Anyone that is au fait with the classic car scene and the art of restoration and restomods will have most certainly heard of Bruce Canepa and the incredible operation that he has put together. From their rebuilds and upgrades of the inimitable Porsche 959 to the restoration of Deusenbergs, Canepa’s reputation most certainly precedes them and the same can be said for Canepa Inventory, specialising in investment grade collector car sales, and restoration.
Canepa Inventory currently have 1979 Toyota FJ43 Land Cruiser “Reimagined” in stock, restored by The FJ Company. Of the Land Cruiser Reimagined, Car and Driver Magazine say “The FJ Company build quality, and details, are meticulously rendered and restored—such as the super-cool vintage Toyota badges that wrap around one of the rear corners—and its boxy, old-school charm is off the charts.”
While it may look like a classic Land Cruiser, The FJ Company have incorporated and designed upgrades and tasteful modifications that stay true to the original spirit of the Land Cruiser. FJ Company also modernise the technology and running gear in their products with modern Toyota mechanicals which all compliments the charm and reliability of a factory original Toyota Land Cruiser.
The benefit of this is that even though the vintage look and feel of an original Land Cruiser is kept, modern-era technology integrates with this to provide an exceptional driving experience and the perfect combination of performance, style, and handling.
The body and chassis is that of an original FJ43, completely stripped down to the last nut and bolt. The chassis is the modified in order to accommodate the new Toyota 1GR-FE, 4,0-litre V6 motor, paired with Toyota’s H150F 5-Speed manual transmission.
New sheet metal is applied to body panels where it may be needed and the body is fully restored, with The FJ Company even going to such lengths as to have created new metal die presses in order to reproduce certain panels.
The interior features air-conditioning, a custom sound system and digital instrument cluster, yet all if these impart a retro feel so as not to detract from the vehicle’s personality. The idea is for it to provide all the emotions and the experience of driving a classic car, but without many of the hassles that often present themselves with cars that are a number of years old.
Lead times for a new build is a minimum of 12 months, making this vehicle offered by Canepa a good opportunity to hop into a G43 without the long wait. The vehicle is available at Canepa’s Scotts Valley, Northern California showroom.
