When did the 45 sickness start thread!! (2 Viewers)

[Terrax]

In 1965 I was 5 years old. Our family moved to Burbank, CA and Walter Hoffmann, the gentleman who lived across the street from us had a yellow '62 FJ40 and his son Bill had a blue '63 FJ40. I watched them drive up and down the street my entire childhood. In '69 my dad bought a 1967 Nissan Patrol and when I learned to drive he gave it to me. I drove it for a few years in high school but when I was on a mountain climbing expedition just after graduation in 1978 he sold it. I loved camping and fishing so at the beginning of '79 I went looking for another 4x4. Looking across the street at the two 40s, I decided I wanted a Land Cruiser. The second day looking for a FJ40 a just happen to see one parked with a FOR SALE sign in the window. It was a 1975 and I bought it for $3,800. 42 years later I'm still driving it every weekend. I've got two great memories of Walter Hoffmann. The first is on the first day that I owned my 40 I had it on my mom and dad's lawn and was washing it. Walter was driving away in his '62 40 and stopped at my curb and said, "Boy I wish I had a new one", and then drove off. The second was that it was Walter himself that told me about the Saline Valley desert. I have been exploring it since 1988. One year I had just came out of Saline Valley and was heading home on the 395 south. Ahead of me I saw a pale yellow FJ40 on the 395 headed north. As we got closer and were about to pass a hand waved out of the window as Walter himself smiled at me as he turned to enter Saline Valley. He drove his 40 until he died in his 70s. I also have a '84 FJ60 and a '65 FJ45LV and when I think of the adventures I've known and the relationships I've made over the last 42 years because of these great vehicles it makes me thankful for the days I watched those two Land Cruisers drive up and down my street my entire childhood.

Great story!!