Mean and Green: Latest ICON is 780k-Miles FJ44
Need a reminder that ICON builds the Land Cruisers that dreams are made of? Feast your eyes on this baby.
For any self-respecting gearhead, Jonathan Ward and the wizards at ICON need no introduction. While the crew came to fame by making fantastic restomod versions of the Ford Bronco, over the past few years, they’re gravitated toward other models — including Toyota’s venerable Land Cruiser. Their work is good enough I’m actually inclined to forgive them for almost single-handedly causing a spike in classic Bronco and Land Cruiser prices, and the latest FJ build looks absolutely fantastic.
Incredibly, or maybe not, considering Toyota’s well-deserved reputation for longevity, this 1972 FJ40 had a whopping 780,000 miles on the clock before it went under the knife at ICON’s Los Angeles shop. In the video, Ward mentions that it was pretty run down by that point, but unfortunately, there are no photos included to give a proper picture of the “before” state. Given how extensive and pricey the work is, a build book seems like something which would come along with the package, but maybe it just didn’t make the video.
Since I’m not rolling in around in cash like Scrooge McDuck, I’ve never really bothered to spec out an ICON vehicle on the company’s site. But apparently the ability to select the color of the top is a relatively recent addition to the options list. In my opinion, the subtle offset between the powder coated green sheetmetal and gray canvas top looks spectacular, and it’s just one of all the little details which makes super high-end builds like this stand out.
Another example of that attention to detail are the killer machined aluminum switches used on the dash. Even if they look similar to the original units — down to the graphics illustrating their function — in every way, they have to feel like the business. Hopefully this baby will actually see some time off road, and won’t spend all of its time being rubbed with a diaper in a climate-controlled garage. Since I’ve never met an ICON owner, I don’t have any idea about what the clientele is like, but I’d bet they’re a pretty cool lot.
Now, I couldn’t do a post about ICON without mentioning the fact that my all-time favorite build from Ward and his team is this amazing 1958 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud derelict build. Having owned a 1978 Jaguar XJ6 with a 350 swap, I’m a sucker for old British iron with American power, and that thing just checks every box for me. That said, there’s an ICON Land Cruiser in my dream garage, and I think it would be hard to improve on this baby. So what direction would you go with your ultimate ICON build? Hit me up to let me know — and enjoy the video!
Photos: YouTube