Heart of the South Cruisers - March 2015 newsletter

March 2015 Newsletter

CALENDAR EVENTS Next Monthly Meeting: April 11th 9:00 a.m.

Bill Penney Toyota & Hawk Pride

Heart of the South Cruisers purpose statement:

HOT South Cruisers is a growing group with a positive attitude and desire to have fun as we help one another in skills and projects.

Officers Michael Blake President

Next Meeting Agenda Monthly club meeting.

Al Vanderwerff Vice President

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Chris Davis Secretary Brian Nichols TLCA Rep. Jason Braswell Trail Boss

HOT South Cruisers 122 Chatham Cir Alabama A note Madison, from the club Secretary: hotsouthcruisers@gmail.com

President's Corner Gentlemen, I would like to say that it has been a privilege to have been your President these last few years. I would also like to thank all of you for making this such a great club to belong to. I have enjoyed the fellowship of like minded Toyota mad men who live and breathe all things Toyota. Some of you will never be quite finished with your rigs and somehow that is okay. I've had mine for 20 years and she still needs a few more things! I will miss you all while I am deployed but I hope to have some communication through the Internet.

I finally registered for the Mardi Krawl and my crazy friend Ray and the NW Florida Toyotas will be coming up from Florida to hang out with me! I'm looking forward to the campfire more than anything.

Hope the trails are fun too!

I would like to welcome our incoming President, Mike Blake to his new job, I'm sure Mike will take over and enjoy watching things from a different perspective, he did such a great job as secretary/treasurer in getting our club on it's feet and running. Thank you Mike for being so professional!! Good luck to Chris who is taking over for Mike in the secretary job, I'm sure he has his hands full already and please support him as he has the toughest job in the club now!!

That is all I really have. Take care and keep the transfer cases in low range and crawl (or is it Krawl?).

Your outgoing President, Steve

Swap Shop Parts Needed FJ60 transmission boot Contact Michael Blake Parts for Sale Used half tub $250.00 Kyle M.

Minutes from the March14th meeting We had 21 in attendance. There were 18 club members, and 3 new members added.

Everyone join me in welcoming Mitch Powell, Derrick Latham and Josh Perez!

Introductions were made.

Nothing to report from the TLCA this month.

The Action Committee reports that the trip to the Toyota plant is cancelled.

Work on the web site continues.

Elections for club officers were held.

Discussions on Hawk Pride and April18th car show were had.

List of off road parks in the area: (contact Jason Braswell with suggested additions to this list)

Hale Mountain, 83 Big Rock Ln, New Market AL Stoney Lonesome, 10075 AL Hwy 69 South, Bremen c AL 35033 c Gray Rock, 7468 Old Mt Olive Road, Gardendale, Alabama Golden Mountain OHV, 6338 Golden Mountain Rd Sparta TN Morris Mountain ORV, 1524 Henry Davis Rd, Delta AL 36258 Choccoloco Mountain OHV, 1312 Louise Dr SE, Jacksonville, AL 36265

March 26th dinner meeting We had 11 in attendance. There were 9 club members and 2 visitors.

The dinner meeting was a great success! With lots interesting conversations, technical advise being shared, a few Cruisers to see and good food.

New club officers Office of President: Michael Blake Office of Vice President: Al Vanderwerff Office of Club Secretary: Chris Davis Office of Trail Boss: Jason Braswell Office of TLCA Representative: Brian Nichols

Eli Williams' Car Show April 18th, 9am-3pm Lindsay Lane Baptist Church In December 2011 7-years-old Eli began fighting a brain cancer called Medulloblastoma. He was diagnosed with metastatic, high-risk disease with over half a dozen tumors in his brain and up and down his spine. He fought the monster with radiation and chemo for 9 months at St. Jude and showed no evidence of disease for a year and a half. In December 2013, one day after his ninth birthday, Eli's scans showed relapse with multi-focul disease. With no cure or proven treatment, his family has seen the ups and downs of a painful journey of hope. Eli is now 10 and last week his family received news that new spots have shown up in his scans. They are taking the next 3 weeks off from chemo to allow his body to get stronger for what lies ahead.

Eli loves Mustangs and Rock Crawlers. Last year an impromptu car show was put together in his honor. This year Eli wanted to help a little friend out, Leah Seibert, a St. Jude patient by honoring her and collect donations that day. It's $30 if you want to pre-order a shirt with your registration, or $15 w/o a shirt, both include goodie bags and entry into door prizes and contest for trophies, or it's free if you just want to bring your ride and hang out, but they still would appreciate registering so they can plan. There will also be craft and product booths, something for everybody, kids area, food and live music after lunch. Please let Kyle know if you plan to attend. The local mustang club will have a good turnout of mustangs and it would be great if we could have a good group of FJ's. It does not matter if it is old, new,

rusty, or spotless. What matters is that we can put some smiles on some kids faces that day.

FJ43 So it’s Valentines Day and what is any good Cruiserhead doing? Why he’s cruising the Mud forum looking for the next part for his favorite LC. I spot this add thread “Cruisers Kissing”. It peaked my interest! The thread has the below picture in it from a supporting vendor Tom Watson. It’s a cute picture, but the vents in the top brow catch my interest. I contacted Tom hoping to score an FJ45 top with these vents in it for my ride. Tom supplied the following information and pictures;

South American trucks often arrived at port without tops. The tops where made locally with Toyotas full cooperation by local suppliers. It was to skirt some import tax issues I believe where they would be taxed as farm or utility vehicles as opposed to passenger vehicles. There where at least three different companies that where set up to make the tops and the styles varied a little. The tops were most often installed simultaneous to the owner’s purchase of the truck new. The top is double thickness, kind of insulated as opposed to the US tops. The air would draw in the front and blow out closeable vents at roof level by the driver, the passenger and the rear seat passengers. They are fiberglass and also have formed in speaker pods behind the driver and passenger near roof level, so the sound is close to the ears and you don't have to cut out the doors. Really cool stuff. Unfortunately I have only seen them so far on the FJ40's and FJ43's as the FJ45's came in with tops from Japan as there where no tax issues to consider.

I found all of this information educational, but to no avail since they only did this for 40/43’s. If anyone is interested in contacting Tom about his 43’s, he can be reached at www.n2cruisers.com.

Saturday morning work out I decided to remodel my front yard on Saturday. I had a tree that was sapping all over my vehicles in the driveway and the birds were perching in it using it as a vantage point from which to paint every vehicle under them white and sometimes and multiple berry colors. I have a friend that needs fire wood for his new fireplace, so I invited him help me cut down saw up my tree. It also became a good opportunity to let Sampson flex his muscles, aka ‌ getting it done LC style!

The following club members have annual membership renewal due in the amount of $20.00; January Hank Rinehart Mike Weesner February Ken Christian Grant McCormick

March Taylor Abington Please remember we are now able to accept checks. Contact the club secretary for instructions.