60 Tailgate Protector, Neat piece of Cruiser History

[87CRUSR]

Good trivia...passed on several sale options over the years as the practicality is minimal. Whatever may bounce backwards will more than likely bounce left and right and forward. That would require a cage of sorts. Don't need a cage as of yet. But, it is a cool piece of engineering for a specific purpose...a Yoda exec engineers offspring perhaps....

 

[leozzy]

I had an '81 and still have one of these bars from another 60. Can't throw it away. Not sure it's meant to protect anything or if it has other uses but .... hatch open, tail gate closed and the bar is the same height as the rear seat back so one could load longer items or 4x8 sheets of whatever. And the drop secton in the bar would hold long slim items sticking out the hatch from sliding side to side. Otherwise it just gets in the way except for making a good towel bar when camping.

 

[Eporter]

It seems like a guard on the inner rear hatch would have made more sense for still protecting the glass, but leaving the tailgate free for sitting and sliding/loading things. I like the idea of something that flips up on the tailgate to match the seat top height for items wider than the wheel wells. Definitely a very unique piece of cruiser history, with a very specific use in mind.

 

[Eurasiaoverland]

That bar is perfect if you have the 10 passenger seating arrangement. three in front (Split bench), three in the middle, four in the back (two per jump seat, like in a 40 series) It gives the jump seat passenger something to hold on to.

Dyno

Factory jump seats were only fitted to 60s with swing-out back doors, not with the tailgate.

 

[70 FJ40]

I just bought an 81 with this bar in on the tailgate. I would have had no idea it was original to the truck. I can't believe it lasted all these years. Its a cool and apparently rare pice of Land Cruiser history but it'll probably get removed real soon cause it makes the tail gate unuseable for sitting on or working off of.