This rig was purchased used, more than 30 years ago, by Scherf's dad in California when their Buick 225 gave up the ghost. It was previously owned and had a tiny 84,000 miles on the odometer. So it was basically brand new.
The LC entered the Montgomery's life primarily as daily driver and kid hauler. Scherf and his brother ‘grew up with the rig’ in California. Later, after his dad got a new car the 60 headed to the family farm in rural Ohio where it would serve standard farm truck + hauling duty for a number of years. As those that are familiar with the 60 series know, it's very capable in bone-stock form and has plenty of room to carry everything from the kids to the tools needed for any daily project.
However this LC did not spend its entire life on the farm, thankfully. There were plenty of family trips back and forth to California. In fact, this rig is the one Scherf originally learned to drive at the age of 8, down in California. While that sounds like a dream for many of us, it ended up causing a little trouble a couple of years later in Canada. Scherf was pulled over by the police as a very much under-aged driver, piloting the LC at age 10.
A little over 10 years ago, Scherf officially took over care & feeding of the 60. As young men sometimes do, he decided to built it into an epic Land Cruiser Crawler. Most of us know that this platform, while very capable as a stock rig, has plenty of options for upgrades and modifications that will allow it to pretty much go anywhere.
See below for a full list of the current upgrades Scherf has completed on the 60 Series. Some of the highlights include:
- ARB Bumper
- Warn winch
- Rear Swingout
- Suspension Upgrade
- Custom Baja Rack
- Safari snorkel
- Upgraded seats
- White Knuckle Sliders
- H55 trans for 5th speed
- Walker Evan Beadlocks on 37"
- Lockers front & rear
Wouldn't you know it, all of these upgrades ended up taking their toll on the aging vehicle. Scherf kept blowing power steering pumps due to the 37" tires and massive weight they bring. After he installed a Hydro-Assist steering setup, he still ended up sheering a line.
While these upgrades allowed Scherf to take harder and harder lines on his favorite trails, the chances of a major mishap that could cause permanent damage kept growing. Like many of us, as he has matured he started to see the true value in this 60. A family rig that has served for decades, so many memories, and such sentimental value. Perhaps this truck should be preserved for future exploring and admiration, and not modified to the point of no return.
Recently Scherf has made the decision to bring the Land Cruiser back to more of a classic, yet tastefully upgraded rig. That process is just beginning, and although we love the stance of a 60 series on 37" tires, the idea of a well done retro-mod sounds really great.
When I was chatting with Scherf about his 60 Series, as I tend to do, I asked if there were any great adventure stories he could share about this rig. He immediately told me about his 21st birthday trip to the FJ Summit back in 2014.
While many young people decide to go for a major party in Vegas for their 21st birthday, a Land Cruiser Enthusiast with a gorgeous built 60 series makes other plans. For Scherf, the largest Toyota event in the country was the place to be.
So in July 2014, he loaded up the rig and headed east for the annual gathering. Other than a steering/alignment issue with the 60, the trip out went a-OK. Camping is also always fun, but sometimes a group of friends want to crash in a nice bed at a hotel for a night or two.
In this case, the group member assigned with making accommodation reservations did not do all of his homework. While the gang was expecting a simple hotel to rest up after the event, the actually ended up with reservations at Tellurides perfect romantic getaway. The Guys inadvertently checked in to the honeymoon suite at the Lumiere. One nice large bed for the crew. We'll save the rest of that story for later, but suffice it to say that it was an adventure.
A classic Land Cruiser always has a great history and plenty of adventure on the frame. Scherf's 60 Series has already lived a life of exploring and utility around the country. We can't wait to see what's next for this amazing rig, so look forward to future articles covering the re-transformation of an amazing Toyota Land Cruiser.
You can follow Scherf Montgomery and his adventures with both his 60 Series LC and classic Toyota Pickup on Instagram @california.cruiser
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