Saving The Old Rustbucket--My 1982 FJ40 Tale

[FltMed]

Major,
Being as close to your dad as your were, he knew how you felt without saying it. You shouldn't beat yourself up over it. He knew and took comfort in it.

shreckfj60,
You have my prayers and hopes that things go well reconnecting with your father. Speaking from personal experience PTSD is a major B****. I served in the Marines in GW1. Couple that with all the trauma/death/dying I've experienced since then as a EMT/Paramedic/Flight Paramedic/RN. I cannot imagine how much worse it is for your father, given all the anti-war negativity associated with Vietnam.

Need to go wipe this "sweat" from my eyes now.....

And women think we're all unemotional robots...

 

[sheepdawg]

Thank you

It has been a tough road between my father and I. We are very similar and therefore tough headed and stubborn. I know he probably is not long for this world because he is bloated and turning orange but then again, I said that five years ago. My mother says, "he's got one tough liver." I know as time has past, and I have gotten older, I haven't foregiven him for what he has done to the family but I can understand it somewhat better. I too am a vet of the US Army although I was lucky and never went to war. But as a police officer who has worked a large metropolitan inner city ghetto in southern Cal and been an undercover narc, I have seen my share of horrible things.

Thank you everyone for your insight and your thoughts. I will let you know how it turns out with my father. The last time I tried to make ammends and took the first step with getting back with my father was about seven years ago at xmas. Both of his parents were still alive and we planned to have dinner together. When he showed up at their house and saw the additional place settings, he asked who else was coming. They informed him that I was going to be there with my new wife. He stated, " This is bull****. I'm outta here" and walked out. I know deep down inside he still cares about me and it was never anything that I did. I believe he is embarrassed from his drinking, womanizing, joblessness, and suicidal thoughts over the years. As I told Sea Knight, I grew up with with a vietnam vet as my father and it has greatly impacked the family. I know he has some deep demons. I know some cops who do as well. Some are better at hiding it than others. It has made me who I am today.

Once again, thank you to all. There are some really good and insightful people on Mud and I am glad to have met your acquintance.

 

[thetoyotaman]

Thanks for sharing all the honesty everyone. It's nice to be reminded that we are not alone in our struggles. This hits very close to home. My dad is also a Vietnam Vet who served in the Air Force and mentions little about this experience but a few horrible experiences of a bad welcome home. He had to sell his nearly new what I think was a 1963 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible to serve his country overseas within a year of that purchase. After 2 1/2 tours of duty in Vietnam and returning home in 1970, he was spit on, yelled at, and things I cannot imagine when he got off the plane in New Jersey. He was arrested by the FBI for check fraud as a welcome home gift as someone was running around the country writing bad checks with his good name. I just learned this week that through the 1970's at a civilian job following the USAF that he was called "baby killer" and other sayings of the day. It hurts me greatly to hear this as he had always been a patriotic Texan and only did what his country asked of him.

 

[fusionrx]

This theme of fathers and sons hit close to home for me today. Got a text from my mom that she was taking my dad to the doctors today. Basically, he'd blown a hernia.

He had beaten prostates cancer 10 years ago. Had the surgery to remove the tumor etc. Only issue was the surgery is known to weaken the pelvic wall. Had left side hernia surgery last year. Right side was allowing intestine into/thru hole.... its the large intestine.. and think what happens when you kink a water hose...yeah you get idea. Uncomfortable to say the least.
A free ambulance ride to the hospital later he has undergo general anaesthesia so the docs can push the block back into the abdomen...and then get CT scan to evaluate what the next step should be..

While not as heroic as a vet, or even a caror truck Guy per se, he has been and still is a big influence on me and has a very close bond with my son....

Damn I wish I wasn't 3000 miles away... hard to see that strong person in your life brought to their knees figuratively speaking....

 

[big dawg]

So after the aforementioned Yooper brother, AKA Uncle Meldon, decided to buy the Austin 40, Yooper casually mentioned that his brother lived in Kona, Hawaii. I made a flippant remark, something to the effect of: "Now that I've done the inspection, I suppose he'll expect me to drive the 40 to Hawaii for him." A few days later I get an email from Uncle Meldon. "I've decided to take you up on your offer to drive my new ride to Hawaii." I'd known Yooper for years, but had never met his brother. I learned that he was chief engineer on a yacht, and would be at sea for several weeks, maybe months. The proposal was that I'd drive his 40 from Austin to Seattle, ship it to Hawaii, fly to Kona and pick up the truck at the port in Hilo, park it in his garage, and fly back to Austin. While the 40 was in transit, I could hang out at his beach house. Only a fool would have refused this deal so naturally I signed on. In April 2005 I took off for Seattle, a road trip which proved to be the adventure of a lifetime. There would be unplanned delays, several of them--a monsoon rain somewhere in Oklahoma, a road closure in the wilds of New Mexico, a clutch failure in Colorado, and a major Winter blizzard in Wyoming. Even with the delays I somehow made Seattle on time and hooked up there with another old friend, Landpimp, who was kind enough to follow me to the shipper and provide a ride back to SeaTac in his new 100. I languished in Seattle for a few days before departing for Kona, and got to spend time behind the wheel of Landpimp's legendary '82 40. After almost a month on the road in Uncle Meldon's '76 and a couple of days motoring around Gig Harbor in Landpimp's '82, the 40 virus had quietly established a foothold in my brain. I didn't know it at the time, but I was toast.

Landpimp's John Deere Green 40, well known to all MUD'ers.

Great story, will be waiting for more; like a bedtime story.this noobie is starting to understand the "40 VIRUS". I'm fixing mine up now. What the lift and tire size of rustbucket and Landlimp's 40?

 

[mailking]

Hi there all of you! We're back in Brazil and experience true hospitality by several of the local 4x4 club (or Jeepclube as the say it here). We hit a snag as the aluminum roof extension cracked and ripped open a few inches. Just as you have experienced with your drive to Hawaii, we are invited to stay and fix our problems. Two days ago I took the roof of our BJ45 and we're now driving around the Amazon capital Belem in a giant bikini Land Cruiser. Getting stares and smiles on every corner. Now that the roof is off and the whole wooden interior is out we take the opportunity to fix yet again some nasty rust spots. The nearby city of Fortaleza (famous for among others the Troller jeep, a popular fiber Wrangler copy with a strong diesel engine) lurks with various small workshops that produce fiber parts for the Bandeirante (the Brazilian Land Cruiser).

Sitting in an appartement on the factory premisses of a large styrofome enterprise that also makes giant industrial fridges. So lots of stainless steel and knowledge here. Excellent Tig welding as well. This means we have internet again and I can read my favorite thread on the Forum! Keep it up...

 

[Chamba]

Hi there all of you! We're back in Brazil and experience true hospitality by several of the local 4x4 club (or ****clube as the say it here). We hit a snag as the aluminum roof extension cracked and ripped open a few inches. Just as you have experienced with your drive to Hawaii, we are invited to stay and fix our problems. Two days ago I took the roof of our BJ45 and we're now driving around the Amazon capital Belem in a giant bikini Land Cruiser. Getting stares and smiles on every corner. Now that the roof is off and the whole wooden interior is out we take the opportunity to fix yet again some nasty rust spots. The nearby city of Fortaleza (famous for among others the Troller ****, a popular fiber Wrangler copy with a strong diesel engine) lurks with various small workshops that produce fiber parts for the Bandeirante (the Brazilian Land Cruiser).

Sitting in an appartement on the factory premisses of a large styrofome enterprise that also makes giant industrial fridges. So lots of stainless steel and knowledge here. Excellent Tig welding as well. This means we have internet again and I can read my favorite thread on the Forum! Keep it up...

And yet not one photo of your topless troopy in your thread yet. Is this just a teaser post, Cohn?

Josh

 

[myquestoyota]

And yet not one photo of your topless troopy in your thread yet. Is this just a teaser post, Cohn?

Josh

Check out their pics on their facebook posts, lots of cool pictures.

 

[Chamba]

Check out their pics on their facebook posts, lots of cool pictures.

I don't have a Facebook account - I waste enough time on Mud already

Besides, being a lawyer I see too many privacy issues with Facebook and have made too much money from clients and opponents who posted stuff they shouldn't have posted.

Josh

 

[77mustard40]

I don't have a Facebook account - I waste enough time on Mud already

Besides, being a lawyer I see too many privacy issues with Facebook and have made too much money from clients and opponents who posted stuff they shouldn't have posted.

Josh

X2 on that comment.

 

[mailking]

Hey guys just a quick reply (I have no intention of highjacking this thread) on the FB thing. In order to see images on FB page you don't have to have a FB account. Just you can't read any comments our interact.

Now after a bowl of belly filling "acai" I need a rest in the hammock and hope that a new episode of the Land Cruiser will magically appear when I awake

Adventurous greetings, Coen.

 

[edwjmcgrath]

There is a forum for these posts that are completely unrelated to the subject of this thread:
https://forum.ih8mud.com/chit-chat/

 

[fireflyr]

This IS related. Lagunitas Maximus IPA. First beer in a week Have a good evening all.

 

[77mustard40]

This IS related. Lagunitas Maximus IPA. First beer in a week Have a good evening all.

Really jealous!

 

[ice man 1]

The suspense is killing me. Please tell me I'm not waiting on the book. (Though indeed I'm sure we all are! I've even made room for it on the shelf.) Keep 'em coming. And in the meantime, we here are all taking our own "old rustbuckets" farther than we ever have before. Thanks for the sense of adventure.

 

[myquestoyota]

My wife and i took a weekend adventure to the Olympic Peninsula in the cruiser and I couldn't help but think of this thread. I even played some Townes Live at the Old Quarter along the way! Now----- More story please!

 

[Major Nelson]

My wife and i took a weekend adventure to the Olympic Peninsula in the cruiser and I couldn't help but think of this thread. I even played some Townes Live at the Old Quarter along the way! Now----- More story please!

Hopefully this will offer Sea Knight some inspiration. We have a rule at work...any meeting starting after 4:20pm must have the appropriate beverages to accompany it. My first Moose Drool! Had to buy it to finally get to try one....NIIICCCCEEEEEEE!

 

[77mustard40]

Hopefully this will offer Sea Knight some inspiration. We have a rule at work...any meeting starting after 4:20pm must have the appropriate beverages to accompany it. My first Moose Drool! Had to buy it to finally get to try one....NIIICCCCEEEEEEE!

Yep a really solid brown ale, my wife's fav brew! I know for a fact that the Commander approves of that selection.

 

[Major Nelson]

Yep a really solid brown ale, my wife's fav brew! I know for a fact that the Commander approves of that selection.

Your wife's favorite is a brown ale...and she drives a 40. that's a very good woman my friend! (back to missing Austin again).

 

[westy]

I am really enjoying this thread. I was in Tucson recently and stopped in at this huge beverage store and as I was perusing the beer selections came across the "the Drool". After reading the thread I just had to buy some. As my wife and I were sampling our purchase she said to me, "Hon this tastes just like your home brew" and she was right. I just brewed a keg of "Rocky Mountain Ale" at the Brew Kettle in Cleveland and damn if it doesn't taste very similar to "Drool". I love the "Drool" and it is now on my preferred list of ale's and lagers.

Jim

Hopefully this will offer Sea Knight some inspiration. We have a rule at work...any meeting starting after 4:20pm must have the appropriate beverages to accompany it. My first Moose Drool! Had to buy it to finally get to try one....NIIICCCCEEEEEEE!

View attachment 689059