Life gets in the way, that happens on most things, getting my 1974 pig up to snuff for weekend duty has been no exception.
When I was a little kid my parents had a 71 that mom daily drove, it wasn’t long before my dad and uncle pulled the six and dropped in a 327, when that got tired dad put a Sears crate 350 in it. Other upgrades were 4 Mazda 808 bucket seats, power steering, shackle lift and pipe bumpers. By about 1983 it was done, I recall watching the road go by with the back doors closed, traded it off on a 1980 Cherokee Chief.
Fast forward a generation and I’m out wheeling with our “farm truck”, a 99 dodge quad cab in ex Ministry of Highways Yellow, this is good enough for years until the kids start getting big...I’m always kinda wistfully looking for a 55 for sale, most are so far gone or pricey they are non starters.
One day I search up FJ55 for sale and get a fresh ad, I’m the first caller, wife encourages me to go look. My buddy and I head into town and find it stuffed in a garage, fresh work has been done by the young guy selling it and it is very solid - for around here. Deposit is left and I return on the weekend to trailer it home.
When I was a little kid my parents had a 71 that mom daily drove, it wasn’t long before my dad and uncle pulled the six and dropped in a 327, when that got tired dad put a Sears crate 350 in it. Other upgrades were 4 Mazda 808 bucket seats, power steering, shackle lift and pipe bumpers. By about 1983 it was done, I recall watching the road go by with the back doors closed, traded it off on a 1980 Cherokee Chief.
Fast forward a generation and I’m out wheeling with our “farm truck”, a 99 dodge quad cab in ex Ministry of Highways Yellow, this is good enough for years until the kids start getting big...I’m always kinda wistfully looking for a 55 for sale, most are so far gone or pricey they are non starters.
One day I search up FJ55 for sale and get a fresh ad, I’m the first caller, wife encourages me to go look. My buddy and I head into town and find it stuffed in a garage, fresh work has been done by the young guy selling it and it is very solid - for around here. Deposit is left and I return on the weekend to trailer it home.