The number of years that I have been going offroad can be counted in decades.  My offroad vehicles over the years have varied from mild such as my 1992 Toyota 4x4 Pickup Truck to my highly modified 1978 Jeep CJ-7.  I've enjoyed them all and still own my CJ-7.  But my desire for "less work" to get onto the trail has increased over the past few years thanks to the the work load involved in getting prepared to haul that custom built Jeep across the state on a trailer behind my F-150.  Bottom line is it was becoming more work than fun and I missed the days of jumping in my old Toyota 4x4 Pickup with minimal gear and hitting the trails.  On top of that, I also became a dad in the last 7 years and my kids are at about that age where they want to go have fun with me on the trails.  So when it came time to buy something I could drive as a daily driver and hit the weekend trails, I was deciding between two vehicles, the Toyota FJ or the Jeep JK.  90% of my trail riding is not extreme.  In fact, most are mountain logging trails.  Occasionally we hit Rausch Creek for some rock crawling.  My rock crawler is the 1978 Jeep CJ-7 and I love that old beast, it's an incredible classic machine.  It has it's days on the rocks.  But it's great to have options.  JK's are nice and very workable as base for a great 4x4, however I wheel with a group of Toyota guys and most own FJ's.  So it was time.

I wanted new, not used.  I was eager for those 19 more horses in the 2010 model as well as a very specific color, the fusion yellow, and specific packages.  After months of watching the Toyota's website looking for signs of the 2010 models, they finally posted info on the 2010.  Several calls and emails to dealerships finally landed me with Ardmore Toyota and the FJ I wanted.  Christmas Eve of 2009 I was driving off the lot with my brand new FJ.  Another great platform for a build up.  While it may lack the solid front axle that hardcore 4 wheelers rail about, the reality is you have to think about purpose.  Where do you wheel?  What kind of trails do you encounter.  Like I said, I spend most of my wheeling on logging trails exploring the Pennsylvania wilderness.  When I want rocks, I'll take the Jeep.  And the FJ will certainly be my daily driver.

If you've peeked at my Jeep Project you'll know that I probably can not leave well enough alone.  I have to make it better, more capable, more me.  So the project begins.  Project Toyota FJ Cruiser.  The following pages are my approach to modifying my FJ Cruiser to my liking.  I have lots of ideas, lots of plans but limited money and limited time.  I'm not looking for radical, rather a capable weekend 4x4 for the mountain logging trails and a unique daily driver.

So enjoy.  If you have any questions or comments, give me a shout:        Projects Completed to Date: I'm working on the documentation of these projects including reviews and lots of photos.

Ralph Hassel