owned a jeep... then bought a cruiser... end of story
What Started your Land Cruiser Obsession?
- Thread starter Softride62
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
back in the 80s, I was a teen-ager, I saw the movies "romancing the stone" w/ an FJ40 and "crocodile dundee" w/ a 45 series cruiser...totally in their environment, central america & down unda'. I thought those were the coolest trucks around, kinda like an off-road chick magnet =)
so, after dreaming & drooling for so long, I finally bought my 88 FJ62 two years ago. then last year, wife & daughter got rear-ended bad. minimal damage to the cruiser, but the camry...totaled
... after that, my daughter respected the cruiser even more, and soon claimed the 62 as hers, and loves it!
I love seeing the collection of some you guys have...*sigh* one day I'll have a collection like you guys.
it's great when the addiction starts w/in the family... that way they understand us....kinda....
jonathan
so, after dreaming & drooling for so long, I finally bought my 88 FJ62 two years ago. then last year, wife & daughter got rear-ended bad. minimal damage to the cruiser, but the camry...totaled
... after that, my daughter respected the cruiser even more, and soon claimed the 62 as hers, and loves it! I love seeing the collection of some you guys have...*sigh* one day I'll have a collection like you guys.
it's great when the addiction starts w/in the family... that way they understand us....kinda....
jonathan
maat
yeah nah maybe
well, i came to terms with my condition "extremely small penis" and decided the best way to combat my problem was with a MASSIVE car that got paid heaps of attention 
jks ive always had 4 banger jap jets and i loved racing them but i bought a house and needed something a little more practical that could pull a trailer etc whilst i renovated... and for some unknown reason ive always had a soft spot for the 60 series..
jks ive always had 4 banger jap jets and i loved racing them but i bought a house and needed something a little more practical that could pull a trailer etc whilst i renovated... and for some unknown reason ive always had a soft spot for the 60 series..
well, i came to terms with my condition "extremely small penis" and decided the best way to combat my problem was with a MASSIVE car that got paid heaps of attention
jks ive always had 4 banger jap jets and i loved racing them but i bought a house and needed something a little more practical that could pull a trailer etc whilst i renovated... and for some unknown reason ive always had a soft spot for the 60 series..
Fear not, there is a facebook group for us: BIG SUV SMALL PENIS | Facebook
maat
yeah nah maybe
hahahaha i havent got face book..... i work, root, eat, go 4X4-ing and drink.... i have no time or social networking sites
We sound like a broken record...
I had a friend in high school that had a sweet 40. His was pretty decked out....nice lift, recaro seats...
I also had a neighbor that had a 40 hardtop. When it would ice up...which it does in Texas about 1 week every year, his was the only rig that could make it out. He would pull us on knee boards and sleds up and down the streets on the ice. Too much fun.
As for my own vehicles...I bounce between craving performance from either 70s muscle cars (70 Mach 1, etc) or euro street-racers (E36 M3), or stuff like that. But, I bike, windsurf, play drums, etc....so, I need to haul a lot of gear. So, I tend to bounce from fast car to SUV. I'd pretty much always driven 4runners but always loved the FJ's. I finally got to the point where I wasn't doing an outside sales gig and could drive one as a DD. So, i found my current one on Austin's Craigslist in about '06. Bought it from original owner with just shy of 200K miles. I'm about to hit 240K probably this year.
later,
m
I had a friend in high school that had a sweet 40. His was pretty decked out....nice lift, recaro seats...
I also had a neighbor that had a 40 hardtop. When it would ice up...which it does in Texas about 1 week every year, his was the only rig that could make it out. He would pull us on knee boards and sleds up and down the streets on the ice. Too much fun.
As for my own vehicles...I bounce between craving performance from either 70s muscle cars (70 Mach 1, etc) or euro street-racers (E36 M3), or stuff like that. But, I bike, windsurf, play drums, etc....so, I need to haul a lot of gear. So, I tend to bounce from fast car to SUV. I'd pretty much always driven 4runners but always loved the FJ's. I finally got to the point where I wasn't doing an outside sales gig and could drive one as a DD. So, i found my current one on Austin's Craigslist in about '06. Bought it from original owner with just shy of 200K miles. I'm about to hit 240K probably this year.
later,
m
My first mem of riding in a car was dads early early fj45 then growing up and riding in 6 more of his 45's with v8s and few shortys and mums few 60 serie's and 80 series then when i got my licence my 75 and 79 series and my brothers have cruisers as well , Christmas time at dads looks like a cruiser car yard 
I have always wanted to get into heavy off roading, and then when I moved from San Diego out to the desert, it seemed like I was going to get my chance. Problem was I had bought a non-4X4 Titan brand new and became a single dad, so there was no way I could afford to get big into off roading at the time.
Fast forward a couple years, and I had a live in girlfriend, got promoted, and was finding myself taking my 2WD Titan out on the desert trails and getting it a little scraped up. Then I saw an ad for a 91 4Runner for $1k. Since I'm fairly mechanically inclined, I decided to go for it so I could have an beater vehicle to go out in the desert with. One thing led to another, and another, and another, and eventually I was getting so mad that I quit working on it.
At that point, I was on the local Navy base (China Lake) where I work and drove past the "Lemon Lot" where people put stuff for sale, and there was this cool looking Toyota. It wasn't in the best of shape, but looked like a perfect vehicle for the desert. Not to mention the fact that it had 272K miles on it and still ran great. And this one was also only $1K. So I took it out for a test drive, dropped in 4HI and 4LO and everything worked just as it should have. I did all my research online and found out just how reliable and incredible these things were, so after a quick look over by a couple old timer mechanics that I know, I bought it.
Since then, it's been incredible. I love being able to wrench on it myself, do bodywork, and basically anything I want to it without worrying that I'm going to completely screw it up like I did the 4Runner.
And now I'm on the lookout for any really great deals on an old 40 as well. Someday I hope to have one of each of the older LC's.
Fast forward a couple years, and I had a live in girlfriend, got promoted, and was finding myself taking my 2WD Titan out on the desert trails and getting it a little scraped up. Then I saw an ad for a 91 4Runner for $1k. Since I'm fairly mechanically inclined, I decided to go for it so I could have an beater vehicle to go out in the desert with. One thing led to another, and another, and another, and eventually I was getting so mad that I quit working on it.
At that point, I was on the local Navy base (China Lake) where I work and drove past the "Lemon Lot" where people put stuff for sale, and there was this cool looking Toyota. It wasn't in the best of shape, but looked like a perfect vehicle for the desert. Not to mention the fact that it had 272K miles on it and still ran great. And this one was also only $1K. So I took it out for a test drive, dropped in 4HI and 4LO and everything worked just as it should have. I did all my research online and found out just how reliable and incredible these things were, so after a quick look over by a couple old timer mechanics that I know, I bought it.
Since then, it's been incredible. I love being able to wrench on it myself, do bodywork, and basically anything I want to it without worrying that I'm going to completely screw it up like I did the 4Runner.
And now I'm on the lookout for any really great deals on an old 40 as well. Someday I hope to have one of each of the older LC's.
1). My parents bought a new FJ55 off the lot in 1972. I loved that thing to death.
2). Kenya. 'Nuff said.
3). I got pwned by the great Land Rover Lie, and swore never again.
2). Kenya. 'Nuff said.
3). I got pwned by the great Land Rover Lie, and swore never again.
My dad got me into the cruisers, he had originally bought an fj60 from the neighbor for 500$ yes five hundred bucks with 121,000 miles it was rusty the clutch didnt work and it ran like s**t he taught me how to drive it without the clutch so i could get it over to our garage, we fixed the clutch got it running smooth and when i turned 16 it was mine to drive, since then it has only failed to drive twice, including one tie rod replacement and a rusted brake line, I've replaced just about everything you could name on that thing which is deffinetly a pain in the wallet HAHA! I'm addicted to the cruiser now, i would never sell it, not even for 10 times what i paid for it. The reason why im addicted to the cruiser is that i know it will never fail me in the winter, the mud pit, or the road, and its like no other car on the road!
My wife sent me this text:
"Do you want to buy Charles' Fj40 for $500???"
I actually had to mull it over for a second......
Took this picture later that day.....
A year and a month later:
Also added this one since then.....
"Do you want to buy Charles' Fj40 for $500???"
I actually had to mull it over for a second......
Took this picture later that day.....
A year and a month later:
Also added this one since then.....
all during high school i owned cherokee wagons and liked em cause the wagons on the trail were more rare and come to find out found the longer wheelbase seemed to help off road.
Well another guy at school had a lifted and rusted to hell 79 FJ40 no top or doors EVER i always told him he should drive a real truck and buy a jeep... fast forward a bit, the 79 he had sli into a pole in high school and he prompltly replaced it with a 77 FJ40 (still rusty but not fall through the floor boards rusty, lol) well im graduated by now and i drive by his place one day and see this AWESOME wagon, that said toyota on the front... it reminded me of an old wagoneer... anyhow he ended up comin by later that day in his 77, i asked about the white truck i had seen and decided that i just had to have it! we settled on a price (I hadent even loked inside or driven it yet!!)
picked it up a couple days later and realized how wrong i have been all this time!!
it was so much more built than a jeep ever was! it wheeled as good or better even in stock form, it was love at first sight and only got stronger the more i drove it.
since then i have recently aquired a 82 BJ42 and pland on to continue to add to the collection.
Well another guy at school had a lifted and rusted to hell 79 FJ40 no top or doors EVER i always told him he should drive a real truck and buy a jeep... fast forward a bit, the 79 he had sli into a pole in high school and he prompltly replaced it with a 77 FJ40 (still rusty but not fall through the floor boards rusty, lol) well im graduated by now and i drive by his place one day and see this AWESOME wagon, that said toyota on the front... it reminded me of an old wagoneer... anyhow he ended up comin by later that day in his 77, i asked about the white truck i had seen and decided that i just had to have it! we settled on a price (I hadent even loked inside or driven it yet!!)
picked it up a couple days later and realized how wrong i have been all this time!!
it was so much more built than a jeep ever was! it wheeled as good or better even in stock form, it was love at first sight and only got stronger the more i drove it.
since then i have recently aquired a 82 BJ42 and pland on to continue to add to the collection.
I was living in the desert outside Las Veags and was driving a 5.0 mustang, I was next to some great trails (logandale trail) and I wanted to go wheeling. I had owned a jeep wrangler and loved it but with no income (school) I could not take on a payment. I sold the mustang and started looking for a smaller suv. My girlfriend and her family all loved toyots and have always had one sugested a toyota. I worked at Menlove Toyota in Bountuful and remember all the cruiser heads coming in. So I started looking but I didnt want a 4 runner. I found a 83 fj60 and had my dad go test drive. He said it drove ok so I bought and hitched a ride to go pick it up. Shortly after my girlfriend and I got married. and I dorve the crusier to the wedding. The fj60 now has a spot in my heart forever. We are on #2
My 8th grade football coach had medium blue 60. At the time (and since I was a little kid), I was really into cars of all shapes and sizes. I fell in love with the blue 60 at first sight. I immediately put it on my "bucket list" of vehicles I want to own in my lifetime. While I didn't find a medium blue one, I did find a dark blue metallic one last year...and bought it!
I had a serious Jeep habit. It was bad. Literally hundreds of them at times I had 10 running, driving units of all different models I had met Woody (proprietor of ih8mud), Niner (long time member) and Jimmy of Ridder Fab as well as many other Cruiserheads in the 90's. They didn't push much but did chuckle at me with all the Jeeps. I had never owned a vehicle longer than 18 months. I quit Jeeps in every way and in December of 06 I drove to Aurora, IL and picked up a 90 Fj62 I had found on Craigslist from the original owner. The rest is a messy love affair that won't likely end. My wife and kids like it, I like it, my wallet doesn't always like it but then, whose does?
Back in 1985, I lost my job in the SF Bay area and so decided to go back to school and enrolled at Chico State (California). My girlfriend and I rented a place up in Paradise, which is in the Sierra Nevada foothills above Chico. Anyhow, while I loved the outdoors, I had never been out wheeling in my life. After one attempted trip with the car down the dirt road to the river, we instantly knew we needed a 4wd.
Being poor students, we responded to an ad that read "Toughest, ugliest 4 wheel drive in Butte county." The rig turned out to be a '66 FJ45 wagon and the guy selling it was the original owner and was a hard rock gold miner. The guy was a hoot! Anyhow, one thing led to another and for less than $500, we got a 4 wheel drive. We drove that thing everywhere, exploring every place we could find. Luckily it had a winch!
Anyhow, I think back to those days and just smile. Some of the best times of my life.
Being poor students, we responded to an ad that read "Toughest, ugliest 4 wheel drive in Butte county." The rig turned out to be a '66 FJ45 wagon and the guy selling it was the original owner and was a hard rock gold miner. The guy was a hoot! Anyhow, one thing led to another and for less than $500, we got a 4 wheel drive. We drove that thing everywhere, exploring every place we could find. Luckily it had a winch!
Anyhow, I think back to those days and just smile. Some of the best times of my life.
Went to baja with some friends in 2 different 60's in 1986/87. They performed well and took us where we needed to go. I bought mine in 1990 and made it to baja several times over and into some nice California back country since then. A dependable vehicle with nice lines......nothing more to be said except what mod will I do next?
The legendary toughness of the cruiser brought me over. Once I had a look and seen how well built they are, I knew they were the truck for me. I've got a 76 fj55 and a 82 bj60.
Oohh my turn....
I have always loved Toyota's my first car was an 86 Corolla couple. Growing up in Gardena at that time was lots of street racing.. So I thought I had to get one too.. Unfortunately I didn't get the GT model only the SR5. Anyway I joined the Carpenter's Union and needed a truck to carry my scaffold. I've always have been an outdoors person (fishing, shooting, camping, etc) so decided to find 4x4. I got lucky and my friends uncle sold me in 1992 his 85 Toy 4x4 (last year with the straight axle). I really got into going offroad.. Pismo Beach and at that time my wifes family lived in Ridgecrest so did quite a bit of desert exploring.. Then one day at the gas station ran into someone with an FJ40. I thought for some reason the Jeep had some cool fenders and when I got closer to looking realized it was a Toyota! I nearly crapped myself and started looking for one... I found a 77FJ40 in horrilbe condition but a strong drivetrain and drove the piss out of it... It never let me down, but hated the fact I could only go 55 on the fwy.... Anyway I let it go due to moving out of state but they have always been my favorite vehicle.. I always wanted a 62 series but could never afford one. Until recently (18 years later) I bought one for my son for graduating high school... Yes I'm forcing my addiction on to my kids... And they're going to like it!!! ;p
I have always loved Toyota's my first car was an 86 Corolla couple. Growing up in Gardena at that time was lots of street racing.. So I thought I had to get one too.. Unfortunately I didn't get the GT model only the SR5. Anyway I joined the Carpenter's Union and needed a truck to carry my scaffold. I've always have been an outdoors person (fishing, shooting, camping, etc) so decided to find 4x4. I got lucky and my friends uncle sold me in 1992 his 85 Toy 4x4 (last year with the straight axle). I really got into going offroad.. Pismo Beach and at that time my wifes family lived in Ridgecrest so did quite a bit of desert exploring.. Then one day at the gas station ran into someone with an FJ40. I thought for some reason the Jeep had some cool fenders and when I got closer to looking realized it was a Toyota! I nearly crapped myself and started looking for one... I found a 77FJ40 in horrilbe condition but a strong drivetrain and drove the piss out of it... It never let me down, but hated the fact I could only go 55 on the fwy.... Anyway I let it go due to moving out of state but they have always been my favorite vehicle.. I always wanted a 62 series but could never afford one. Until recently (18 years later) I bought one for my son for graduating high school... Yes I'm forcing my addiction on to my kids... And they're going to like it!!! ;p
In 1995ish My dad needed a new work truck and baught a brand new T100. Ended up that he couldnt afford the payments so he immediatly traded it back in for a slightly used 1989 single cab 4x4. I remember going to the dealer and taking it out with him on a test drive. He had that one till I was about 15 and we finally went wheelin for the first time. I was hooked!!! then december of that year my dad passed away and I the truck went to me. I wheeled the crap out of it untill it couldnt handle it anymore. I then went through a few 4runners, a few samurais, one disco (biggest mistake ever). Now my wife drives a 96 4runner, I got ahold of a truck just like my dads old one and I am now the proud new owner of a 1988 fj62, my first official cruiser.
Its seriously an addiction.
Its seriously an addiction.
