Photography supplied by The FJ Company
Sometimes, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity comes along to become the custodian of an exceedingly rare vintage automobile. For one Montana man, that day came roughly 10 years ago when he became the new owner of a 1967 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ45LV—the rarest of all 40 series Land Cruisers, with only around 1,000 vehicles imported into the United States, and a total of just 5,000 vehicles produced between 1963 and 1967. With an off-roader this rare, a bit of trail rash may turn fatal.
Although the FJ had been kept in relatively decent shape over the years, the owner took it upon himself to begin painstakingly restoring the truck, and over the years developed an extensive and expertly assembled inventory of boxed, sealed, and labelled original parts.
After more time had passed, the man was no longer able to continue with his restoration of the Toyota due to his declining health, but the FJ45LV was ultimately sent off to Miami to be used as a donor car for one of The FJ Company’s obsessively detailed, piece-by-piece restorations, along with the previous owner’s expertly-assembled stash of original parts. After seeing the finished product, we can assure you that returning most of this LV to new-old-stock was an excellent idea.
With a recently sprayed two-tone, capri blue and white paint job, and a new set of high-polish rims, The FJ now looks fresher than it ever has before, but maintains its original soul and feel, thanks to the original F engine, and transmission. What do you think of this reborn Land Cruiser?
H/T to The FJ Company
