1964 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 Has Aged Like Fine Wine, Shows Up in All Its Boxy Glory

When Toyota first rolled out the Land Cruiser FJ40 back in the early 1960s, little did they know that more than half a century later, the vehicle would still be a head-turner and a capable off-roader to match those head-turning looks. With a twist, of course, because even aging like fine wine comes with its perks and setbacks.

The experts from the California-based firm got their hands on a Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40, which is exactly 60 years old. What came out of their shop was a Land Cruiser with the FJ44 specification and a design that would make the SUV of today green with envy.

The model received an Art Morrison frame and a custom four-door aluminum bodywork as part of the build. They could not just leave it like that without granting it the mean look that it sports today. So, for that sole purpose, they powder-coated it in gray, which complements its angular design. The ICON FJ44 badge showed up on the vehicle.

It also received a steel front bumper, which is way more suitable than the stock one in case the owner wants to take it off the tarmac. And, of course, they will. You don't buy an off-roader just to go grocery shopping in it.

For further protection, the front bumper integrates a bullbar. There is a receiver hitch at the opposite end. A swing-out spare tire found room on the trunk door, together with jerry can carriers. The extra LED lights are also on the menu.

A removable black soft top shelters the cabin from the elements, the mud and sand off-roading might throw at the occupants in search of adventures. Those occupants have two rows of heated bucket seats at their disposal, together with a third-row bench, all wrapped in black vinyl, sporting patterned cloth inserts. For the open-air off-roading experience, there are roll-up windows.

The layout makes it a true people carrier, one for those who would rather exchange city life for remote places and life off grid. For their safety, ICON 4x4 came up with a roll cage. For their comfort, it installed an air conditioning system and an Alpine radio unit on board.

The dashboard is a whole new (and old, and stylish, and everything in between) approach to minimalism. Controls for the twin-stick transfer case are placed to the right of the shifter. The AC control consists of simple switches and there is so much space between them on the light grey dashboard that carmakers of today would find room to fit a gazillion screens between them.

ICON mounted its own split-spoke steering wheel on board in front of the AutoMeter instrument cluster, integrating a 120-mph speedometer and a tachometer. There are also gauges that show oil pressure, voltage, water pressure, and fuel level. The odometer shows 19,793 miles under the current ownership. But the total mileage covered in all these 60 years on the road remains a mystery.

There are drilled aluminum pedals and a fire extinguisher found room on the central tunnel. A roof rack with a side access ladder and AMP Research power-operated side steps round up the comfort creatures list.

The Land Cruiser now cruises on 17-inch American Racing alloy wheels with 285/70 BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 tires. A Wildwood master cylinder activates the ICON-branded Brembo brake calipers fitted over slotted rotors at all four corners to provide the stopping power. Fox Racing adjustable coilovers are part of the setup.

ICON also performed a heart transplant on the model. The Toyota is now set in motion by a 5.7-liter Vortex V8 engine that is mated to a 4L65E four-speed automatic transmission. For the off-roading capabilities, among others, are the Atlas II twin-stick transfer case and the Dynatrac axles. ICON also installed an aluminum radiator and an Optima battery. The all-new dual exhaust system features MagnaFlow mufflers.

The current owner purchased it back in 2015, ran a makeover on it, invested a kidney, a leg, and an arm in it, and is now selling it on Bring a Trailer, calling it an ICON FJ44.

The model goes with digital copies of the owner's guide and manufacturer's literature. If the future owner wants to brag about the transformation, they will have the photo documentation to prove it. The off-roader comes with a clean California title in the seller's name. However, the California registration expired in 2018. This means that the only way this off-roader traveled these past few years was a trailer truck. So the next owner is really going to need to… bring a trailer.

With three days left to the end of the online auction, bidding has hit $125,000.