FJ Cruiser – Built to Finish the Job Right

Chris’s FJ Cruiser – Built to Finish the Job Right
Chris came to us with a vision: a rugged, off-road-ready FJ Cruiser with the comfort, reliability, and features of a modern truck. He wanted something he could drive on the freeway and confidently turn off onto a fire road or trail—no drama, no compromises.

The truck arrived on a flatbed, along with several loads of parts from a stalled project at another shop. What was supposed to be a finished chassis and roll cage turned out to be anything but. Despite being powder coated, the chassis had poor-quality welds and unfinished fabrication work. The roll cage was also questionable from a structural standpoint and not trail-safe.

We stripped the truck back to fix those foundational issues, reworking the chassis and cage to meet our structural and aesthetic standards. From there, we fully mocked up the entire vehicle to complete the remaining critical fabrication and ensure every system worked in harmony.

Creature comforts were a must for this build. We installed a Restomod HVAC system, a modern proximity key system with push-button start, and a touchscreen stereo with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. For off-road readiness, we built a custom under hood intake designed for fording water—functional, but clean and understated.

Nearly every inch of this FJ includes custom work, from the exo-style fenders to the integrated running boards and rock sliders—all hand-fabricated in-house.

Power comes from a GM crate LS3 engine with an upgraded cam and valvetrain tuned for low-end torque, backed by a robust NP4500 transmission and an Atlas II transfer case. Both front and rear axles were custom-built using Toyota center sections and knuckles for proven off-road reliability.

What started as a rescue mission became a flagship build. Chris’s FJ Cruiser now delivers the performance, comfort, and confidence he was after—and looks incredible doing it.