day I was watching a red worked 40 series on our version of craigslist.... "37" mud tyres, Lockers front and rear, On-board air, Fiddle brakes, Straight six with petrol and LPG but needs a tune on petrol to run etc....." I was watching more to see what it would sell for than anything else... figured it would sell for $10-13 K
As it happened I'd forgotten about it and logged on about 3 min's before the auction finished and it was only at 4 ... it was too tempting so I started bidding, I was only bidding against one other guy and in the end I got her for $5050
A couple of days later I got contacted by a 4wd'ing mate down Wellington mate asking if it was me who had bought her, turned out he'd had a computer issue and couldn't bid lol he told me about Andrew (A mate of his), these threads and asked a favor of me that I continue Andrews thread
A little introduction, about 10yrs ago I used to run a small fab shop mainly doing 4wd work.... I still have my shop but don't do anything commercially. I'm now working as a trenching operator working away so don't get to do much now, I still enjoy the process of fixing and improving things lol I've even redesigned my machine at work
My plans for Gertrude are more about fixing her up and then take her on a week long run down the West Coast of the South Island after this I'll see what I feel.... its legal papers have been allowed to lapse, it is possible to make legal again but this isn't going to be easy, some of the rules have changed on how things are aloud to be modified since Andrew did his work
As she sits I've got to sort the issue with the petrol tuning..... I found the old fuel filter in the spares and it was blocked with rust, it is running very nicely on LPG but there is an issue there, in NZ to run LPG on road you need a fixed tank and a Alternative Fuels Warrant every yr this sticker means its safe for servo's to fill the tank without it they arn't legally allowed to fill it ..... so my intent is to fix the petrol issue and pull the LPG tank and convert it to 20kg forklift bottles
Back New Years Day I was watching a red worked 40 series on our version of craigslist.... "37" mud tyres, Lockers front and rear, On-board air, Fiddle brakes, Straight six with petrol and LPG but needs a tune on petrol to run etc....." I was watching more to see what it would sell for than anything else... figured it would sell for $10-13 K
As it happened I'd forgotten about it and logged on about 3 min's before the auction finished and it was only at 4 ... it was too tempting so I started bidding, I was only bidding against one other guy and in the end I got her for $5050
A couple of days later I got contacted by a 4wd'ing mate down Wellington mate asking if it was me who had bought her, turned out he'd had a computer issue and couldn't bid lol he told me about Andrew (A mate of his), these threads and asked a favor of me that I continue Andrews thread
A little introduction, about 10yrs ago I used to run a small fab shop mainly doing 4wd work.... I still have my shop but don't do anything commercially. I'm now working as a trenching operator working away so don't get to do much now, I still enjoy the process of fixing and improving things lol I've even redesigned my machine at work
My plans for Gertrude are more about fixing her up and then take her on a week long run down the West Coast of the South Island after this I'll see what I feel.... its legal papers have been allowed to lapse, it is possible to make legal again but this isn't going to be easy, some of the rules have changed on how things are aloud to be modified since Andrew did his work
As she sits I've got to sort the issue with the petrol tuning..... I found the old fuel filter in the spares and it was blocked with rust, it is running very nicely on LPG but there is an issue there, in NZ to run LPG on road you need a fixed tank and a Alternative Fuels Warrant every yr this sticker means its safe for servo's to fill the tank without it they arn't legally allowed to fill it ..... so my intent is to fix the petrol issue and pull the LPG tank and convert it to 20kg forklift bottles
Pulled the tank with the intent of giving the tank a clean out and a sealer treatment..... got all the stuff to do it and discovered a slight issue, its had a previous treatment and good portions of it have failed and are peeling. With the baffles stopping access I made the call to cut some access holes into the tank..... fill the tank with water hook up an exhaust a few min's to push any remaining fumes out and I was able to cut a couple holes
This is some of what I was able to get out
Thats the easy to remove stuff there is alot more in there that even with the holes and scrapping and chipping at it I can't move it.... So tried what the local paint shop rated as there nastiest paint stripper, this stuff is supposed to strip everything even powdercoating.... its that nasty it burned my hands through gloves! .... it softens but it wont budge
With the tank sealer still in there I can't put any faith in the new tank sealer to stop the rust ...... so I made the call the tank is a right off
So made the call to make a new one lol
This is some of what I was able to get out
Thats the easy to remove stuff there is alot more in there that even with the holes and scrapping and chipping at it I can't move it.... So tried what the local paint shop rated as there nastiest paint stripper, this stuff is supposed to strip everything even powdercoating.... its that nasty it burned my hands through gloves! .... it softens but it wont budge
With the tank sealer still in there I can't put any faith in the new tank sealer to stop the rust ...... so I made the call the tank is a right off
So made the call to make a new one lol
Good on you for continuing this thread. Hope the legal paperson work out.
To be honest the deeper I dig into Gertrude the more what Andrew has done has impressed me.... there are a few things that need completing like his wider rear axle to match the front (I have two different offsets of rims on her) and as time permits I'll get to them, if I choose to make her road legal again then there will be a few more things that will need doing like re-engineering the steering to bring her back up to compliance for our Modification rules
I didn't buy her as a project lol I have enough of these and with work little to no time to work on them
I didn't buy her as a project lol I have enough of these and with work little to no time to work on them
Right, I looked at things for a while deciding how to do this so it keeps its flavor
Since I'm about to play with the tank I'll sort an issue I have with minimal foot room due to the original tank..... I like boat sides and due to the chassis outriggers and the slidder bar work there is a good opportunity
So first thing was to move the bar work and open up my options
Got another little thing I'll fix at the same time Andrew left a moisture trap with his brace on the leaf spring mount.... some thing that has always made me laugh I'm an engineer I look at rusty bolts and think why lol the 9" grinder makes short work of them
A surprise was how good the floor was under the tank the resto in me just couldn't cut it up so I removed the whole tank depression in one will see if anybody wants it
Sort the slider first there is alot going on where the slider wants to mount so came up with this bright idea to sort the moisture trap and give me a mount
A wee bit of a stretch and the sliders now run to the back corner of the cab
Since I'm about to play with the tank I'll sort an issue I have with minimal foot room due to the original tank..... I like boat sides and due to the chassis outriggers and the slidder bar work there is a good opportunity
So first thing was to move the bar work and open up my options
Got another little thing I'll fix at the same time Andrew left a moisture trap with his brace on the leaf spring mount.... some thing that has always made me laugh I'm an engineer I look at rusty bolts and think why lol the 9" grinder makes short work of them
A surprise was how good the floor was under the tank the resto in me just couldn't cut it up so I removed the whole tank depression in one will see if anybody wants it
Sort the slider first there is alot going on where the slider wants to mount so came up with this bright idea to sort the moisture trap and give me a mount
A wee bit of a stretch and the sliders now run to the back corner of the cab
Very cool! Can’t believe it’s been almost ten years since we lost Andrew. The forum has changed substantially since then but I think most can agree he was a true innovator and we all enjoyed him.
His wife posted under his account shortly after he had passed. I wonder if you could reach out to her somehow and let her know your continuing the legacy!
His wife posted under his account shortly after he had passed. I wonder if you could reach out to her somehow and let her know your continuing the legacy!
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Im curious how that thing runs with the mods he did to the motor. I would get a new tank if it was me, thats pretty bad.
Where was this buggy for the last 10 yrs?