I'm holding the key
I need no liscense to ride
Dad said that I'm alright
The engine's still warm
She'd been waiting for me in the barn
Gonna make me feel,
Gonna make me feel alright
Well I'm bouncin' in my seat
I try to remember where all the levers are
I've got enough fuel this time
I've got enough fuel this time to remember
The engine's still warm
She's been waiting for me in the barn
Gonna let me feel, gonna help me feel
Well I'm bouncin' in my seat
I try to remember where all the levers are
I've got enough fuel this time
I've got enough fuel this time to remember
Enter the Earth
We're scratching our play on the growth of the moon
Mom said, that I'm alright
“Love Tractor” By Widespread Panic
It all Started sometime after the SEMA show where I saw the first Voodoo Blue FJ Cruiser concept. There have been many times in life that I have said to myself, “I will have one of those!” Not very often has that actually happened.
Of course they said they wouldn’t make it and I remained happy driving my 1984 FJ60, which was for the most part stock except for 32x12.5x15 BFG T/A KO ,tires on American Racing black steel wheels and a custom built full length roof rack.
I learned a lot with that truck, got it pretty stuck a few times and managed to bang up the drivers side rocker pretty good on a big rock near home one day.
This picture is from the first week of the new FJ (the old 60 found a home with a white 100 and seems to still be very happy.)
So long story short when we were picking up our 2005 Toyota Sienna I told my salesman (Ken @ Bighorn Toyota Glenwood Springs, Colorado) that when they finally did make the FJ, I would buy one from him. Countless months later I got a call that it was finally happening and did I want to put a deposit on one? What else could I say but YES?
I ordered a Voodoo Blue (was there any other choice?) AT,4x4 rock rails airbags ,fully loaded. The only thing I passed on was the satellite radio. (I ordered it with the light bar and fairing, but apparently I bought the truck about a year too early to get that)
I picked her up sight unseen April 3rd of 2006 (I did test drive a Black Cherry 6MT about two weeks before mine arrived.) I knew I loved it the instant I pulled into the parking lot and saw it sitting there.
The Next Step
Needless to say I spent the whole the summer driving it pretty much bone stock down to the tires. Being my first new car ever, it took about a year to feel like it was really ok to replace perfectly good stock parts. After some mild off roading with my son it became evident that I had a problem, this thing needed tires and a lift and bumpers and a winch and this and that and oh man I think my head might explode trying to keep up with the needs and wants.
the beginning of the pinstriping.
Local Sunday trail runnin’ Edwards, Co
So spring came (2007) and tires and lift were next, my friend Ben (who is working on a ‘84 60 himself now) and I installed the rough country 3” lift and it went pretty smoothly and only took about 4 hours (I didn’t take any pictures, you’ve all seen it already anyway).
So off I went to the tire store
(Meadow Creek Tire Eagle Vail, Co Ask for Andy) for an alignment and tires. (BFG T/A KO 285/70/17)
http://lh6.google.com/MoontimeCycler...4/MOV02931.MPG
After tires and lift, it was time to have some fun. We spent the whole summer exploring the dirt roads all around the valley and found some pretty good challenges. A couple of spring couple of trips to Moab to start out the season and we were fully hooked.
We spent spring/summer trips preparing for the summit, getting proper recovery gear etc and felt pretty good about what the truck was capable of. When we arrived in Ouray, my wife stated it best when she said “babe, I think you might have the least duded out truck here!!”
Ouray was a blast and really opened my eyes as to how many things there were that I NEEDED and how much fun we as a family were going to have.
With Jason demello and family at the top of corkscrew gulch
From there out it was ON, with the lovely wife now in full support, and doing things like buying me an Expedition One front bumper for my birthday, anniversary etc present!!
Expedition One bumper and Warn winch installed.
On the trail to Holy Cross city, Colorado
After Fj Summit, we began to seek out the harder terrain and found that there truly is very little that I can’t coax this thing into doing.
This is the weekend that sealed the deal on ordering my Bud Built Skids (French Creek, Holy cross city Trail)
Here’s what she looks like now
As of now the truck still sports the stock wheels etc, but the list of additions includes,
Tires BFG AT KO 285 70 17
Expedition One front Bumper
Full Bud Built Skids (RED)
All Pro lower trailing arms
Rough Country 3” lift
Hi lift jack
Shovel
5gal Steel Jerry can (soon to be mounted to a custom spare tire carrier mount)
Via Air compressor (soon to be hard mounted with two 2.5 gal air tanks)
Radio Shack CB with 4’firestick and a Bandi Mount
Custom Front mounted camera with 5’LCD screen on dash
painted headlight bezel and "TOYOTA" white
Installed My Old School 4WD emblem
And a huge Rubbermaid box full of recovery gear, air tools, flashlights, first aid kits, etc that I don’t feel like typing all out.
Through the course of the year plans have grown, the tool box is getting ridiculously heavy and my list of to do’s is almost as long as my honey do list at home.
Some of the notables on that list are.
Paint the wheels black.
ATRAC hack
Breather Mods
Additional Power outlets
Laptop mount (picture the tray table from an airplane that comes out of the arm rest)
Fix my crushed lower trailing arm mounts and finally get my all pro skids on.
Total Chaos lower A arm skids
Build a wooden drawer system in the back?, with additional storage on door.
Oh, and I am sure all of you out there will help me find many more things to add to my list
And someday when I hit the lotto, full Fox Racing Shox suspension
This was supposed to be a “Build Up” thread, and I think someday it might fit more into the normal layout with all the pictures of cutting and welding and such, but for now it’s just a story about a Dad, his son and the truck that they are starting to build together.
So, to make a long story short, I love my truck, what else can I say?
