Back in 2007, our good friend Stan Reed built El Diablo in honor of the original FJ-40 he had owned 15 years earlier while stationed at Ft. Carson in Colorado Springs. Unfortunately, El Diablo met an early grave about four years ago when it...uhm...rolled down a hill. That’s a story for another time.
Since his FJ Cruiser was a total loss, Stan did what any self-respecting Toyota enthusiast would do...he began the search for his perfect FJ-40 exploration rig. It took nearly a year, but the classic 1978 FJ-40 was eventually located in Salt Lake City, Utah. A quick flight over the Rockies and Stan was on his way back to Denver in the beautiful green Land Cruiser.
Of course Stan could never leave his new-to-him LC in stock form, so the mods began. He started with all the standard overland-camping upgrades, since it’s primarily used to explore Colorado’s amazing high-country. The tent is from CVT and also includes an awning, both mounted to the Diamond roof rack with storage in front for a table & chairs. A fridge inside still leaves room for Stan, Donna, and their mid—sized dog. Stan also added an Optima powered dual-battery to ensure the LC starts every time regardless of altitude.
Stan also added several key upgrades to ensure this nearly 40-year old truck is fit for mountain duty. He had a 2” Hell For Stout spring lift installed, a rear disc brake upgrade, and an ARB rear locker. For a little extra comfort, the seats were upgraded to add heater and adjustable lumbar supports.
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The completed rig has already seen hundreds of off-highway miles all over Colorado and while it’s far from a daily driver, there’s no doubt this classic Land Cruiser is ready to tackle anything Stan can throw at it.
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