This 48-year-old Toyota FJ45 Land Cruiser looks and drives like new

Last month, the tuners over at Legacy Overland (Australia) introduced a tasteful restomod of the 1977 Toyota FJ45 Land Cruiser. We now have all the principal details of the build.

The frame is basically the only thing that remains of the original car. Once stripped down to the last bolt, it was carefully restored, sandblasted, coated with epoxy and resprayed anew. Work then began on swapping the original engine for a larger and better block borrowed from an FJ80 Land Cruiser. The 4.5-liter unit was mated to a five-speed manual transmission and a transfer case.

We didn’t find any power or torque figures, but Legacy Overland mentions a new crankshaft, radiator and cooling system. This means that the mill should pump out considerably more than its standard 218 PS (215 hp / 160 kW) or so. Handling should also feel much more modern thanks to Old Man Emu/ARB leaf springs and shocks and disc brakes all around. The ground clearance is 2.5 inches (63 mm) higher than stock, too, so it should be a capable off-roader.

On the outside, the restomod flaunts a stylish beige paint job, 16-inch wheels with chrome hubcaps, and a color-matched soft top. The interior features a restored original steering wheel, Dakota Digital gauges, a premium audio system and an AC. The seats wear fresh brown leather, and the whole car looks like it’s only just rolled off the assembly line.