- Legacy Overland fully restored this 1977 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ45 with modern parts.
- A 4.5-liter six-cylinder from an FJ80 replaces the original engine, paired with a manual.
- Other upgrades include lifted suspension, plus new brakes, cooling system, and shocks.
It’s possible to spruce up an old car with a fresh coat of paint, a new set of wheels, and a thorough interior cleaning, but for the crew at Legacy Overland, that’s not enough. When tasked with restoring and modifying this 1977 Toyota Land Cruiser, the firm from Connecticut completely stripped down the Aussie-spec model and rebuilt it from the ground up.
After removing pretty much every original part, Legacy was left with nothing but the frame. It then repaired it, sandblasted it, coated it in epoxy, and painted it, before starting the lengthy process of fitting a Toyota 4.5-liter six-cylinder from an FJ80 Land Cruiser, coupled to a five-speed manual transmission and transfer case.
Read: Legacy Overland’s Latest Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser Is An Automotive Gem
The mechanical upgrades don’t stop there. New drive shafts, an upgraded radiator and cooling system, and modern brake rotors have been fitted to all four corners. The ride height has also been jacked up by 2.5 inches thanks to Old Man Emu/ARB leaf springs and shocks, making the FJ45 even more capable along rugged and difficult terrain.
Visually, the iconic Toyota is finished in Dune Beige, which is perfectly fitting for an offroader like this. It also rocks steel 16-inch wheels with chrome hub caps and a matching Dune Beige soft top.
Inside, the original steering wheel has been restored and new gauges from Dakota Digital were installed, alongside a custom sound system, air conditioning, and newly trimmed leather seats. While this Land Cruiser is almost 50 years old, it’s never looked better than this and is bound to make the owner very, very happy.
Legacy Overland hasn’t said how much the transformation cost, but it couldn’t have been cheap. However, if you can afford to have a beautiful FJ45, you can probably justify paying an exorbitant sum to have it overhauled.
