What Started your Land Cruiser Obsession?
- Thread starter Softride62
- Start date
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btaylorsacto
SILVER Star
When I was 13, my dad taught me to drive an ex-Army Jeep in Bolinas (Marin County, CA, north of SF). From that point on, I wanted a 4X4. Just out of college, I got a job and could finally afford something (this was in 1971). Didn't specifically want a Landcruiser, but found a nice light blue FJ40 ragtop in Concord. Quite a few years later, a broke friend of mine sold me his light blue hardtop and doors (swapped it for my ragtop). YIPPEE - I could stay warm in the Sierras in the winter now! Sometime in 2003 I fried the engine (long story) and it took me two years to finally decide to sell it. So I drove my first "car" for 32 years! My fiancee says that I've been whimpering about my old buddy ever since I sold it. So this June, two days before we were leaving for Hawai'i, I come off the freeway and there's this GORGEOUS renovated '88 FJ62 sitting three blocks from my apartment for sale. I looked at it once, handed the guy cash for it and told him I'd pick it up when we got back from the Islands in two weeks. Just what I need, another project. But I'm going to get EVERYTHING working perfectly...
fj80toyman
...One Landcruiser at a time
'twas 1982, looking for a cj-5, came across a green '75 FJ40 and it won out, mostly because it was less $$ than any CJ I could find. Sold that one to pay for college. I loved that one, wish I could find another just like it for what I sold it for!
Went to work for corporate Toyota after college and finally came up with the coin for one that would satisfy that Landcruiser addiction and serve as the family truckster, a '95 FZJ80 with Poverty Pack. Bought it as a lease return from the company so I know it's history.
Since then, I bought a near-death '74 FJ40 and did a resto-mod with my two almost teenage sons help. It's been on a roll since then, latest purchase is another project for my now no-longer-a-teenager son and me to bring back among the living, a '90 FJ62 that needs just a lot of work, but should be fun.
Count so far...
- '75 FJ40
- '95 FZJ80
- '74 FJ40
- '76 FJ55
- '94 FZJ80
- '90 FJ62
(seems like I'm missing one?)
Can't wait to see what's next! Great thread by the way.
Dan.
Went to work for corporate Toyota after college and finally came up with the coin for one that would satisfy that Landcruiser addiction and serve as the family truckster, a '95 FZJ80 with Poverty Pack. Bought it as a lease return from the company so I know it's history.
Since then, I bought a near-death '74 FJ40 and did a resto-mod with my two almost teenage sons help. It's been on a roll since then, latest purchase is another project for my now no-longer-a-teenager son and me to bring back among the living, a '90 FJ62 that needs just a lot of work, but should be fun.
Count so far...
- '75 FJ40
- '95 FZJ80
- '74 FJ40
- '76 FJ55
- '94 FZJ80
- '90 FJ62
(seems like I'm missing one?)
Can't wait to see what's next! Great thread by the way.
Dan.
I saw my first cruiser in 1965 in the bush in India. The local Methodist Missionary had purchased a FJ45 Long bed PU, because he couldn't get the standard issue Land Rover the missionary community coveted.
Boy, was that an impressive truck compared to the Land Rovers. I never forgot that and when it came time to purchase a field rig in 1989, Land Cruiser it was. And again in 1997. Both still stock. I still drive the 89 for a field rig. The wife drives the 97. I'll go out driving these two rigs.
Boy, was that an impressive truck compared to the Land Rovers. I never forgot that and when it came time to purchase a field rig in 1989, Land Cruiser it was. And again in 1997. Both still stock. I still drive the 89 for a field rig. The wife drives the 97. I'll go out driving these two rigs.
Mom's Car.
When I was 15 my parents bought an 85 FJ60 off the lot. I learned to drive on a brand new FJ60 and that was my mom's car forever. I simply grew up driving a cruiser and couldn't think about driving anything else.
I'm a New England native (now in CO), but during nasty ice and snow storms, sometimes the police would close the road to our house. Since we lived in a small town, when we'd come up the road the police would wave us through...I definitely remember my Mom with the window open asking if we could go through, the officers quickly discussed and I heard one of them say, "OH, she's in a LandCruiser, they'll be more than OK."
Flash forward...I got into air-cooled VWs for a little bit and gave my Mom a very nice Convertible Beetle (78) she then said. Hey, the "Crusher" is just sitting these days, you want that? HECK YEAH!!!
The motor was perfect, I personally changed the oil every 3k miles and maintained it with my Dad. the Body and frame rusted out on it which I noticed here in CO. I looked for a rust free/blown motor FJ60. Guess what~!>? I found one...had DJ's Traction swap my perfect motor, add a 5speed to the donor body and that's what I'm driving today.
I've added an FJ40 to the stable since then, too. I love Cruisers.
When I was 15 my parents bought an 85 FJ60 off the lot. I learned to drive on a brand new FJ60 and that was my mom's car forever. I simply grew up driving a cruiser and couldn't think about driving anything else.
I'm a New England native (now in CO), but during nasty ice and snow storms, sometimes the police would close the road to our house. Since we lived in a small town, when we'd come up the road the police would wave us through...I definitely remember my Mom with the window open asking if we could go through, the officers quickly discussed and I heard one of them say, "OH, she's in a LandCruiser, they'll be more than OK."
Flash forward...I got into air-cooled VWs for a little bit and gave my Mom a very nice Convertible Beetle (78) she then said. Hey, the "Crusher" is just sitting these days, you want that? HECK YEAH!!!
The motor was perfect, I personally changed the oil every 3k miles and maintained it with my Dad. the Body and frame rusted out on it which I noticed here in CO. I looked for a rust free/blown motor FJ60. Guess what~!>? I found one...had DJ's Traction swap my perfect motor, add a 5speed to the donor body and that's what I'm driving today.
I've added an FJ40 to the stable since then, too. I love Cruisers.
ahahahah
i heard they were a guy magnet
haha jk
Actually my cruiser addiction was started from the mother she bought a brand spanking new blue fj60 in 84. even thought i didn't come into the picture until91 but hey it runs in my blood, grew up in the land cruiser loved it and couldn't wait to have one of my own
.Last July i had finally i worked enough to buy a 83 fj60 , found on for sale in a stater brothers parking lot for 5500 (now i wish i would have done my homework before jumping on it
) it was kinda rough around the edges but i like getting my hands dirty working on cruisers so i bought it for 3500 my dad paid the other 2grand. Its been a little over a year and i love that beast more than anything else in the world (Probably one of the only girls that kisses her car goodnight). it took a year to fix a lot of the problem it had and now im working on putting a v8 in the beast
haha jk
Actually my cruiser addiction was started from the mother she bought a brand spanking new blue fj60 in 84. even thought i didn't come into the picture until91 but hey it runs in my blood, grew up in the land cruiser loved it and couldn't wait to have one of my own
.Last July i had finally i worked enough to buy a 83 fj60 , found on for sale in a stater brothers parking lot for 5500 (now i wish i would have done my homework before jumping on it
) it was kinda rough around the edges but i like getting my hands dirty working on cruisers so i bought it for 3500 my dad paid the other 2grand. Its been a little over a year and i love that beast more than anything else in the world (Probably one of the only girls that kisses her car goodnight). it took a year to fix a lot of the problem it had and now im working on putting a v8 in the beast
About 10 years ago I was paging through a Yakima Rack catalog and came across a 55 used to show off a Rocket Box. It looked cooler than crap and decided the next truck would be a Cruiser. I had just pulled the trigger on a Pathfinder and the thing lasted close to a decade so when she retired this spring it was time and I got started with a 62. It took a few months to get used to the auto tranny and make a few minor repairs but now it is the truck! Cruisers from this point on, no turning back!
I have always been into cars since I can remember. I was changing oil in cars by the time I was 10 and haven't slowed down from that. I would always see magazines and tv shows that covered the outback and remote area of the world. I would always notice the trucks they had and thought they were awsome. When I first started driving a guy up the road had a teal fj40 with a 406 big block running 38 swampers and always loved that. well he moved away and a couple of years later I was out of school and had a good job so i had money to burn. My buddys ex brother inlaw was trying to sell a 74 40. he was the 2nd owner and he had been trying to get it back to running conditon but wasn't doing a good job at it. so I bought it for $3500 and had to let it sit for a few months then i started dumping money in it to get it running. once i got it on the road i was done. top and doors came off and i drove it around everywhere. 5years ago I was taking it on a trip and about half way there in the middle of the night the tcase decided to crack and leak all the oil out and loosen up all the bearings. I finished the trip with a dry tcase and i jb welded it to get me back home where it has sit since then. I was on my way to see my now wife. After that trip I was transfered to alaska so the 40 was parked. we started traveling with work and I was never home long enough to fix the 40. Well last year we both noticed a 60 that was for sale. I didnt mention it to her. she said something to me about it. so we drove it and it was rust free but had a few oil leaks. Talked the owner down to 2500 and now she is hooked too. I have fixed Hers up with just about everything you can. She still cant drive a clutch so I have to drive it and no i wont teach her lol. Now we are working close to home I am getting ready to rebuild the 40. She understands my obsession and is fine with me spending money on them. If i had more room I would buy a couple more but we have 5 trucks now for the 2 of us.
