Esthetics are not the number one requirement for AWD vehicles, though they’re always a nice addition to the package. Looks-wise, Land Cruisers of this generation had always left me a bit cold, until I found this particular one. Was it that toy-like sky blue hue, or the fact that it seemed utterly straight and spotless, or the unusual absence of plastic or rubber trim? This TLC ticked a lot of boxes.
I’m none too knowledgeable about these, but I gather the split tailgate was only available from 1982 in Japan and mirrors were on the fenders until the end of 1983, so this could be an ’84. OK, so it’s not 100% stock – aside from the colour, the owner opted to put clear lenses for the indicators, but that’s a very minor thing. The running boards are also added (or possibly were a period option?) and I’m not sure whether the mirrors are correct for this early ‘80s model, either. They add to the overall brightwork, so they’re fine by me.
This post is certainly not going to delve into the intricacies of the FJ60’s technical side. It’s an old-school BOF 4×4, it has a big 4-litre straight-6, automatic transmission and that’s all that needs to be said on the matter. (If you want to know more on that side of things, click right this way.) I guess it never occurred to me that the ‘80s Land Cruisers could be considered good-looking. They were hardy workhorses, not 2000GTs.
But sometimes, all it takes is for the right specimen to materialize, and an epiphany is triggered. That interior looked quite pleasant, too. Very ‘80s Toyota, with a few additions – all in a good way. It even looks like a satnav or some kind of touchscreen has been made to fit in the dash. (Again, I have no frame of reference with this generation of TLC – though I realize they never had anything of the kind 30-plus years ago – so that screen-like rectangle could be something else entirely, which the CCommentariat will helpfully point out…) And those seats sure look nice too. That’s the kind of personalization I can live with.
But it’s not just that my tastes have evolved, it’s also that traffic has changed. Cars have gotten so damn huge today that this old-style SUV seems about as cumbersome as a modern minivan. It sits higher off the ground than a 2020 minivan would, but doesn’t look any the worse for it – quite the opposite. That’s another thing I liked about this particular FJ60: it’s wearing the right size of wheel and it’s not jacked up by 10 feet. It has just the right amount of tyre for its wheel wells, just like your shoes should go with the clothes you wear.
It seems this generation of Land Cruisers, now that it’s over 30, is becoming something of an icon. Not long after I caught the FJ60, I found this interesting J100 with a face that looked mighty familiar.
I’m not sure whether Toyota sold some like this or if this was done with an aftermarket kit, but I’m sure I’ve seen a few of these here – though Google image searches aren’t backing up my vague memories. To my untrained eye, the side, rear and interior are standard-issue J100, but it seems someone wanted the older face. This looks better than the production version, in my opinion.
But given the choice, I’ll take the original (well, this particular one anyway) any day.
Related posts:
Curbside Classic: 1988 Toyota Land Cruiser – Keeping The Faith, by Perry Shoar
Neighborhood Outtake: 1988 Toyota Land Cruiser (J60) – The Timeless Icon, by PN
Hmm, can’t say I like that pseudo-60-series front end on the 100, but thanks for posting something I’ve never seen or imagined could exist. Never underestimate the JDM, I guess. By the way, as an American, it’s interesting to see an automatic 60. Here, all 60’s were manual 4 speed, and then all 62’s (and subsequent TLC’s) were 4 speed auto’s until the 5 speed came along sometime in the 100’s lifespan.
These have always looked good to me, but I think that they fall into that size category that, from my perspective, does not have the trail oriented short wheelbase of a Jeep (or such) or the total capacity (including towing) of a Suburban type rig. Having owned a Range Rover Classic and a Grand Wagoneer, which of course slot into dimensional field, and a couple of Suburbans and currently an Excursion, that extra space has no real penalty (other than parking) but greatly increases actual utility.
That said, they still look great and wear like iron.
I respect the owner’s desire to make this exactly what they wanted it to be, and they apparently had the resources to do the job right. That touchscreen looks almost factory and fills out the standard single-DIN radio and tape deck/storage shelf quite well.
That color looks surprisingly great on that LC, I’d love to have one of this era to cruise around in and do some light trailing. We once owned an FJ100 that was a bucket list vehicles of ours and are glad to have had it when we did, superbly built and seemingly indestructible. Nice find!
Nicely done, and that applies to the 100 too. I rather like that grille conversion.
The FJ60 looks neater than the cobbled together FJ55 and the boxy look is more purposeful looking than the rounder FJ100. They are very popular in the US and command surprisingly high prices.
I like how the FJ60 has real manual locking hubs. And a lever for the transfer case.
That J100 has a popular aftermarket kit attached, much like those ones that turn your Jimny into a G500 or your Every into a Citroen H-van. I read an article on Carview (machine translated of course) about the popularity of that specific transplant (100 dressed like a 60) a couple of weeks back. Even matches the beige with black handles/bumper colouring of the vehicle pictured for the article.
Vast numbers of those 60s were exported new and herds of them used especially automatics seemed to come here but unlike the export models which had a 4.2 petrol or diesel six and manual the JDM 60s seem to have the big four cylinder diesel with auto 3.4 litre and a factory front mount winch, TLCs were common in Aussie when I lived there I forget how many I drove and rode in but I never saw an auto untill I started seeing ex JDM used examples in NZ, I’d buy one if I could find a good 4.2 diesel one and get a Dyna turbo and exhaust brake conversion fitted, perfect for towing.
That is not an ’84 FJ60. That is an FJ62 (’88-90) with a 60 nose grafted on, a common modification. The interior is the give away. Those are 62 mirrors, but the wheels and hubcaps are from an FJ40. Tailgate is standard split style..
And this is why I love this site.
No matter what the vehicle there always seems to be someone who knows all the details and more. 🙂
That these old blunderbusses have become a desirable commodity says things about those who lust after them, mainly that they’re almost certainly also prepared to wear gonad-squashing pants or flea-ridden facial growths or blue cheese in their earring if fashion dictated it so.
I say these potentially harsh words because these Toyotorturers were awful things to drive, quite in defiance of their advanced pre-WW1 suspension tech. Bereft of modern conveniences such as ride or steering, gifted with wind roar as if from the Arctic, equipped with alleged seats, out-accelerated by terminally-ill sloths, and blessed with a thirst that would be called advanced alcoholism if human, one had to squat aboard with gritted teeth comforted only by the one virtue of which the thing was possessed, that being that the torture would always but always end at the destination you intended, and do so over any road you set it to and for centuries.
I don’t mind the looks, but always thought the bum a bit long and klutzy, and still do.
I suppose if one has to have one – and in central Tokyo, one does not – then this as deceptively fine a looker as they can be made to be.