Second Annual: Year in Review What was Your Best Land Cruiser-Related Accomplishment in 2024?

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Green Bean

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Happy Holidays everyone. I'm so very grateful for this forum and the collective friendship and wisdom from such an amazing collection of folks. As 2024 draws to a close, it is a good time to reflect. Share what your biggest accomplishment/improvement to your Land Cruiser over the past 12 months and/or what you have in store for it during 2025.

By the way, 2023's Year in Review can be found here.
 
Got out to Fall Crawl in Virginia with a new to me 40 and my old lab.
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Got it finished up and on the road. Driving it as much as possible, and using it for what I built it for. Power steering is coming up next along with 35's.

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First official drive May 9th 2024

Keeping moving and driving it daily. I think yesterday was the first day I hadn’t drove it in 16days straight.

2025 projects will bring 35s, fix my Speedo (again, my fault) potentially a soft top and EFI /H55 swap. No rush on the big two, I’m enjoying it as is. Maybe a sill repair and drop down tailgate.

2025 goal is to use it, and share with my family.

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Throughout the year my team and I got eight 40 series back into regular usable service that were previously off the road for years (several 60 series as well), on top of servicing and projects on over almost 100 other Cruisers this year.


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The red 1971 was completely disassembled in the mid 80’s back on the road after 40 years! o_O

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I took my FJ40 on a trip around Lake Michigan back in August. It coincided with the 40 year class reunion for my undergraduate degree from Michigan Tech. Stopped for meals and sleep near places with microbreweries I wanted to visit.

Lunch, New Holland Brewing, Holland, MI
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Dinner, Loco Boys Brewing, Traverse City, MI
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Lunch, Biere de Mac Brew Works, Mackinaw City, MI

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Dinner, Ore Dock Brewing, Marquette, MI

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continued...
 
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Portage Lake Lift Bridge, Houghton/Hancock, MI

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Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, taken from the Ripley stamp sands

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Day drinking at the reunion, Keweenaw Brewing Company, Houghton, MI

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Dinner, 1902 Tap & Grill, Atlantic Mine, MI

continued...
 
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Breakers Beach, near Houghton, MI


Lunch, Andy's Pontoon Saloon, Eagle River, WI

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Home

Truck ran mostly flawless for all but the last hour or so of the trip. I did lose the cigarette lighter on the first day, which meant I couldn't charge my phone, which meant no tunes or GPS. But a quick stop at AutoZone in Traverse City, MI and I had a new one wired up and working. During the last hour or so of driving, on I-37 and I-90 in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois, the truck started to misfire. I would slow down on the should to 30-40 mph and it would recover. I would get back up to 55-ish mph and it would be good for a few minutes. It never died, just didn't like any rpm over about 2000. I babied it home, even got off the interstate onto surface roads for the last 10 miles or so. I believe the problem was heat and the ignition module in my DUI distributor not playing well with each other. It was in the mid 90s that day. I have replaced the ignition module and it seems fine, but it also hasn't been anywhere near that hot since. I'll have more data next summer.
 
I got nothing.

Just trying to drive it again.

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This year came close to repaint the FJ43 FST in Colombia. After 8 years of owner ship it was time for a nicer paint job
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This year revived the FJ62 1988 that wasn't used for 10 years on the island, still original paint, but we did a lot, engine rebuild, transmission close as rebuild changed in it, complete brakes, mew carb, cooling new etc, with still little things to do

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The FJ40 1984 has been worked on the whole year, changing body panels, and turning it into a constant soft top beach cruiser. It's close ready so in 3 to 4 months it will be back on the road and off to the beaches on the island in 2025 !!
2024 has been a very busy cruiser year

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Getting my 40 back on the road. Out with the seized F, in with the 5.3/4L60e and Saginaw power steering. The party never ends.
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