Rebuild: From Guts to Glory

A major restoration of a 1977 Toyota FJ45 Landcruiser resulted in a mint rig to cherish on and off the trails.

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Words and Photos by Wes Kirk

To me, Toyota Landcruisers are a family thing, especially when it comes to the 40 Series. They have been part of my life pretty much since I can remember. My first memory of one was at the age of four when my father was working on his bright red FJ45.

It’s an interesting memory.  After he finished some repairs and hooked up the battery, he lifted me into the driver’s seat, went back under the hood to ensure the battery was properly in place and asked me to turn the ignition.

Mere seconds later, there was a loud ‘boom’ and my father screamed ‘I can’t see, I can’t see.’ What happened was the battery blew up in his face, and I recall him running into the house and into the shower to wash off battery acid. I think he also went to the hospital.

But following a successful recovery, the FJ45 was completed and my father used it for his delivery business on Cortes Island, BC, hauling supplies to the north end of the island. It always ran well and there wasn’t a snow storm or bad weather it couldn’t manage.

It was eventually sold and replaced with a larger vehicle. Then just a few years ago I discovered a decrepit 1977 Landcruiser FJ45 pickup stored in someone’s garage. It was for sale and a short while later my father purchased it, so I picked it up then drove it over to his house on the island. 

Although a lot of work needed to be done to fully restore it, the FJ45 had new fenders and the engine ran and shifted properly. But it wasn’t road worthy since the frame was cracked. In fact, there was a single piece of plywood wedged in between the box and the cab to keep the two from rubbing together. It also had rust holes in the floor, box, and bed, with additional rust pretty much everywhere else. But we soon realized there was enough to work with for a complete restoration, and we had the perfect guy in mind to help us with this project.

Randy is the local restoration expert on Cortes Island and he had previously completed bodywork on another vintage car my father owned. He agreed to help us with the FJ45, but he had a few requests. He asked us to take the cab off the frame and split the parts down so he could properly restore and paint them.

First, we removed the box and that’s when we ran into our first hurdle as it needed extensive repairs. Randy gave us an estimate on the cost and we realized it was more practical to just order a new box from Aqualu Industries in Kelowna.

This manufacturing and fabrication company is perhaps the reason why there are so many Landcruisers on the road today. They rebuild many aluminum body parts for the 40 Series and manufacture custom body styles and frame lengths. 

After ordering one and with the box now completely off, we removed the rear suspension and then cut off the back part of the frame, which was cracked and rusted with nothing left worth saving. We then removed the body panels in the front (but the cab remained in place) followed by the engine, transmission, and front suspension. Lucky for us, the FJ45 came with an extra frame in perfect shape to provide a solid base to build on.

With the truck basically stripped down to its frame, practically every essential part (other than the fenders and doors) needed to be rebuilt. This included the floor pans, edges of the transmission tunnel, the cab corners, rocker panels, you name it.

For the body panels, what Randy did was properly restore the parts with metal and added some bondo for a smooth finish. It involved alternating between sanding and adding bondo before using a primer (then more sanding) and applying the exterior paint. We decided to go with its original colour of ‘Freeborn Red.’ With fresh paint on all the parts, it was time to reinstall them on the new frame along with the drivetrain. 

Additionally, as the bodywork was being completed, the seats were upholstered with new vinyl while the seat brackets and many other interior components were painted the original colour. The FJ45 was now taking shape and finally looking like a truck again. 

We then put it on a trailer to haul it to the auto shop where I work in Black Creek. Over the course of a few months, we worked on the engine and mechanical parts, rebuilding the carburetor, and wheel cylinders, repairing the blown fuel system, replacing the braking system, and adding a new master cylinder.

This FJ45 has four wheel drum brakes and although it’s a pretty ancient system, they perform exceptionally well when set up properly. We also ran new brake lines to each wheel and the brake shoes were properly adjusted, lubricated and the drums were reinstalled. To get the FJ45 rolling, we added new 16” steelies with a set of remanufactured, original-style hubcaps and installed some new tie rod ends.

After adding all fresh fluids and new fuel, I turned the ignition and the FJ45 roared to life. I called my father and told him it was time. Delighted with the news, he came to the shop for the first test drive. He grinned from ear to ear as we drove to the muffler shop so we could complete the exhaust system.

We then decided to name the FJ45 ‘Wildfire’ to reflect my dad’s efforts of pushing back against health concerns he experienced all throughout the rebuild. And, after a few months of driving it and eliminating a few gremlins, it’s now nearly perfect. We have enjoyed it throughout 2020, driving it mostly for light errands around Cortes Island. But like most Landcruisers, it’s as capable in the bush as it looks, and the rugged landscape of Cortes provided the perfect grounds for us to enjoy the occasional light off-road adventure.

As we faced many obstacles during the rebuild of the FJ45, one of the biggest takeaways of completing the project was realizing the great possibilities that can be achieved when you push forward, keep dreaming, and remain focused on the goal that you have set for yourself.