A Trip Back

fireflyr

Adventurer
Not really an expedition here. Work has been a nightmare lately and last Thursday I was sitting in a meeting getting thoroughly abused when the 'Adventure' started to take form. Get the '40 out of the garage and drive north until I hit Highway 1, the Navarro River and a bunch of redwood trees. I called my Dad and asked if he was up to it and without the slightest hesitation said heck yeah. I'd pick him up in Lodi, on Hwy 12 and we'd head north to a cabin we built 42 years ago. My Dad is in his late 70's and worked as an investigator for 44 years. It was nice to hear some of the old stories again, get some family history straight and just plain catch up. He hadn't driven anything with drum brakes in a few years so the first couple of miles were interesting, but we survived.

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The longest trip for the FJ40 so far had been up into The Golden Trout Wilderness. This would entail over a thousand miles of driving (500 each way)with 2 days in the middle to enjoy the North Coast. We were both bringing a bottle of whiskey and steaks and I brought a mountain bike for spare parts.

A couple of months ago I broke the accelerator cable on the Weber conversion and found that a bike brake cable worked perfectly. Not wanting to be stuck miles from parts, and also not wanting to cannibalize my bike if it wasn't necessary I just threw it on a rack. My mother also pointed out that even if I didn't have the parts to fix the '40, I could atleast ride out.

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We ended up running into 3 dune beige FJ40's along the way; one in Lodi, one in Sonoma and another in Mendocino. I think it surprised my Dad how a 40+ year old vehicle can be such a conversation starter.

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We built the cabin in 1968 with my uncle and grandpa. It has survived floods, bachelor parties and 3 generations of boys that that have tried their best to growup, some succeeding, a few are questionable.

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fireflyr

Adventurer
It was nice to be just a son for a couple of days, to get away from the political nightmare that has poisoned the environment at work. My dad has dedicated his life to raising his 7 kids and still to this day will drop everything to be with us. He has never been one to lecture us on his beliefs or how we should live our lives. Rather, he has always set an example of how a good person should live, and how they should treat others.

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fireflyr

Adventurer
If you have never experienced the North Coast of California, you'll find an enigmatic mix of people and sights. We've had neighbors that grow medical marijuana, cults, organic farmers, loggers and everything in between. We even thought that the crazy guy nextdoor was the Unibomber for awhile. What a great place.

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fireflyr

Adventurer
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When we first bought the property in 1966 we used an old Wildgoose Teardrop trailer as a camp kitchen. The flood of '73 destroyed it but the trailer has been locked to a Pepperwood ever since. This summer I'm going to make it a project to rebuild it. Maybe I can convince my Dad to come down and give me a hand. I'm pretty sure he'll be up to it.

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Breakfast at the Owl Cafe in Cloverdale.

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On the way out, spare parts and all.

Mom and Dad. Married for 52 years.

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Bear

New member
Nor. Cali Expedition

Somehow I'm thinkin your Dad's method of raising you guys must have worked--congrats for setting aside your job to be with your Pop.
Makes me remember my own dad and how he was proud of me, no matter what I did.
Thanks.
 

Corey

OverCamping Specialist
Fantastic pics, and looks like a great time.
I like that color on the 40s too.
 

GSer

New member
This report/story contains many small things in life that are very important.
Plus, there is a beige FJ40! :D Thanks for the nice story and photos. I'm going to share this one with my wife.
 

Bullsnake

Adventurer
Excellent narration....Incredible story!

I too have a beige 40, and cannot wait to make memories like that with my kids! I hope they enjoy hanging out with dad and making memories as much as you have with yours.

I lost both my Dad and Grandfather the last few years, and I was very close to both of them. They both had their pilot's license, and we had a little Cessna 172. The memories of the times that we spent together are some of the most valuable things that I will ever possess!

Thanks for posting!
 

chet

island Explorer
that is a perfect expedition! Good to see your dad still getting around! Very nice cabin and cruiser too!
 

Sloan

Explorer
Thanks so much for sharing the story and the pics, hearing things like this makes me glad I quit working full time to raise my girls. BTW are those 33s or 35s on the 40? Also if you get a nasty email from my wife it's because this thread may have made me decide not to sell my FJ 40.
 

fireflyr

Adventurer
Thanks so much for sharing the story and the pics, hearing things like this makes me glad I quit working full time to raise my girls. BTW are those 33s or 35s on the 40? Also if you get a nasty email from my wife it's because this thread may have made me decide not to sell my FJ 40.


33x9.5x15's on stock steel rims. I hear they're getting hard to find.
 

fireflyr

Adventurer
I was thinking about those drum brakes and since I found the rear cyllinders leaking, I'm going to convert to 4 wheel discs. I'll be using brackets made by Poser on IH8MUD and Monte Carlo calipers.

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