Would you drive 500 miles in your cruiser?

[Trollhole]

I'm driving out to the beach and have two days to get there. Would you do in in a 76 FJ40 with SOA and 130k miles? I plan on having trans overhauled new ujoints and all new fluids.

Thats 500 miles there and 500 miles back.

 

[65swb45]

I just drove 2600 miles in my 68 with 33s. A good stereo helps.

 

[ridgerunner]

Ear plugs.

 

[nuclearlemon]

drove my old lemon back and forth between colorado and illinois, one time with a 5x8 trailer full of my junk...it wasn't so bad...of course, that was a long time ago and i probably have had some severe memory fade. i'll be taking 40 to moab from denver...about a 6 hr drive...done that before too. it's a bit more comfortable than my wagon, which i learned to hate after driving denver to malibu, to moab and home again.

 

[freightdog]

Yep, topless -

 

[ken_79-fj40]

You don't have a "hell yes" option. One of my goals is to drive my 79 from NH to California, wheel the rubicon, and drive back. That's going to be a hell of a road trip.

 

[tojons]

I'm planning on driving my 40 from CA to Ohio when I move this fall. ALready got the loud stereo, just need buckets seats. It would a long painful drive in the bench seat IMO. But I drove it 500 miles in February, back from MAF in SoCal - no stereo. Wasn't so bad. Gave me a good feel for the rig.

 

[G-Cat]

I've round-tripped my FJ-40 to every wheeling event it's ever been to and a 400+ road trip to boot.

 

[Magoo]

i cant friggin wait to drive mine more than 100 miles.
shawn

 

[Tigerstripe40]

I drove mine 1400 miles round trip from Salt Lake to Death Valley at the end of January with a soft top on.

I'd do it again.

 

[Whipinfast]

Heck ya. When I was a kid my family took our annual summer trip from Oregon to Kentucky and back in my dads stock '72 FJ40. This trip included my mom and dad, sister, golden retreiver, cat and myself.

 

[Ian Rogers]

I have driven up to mono lake from SoCal and back but did blow a fiber cam gear in fresno... that took a few days to get the new parts but i was luck to break down 2 mi from one of my friends house. I allwas drive top less with no radio... i want to get an Ipod so that i can have some tunes

 

[lowenbrau]

Did 8000 miles in a little over a month in the summer of 2001. Ten days of that was in four low in Alaska. At least with a Cruiser you can fix it if it has a problem. If my life depended on it I'd rather have an old FJ40 than a brand new anything.

I really think those rigs that drive a thousand miles to an event and then a thousand home afterwards are the coolest rigs of all. Anybody can sweep a broken trail rig onto the trailer after Rubithon but I think the coolest guys drive 'em to work the next week.

 

[atoyot]

I'd drive around the world in it if I had the funding! (with the wife and kids)

 

[VTFJ40]

Interstate, probably not. Anything else yes.

CHAT!

 

[Recon1504]

I drove LC1 1200+ miles from Denver to Toledo in May 2003 (1.5 days)

I drove LC3 2000+ miles from Boise to Toledo in Feb 2004 (2.5 days)

Lessons Learned: Good stereo is worth its weight in gold
Ear plugs are a good idea also
Put together a good tool kit and some basic spares are a good
idea.
- Dist rotor/cap and POINTS (they can break on ya while
driving - ask me how I know that!)

And most of all - Enjoy the Drive!

 

[atoyot]

All this driving talk brings up an interesting thought. What about an interactive map locating all the reputable cruiser mechanics? If I where to drive cross country it would be nice to know who I could trust to help me out in another state or supply a part.

 

[Trollhole]

that's a great idea.

 

[DieselFJ]

We went from Salt Lake City to Houston, not a problem, would do it again. Also I have gone from Salt Lake City on a Yellowstone tour topless, would do that again as well.

Scott

 

[paulj]

I just drove 480 miles roundtrip to the Lone Star Land Cruiser Roundup with no problems. I was feeling pretty good about it 'til Butch Baker told me a guy drove his 40 from California and back. With an F engine no less. I wanted to shake his hand, but never did meet him. Was that you 65swb45?
Take a piece of foam rubber to put behind your back.