Post by ollieinnz on Dec 5, 2017 12:14:02 GMT
Thanks for the add - very pleased to join other Toyota fans!! I've been lucky enough to own 2 classic Land Cruisers in my time - first a 1983 BJ40 (Diesel) that I saw in a supermarket car park, liked the look of, so left a note asking them to contact me if they wanted to sell - luckily, they called me that evening to advise they were emigrating the next month, so yes, would need to sell the car! This was the start of my Land Cruiser addiction! Even when I picked it up, people drove past taking photos, and the first morning I received a note on the windscreen asking if I'd sell it!! (The first of many!) Over the years, I kept up the maintenance on the truck, even getting a re-spray in a orange/red colour which then, with the wheels, reminded me of a certain car... the General Lee, so the 01 and the horn dutifully got added (to the delight of my daughter dismay of my wife!!)
www.dropbox.com/s/hjbr8ri34xsg72q/2015-11-13%2015.18.38.jpg?dl=0
I then saw a 1972 FJ40 in OK condition by chance on an auction website, with 15 minutes left...so put in a last minute bid, and won!! Yay! I was now the proud owner of 2 x Toyota Land Cruisers! After an epic journey up to 90 mile beach on New Zealand's North Island (to the very top), the rust started to show on The General and, as I had already decided to restore the 1972 FJ, couldn't afford to have another restoration on the go, so sold that to fund the 1972 FJ.
The 1972 FJ was completely stripped, each nut and bolt cleaned and pacified, every panel fixed and painted, and restored to 'as original as possible' by a very talented team in New Zealand. I then decided to return to the UK and hoped that the restoration would be finished before I left NZ - unfortunately it wasn't, so had to wait for the container to arrive in the UK before seeing it finished, and starting the painful process of registering an historic import in the UK! Finally got the registration plates (silver on black!) last Saturday so waiting for a nice day to get the FJ accustomed to the UK.
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www.dropbox.com/s/hjbr8ri34xsg72q/2015-11-13%2015.18.38.jpg?dl=0I then saw a 1972 FJ40 in OK condition by chance on an auction website, with 15 minutes left...so put in a last minute bid, and won!! Yay! I was now the proud owner of 2 x Toyota Land Cruisers! After an epic journey up to 90 mile beach on New Zealand's North Island (to the very top), the rust started to show on The General and, as I had already decided to restore the 1972 FJ, couldn't afford to have another restoration on the go, so sold that to fund the 1972 FJ.
The 1972 FJ was completely stripped, each nut and bolt cleaned and pacified, every panel fixed and painted, and restored to 'as original as possible' by a very talented team in New Zealand. I then decided to return to the UK and hoped that the restoration would be finished before I left NZ - unfortunately it wasn't, so had to wait for the container to arrive in the UK before seeing it finished, and starting the painful process of registering an historic import in the UK! Finally got the registration plates (silver on black!) last Saturday so waiting for a nice day to get the FJ accustomed to the UK.