I was looking through a mag the other day and saw a pic from an old mag cover of I think "Four Wheeler" with what looked like a four door 40. Was I seeing things or does this beast actually exist? Anybody got pics or info. I think I remember Nolen saying something about one a while back but wasn't sure. Help!!

FJ45 wagons....I know of two in my area, both in Green Bay, one is a 1964, the other a 1967. Quite rare, but they are out there. Someone else will know production dates and such....pretty much just a 4-door 40 series, drivetrain is all the same. If you think restoring a 40 series with stock parts is tough, try it once for these things....

Rick D is the man regarding these things. 1963 to 1967 I think were the years imported. Virtually identical front sheetmetal but from the cowl back nothing like a 40... Ribbed doors/qtrs, not removable top, similar dash, seats and interior not same... Pretty cool. Check FJ45.com for pics of them... as for a stretched fourty, it would be custom...

heres one... wagon (http://www.rockymountaincruisers.com/consign.html)

only $22,500...

-LCL

It is in the oct 1999 issue of four wheeler. est cost $300,000.00. Rod Millen built it starting with a '67 fj45. other than some of the sheet metal everything else is late model stuff! scott

Thanks for the pic LCL but that's not the rig I'm thinkin of. I think Buford might be right. Hey Buford, was that truck a goldish copper color?

The Millen one was silverish gray metallic color.

I think I have seen the same picture. From what I understand, it was an fj45 wagon...but it sounds like buford read the artical...I was talking to a guy about it, and he said you can build one just like it...bob the back end about 10" and you are there...the rig looked great...almost like a prehistoric hummer!

There is a guy in Hemet, CA named Big Mike...he owns Rock Solid Off Road there in Hemet, or try San Janjacinto (SP?), CA he is right on the boarder...last time I was there, I saw three of them, and an old FJ45 firetruck! He has a few rare finds. The last 45 wagon he sold was for $6000 and it had poor sheet metal and running gear...no motor or trany. Just to give you an idea...

Rock Solid Off Road=I think there is only one FJ45 wagon there now. The two sold were rick d's and went to outback cruisers I think...The one left(new roof and floors, etc...) belongs to the a guy from Cabe Toyota in Long beach. The firetruck belongs to Jonathan Ward of TLC...

Thanks guys I found out that the truck I saw was in fact built by Rod Millen back in 99. It was one bad mofo. 1967 fj45 stretched 10" widened 3" rear doors lengthened 5" to accomodate rear passengers. I scanned around the net and found a few articles on the truck. They were calling it the "RETRO CRUISER" at the time. It was set on a 99 LC chassis and drivetrain. Somethin like $300k tied up into it. I guess it's time to find a 45 wagon and tap into my roots. We'll see, maybe a few years down the road, I'd like to tackle a project like that. Anyway, thanks again guys.

the body was actually widen 6", the hood/grill got 3" and the fenders got 4" and although the rig was lengthened 10"-- 15" came off the back !!. it isnt really set on a late model cruiser, its parts from a cruiser AND tundra. its got LC center diffs, but the dbl a-arms are custom made to be wider, the IRS is totally custom, all to be 4" wider than tundra, LC. front is torsen bar, rear is coilover.
it also has kevlar skidplates underneath.
runs the 4.7 liter v-8, it was set back in the frame 8" and new firewall built. also has prototype BFG desert runner tires., blah blah, i wont bore you with specs.

damn!
you all are wrong.
Rod Millens cost about $150K to make although he once commented it would cost $300K to make another (CAD time on rear suspension). Front is 100 series (frame), rear (frame) is custom. 8" wider in main body, fiberglass roof, not bob'd much, but wheel base longer and rear doors widened and rear fender flares are actually 40 series front fender lips. Many of parts sourced from TLC. I supplied the second tailgate handle. It's a 1966 (sold that year I can go on and on why it is NOT a 1967).

At Rock Solid
Tim (cal60)'s truck is there, and sold for less than $6000 by a good margin (I should know it was mine!). Mike Bingham's 1967 (red/white w/ new top) is on a cart as is Dave Berry's 1966 (from Atascadero who's FJ45 lwb was just on 'worst case scenerio'). Fire truck (former) is TLC customer's hunting rig.

130 FJ45 wagons around in US still, although many should die. $6,000 is a high number for most.

and the dedicated 45 site:
http://www.home.istar.ca/~k_kimoto/fj45lv.html

you all are wrong.

whatever:rolleyes:

supplied a door handle, if i supplied a lighted switch for the space shuttle would i suddenly become the Q&A man for space travel ? didnt think so

Originally posted by RHINO


whatever:rolleyes:

supplied a door handle, if i supplied a lighted switch for the space shuttle would i suddenly become the Q&A man for space travel ? didnt think so

Difference is, Rick knows his shit.

Morgan

whats with the underline?? i thought it was a link or something, but i guess its just to imply i dont know MY shit, even though i cant find anything wrong with my info except for the 6" width, which must have been a typo on my part cuz i know its wider than that.

on a similar note, does anyone know whatever happened to the guy that was building a four door fj40? i think he was out on the "wrong coast" as h.c. so appropriately puts it. i have pics of it when it was a frame/tub configuration a few years ago and wonder what it looks like now.
by the way rhino...i don't think rick was saying you were wrong. he was saying everybody was wrong. like morgan said...he is the man when it comes to waggies. he can answer anything you can ask about them.

Rhino-

since I owned twenty three FJ45 wagons, parted out thirteen, sold parts for 45's to Indonesia, Japan, Australia, Germany, Canada and all across the US, and knowing that the tail gate handle (NOT LENSES) is the rarest item on a 45 wagon (other than original paint and rust free (AZ standard) body) I can speak with authority.

sit down in the corner boy.

I was reading the article again and it seems like everyone was right, they were just pointing out different areas of the write up. The write up does say that the guy started with a 1967 Fj45 and it says "well over $300,000.00 to drive off the lot." I do not know much about FJ45 myself nor do i know the guy that built this one in question.....so does this mean the write up has it wrong??? scott

FJS i know he wasnt targeting me only, thats not my point, also i have seen a 4 door FJ40, looked like it was stretched in the middle and had 2 doors added, dont remember what site i saw it on, didnt have much writing about it, just a couple pics. there was also a couple pics of a similar wrangler jeep.

rick d, come on man, i'm not disputing your knowledge of 45's, if i had one you would be the first i would seek out for help, just stating that i dont see anything wrong with my reply and didnt think i warrented your manner of correction, BTW just because you know 45's doesnt mean you know someones custom creation better than any one of us. sit down? yeah, come over and make me.

buford, yup we were all pointing out different things, i could have posted the whole article as it was printed, which was straight from Rod's mouth supposedly, but it seems to be all wrong info.

hey rick, did that rig get destroyed?? that is the rumor.

Rhino wrote:
>hey rick, did that rig get destroyed?? that is the rumor.

Last I heard Millen was keeping it for himself. Toyota did not want it back. Destroyed on trail (which no one in right mind would take it to Teleco)? or destroyed because mother T wanted it dead?

heard on the pipeline that toyota destroyed it. what a shame if they did.

http://www.toyota.com/html/shop/look_ahead/conceptcar.html#retro

This is what Toyota Currently has to say about the 45 concept wagon.

Although their webmaster doesn't know shit about Cruisers. Well, at least they could get the pictures to match.

http://www.toyota.com/html/shop/vehicles/land_cruiser/history/land_cruiser_history.html

Man I take a few days of from the board and come back to quite a scare. I start reading this thread and someone says that Big Mike only has one 45 Wagon out there. I sure hope he hasn't sold mine:-) The I read further and Rick D steps up and lists a bunch ol 45's out there. I thought my heart was gonna stop. Later

I found this (http://store1.yimg.com/I/coolfj40_1700_116225768) article today. And this (http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/collector_cars/1998/11/toyota_land_cruiser/index.phtml) is the one I looked up the other day.

Rick I appreciate your input, but I based my statement of stats from what I had found to date. Maybe with more investigation I may find the same info that you have about this rig.
Regardless.... I still think it's one bad mother fawker.

that second one is a nice article, never sen it before, thanks.

There is a guy I ran into in Paso Robles, CA that has and is slowly finishing a sweet 4 door fj40. His goal is to make it look factory and it does!!!

http://ebay1.ipixmedia.com/abc/M28/_EBAY_29f8f6bbf4a3fa15082788d7144b3401/i-3.JPG

more : http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1851033978

comments on this truck:

1963 or 4, has pop up vent on cowl (1965's have open grill). Looks like drivers 'dimpled' lens.

notice ramsey/rhino pto not OEM.

notice pass upper windshield corner, looks like metal is missing

rocker panel damage drivers side

bad quarter panel damage drivers rear

crunch in roof

it does have mudflap (at least one) which is only place where the TEQ logo and 'GIFU BODY' appear cosmetically on truck.

rear bumper missing (only 5 of my 23 had OE rear bumpers)

hard to tell other details, but lack of a passenger side photo makes me think this truck has seen better days.