LS-swapped FJ40 Makes All the Noise at SEMA 2019
Built by BTB Products in nearby Henderson, Nevada, ’79 Land Cruiser FJ40 gains massive jumps in power, off-road capabilities.
The YotaTech crew is coming straight to you from the grounds of SEMA 2019 in Las Vegas. We’ve been so busy checking out the sights and sounds of the most amazing custom machines around that we’ve yet to even crack open a sportsbook, or check out one of the many, many shows along the Strip.
Our main mission here at the Las Vegas Convention Center is, of course, to find the coolest, most spectacular Toyota builds to make the big show this year at SEMA. We certainly achieved success with one specimen, a 1979 Land Cruiser FJ40 with a big secret under the hood.
On the outside, this FJ40 looks like every other FJ we’ve seen before: well-restored, nothing flashy, ready to climb some hills, that sort of thing.
However, it definitely won’t sound like any FJ, thanks to its secret: a 6.6-liter Chevy LS V8 motor with an Edelbrock supercharger bolted on. We don’t know how much power its packing, but it’s definitely a bigger number than 135 horses and 210 lb-ft of torque the original 4.2-liter 2F inline-six pumped out in its day.
Built by BTB Products in nearby Henderson, Nevada, this tan FJ40 continues to dazzle on the inside. There, you’ll find bright red leather seating (with matching door inserts) for you and a few friends to enjoy over the bumps and jostles of the truly open road, plus a roll cage to keep all of you safe and secure should the rig roll over.
For the driver, the old gauges have been replaced with new units, there’s a touchscreen where the old radio used to be, and the old AC system was chucked for a fresh one from Vintage Air. There’s also access to the NV4500 five-speed transmission, a unit used in Chevy and GMC pickups from the Nineties into the 2000s, and to the fresh transfer case to manage all that power.
And where does the power for the LS-swapped FJ go? Through the custom Dana axles to the bead-locked, black Method Race Wheels wrapped in meaty BF Goodrich rubber, of course. It’s also got a carrier on the back for a gas can, all the necessary tools to get you out of trouble (including a big winch mounted upon a custom front bumper), and a full-size spare. This is definitely one Toyota that eats like a meal. We can only wonder what else SEMA 2019 will bring.
Photos by Derin Richardson for YotaTech
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