by Gabrielle DeSantis

Arne Toman and Doug Tabbutt met during the Coast to Coast (C2C) express, an amateur Cannonball racing event featuring pre-1980 cars that cost less than $3,000. They both did well in this lighthearted rally and decided to go after the overall record: the Cannonball Run Challenge. Little did they know, they would make history as the first duo to win the record twice. You can find out how the Cannonball Run began in Cannonball History Part One or how the modern ‘Fraternity of Lunatics’ was founded in Cannonball History Part Two.

Arne Toman and Doug Tabbutt: A Legendary Team

A single enthusiast spearheaded the 2006 and 2013 Cannonball records. Both lead drivers recruited a co-driver at the last minute. But the 2019 attempt was a joint effort. The co-drivers were seasoned C2C champions. The duo combined the greatest strengths of previous record holders such as Alex Roy and Ed Bolian.

After the two C2C veterans decided to go for the overall record, Arne Toman located a 2015 Mercedes E63 AMG. He boosted the engine to 700 horsepower. Then, he installed the usual electronic police countermeasures. He also improved on the standard gear with a quick-fill fuel cell and a gimble-mounted infrared camera. The camera was for their spotter to use at night.

The Camouflaged Cannonball Car

The only downside of the Mercedes E63: it is a distinct-looking car that attracts attention. Toman went beyond any previous Cannonball Run Challenge attempts in modifying the car’s appearance. He stripped all the badges from the car, then built body-colored vinyl panels to alter the lights and grill. At speed, his masterpiece did not look like a Mercedes AMG, but like an older, budget sedan.

Doug Tabbutt was in the business of selling used luxury cars, and his network of Cannonball enthusiasts was extensive. He lined up an unprecedented series of scouts for their run on the record. Tabbutt also rivals Roy in meticulous planning. He outlined multiple routes contingent on traffic and the unseasonal weather, continuing to adjust until their departure. Cautious by nature, Tabbutt insisted they triple-check for dangerous obstacles. The team leveraged the Waze app, a team of scouts, and an in-car spotter. After adding a spotter named Berkeley Chadwick, the group departed the Red Ball Garage in the middle of a November night.

Tabbutt and Toman Attempted A Cannonball Record in 2019

Tabbutt and Toman’s 2019 record run involved multiple setbacks. These included heavy Manhattan traffic, driving behind slow cop cars for over an hour, and even a stalling motor. After stalling, the team realized they had filled up with low octane fuel at elevation. They pulled over and restarted the engine to reset the car. 

Despite the challenges, they stuck to their plan. The duo had watched other teams lose momentum during the second half of a nonstop cross-country drive. Tabbutt organized an uninterrupted escort of spotters across the eastern states. They pushed themselves to the pace of a small plane through the first night, banking enough hours to coast to a record.

A truck driver saw the Mercedes speeding. As the team listened, the trucker radioed the police. But then the dispatcher prompted him for the make and model of the offending vehicle. The trucker just stammered that it was a silver passenger sedan, and the racers disappeared into anonymity.

The 2019 Cannonball Record was 27:25

Overall, the team maintained an average speed of 103 MPH. They kept their time stopped to 22 minutes. They set a new Cannonball record: 27:25.

Toman and Tabbutt arrived at the Portofino Inn in the middle of the night. While they were taking pictures of their car, a local police officer stopped to chat. They candidly told him what they had just done, and he told them he loved the Cannonball Run movie. When they gave him some Cannonball patches they had made, he hurried to the station and back with some department patches to trade. The team all posed for a mock arrest photo before parting ways.

Toman and Tabutt had no way of knowing that the quarantine of 2020 was about to leave the highways open for not one, but two teams to shatter their hard-won record.

RELATED: The ‘Fraternity of Lunatics’ Pursuing The Cannonball Run Record (Cannonball History Part 2)

The post The Camouflaged Cannonball Record Car (Cannonball History Part 3) appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Even before Toyota discontinued US Land Cruiser sales, vintage models have been continually rising in value. Though given the Toyota SUV’s long-earned reputation for reliability, durability, and off-road capability, that’s somewhat understandable. However, a classic Land Cruiser doesn’t have to cost six figures. And this week’s Bring a Trailer bargain, a 1987 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ60, is proof of that.

The Toyota Land Cruiser FJ60 added luxury but kept the rugged, reliable, off-road utility

Although the latest 300-Series Toyota Land Cruiser is indeed a luxury SUV, the model didn’t start that way.

In its first few generations, including the iconic third-gen FJ40, the Land Cruiser was a hard-working, rugged SUV. And the FJ40-succeeding 70 Series, which is still in production, keeps that spirit alive. Starting with the FJ40’s other successor, the FJ55, though, the Land Cruiser gained some on-road refinements. But the model that truly marks the SUV’s “first tentative transition from agricultural tool to aristocrat” is the 1980-1989 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ60, MotorTrend says.

Underneath its squared-off styling, the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ60, aka the 60 Series, is essentially a “lightly updated” FJ55, Hemmings reports. With ‘only’ 7.5” of ground clearance, combined with departure-angle-reducing bodywork, the FJ60 is slightly less off-road-focused than the FJ55. But it still has a ladder frame with rock-crawling-friendly solid axles as well as front and rear leaf springs. Plus, standard 4WD with a two-speed transfer case and manually-locking hubs. So, with a lift kit and some off-road tires, the Land Cruiser FJ60 is still an excellent overlanding machine.

However, it’s significantly easier to live with daily than the FJ55 and FJ40. Despite the axle and spring designs, the Land Cruiser FJ60 rides more quietly and comfortably, MotorTrend says. And that’s thanks in part to the interior improvements it introduced. For one, the FJ60 has a fully-upholstered interior, Hemmings notes. Plus, it offered amenities such as power steering, A/C, power windows, rear heating, and a moonroof. Later Land Cruisers offered more luxuries, but for the ‘80s, these were premium features.

There’s an engine-swapped 1987 60 Series listed on Bring a Trailer

But while the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ60 is more refined than its predecessors, it’s not significantly faster. In 1988, the FJ60 got a facelift, automatic transmission, and a fuel-injected engine, becoming the FJ62 in the process. But before then, it exclusively had a four-speed manual and a carbureted 4.2-liter inline-six. True, the ‘2F’ inline-six is stalwart. However, with only 135 hp and 210 lb-ft of torque, on-pavement acceleration is “a source of frustration,” Hagerty reports.

The 1987 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ60 currently listed on Bring a Trailer, though, shouldn’t have that problem. That’s because, instead of a 2F, it has a 5.7-liter V8 with a four-speed automatic transmission. The seller doesn’t know how much horsepower the V8 makes, but ‘way more than 135 hp’ is a comfortable estimate.

Besides the swapped engine, this 1987 Land Cruiser FJ60 sports Bilstein shocks, Aisin hubs, a steering stabilizer, and aftermarket 15” alloy wheels wrapped in BFGoodrich T/A KTO all-terrain tires. It was also refinished in its current white color in 2017. That’s when it gained headlight washers, chrome bumpers, a locking fuel-filler door, tinted windows, a split rear tailgate, and a wiper-equipped heated rear window. Plus, this FJ60 has an aftermarket Sony stereo with speakers, a B&M shifter, and factory A/C.

While this 1987 Land Cruiser FJ60 has roughly 187,000 miles on the clock, that’s not unusual for vintage Land Cruisers. The seller says the transfer case has a small amount of oil build-up, and the speedometer has an intermittent issue. However, they will address the issue before handing over the SUV. And apart from that, this FJ60 is essentially pristine and has a zero-accident history.

This vintage 1987 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ60 might be one of the last 60 Series bargains

As of this writing, this 1987 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ60 is listed on Bring a Trailer for $22,000 with three days left in the auction. That’s slightly below-average for a good-condition FJ60, Hagerty says. But it might be significantly below-average shortly, given how much 1980s Land Cruisers have shot up in value recently.

As always, potential bidders should try scheduling a pre-purchase inspection before putting any money down. That being said, with proper maintenance, high-mileage Land Cruisers can last for decades. And Toyota recently started selling brand-new parts for vintage Land Cruiser owners.

So, if you want to get behind the wheel of a legendarily durable classic SUV, this FJ60 is a fairly inexpensive way to do it.

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RELATED: 1990s JDM Toyota SUVs You Can Buy Now In the US

The post Bring a Trailer Bargain of the Week: 1987 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ60 appeared first on MotorBiscuit.