The only FJ Cruiser of its kind in Australia is a personal project two years in the making
- A Toyota FJ Cruiser SUV was transformed into a truck.
- The manufacturer not only cut off the rear end of the body, but also extended the wheelbase by 11.8 inches to make room for a really large bed.
- The owner says it is used as an everyday vehicle.
The world may be waiting for a new Land Cruiser FJ, but an Australian fan has created a beautiful build based on the discontinued FJ Cruiser. A local workshop converted the ladder frame SUV into a chassis cab with a two-seater cab and Hilux-sized rear bed.
The project began with cutting and stripping the body of the FJ Cruiser donor car. While most would probably stop there, the chassis had to be lengthened by 300 mm (11.8 inches) as the original SUV’s 2,690 mm (105.9 inches) wheelbase was deemed too short to accommodate a sufficiently large one bed to offer.
More: New Toyota Land Cruiser converted into a double cab pickup by Aussies
The rear panel comes from a Nissan Patrol GU ute, which proved to be ideal for this project. In the back there is an aluminum storage tray, complete with sideboards, a tailgate, matching fenders, a rear window mesh protector and aftermarket LED taillights. As a finishing touch, the special FJ Cruiser received a new set of beadlock wheels with all-terrain tires.
The cool project is the work of Tinman Fabrications – a vehicle customization shop in Victoria that specializes in small car conversions based on popular SUVs. According to the shop owner, this is a personal project that has been two years in the making. The FJ Cruiser ute will be the first of its kind in Australia and is expected to become its daily driver.
Tinman Fabrications / Facebook
There’s no word on mechanical modifications, but Toyota’s 4.0-liter V6 powertrain is probably good enough to provide decent payload capacity and towing capacity. Depending on the model year, the engine produced 239 hp (178 kW / 242 hp) up to 260 hp (194 kW / 264 hp) and sent power to all four wheels via a five-speed automatic or six-speed manual transmission.
In addition to the photos of the almost finished truck, the manufacturer showed us what happened to the rear of the FJ Cruiser after it was separated. Instead of throwing it away or selling it as parts, the workshop cleverly recycled it as an oversized toolbox mounted on the wall. When not in use, tools remain hidden behind the FJ Cruiser’s side-hinged tailgate, while the installation doubles as a decorative element.
