Me & My Toyota: Chris Wade

The term "car guy" certainly applies, but for Chris Wade, three other words more accurately describe his automotive passion: Toyota Land Cruiser.

It all started decades ago with a very different sort of machine. "As a kid I took apart lawn mowers," says the 52-year-old Newnan, Georgia, resident. "I liked to see how things work." Clearly, he learned plenty along the way. Mostly self-taught, Wade's specialty is restoring vintage Land Cruisers-Toyota's legendary sport-utility vehicle which first arrived on the American market in 1958. Using only original parts and equipment, and working to meticulous standards, Wade does all of the labor himself except painting, which he has a specialist handle (stock colors only, he insists).

"When I was single, I always loved cars, especially '50s-era trucks and convertibles," Wade explains. "Probably 15 years ago, I saw a Land Cruiser for sale. I didn't know anything about them, but I bought it. It was a 1976 model, and I sold it [after fixing it up]." Wade's current inventory: a 1965 FJ45, a 1973 FJ40 and a 1980 FJ40 ("FJ" was a series of early Land Cruiser; though later dropped from the model line, the designation found new life when Toyota launched the FJ Cruiser in 2006). Wade says the 1979-1983 models are the rarest as well as his favorite to work on, though he currently doesn't do restoration work for anyone else.

"Finding them is a kick," he says. "When a good one comes up for sale, I'm on a plane [going to check it out]." Fortunately, as a 32-year employee of Delta Air Lines, Wade enjoys flying privileges, which makes his shopping trips a bit more budget-friendly. "I have a rule: Before I buy it, I have to touch it. Everyone I get, I restore it and say I'm keeping it. I'll show it off to people, drive it around for a while."

When he's not at the wheel of a prized retro ride, you might find him driving one of his other Toyota models: a 2002 Tundra and a 2006 Avalon. For a look at some of Wade's Land Cruiser handiwork, visit his website: www.wadesters.fototime.com.