Topic: Vintage "Crawler Truck" Pictures

[BigMike]

I remember everyone wanted double/triple "rollbars" with that huge tubing.

TURBO has a Triple-Double for sale if you're interested.

[BigMike [OP]]

Here is Marlin and the Crawler Truck winning the "Most Trail Worthy" award at the 1995 CAL4WD Sierra Trek!


Gotta love the old school dual shocks! Sierra Trek, 1995


Just another day of trail riding for the world famous Crawler Truck. Sierra Trek, 1995.


The Crawler Truck get'n some Hammers action, circa late 1995 or early 1996. This is when Marlin had his dual cases installed as well as two sets of his 4.70s becoming the world's first "Ultimate Overkill" with a final low range ratio of 459:1 (What is an Ultimate Overkill? See http://www.marlincrawler.com/java/ultimate.html) Johnson Valley, California


How about some incredible mid-90s Toyota Hilux flex! Location: Hammers, Johnson Valley, CA

[Rocksurfer]

I remember everyone wanted double/triple "rollbars" with that huge tubing.

They work good as an airtank too.

[BigMike [OP]]

Did you know that the Crawler Truck is the first Toyota to ever make it up Jack Hammer?


Did you know that the Crawler Truck is the first Toyota to ever make it up Jack Hammer?


Here we find the Crawler Truck, yes covered in primer, doing what it doesn't do very well ... and that's not playing on Rocks! First Annual TLCA Rubithon Event, Rubicon Trail, July 1989


Those who ran solo trips up the seven waterfalls of Surprise Canyon with Marlin will recognize this popular camping spot about a quarter mile before the first waterfall. Marlin, shown here with long time friend Bruce "Z-Toy" Zehrung, liked to camp here to avoid the crowds and get an early start on what would typically turn out to be a very long day in the desert! Picture circa 1995 just west of Death Valley, California


Here is the Crawler Truck working the dual front KYB Gas Adjust Shocks at a 1,047:1 Crawl Ratio, circa 1996/97

[Rocksurfer]

I like the new facebook page on this.

[BigMike [OP]]

Here I am enjoying the Crawler Truck in the spring of 1984 or 1985. We believe this is from a TLCA Mud-N-Yer-Eye Frolic, Hollister Hills State Park, California.


It may not be a picture of the Crawler truck, but it is a vintage picture of Marlin doing what he loves to do and that is helping others!


The Crawler Truck hard at work rescuing the then-very-popular FJ40 Land Cruiser. Picture is circa early 1990s and was probably the first time the Crawler truck got a new coat of paint (in between paint jobs didn't stop Marlin from wheeling). FJ40s were by far without a question the most popular Toyota 4WD truck on the trail before the Marlin Crawler came out in 1994. Marlin remembers being teased for using a weak framed "Jap Tin Can" Hilux/Minitruck pickup and would go multiple trail runs without seeing even a single other minitruck on the trail. Some may think its great (or crazy!) how many spare parts Marlin carries, but the truth is that back then there were no other minitrucks on the trail to get spare parts from! Marlin would always be nervous of breaking down and being the only minitruck around for miles so he carried every spare part he could think of. Marlin was just a born natural at helping out others and the rest is history.


This photo is very important for the history of Toyota trucks at The Hammer trails, Johnson Valley because it is the very first time any Toyota had ever gone up Jack Hammer. Marlin remembers Victor Valley 4 Wheelers' Chuck Shaner calling him a complete idiot for taking a Toyota up Jack Hammer (at that time Jeeps dominated 4WD trails). Marlin recalls this was the 1st weekend after the trail was created but he isn't exactly sure. His brother Paul took the photo and they remember being the only vehicle up there. The Crawler Truck will always have a special place in Johnson Valley as the first Toyota up Jack Hammer, which at the time was probably the hardest trail there! Picture circa fall 1994.


Here is the Crawler Truck making its way up Lion's Back, the now closed trail at Moab, Utah. The truck is actually in gear and idling forward in this picture at a Crawl Ratio of 1,047:1, completing the World's very first "Walking The Crawler" up Lion's Back, circa 1997. If you've never heard about or seen a picture of Lions Back, here is what it looks like from afar: http://www.rigsofrods.com/images/imported/2011/03/lionsback202-2.jpg The property leading to Lion's Back was purchased in 2007 making this trail off limits to public use.

[Wainiha]

I used to hate my picture being taken and still kind of do.  But as I got older I realized I liked them for the forgotten memories. 

Holy smokes Marlin is young with the beard and silver truck.  What does he say about that pic?

And of topic:  How do you guys pronounce your last name?  I'd hate to butcher it.

[BigMike [OP]]

Yeah, pictures, memories... With all the cell phn and other compact cameras, kids growing up today are gonna have Gigabytes of digital pictures ready to embarrass them as they get older.

As for Marlin's beard, even since college he has had a beard and his wife didn't exactly like it so much. So a long time ago he made a promise to Christine that he will cut if off the day she turns 40, and that happened in 1993. So if you see a picture of Marlin with a beard, then 100% guarantee it is before 1993.

Regarding our last name, don't ask Marlin or Christine because they pronounce it wrong themselves, having discovered this myself only within the last 3 or so years. Marlin was born and raised in California and his father was born and raised in Poland. As such, his father spoke, read, and wrote Polish fluently so knowing what I know today, I can't understand why Marlin doesn't pronounce his name properly.

All of my life I've been told to pronounce "Czajkowski" as "Chai-Cow-Ski". This is how I've always done it and how both Marlin and Christine pronounce it. However, as mentioned, just about 3 years ago I met someone on a work assignment from Warsaw, Poland and promptly showed her my driver's license asking to please pronounce my name in the native language. She said, "oh that's easy" and proceeded to say, "Cha-Kou-v-ski" (pretend you are Russian as you read this with a deep, firm voice carrying the "v" sound out). I was so excited and told Marlin and Christine about it and they refuse to change their ways

I of course informed this to my wife and she immediately understood because in Japanese they pronounce the Russian version of our last name (adopted into their vocabulary thanks to the famous composer) as チャイコフスキー which translates to Chaikofusuki or "Chai-kofu-suki-" (Japanese do not have the letter V, instead use the letter F as a hybrid between our V and H sounds).

Pretty neat stuff.

Regards,
BigMike

[Wainiha]

Vy govorite po ruski?  I can't do the voice over the internet.  Thread jack done.

[monyman]

Pop quiz from this 1997 picture: 1) Who is the fellow Toyota shop owner standing with Marlin? 2) What is the name of the mascot they are holding? 3) What type of animal is this mascot? and 4) What is the significance of this mascot?

The mascot is Elsie the Armadillo. Elsie was the pronunciation for LC that stood for Land Cruiser. Elsie was a way for TLCA (Toyota Land Cruiser Assn) clubs to interact and connect with each other by passing Elsie from one club to the next. I'm in a picture or two somewhere with Elsie featured among a group of Toyotas on a club run. Good times.

[BigMike [OP]]

Having fun at the ghost town of Panamint City with a lot of great people! Date est. fall 2000


Crawler truck coming at ya! Rubicon Trail about four years before the birth of the Marlin Crawler, circa 1990.


Good times wheeling with good people! Summer 1995


Check out Marlin getting some cold water from the bottom of an ice chest off the tail gate of the Crawler Truck. Date is unknown, but clearly before he shaved his beard, as promised, when his wife turned 40 in May of 1993.


Crawler Truck, TDS Safari, 1995

[BigMike [OP]]

Check out the Crawler Truck earning more awards, this time at the 1995 Cal4WD Convention!


High-five 1990s style! Dropping down Surprise Canyon, Panamint Valley, California, fall 1995.


Here is Marlin out welding on the trail before welding on the trail became cool In the late 80s, before "Marlin Crawler" and "Rock Crawling" existed, Marlin had already designed and built his own on-board welder by modifying a Ford alternator and attaching it to the Crawler Truck's 22R Toyota engine (later he improved his design with a GM alternator). This predated the really cool on-board welding companies we see today, such as Premier Power Welder and Mobi-Weld, save only for Link Arc (who later would became what is Premier Power Welder today). Marlin was certainly not the first to do this, however at the time it was extremely rare to find another rig with an on-board welder. This lead to many broken down rigs of all makes and models to feel sudden relief when they spotted that humble little red 1980 Toyota pickup roll'n down the trail asking if anyone needed help!


Check out all the available 1st gear low range ratios listed on the tail gate of the Crawler Truck. Thanks to it's Marlin Crawler drive train, the Crawler Truck enjoys a total of 36 different speeds, all available at the throw of a lever (30 forward, 6 reverse). Picture circa 1996 before Marlin got the California license plate "CRAWLER".


"Don't Gear Down Double Up!" Hammers, circa 1995

[BigMike [OP]]

Here the Crawler Truck is starting another beautiful day in Surprise Canyon, about halfway up the #1 Waterfall with six more to go! Surprise Canyon, Panamint Valley, CA 1995


We get many questions regarding the Crawler Truck's Ratios so we thought we'd post this up to share them. This is when Marlin was running our special "MAR515" Toyota R-series transmission with a 5.15:1 first gear ratio, circa 2004-2011. Now you can see how the Crawler Truck has a 36-speed drive train: 30 forward and 6 reverse gear ratios all thanks to the amazing Marlin Crawler Transfer Case System!


Wheel'n is always a good time. Check out the original Toyota Land Cruiser Association sticker! Location unknown. Circa 1996


Sometimes it's not all about wheel'n. Having a Marlin Crawler enables us to access remote destinations that we'd otherwise not be able to enjoy. Here Marlin is saying hello to a snake in Dusy Meadows, one of our favorite destinations located between the Dinkey Lakes and John Muir Wildernesses of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range in Central California. July 5th, 2004.


The photo is blurry, but someone needs to inform Marlin that his '80s-style hat and jacket were no longer acceptable in the '90s. ;P Picture circa 1996/97

[rybike]

Loving the pictures Mike, keep em coming!! 

[Reeses81]

Great vintage pics  keep up the great job

[IronClad]

Love the dual shocks

[Wainiha]

I like the massive tubing for bumpers and the bed bar.  I wanted a triple-double bed bar so bad for my dad's truck as a kid.