Only a few modern touches have been added to the icon.
The upcoming Toyota FJ Cruiser EV is a sign that the Japanese manufacturer is holding onto its heritage 4×4 fundamentals. However, if you're one of those who want to stay true to the traditional principles, Legacy Overland's rendition of this 1971 FJ40 V8 will be right up your alley. The restomod sources a bunch of genuine Toyota parts, some of which are now being produced by Gazoo Racing, but to add more appeal to the product, it has installed some third-party accessories.
The biggest alteration is found under the hood where the custom builders have fitted a 5.7-liter V8 crate sourced from Chevrolet with a 600 cubic feet per minute Holly carburetor. This powers the 4×4 system via a four-speed manual gearbox comically housing an eight-ball knob. Legacy Overland doesn't drop any details regarding performance but as per Chevrolet's claims, we can assume it's close to the 333 horsepower and 381 lb-ft of torque region.
Ensuring additional safety, the FJ40 benefits from a set up uprated brake discs at the front and rear while a custom roll bar covers the entire cabin. Connecting it to the surface is a set of black-painted steel wheels wrapped in BF Goodrich all-terrain tires. The body is covered with a bespoke dark grey metallic paint with black accents and benefits from a hardtop roof with full front and rear ambulance doors.
For the adventurous driver, Legacy Overland has fitted front Warn lockers with an M8000 winch, a farm jack fitted to the front bumper, and a rear spare wheel applied to a swing-out carrier. Halogen headlights ensure that the SUV's iconic classical look is preserved.
Inside the cabin, you’ll find a pair of bucket seats to ensure the driver and passenger and snug and secure while traversing tricky obstacles. The rear seating that consists of two sideway-mounted benches is not as secure. A premium and comfortable cabin experience is created via a leather-wrapped steering wheel, under-dash air-conditioning, additional auxiliary gauges, and a premium sound system.
Legacy Overland is not what we’d call a newcomer to the restomod game. We’ve already seen its impressive rendition of the 1977 FJ40 in Heath Gray which retained Toyota’s 4.2-liter six-cylinder engine with a modified Weber carburetor. The 1979 recreation used similar principles with the inclusion of LED headlights.
Keyword: Custom Toyota FJ40 Gets Chevy V8 And Go-Anywhere Attitude