This diatribe is dedicated to all on board who have helped inspire the rehabilitation of the all who have the swine flu.
I joined mud a couple of years before acquiring my latest squealer. While reading the journeys of the local inhabitants at that time, I was humbled by the efforts, ingenuity, imagination, devotion and patients (or used as a noun, some us should be considered patients). Hence I never felt worthy of creating a "build thread" or a thread of any sort. I finally realized its not about worthiness so much as it is about sharing photos, ideas, information, adventures, mishaps, victories and just good old belly laughs. I believe the title of this thread describes what's to come.
When I was in my mid to late teens I acquired my first 4x4s. 2 military Dodge Power Wagon ambulances (1948 and 1953). My 120 lbs. was about the same weight as a one 20" rim mounted with a Michelin tire ( it was easier to mount it then to lifting it)oops. As I was making a whole $0.75 per hour and putting myself through high school I was hard pressed to be able to afford gasoline let alone parts. I had dreams (or nightmares to some) of installing sheep's feet for tires and a pneumatic cannon to shoot grappling hooks over ridge lines to winch my wagons up cliffs. Environmentally what??? I should have begun with a Flyer wagon. Well some dreams are just that and the Power Wagons moved on to someone with bigger dreams and a bigger wallet.
Just out of high school I entered the construction industry as a mason earning $5.80 per hour. Bill Gates look out. The next thing that happened to change my life forever was that in 1973 I purchased a 1972 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ55 with 3600 miles, the color we called it back then was Okra. It change my life in an epic way is an understatement.
Over the next 15 years it was my work truck, 4xRV, weekend party limo, airplane, submarine, helicopter and brothel. It fell on its side twice and tried to played dead but both time 2 hours later it was wagging its tail down the road. I wore it out, restored it and wore it out again.
For 46 years I have almost always been in possession of a Landcruiser of on sort or another. I have driven an FJ55 and 40 all over the western US. I drove an FJ55 with a Ford V8 and lockrites front and rear down the East coast of Mexico through Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. I drove an HJ60 1200 miles through Borneo. Took the same HJ60 5500 miles through Australia.
Now I am a patient of a 1977 FJ55. Original color was Rustic Green and White #31, now it is Buick Enclave Metallic Silver and Mini Cooper Pearl White.
Hope I don't have to apologize for the long intro. I'll try and make up for it in pictures. Enjoy
I joined mud a couple of years before acquiring my latest squealer. While reading the journeys of the local inhabitants at that time, I was humbled by the efforts, ingenuity, imagination, devotion and patients (or used as a noun, some us should be considered patients). Hence I never felt worthy of creating a "build thread" or a thread of any sort. I finally realized its not about worthiness so much as it is about sharing photos, ideas, information, adventures, mishaps, victories and just good old belly laughs. I believe the title of this thread describes what's to come.
When I was in my mid to late teens I acquired my first 4x4s. 2 military Dodge Power Wagon ambulances (1948 and 1953). My 120 lbs. was about the same weight as a one 20" rim mounted with a Michelin tire ( it was easier to mount it then to lifting it)oops. As I was making a whole $0.75 per hour and putting myself through high school I was hard pressed to be able to afford gasoline let alone parts. I had dreams (or nightmares to some) of installing sheep's feet for tires and a pneumatic cannon to shoot grappling hooks over ridge lines to winch my wagons up cliffs. Environmentally what??? I should have begun with a Flyer wagon. Well some dreams are just that and the Power Wagons moved on to someone with bigger dreams and a bigger wallet.
Just out of high school I entered the construction industry as a mason earning $5.80 per hour. Bill Gates look out. The next thing that happened to change my life forever was that in 1973 I purchased a 1972 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ55 with 3600 miles, the color we called it back then was Okra. It change my life in an epic way is an understatement.
Over the next 15 years it was my work truck, 4xRV, weekend party limo, airplane, submarine, helicopter and brothel. It fell on its side twice and tried to played dead but both time 2 hours later it was wagging its tail down the road. I wore it out, restored it and wore it out again.
For 46 years I have almost always been in possession of a Landcruiser of on sort or another. I have driven an FJ55 and 40 all over the western US. I drove an FJ55 with a Ford V8 and lockrites front and rear down the East coast of Mexico through Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. I drove an HJ60 1200 miles through Borneo. Took the same HJ60 5500 miles through Australia.
Now I am a patient of a 1977 FJ55. Original color was Rustic Green and White #31, now it is Buick Enclave Metallic Silver and Mini Cooper Pearl White.
Hope I don't have to apologize for the long intro. I'll try and make up for it in pictures. Enjoy
And the finally to the filler.
