hairy_apple
Adventurer
Hello,
I just thought I would introduce myself and my truck. Been looking at this site for quite a while and finally decided I should post.
My dad had an FJ40 when he was my age, and although he sold it before I was born, my family has always had 4x4s and we've always loved to explore dirt roads. My whole life I remember more then anything else all the fun camping trips and off road adventures we had..so when I was in HS looking for a car... I knew pretty quickly I wanted to continue.
I have owned Elsie since I was 16, she was my first car. Bone stock 3 on the tree and it was love at first sight. I had been wanting a 4x4 pretty bad, and had pretty much narrowed it down to wanting a FJ40 and was gong to start searching for one when Elsie found me... not more then a week after seeing a pretty FJ40 and having to own one I saw a bright orange FJ40 at my neighbors house, moving his trailers around. So I walked over and asked if he would sell it, he wouldn't... but I told him if he did I wanted it and to please call me first.
A few months went by and that summer I worked for him quite a bit, doing odd jobs that a 16 year does on summer break, and I was sure to go "visit" the cruiser which was now parked in his back lot never being touched (guy collects cars and has about 20 at any given time). Finally one day he called me and asked if I was still interested in it and I said yeah, so two days later I had my cruiser!
The day I brought it home... notice, I've already found mud with it.
I drove her stock all though high school and college and even drove her up to Oregon once.. which was the best road trip I've ever been on.
When I bought her I had bought her to explore dirt roads, to go places most people didn't. I had plans for an on board shower, use an RV tank to hold water for long camping trips, lots of stuff like that. However... as a young guy who's friends were all into rockcrawling, that became what I wanted my cruiser to be. A did a spring over and power steering and a year after that the 6 started knocking so I got a V8 and SM420. In the last 12 years I've done the Rubicon countless time, done Fordyce and all that stuff, the cruiser is awesome.
This is how Elsie looked a year ago. Finally.. after 11 years I had the cruiser I wanted... 11 years ago... not so much anymore. Now, my tastes and my ideas of what I want in a 4x4 have changed a lot. Although I still enjoy rockcrawling and wheeling, I am feeling the urge to put some miles between me and home and really use the cruiser for what I bought it for originally. Also, there is a bit of sentimental concern for the safety of my favorite thing I own... I almost rolled it on our last trip.. and it upset me. Maybe it's time to retire Elsie from the tough stuff and use her for dirt road exploring and back to what I really enjoy the most, exploring the Sierras.
Also, I found I really loved the original color, the dash and inside of the doors were still Spring green, so this year I got brave enough to remove the "OSHA" orange paint, and paint it closer to the original color.
And this is Elsie this week! Whole new look and feel. The big stuff is going to come this winter hopefully.. I am going to swap out the V8 and put a 2F with a 3FE head in it and a Toyota 5 speed. Going to get that Chevy junk out and make her all Toyota again. Truthfully, I've never been very happy with the V8 and it's been running bad off and on the last two years and I'm tired of it and want the torque of the 6 back but also want fuel injection. 5 speed to be able to put some road miles on her without being deaf from the engine screaming when we get there, and a little better MPG (not that it really is ever going to be good in a square box).
Also, I am finally starting to think about some of the more useful mods for what I want to turn her into. I am going to build a roof rack soon, two people and a dog and camping gear gets pretty cramped pretty fast. Going to find that RV tank so I can carry water under the cruiser. Been looking at heat exchangers as well for a shower.
But most importantly, have our first long trip planned. Going to go to Death Valley for the first time ever next spring and I'm bringing the 40. Really excited.
Anyway, just wanted to introduce myself and my truck and say hi, this is a sweet site and I'm getting really inspired to start doing some real travel in my 40.
I just thought I would introduce myself and my truck. Been looking at this site for quite a while and finally decided I should post.
My dad had an FJ40 when he was my age, and although he sold it before I was born, my family has always had 4x4s and we've always loved to explore dirt roads. My whole life I remember more then anything else all the fun camping trips and off road adventures we had..so when I was in HS looking for a car... I knew pretty quickly I wanted to continue.
I have owned Elsie since I was 16, she was my first car. Bone stock 3 on the tree and it was love at first sight. I had been wanting a 4x4 pretty bad, and had pretty much narrowed it down to wanting a FJ40 and was gong to start searching for one when Elsie found me... not more then a week after seeing a pretty FJ40 and having to own one I saw a bright orange FJ40 at my neighbors house, moving his trailers around. So I walked over and asked if he would sell it, he wouldn't... but I told him if he did I wanted it and to please call me first.
A few months went by and that summer I worked for him quite a bit, doing odd jobs that a 16 year does on summer break, and I was sure to go "visit" the cruiser which was now parked in his back lot never being touched (guy collects cars and has about 20 at any given time). Finally one day he called me and asked if I was still interested in it and I said yeah, so two days later I had my cruiser!
The day I brought it home... notice, I've already found mud with it.
I drove her stock all though high school and college and even drove her up to Oregon once.. which was the best road trip I've ever been on.
When I bought her I had bought her to explore dirt roads, to go places most people didn't. I had plans for an on board shower, use an RV tank to hold water for long camping trips, lots of stuff like that. However... as a young guy who's friends were all into rockcrawling, that became what I wanted my cruiser to be. A did a spring over and power steering and a year after that the 6 started knocking so I got a V8 and SM420. In the last 12 years I've done the Rubicon countless time, done Fordyce and all that stuff, the cruiser is awesome.
This is how Elsie looked a year ago.
Finally.. after 11 years I had the cruiser I wanted... 11 years ago... not so much anymore. Now, my tastes and my ideas of what I want in a 4x4 have changed a lot. Although I still enjoy rockcrawling and wheeling, I am feeling the urge to put some miles between me and home and really use the cruiser for what I bought it for originally. Also, there is a bit of sentimental concern for the safety of my favorite thing I own... I almost rolled it on our last trip.. and it upset me. Maybe it's time to retire Elsie from the tough stuff and use her for dirt road exploring and back to what I really enjoy the most, exploring the Sierras. Also, I found I really loved the original color, the dash and inside of the doors were still Spring green, so this year I got brave enough to remove the "OSHA" orange paint, and paint it closer to the original color.
And this is Elsie this week! Whole new look and feel. The big stuff is going to come this winter hopefully.. I am going to swap out the V8 and put a 2F with a 3FE head in it and a Toyota 5 speed. Going to get that Chevy junk out and make her all Toyota again. Truthfully, I've never been very happy with the V8 and it's been running bad off and on the last two years and I'm tired of it and want the torque of the 6 back but also want fuel injection. 5 speed to be able to put some road miles on her without being deaf from the engine screaming when we get there, and a little better MPG (not that it really is ever going to be good in a square box).
Also, I am finally starting to think about some of the more useful mods for what I want to turn her into. I am going to build a roof rack soon, two people and a dog and camping gear gets pretty cramped pretty fast. Going to find that RV tank so I can carry water under the cruiser. Been looking at heat exchangers as well for a shower.
But most importantly, have our first long trip planned. Going to go to Death Valley for the first time ever next spring and I'm bringing the 40. Really excited.
Anyway, just wanted to introduce myself and my truck and say hi, this is a sweet site and I'm getting really inspired to start doing some real travel in my 40.
