Car Feature>> Fj45 Land Cruiser Lowboy Hot Rod

The first time I saw this car, it was at the Toyota booth at SEMA. Since I spent soooo much time drooling and just plain jocking this FJ45, I was obviously very happy
to run into it again this year at JCCS.  This car is a definite head turner because
at first, you’re really not sure what kind of hot rod this is, and become even more
confused when you see TOYOTA stamped on it.

Even in the world of highly modified classic cars, this one-off specially built FJ45
Low-Boy is an extremely rare breed of hot rod.
Most classic FJ40 Land Cruisers (my favorite Land Cruiser chassis of all time, and one of my dream cars!) would be at home on a country backroad or an off road trail, but this
FJ45 would be best seen cruising the streets!

Impeccable style, and with a Toyota 2000GT in the back?! Cool as hell, come on!

The
entire bed and tail gate is completely hand built in order to fit this modified
chassis.  The chassis is also an original
FJ45 piece modified with monoleaf front springs and 4-link rear suspension with
coilover dampers.

Just look at that gorgeous wood/stainless combination used for the bed liner! I love it! The Mooneyes tank in the back is a super cool detail as well!

The minimalist approach is taken using very period correct
looking gauges to monitor the vitals.
Check out that old school style steering wheel matched with a shifter
that is completely hand made from scratch!

I’m not sure where this side view mirror comes from, but it
looks perfect with the satin black body and white top. The builder of this hot rod has really, really awesome style!!! This is the type of hot rod project I really admire; I’m not too fond of the styling of the cars you see on those old hot rod shows on Speed Channel.

The interior is very clean and simple wrapped in deep red
leather and black loop carpet.I like
how only the most basic gauges and knobs remain in the interior.That way, your attention can be focused on
the rumble of the monstrous Toyota V8 and enjoying the feeling of cruising a hot rod! Oh yeah, I dig the pedals too.

 As if the chassis and parts on this FJ weren’t rare and exclusive enough, the V8 powerplant is actually an authentic Toyota
NASCAR V8 engine
and is mated to a 4 speed manual transmission!!! Now that, my friends, is style!!! I just hate it when people put a Chevy V8 engine in a classic Toyota. How sacriligious is that?! People who put cheap Chevy engines into a clean, rare vintage Toyota body make me want to throw up. Come on, those folks need to try harder.

If for some reason you don’t appreciate the
spirit of a TRD Nascar V8 motor, I’m sure any heterosexual male can appreciatethe 800 horsepower that it generates! (Yes,
I said EIGHT effing HUNDRED!!!) I love it. And just look at those valve covers, and the headers!!! Ridiculously awesome! I especially like how the black/red TRD valve cover is matched with a satin black intake with red pinstriping!!! Sooo bad ass. I bow down to the person who conceptualized this car. All style, all the way. Incredible!!!

To get the classic hot rod look, Richard Graves of Richard’s
Wheels & Chassis performed many modifications to the body.  It is chopped, channeled, and narrowed in all
the right places.  The cowl vent, fuel
filler, and all other unnecessary holes have been filled to create that clean
and simple look. 

I just love the satin black paint, the red pinstriping, the customized matching red interior, the red wheels with chrome caps… the small stainless and chrome accents all over the whole vehicle… I just love every inch of this FJ45. Damnnnnnnnn… I would love to have this in my garage so I could look at it every day for the rest of my life, and sometimes roll through the drive thru at In n Out with it. Damnnnnn……………………!!!

Leave your Von Dutch, Ed Hardy, and Christian Audigier t-shirts at home. Forget that trendy stuff, this type of pinstriping and lettering is where it’s at. I love it so much I want to enthusiastically punch someone. Damn, this FJ45 is soooooo cool!!! Look at the door hinges! Just makes you want to scream expletives and such.

The 15” wheels and grooved tires certainly aren’t enough to
harness the 800 horses that reside under the hood, but having huge rear tires
would certainly upset the balanced look of this car.  Using a motor from a Nascar that makes that
much power is definitely overkill, but it makes this hot rod THAT much
cooler.I can’t imagine anywhere more
fitting than for this car to be than cruising Route 66 in Southern California, which is less than a mile away from where I live. (unless its sitting in the Cipher Garage, under spotlights!)

I love this FJ45. #$%^@$%^@^!@!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-Antonio Alvendia

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1

Put some tall skinny wire wheels and shorten the frame up front and this would make it period perfect! This car is SICK!!!!

2

a JDM lowboy. i dun seen it all now

3

I love hot rods, and i love imports. This is the epitamy of both. I end with a quote from Antonio "I love this FJ45. #$%^@$%^@^!@!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

4

TRD V8! :OOOO

5

Dude, that's amazing! I love the all Toyota going on, the Nascar V8, how cool is that. Very cool!

6

PURE SEX!!! The 2000GT in the back too!

7

With rear tires that small in diameter you proabably have to be quite dainty touching that there go pedal.

8

"I just hate it when people put a Chevy V8 engine in a classic Toyota. How sacriligious is that?! People who put cheap Chevy engines into a clean, rare vintage Toyota body make me want to throw up. Come on, those folks need to try harder."



I'm sure the hot rodders, lowriders and everyone else will appreciate the chevy v8 bashing during So-Cal month. Don't be a hater.

9

Sickness! When I saw the toyota power plant I was like OH MY! :O

10

Thats the best thing ever done with a Toyota Nascar engine! Ive always thought the "low tech" carb'ed engine hoo haa of Nascar was too neanderthal, but this application is perfect. Maybe Nascar should go with steel bodied 60's or 70's style sedans. Not muscle cars, because they belong in Trans Am.

11

This is definitely a waaaaay badass truck, but it still sort of disappoints me about the way the modern show-car scene uses the idea of a rat rod. Rat rods are supposed to be about function over form. The simple fact that this truck has the tires it does, paired with that motor, just about kills any idea of function. I can't imagine what it would be like to drive this truck. The only thing it seems to have been built for is as a showpiece, which is the antithesis of a ratrod. Rauh-welt is one of the only groups I've seen that seems to really understand this concept.



12

this site is my happiness please never go away :)

13

nice i remember seeing this in the last JCCS. I didn't know that v8 was from the NASCAR series...pretty sweet.



here's some links that you guys might find interesting...both of these hot rods are lexus powered! pretty bitchin cars but the body on that FJ45 Hot Rod takes the cake.

http://gowithsolo.blogspot.com/2008/07/in-heart-of-black-beauty-is-pure.html

http://gowithsolo.blogspot.com/2008/07/lexus-powered-32-hot-rod.html

14

omg... that's so feeaking badass...

15

Daaaaaaaaaaaaaamn I need a new keyboard!

16

I am stunned. I love it! There isn't one thing on it that I would change.

17

Very interesting to see this rod. Makes a change from all the 'usual' ones

18

outstandingly beautiful.... JDM hod rods are better!!!!

19

wat a nascar engine, i wish i could hear how it sounds. it must sound so badazz.

20

wow!!! that thing is effing amazing...the craftsmanship is pristine...artwork...

21

Man, Love it! I think the only thing I'd change is I'd have some custom, old school finned valve covers made for it. But where the heck can I obtain a TRD NASCAR engine? Oh well, I guess that's the beauty of a SEMA showcar!

22

to the hell witch v8(chevi smallblock) swaps!





last one i saw it was an porsche 911!

23

to the hell witch v8(chevi smallblock) swaps!





last one i saw it was a porsche 911!

24

anybody know who built this baby.

25

Clearly a Toyota corporate entity (person) in responsible, and they know what they're doing, they know the correct pulse of the non-showroom side of the industry. And  . . . Toyota didn't have to be bailed out because a spiritually (and product) bankrupt philosophy and incompetence led them to . . . bankruptcy. I love it though those rear tires could be a bit bigger.

26

The statement that people should try harder, I can relate to. I restore LandCruisers for a living....and frankly, the builders of this vehicle could have taken a better approach. This was the first FJ45 rod to be displayed in any venue, it was important to get it right. I am personally stepping up to the challenge....I have a '69 that's been in the inventory since 1998, and now I know what to do with it.

27

The statement that people should try harder, I can relate to. I restore LandCruisers for a living....and frankly, the builders of this vehicle could have taken a better approach. This was the first FJ45 rod to be displayed in any venue, it was important to get it right. I am personally stepping up to the challenge....I have a '69 that's been in the inventory since 1998, and now I know what to do with it.

28

This one is very neat but another one from South Africa is attached . Great engineering from Aĺlers Rods and Customs

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