Deep South Cruisers
1978 FJ40 ~ 283 V8
LOL, I'll wait and buy a wrecked one and cut out the firewall and install a V8 
New FJ?
- Thread starter sbolduc
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I thought you guys might enjoy this rant I wrote a few weeks back:
God Bless Toyota
by Ross Lake
God Bless Toyota, but God Damn them for what is about to happen. Right now I feel like I am driving in a car, and I am the only one that can see the massive pileup ahead that is going to occur. There is nothing I can do to prevent the accident, but that doesn’t stop me from dreading it. It is going to be ugly, and everyone of us is going to either be involved, or is going to be one of the rubbernecking drivers who inexorably slows down to watch the carnage as they slowly creep by.
So what the hell am I rambling on about this time, you are probably wondering. Good question. I am talking about the imminent release of the new darling of Toyota design and marketing, the FJ Cruiser. Everyone has to have seen the pictures by now. It is the butt ugly RAV-4 sized abortion of a “cute-ute” with a few design cues from an FJ40 Land Cruiser. It might possibly be the most grotesque thing to be penned to paper, yet the marketing geniuses at Toyota see $$ signs every step of the way from production to delivery at the dealer. And they would be stupid not to. With the Land Cruiser name, they have 50 years of history to base their ads and marketing concepts from. The average Joe is going to lap the Cruiser story up like it’s mom’s best apple pie. And I am going to hate him for it.
The thing that bugs me the most is that Toyota is perfectly capable of redoing the FJ40 if they wanted to. They already did it. It was called the PX-10, and it was a limited run of HZJ73s that came out in the mid 1990’s that sported retro looks. Any of you that have made the trip out to Los Angeles recently would have most likely seen one parked in Chatsworth, in Marv Spector’s Land Cruiser Museum.
Now be for you go off, I realize that the FJ Cruiser is not meant to be the FJ40 reincarnate. It is what it is. A cheaply made box that Toyota can sell to Dads of teenage girls and Soccer Moms, whilst whoreing 50 years of Land Cruiser history to sell said cheaply made box. Ain’t the future looking bright?
I can already see the Sunday afternoon next Fall. You, Joe Cruiserhead have just finished installing an SM420 and 3 speed transfer case into your burgeoning rock crawler. You take it out for a spin, to check that everything is kosher in your new mis-mosh mix of Toyota and Chevrolet clutch parts. And up next to you pulls an FJ Cruiser full of four giggling 16 year olds talking about how cute your FJ Cruiser is, and why did you switch to those funny white wheels. I can’t freaking wait!
So maybe I am a grouch who doesn’t like change. But it is slowly creeping in every second. Do you think that it is random chance that a Land Cruiser was chosen for MTV’s “Pimp your Ride”? I might need a tinfoil hat, but I think it is a little too convenient. I think it was a great piece of marketing on Toyota’s behest. BTW, the cruiser in question looked better before it was “pimped” in my opinion.
What about the Land Cruiser that made it into an episode of “Monster House” on the Discovery Channel? Was that coincidence too? Call in the black helicopters, but I again think that there is marketing involved. Every time between now and the debut of the FJ Cruiser that you see a Cruiser in print or on TV, I think that Toyota will have played a role somehow. It is their best interests to reintroduce the Land Cruiser to the mainstream market, and to foster the image of it’s toughness and heritage. And all for the grand plan to sell lots of ugly little boxes.
God damn you Toyota for ruining yet again that which was once a grand thing.
God Bless Toyota
by Ross Lake
God Bless Toyota, but God Damn them for what is about to happen. Right now I feel like I am driving in a car, and I am the only one that can see the massive pileup ahead that is going to occur. There is nothing I can do to prevent the accident, but that doesn’t stop me from dreading it. It is going to be ugly, and everyone of us is going to either be involved, or is going to be one of the rubbernecking drivers who inexorably slows down to watch the carnage as they slowly creep by.
So what the hell am I rambling on about this time, you are probably wondering. Good question. I am talking about the imminent release of the new darling of Toyota design and marketing, the FJ Cruiser. Everyone has to have seen the pictures by now. It is the butt ugly RAV-4 sized abortion of a “cute-ute” with a few design cues from an FJ40 Land Cruiser. It might possibly be the most grotesque thing to be penned to paper, yet the marketing geniuses at Toyota see $$ signs every step of the way from production to delivery at the dealer. And they would be stupid not to. With the Land Cruiser name, they have 50 years of history to base their ads and marketing concepts from. The average Joe is going to lap the Cruiser story up like it’s mom’s best apple pie. And I am going to hate him for it.
The thing that bugs me the most is that Toyota is perfectly capable of redoing the FJ40 if they wanted to. They already did it. It was called the PX-10, and it was a limited run of HZJ73s that came out in the mid 1990’s that sported retro looks. Any of you that have made the trip out to Los Angeles recently would have most likely seen one parked in Chatsworth, in Marv Spector’s Land Cruiser Museum.
Now be for you go off, I realize that the FJ Cruiser is not meant to be the FJ40 reincarnate. It is what it is. A cheaply made box that Toyota can sell to Dads of teenage girls and Soccer Moms, whilst whoreing 50 years of Land Cruiser history to sell said cheaply made box. Ain’t the future looking bright?
I can already see the Sunday afternoon next Fall. You, Joe Cruiserhead have just finished installing an SM420 and 3 speed transfer case into your burgeoning rock crawler. You take it out for a spin, to check that everything is kosher in your new mis-mosh mix of Toyota and Chevrolet clutch parts. And up next to you pulls an FJ Cruiser full of four giggling 16 year olds talking about how cute your FJ Cruiser is, and why did you switch to those funny white wheels. I can’t freaking wait!
So maybe I am a grouch who doesn’t like change. But it is slowly creeping in every second. Do you think that it is random chance that a Land Cruiser was chosen for MTV’s “Pimp your Ride”? I might need a tinfoil hat, but I think it is a little too convenient. I think it was a great piece of marketing on Toyota’s behest. BTW, the cruiser in question looked better before it was “pimped” in my opinion.
What about the Land Cruiser that made it into an episode of “Monster House” on the Discovery Channel? Was that coincidence too? Call in the black helicopters, but I again think that there is marketing involved. Every time between now and the debut of the FJ Cruiser that you see a Cruiser in print or on TV, I think that Toyota will have played a role somehow. It is their best interests to reintroduce the Land Cruiser to the mainstream market, and to foster the image of it’s toughness and heritage. And all for the grand plan to sell lots of ugly little boxes.
God damn you Toyota for ruining yet again that which was once a grand thing.
FJ40 that green thing
1996 KZJ78 Prado
dang dude
dang ross. In the cycling world we would call you a retro-grouch.
the fj cruiser is a concept car- the interior and exterior are "themes" or cues. Mix the px10, fjcruiser and the new tacoma for a more realistic idea.
The mechanicals of all their offroad trucks/suv's are based on the 120 Prado & 100 LC except the Tundra so I don't see how they are selling out- especially compared to the competition.
the fj cruiser is a concept car- the interior and exterior are "themes" or cues. Mix the px10, fjcruiser and the new tacoma for a more realistic idea.
The mechanicals of all their offroad trucks/suv's are based on the 120 Prado & 100 LC except the Tundra so I don't see how they are selling out- especially compared to the competition.
The "rant" was written as an op/ed piece. It is my opinion only. I honestly think that there is no way that the FJ Cruiser makes it to the market with Tacoma/Prado/LC100 running gear. I think that it is going to be alot closer to a Rav 4. No transfer case, no solid axles, the whole nine yards. Toyota has three upscale, expensive SUVs in the Sequoia, Four Runner, and Land Cruiser. All three are in the 35-60 K range. I see the FJ Cruiser slotting between the Rav 4 and the Highlander in the mid 20K range.
badkarma
Is is edible?
I saw this at the LA Auto Show. Not sure how I feel about it yet. But I think the removable, handheld GPS is real cool.
Deep South Cruisers
1978 FJ40 ~ 283 V8
whoreing 50 years of Land Cruiser history 
I love it!
I think a great majority feel the same (I do) and the visibility and marketing started some time ago as you mentioned. I can only hope were all wrong about some of the design elements and drivetrain specs but I doubt it. I envision it as a X-terra type of vehicle that's been massaged on the outside and left spartan on the inside to envoke that "rugged" look they try and market these days.
I love it!I think a great majority feel the same (I do) and the visibility and marketing started some time ago as you mentioned. I can only hope were all wrong about some of the design elements and drivetrain specs but I doubt it. I envision it as a X-terra type of vehicle that's been massaged on the outside and left spartan on the inside to envoke that "rugged" look they try and market these days.
D
Docmallory
Guest
FirstToy, Nice job. 
Speculation and opinion follow- Humor me while I talk out of my butt as I gaze into my crystal ball....
In my (admittedly uninformed) opinion, I'd say the new FJ probably will be built on the Tacoma chassis - but not the same one which the concept car used. That was the old chassis and engine, which have been replaced with the newly redesigned Tacoma. It'll never have a diesel or a v-8, but likely would also never have a hybrid powertrain either. It should have the new 4.0 VVT-i V6. I'll bet it has 16 inch wheels with a 17 inch option. It will probably also have a TRD package option with upscale suspension and the rear locker. I'll wager the interior will be nothing special - as others said, probably a bit spartan and utilitarian, a la Xterra, Element, and others. Surely it will have a 2-speed transfer case, but I don't have a guess about the traction control doo-dads. I would wager the concept's winch will be missing. Should have a sunroof, but probably not leather. 2WD models may be a possibility. Probably will keep the coils and solid axle in the rear.
EDIT - let's not forget, Toyota will surely offer various plastic brush guards and spoilers, and maybe a shiny chrome skidplate for when you're flexing at the mall.
Toyota is probably going to call this "Cruiser" in some fashion. Otherwise would be like Ford not calling their newest T-Bird a T-Bird (let's not digress about that piece of crap). - Obviously, Toyota can't have two Cruisers, so out goes the 100 series. Rumor says the newest flagship Lexus will be based on the Sequoia, so where does that leave the LX470? Gone, just like the full sized LandCruiser. Bye-bye.
They are going to market the hell out of it, using the history of the LandCruiser as a way of giving it credibility and name recognition. I'd guess the price will start in the high 20's and top out at about 35K. Probably cheaper than a 4Runner, but fewer goodies and options.
So, in FirstToy's picture above, you're basically looking at the next LandCruiser in the US.
Ah.. my crystal ball just got all cloudy. I was getting ready to tell you about the 2012 model Cruiser, which will be based on the Prius....
Speculation and opinion follow- Humor me while I talk out of my butt as I gaze into my crystal ball....
In my (admittedly uninformed) opinion, I'd say the new FJ probably will be built on the Tacoma chassis - but not the same one which the concept car used. That was the old chassis and engine, which have been replaced with the newly redesigned Tacoma. It'll never have a diesel or a v-8, but likely would also never have a hybrid powertrain either. It should have the new 4.0 VVT-i V6. I'll bet it has 16 inch wheels with a 17 inch option. It will probably also have a TRD package option with upscale suspension and the rear locker. I'll wager the interior will be nothing special - as others said, probably a bit spartan and utilitarian, a la Xterra, Element, and others. Surely it will have a 2-speed transfer case, but I don't have a guess about the traction control doo-dads. I would wager the concept's winch will be missing. Should have a sunroof, but probably not leather. 2WD models may be a possibility. Probably will keep the coils and solid axle in the rear.
EDIT - let's not forget, Toyota will surely offer various plastic brush guards and spoilers, and maybe a shiny chrome skidplate for when you're flexing at the mall.
Toyota is probably going to call this "Cruiser" in some fashion. Otherwise would be like Ford not calling their newest T-Bird a T-Bird (let's not digress about that piece of crap). - Obviously, Toyota can't have two Cruisers, so out goes the 100 series. Rumor says the newest flagship Lexus will be based on the Sequoia, so where does that leave the LX470? Gone, just like the full sized LandCruiser. Bye-bye.
They are going to market the hell out of it, using the history of the LandCruiser as a way of giving it credibility and name recognition. I'd guess the price will start in the high 20's and top out at about 35K. Probably cheaper than a 4Runner, but fewer goodies and options.
So, in FirstToy's picture above, you're basically looking at the next LandCruiser in the US.
Ah.. my crystal ball just got all cloudy. I was getting ready to tell you about the 2012 model Cruiser, which will be based on the Prius....
Doc and First Toy, I think your on track. But, Doc, I don't think they'll replace a $55k Landcruiser with the ~$20-25k FJ, it will be "in addition to" the Landcruiser (IMHO). We should know in a year 
Toyota does have a history of carrying more than one model cruiser at a time.
I would almost, almost bet on hybrid. Rumor also has it that the next MR2 may be a hybrid.
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I LOVE the MR2! Too bad we never got the MR Spyder like you folks south of the border.
I am still very much on the fence on this rig. I saw one at the Dallas Auto Show last year; the main thing that bothers me is all the plastic cladding. To me, that is indicative of a lot of other things underneath. We'll have to see what shakes out. To ever wheel this vehicle, it would have to be completely armored top to bottom. I am keeping my fingers crossed. .......my $ .02.
Stone said:
i was || that close to getting one a couple years back. as it turns out, my buddy bought it
high 13's in the quarter nowwent to an mr2 meet with him in the summer, couple of guys with the mr-s came up to check it out, very nice looking IRL
Wow, the bezel is on correctly.
SuperJ said:
There will be a hybrid. Toyota says every model in it's line up will be available in a hybrid in 5 years.
It would be awful early to introduce a truck to be a hybrid (they only have the Prius now...), but then, this FJ may not be a truck after all.
I'm betting the MR2 gets it before the trucks do, unless some of the rumors about the new 3/4 "Tun"dra are true.
MR2s are fun. Too bad most people dig the 90s and spyder the most. The AW11 is where it's at.
J.
I'm betting the MR2 gets it before the trucks do, unless some of the rumors about the new 3/4 "Tun"dra are true.
MR2s are fun. Too bad most people dig the 90s and spyder the most. The AW11 is where it's at.
J.
SuperJ said:It would be awful early to introduce a truck to be a hybrid (they only have the Prius now...), but then, this FJ may not be a truck after all.
I'm betting the MR2 gets it before the trucks do, unless some of the rumors about the new 3/4 "Tun"dra are true.
MR2s are fun. Too bad most people dig the 90s and spyder the most. The AW11 is where it's at.
J.
the older styling is nice, but the 90's seem like more of a timeless look... and i like the turbo more than s/c
Isn't the mr2 going away?SuperJ said:It would be awful early to introduce a truck to be a hybrid (they only have the Prius now...), but then, this FJ may not be a truck after all.
I'm betting the MR2 gets it before the trucks do, unless some of the rumors about the new 3/4 "Tun"dra are true.
MR2s are fun. Too bad most people dig the 90s and spyder the most. The AW11 is where it's at.
J.
