Who are we?(what's the demographic of this group?)

[Hosehumper]

-Age: 35
-Professional Firefighter (formerly a juvenile case manager/ counselor)
-Toyota Fanatic. Owned a '95 4Runner. Currenty own a '00. My '93 Cruiser was an impulse purchase. I came across a deal I couldn't pass up and I haven't looked back.

 

[Arya Ebrahimi]

-Age: 35
-Professional Firefighter (formerly a juvenile case manager/ counselor)
-Toyota Fanatic. Owned a '95 4Runner. Currenty own a '00. My '93 Cruiser was an impulse purchase. I came across a deal I couldn't pass up and I haven't looked back.

I see you're in Virginia Beach, VA What station are you at? I'm right off of great neck road, just around the corner from the station on Old Donation by the hospital.

 

[Hosehumper]

What a small world! I'm stationed not-too-far from you. I'm over at Company 4 in Chicks Beach. I live in the Kempsville area.

 

[tiorio]

Ok...

30 (going on 12)
married
daughter (6 mos. and 1 E. Sierra wheeling trip under her belt)
mutt

colluge dropowt
in LA, CA making commercials (VFX and finishing)

boat addict (but all for sale or sold for the moment)
gearhead and HP junkie

Bought the 97 80 all factory tricked after riding in my brothers 94 in Utah (thought it was too yuppie before that trip) and my 88 Toyota 4X4 v6 got stolen with 285k on the clock (a-holes). Simply can't regret that purchase.

Also have a 1989 Porsche 911 turbo (930) with some go-fast bits on. And a 'found in barn' 1964 Porsche 356 coupe.

Had the 88 4X4, a 70 FJ40, a 68 Porsche 912, countless throwaway Hondas, VW busses, etc.
Just sold the 86 Grand Banks Sport Sedan (850 turbo-diesel HP my friends!)...I actually teared up...
Trying to sell the sailboat. Only 24hp but a marg and some Buffett and who gives a s$#%?

Trying like hell to curb the hemmoraging of cash on old cars and old boats that has been my financial manglement plan and buy some real-estate. Having afflictions/hobbies like mine and renting (no garage) is a painful existence. Of course then I can spend more money on old cars and boats

 

[ccoli]

Stats: 50, BSME, BSEE from UW-Milwaukee, Married ~29 yrs, 2 boyz(24, 28), employed as a System Operator (shift work) in the electric utility biz. I can turn your lights off!
Bought the 80 last year when I was at my buddies Japanese auto repair shop. His customer was done using it as a recreational pharmaceutical delivery vehicle. Bought it for less than wholesale $. I cleaned it inside out to remove any lingering products. Removed a 1/2 ton of copper wire and left over Boom box doodads.
Wife likes it sooo much she wants to drive to Alaska. Maybe I'll ride the Moto Guzzi while she and a friend run the LC as a support vehicle.
Still prefer 2 wheels.

 

[concretejungle]

I cleaned it inside out to remove any lingering products.

find anything good?

 

[patpend2000]

31
Redwood City, CA
In a relationship
Patent Attorney for a medical device company.

Bought my 91 FJ80 from my parents after my J**p died again, haven't looked back since, once my 3FE dies a diesel swap is planned.

I also use it to tow my race car and kart.

 

[Bob_Garrett]

Age: 50+

Former Cable TV and Microwave Engineer. Currently working for Sprint as an RF Engineer.

Bought my 80 in 99. I got it instead of a 4Runner because my wife liked the additional room and my son loved the 3rd row seats. It was very much the family transport vehicle for a while. Never thought I would wheel it seriously, but that was before I met Christo! After wheeling it once and having a chance to drive Christo's OME equipped 80, I was hooked, and with Christo's help and advice, I began to slowly make improvements to the rig.

The 80 now has over 140k on it and still runs great. Don't know of any vehicle I would rather have.

Bob

 

[ryanjl]

Turned 30 a few months back.

Work for a manufacturer in an Advertising, Marketing, Graphic Design capacity

Single, no kids

Owned my 95 since Christmas Eve, 2000.

Owned a 83 FJ60 for two years previous to that

Also have owned:

95 Land Rover Discovery
92, 84 Jeep Cherokees
93 Jeep Grand Cherokee
74 IHC Scout

Never have owned a 'car'

 

[NW-sickboy]

It's NOT my fault.....

who said it was.... i live here by choice.... its actaully great

 

[4x4CPOSEADOG]

I guess it is my turn!

I'm in the early 40s. Married with children.

Work for the United States Navy as an Aircraft Jet Engine Mechanic Chief and still on active duty. Love serving this country.

I have been addicted/fascinated with the Land Cruiser since I was a teenager. Now I own the LX 450 since 99 and I enjoy every minute behind the steering wheel driving it. There's nothing in my driveway but Toy trucks as you can see on my sig.

Hey Arya, hope we can do some wrenching with Hosehumper on one of the week ends, whadya think?

 

[Echo_29]

40 - Married
Architect
Echo Park, Los Angeles

Why? We've wanted a 4x4 since I sold my 1970 Bronco back in 1994.We bought a weekend house in the desert and our Passat wagon was getting beat trying to take us where we wanted to go. We're so happy that we bought a Cruiser and have hooked up with some great friends from the NorCal Wagons (half of which are from SoCal ) Join the 80scool_usa_norcal · 80 Series Land Cruiser Owners Online

 

[pcruiser80]

40 in two months
16 years in the high tech industry. 13 years as a software product manager at IBM. I now own my own computer consulting business and do on site computer service for the home and small business with a focus on internet security and family-safe computing. I live in Peachtree City, a cool suburb of Atlanta, GA.
Got into 4 wheeling with Mitsubishi Monteros. I rebuild the old Gen I Monteros as a hobby. I have three right now in various stages of build.
I wanted a fully locked FZJ80 a couple of years ago but came across a sweet deal on a '98 100 series with rear locker on eBay. I bought it and obsessed over the leather interior for about 6 months. I realized I made a mistake and should have held out for an 80 with lockers and cloth interior! I sold the 100 and spent a year looking for an 80 with lockers, cloth and no rust. I finally found one for sale two blocks from my house in a neighbor's driveway! I've never looked back. (don't get me wrong, the 100 series are beautiful vehicles but I have three children and like to get my trucks dirty!)

Why do I like 80's? factory F/C/R lockers and Toyota quality... need I say more?

Powell
'93 FZJ80 fully locked and stock for now
meticulously maintained

P.S. - the 100 series didn't get too far from home. My 65 year old mother bought it and drives it daily. My 69 year old father drives an '02 Lexus LX470.

 

[Lothar80]

Better late than never,

Age – 50, two great kids, three dogs and one nervous cat.

After a thoroughly misspent youth, I lucked out with a position as a Field Service Engineer for Honeywell Data Systems in New York. I worked mainly on mainframes and Page Printers for about 10 yrs doing the straphanging commuter thing back and forth from Queens to Manhattan. That took its toll on both my wife and I, and with two young kids we soon burned out and decided to look for a better life elsewhere.

My wife’s brother happened to be a Priest in a small town in Louisiana and with his help I landed a job for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. They were looking for someone to run a PC repair department and this was right up my alley. So, for the past 17 years I have enjoyed helping students broaden their horizons by supplying a campus job that teaches them real world communication and technical skills. The pay is not great, but the rewards are.

As for the Cruiser, I wish I learned about it sooner but honestly, I just lucked into mine and through this group realized what a great find it was.

=Lothar

 

[concretejungle]

Well, i must admit, other than myself, we seem to be a very educated, well-rounded group.

 

[codylabrador]

40, 62, 80, 100 - tried them all....

I am 52, working for a failing telecom company and will probably be doing something else by this time next year.

Business Admin degree - University of South Carolina
Environmental Horticulture degree - Gwinnett Tech (in progress)

Three grown and married children. Five grinchilren.

My first experience with a TLC was a blue FJ40 that a high school friend of my son borrowed from his father to pull my son's 1981 CJ7 Laredo out of a deep place.

I first paid attention to the 80 series when walking through my old SC neighborhood and seeing a new one (probably a 1991/92) in a neighbor's driveway. It was garnet (Gamecock) red and the guy still has it .

I finally bought a 1997 FZJ80 with 34K in 2000 and drove it up to 90K when my son-in-law's brother talked me out of it during a Christmas visit last year. It now resides in Colorado Springs.

I added a 1977 FJ40 last spring for riding in dunes and marshes around Beaufort, SC.

After selling the 1997, I bought a 2003 LX470 for a daily driver but couldn't sleep well at night while thinking about how much money I had tied up in it. I sold it in September and returned to the FZJ80 fold with a 40th Anniversary (sadly - no lockers) and just bought a 1988 FJ62 (with 159K) from the original owner.

The FJ62 needs some of the usual: straightened bumpers, 4X4 solenoid, driver's seat, shocks, seals etc., etc. Just enough to do so that I don't bother my wife (who has now turned her interest to civic matters and away from the more physical aspects of our marriage - sigh - enjoy your youth while you can!).

 

[OZCAL]

40. House-husband/Attorney. Reside in Australia, travel back and forth between Queensland and California several times a year. Beautiful wife and awesome 2 year old boy.

1st Landcruiser was a blue-grey '93 80 (license plate STAMPY, after the elephant Bart Simpson won in a radio contest - the night my beautiful wife and I brought it home, we almost took out our four story condo backing it into the subterranean garage).

Sold the '93 80 a year ago (mistake), bought a '97 80 in Queensland (stock, but very different than US stock). Just bought a '97 LX 450 in California.

We drive these cars for pleasure, safety, reliability and the ability (mostly in Australia) to drive off road on a whim. Every time we have visitors from the States we drive up a 25 mile beach for a picnic, racing the high tide to get around a rocky point at the end of the beach. Blows them away.

 

[willmaxr]

who are we

34
mgr
2 kids
minnesota
dad had old 40 series and loved it then. always wanted one. quality, durability and the quality of the rest of the people on this site. 97 LX450

 

[Steve C]

43

1 wife
2 kids, 4 and 7

occupations:
air conditioner repair guy
fast food worker
tire mounter
electronic tech
ups worker
pizza delivery
landscaper
truck driver
mechanic
engineer
and now, paperwork guy

education:

failed out of last year of comp sci, finally squeezed through ee

cars:
78 fj40 dune
93 camry (won't go away)
96 fzj80 locked, black
03 bmw 540 6-speed, silver

coming up next year: new suv, maybe sequoia, maybe bmw x5, my wife likes the MB- "not the round one, the squared off one".

past cars:

63 chev pickup
67 340 dart (scary)
70 camaro
75 camaro
77 chev v8 in a _J-40
80 280zx
84 crown vic
88 crown vic

 

[PKP80]

22 going on 23 in a quick second
Student in Costa Mesa/Irvine also involved w/ real estate
Parents owned a 92 80 then upgraded to a 96, when the Lease was up I hunted it down and leased it again myself until I was able to afford to buy it a couple of years ago. Didn't realize how imported it was to be locked so now I'm suffering to fund raise for lockers and all the other goodies many of you have. DONATIONS in all forms greatly appreciated for this locker and lift hungry student....haha. I've fallen in love with my rig and the most enticing aspect of the LC is the family and gathering that support it (you guys). Look forward to many thousand miles and memories in the 80 and hope I share a few of them with each of you.

-Sam-