ICON FJ-44 - Jay Leno's Garage

ICON FJ-44. Jonathan More stops by to show Jay his reimagined Toyota workhorse.
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ICON FJ-44 - Jay Leno's Garage
• ICON FJ-44 - Jay Leno'...
Jay Leno's Garage
/ jaylenosgarage

[@makapa2u]

Got to love Jay just getting down and checking under the frame !!!!

[@andynonymous2164]

That is definitely one of the sickest Cruisers ever created. The troop seating, the roof rack that stays out with the top off... Every detail just so sick! Would love to just say "eff it" and order one of these one day. But where the hell would you go for repairs or even parts to DIY stuff? It's just all so custom made. Can't imagine having to call Icon from whatever trail I'm on in some random state or down in Paraguay fishing for Golden Dorado if I bottom out and rip something off. For me that's the big downside. A lot more practical when he does the 70 and 80 series with (almost) all OEM parts. But man oh man... What a dream rig this is. Ward is just a genius.

[@kingbee1971]

Well said. Icon's FJ44 is the pinnacle of Jonathan's art projects. Beautiful in build and design but otherwise completely useless. What a mad genius.

[@drivingfreak]

This rig brings back a lot of memories of some of the older Toyota Landcruisers my dad owned, including an old 1969 FJ-40 he had when I was a kid. He swapped out the reliable and underpowered 6-cylinder with a 350 C.I. Chevy small block V8. The engine would bolt up to the stock transmission, but the stock transmission couldn't handle the power. Needless to say, my dad wound up rebuilding the transmission every other year he owned it.

[@mobley150]

My dad owns two FJ-40's... and I showed him this video thinking he'd be interested... when he saw the changes they made, he called it 'sacrament' and told me to 'turn this bullshit off' because he didnt want to 'look at a ruined car'... we're now restoring a 71 FJ-40 and I couldnt agree with him more. The original engine, drivetrain, body, everything was perfect. Do not mess with perfection. ICON, while I respect what they do, do not respect the original strengths of the car. The soul is gone.

[@corzinc]

These builds are amazing, they executed the classic design perfectly. But all the good stuff is exactly where it needs to be. Would love to own one of these and take my family out on weekends!

[@Ritalie]

I can't stop laughing when he keeps smashing the throttle, and it sounds like a beasty Corvette. How cool!

[@ducatiracer555]

Jay Leno is awesome. He is really corny as a comedian, but he's the man when it comes to cars.

[@mixflip]

Its funny when a street car guy like Jay sees a bottle in the back of a 4x4 and thinks the 4x4 has nitrous.

[@sscbkr48]

Foster Brooks would have said.. thats a smart way to carry the booze!

[@dirgramsey6132]

Sounded more like a joke that didn’t land

[@triggerhappyjay4794]

@@dirgramsey6132 na , Jay actually thought it was Nitrous.

[@triggerhappyjay4794]

@@dirgramsey6132 lol

[@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017]

Yeah you could tell this was outside his area of enthusiasm. "You've got to admit these are pretty fun." Just those kinds of comments betray his tepid interest.

[@caveman9275]

Oh my you guys make 3 ICONS! Thanks for showing this amazing rig!!!

[@moabman6803]

What Toyota should be selling today-a topless modern 4 door fj40.

[@trevorodom1930]

MoabMan it would be sick but the damn thing will be nearly $200k

[@TheToyotaMann]

So basically a 70 series

[@jeromep3182]

I totally agree and put wrangler to shame

[@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017]

@@trevorodom1930 It would if it was hand-built like the Icon, but a regular assembly line FJ44 would be in the same ballpark as the modern Land Cruisers if not cheaper because it wouldn't have as many cushy bells and whistles.

[@canyonhaverfield2201]

Jay,says.... 'A nice sense of mechanicalness to it' ... you've got to love this guy !

[@FormulaWill]

ICONS are not exactly your normal 'offroad' vehicles. They are finely crafted, capable machinery. Thanks again Jan and Jon.

[@rockmann88]

Glad to see some vintage 4X4 off road vehicles on your videos. I had two late 1970's FJ-40 Cruisers. Would go anywhere you wanted,road or no road, and built like a tank.

[@judgetk8327]

This model is no doubt, my favorite Icon model. The front bumper is done great, and the rack on top just is such an advantage. Wish I could afford this vehicle but it is out of my price range. The interior does it for me and there is nothing to say about the beautiful Morrison frame and running gear.

[@fish4free1]

There are many comments disparaging the GM engine, but it'd be appropriate to note that the chevy 350 was the engine of choice since the very early days of FJ modifications. I recall very vividly my Uncle coming to our house in the early 70's with his Chevy 350 FJ which he used to travel down the Baja peninsula. As far as diesels go, Toyota made a great inline 6 mechanical diesel used in it's landcruisers which we never saw in the US but which the lucky Ausies got.

[@EatmyDust1311]

I'm glad Jay is listening to his fans and showing what they like, even though he doesn't love off roaders much. However, I think if you went off road with them (SoCal has a lot of great places only 1-2 hours away) you will love them. Try to get a Raptor on the show!

[@frcon200340]

Jonathan Ward... guy knows his stuff. Met him in person in buying fj40 tub from him. great guy. wish I can afford a ICON...

[@fishlessfishermenfishingan4613]

Felipe Rodriguez bugger icon he wrecks them. my hj47 looks better than that mess up and of a build

[@frcon200340]

Harley Young ..... I think to each his own. Personally, if I where to do some rock crawling, smashing rocks , and doing crazy trails, I would stick to the original fj40, 6" lift, 35 mud terrains with locker front and back , stock engine and Marlin crawler. I would use the icon to haul it around on long drives...but seriously, I could probably never afford that luxury. So I'll stick to my 2008 FJ Cruiser and totally stock 75fj40 .

[@jdog4534]

Remember when the 4runners were topless? Cool idea but rarely seen them off. Ive got 3 fj40s. I leave the top off one of them. 2 of them have jump seats (which nobody uses). I made a base to span the fender wells and mount 2 proper bucket seats in the crawler. Its got all the conversions and it's a beast. SB350 hydromatic AT, dana 300t case w/ indie f/r, dana 44 front n rear w/ ARB lockers spring over, shackle reverse, 4w disk brakes, saginaw power steering. Full roll cage n sliders to frame. Hurst pistol grip shifter to deliver it all to the palm of my hand .. ...and a very lonely warn which lol this thing is a tree climber..

[@Winterstick549]

I put a late sixties, rebuilt chevy 250 c.i. straight six into my 69 FJ-40 and loved it. Why the chevy instead of the original Toyota six? Because it weights less, much better gas mileage, parts are everywhere and hydraulic lifters. You dont need to adjust the valves once a year. I used Advanced Adapters mounts, and a custom mounts for the engine.

[@FreedomFreys]

OFF ROAD! Bring it all on Mr. Leno! You'd be surprised in the amazing engineering, its more up your alley than you realize! (or maybe already have)

[@cameronchan6975]

Props to jay. You would never see some of the other auto journalists crawling under the cars.

[@hannamand]

You have to applaud ICON, they're building it their way and cutting no corners. Personally my pick for an engine for a 4x4 is a Cummins 4BT, but I'm not building them. ;-)

[@NearlyGoodGamer]

Jay is right about the power my dad's 83'FJ60 Land Cruiser has only 135hp and 210 torques

[@TheTmaher]

I know I'm years late to the game but the one thing I would have liked to see on this was a wheel liner that shields the front shocks from debris. I've made them in the past and I think they help in keeping the shocks looking good and performing better over time.

[@gaivoron]

lol Jay looks like he smoked a joint every time be comes back after a drive lol ;) that hot summer day winds are so rough on the eyes lol

[@deshaundozier]

This thing is BEAUTIFUL

[@icemanroyal]

gotta love it! The LS series small block Chevy engines are fantastic, bulletproof, make lots of easy power for not alot of $, you can fix them with a hammer, and, sound fantastic, that's why you see them in all sorts of aftermarket applications, and that's not exclusive to Americans. This motor is all over the world in so many different apllications there isent enough room here to name them all. fantastic motor!

[@jlopes68]

hey we do all the trails around here in southern California in an old jeep, that Icon guy wants to show his stuff off then take them to big bear or Cleghorn at least gorman. get down and dirty Jay we lovin it!

[@abdula1511]

It's symbolic to see two old men at the peak of there career having no problem getting under the car the way they did. 5:13 . It sends a message to the entitled youth that you have to have to get your hands dirty and work for success.

[@trefod]

The short wheelbase FJ40 is the most iconic 4x4 and thus deserving of the name plate. I'd take mine with a diesel thank you.

[@kellychristensen2956]

What an exquisite auto! Love this detailed performance!

[@Viccatch]

My dad used to own one. Nostalgic...

[@robdogracing]

Jay!! Keep it up! Take it off-road!!

[@oilhammer04]

I had a 1976 Landcruser that got about 13 MPG. It was so hot in the summer, too. The intake manifold cracked on it. I didn't think much of Toyota for a lot of years after that.

[@a2r7n6]

Everything is so well thought out. I wouldn’t put a bunch of heavy skid plates on that either, as I certainly wouldn’t beat on it on rough trails anyway. That FJ would do great on it’s own on a lot of typical Jeep trails as is. The only little improvement, use synthetic winch line with that fairlead. Beautiful!

[@indigocolossus]

"what'd you got there, Nitrous?" Jay #1

[@adrianw3985]

I dig these ICON guys, they do very nice work.

[@ZephyrRandD]

More Icon, thanks guys

[@johnmoring4596]

Hey Jay, I’ve been watching more and more of your show and it’s just been great. I just watched the Toyota FJ 40 ICON video and really liked it. I’ll be watching a lot more from now on.

[@EZlover415]

I'm not even into off road and I'd buy an ICON. Nice products Jon!

[@Mejevoli]

4:48 "What's this? NITROUS?" Yep, Jay Leno's "kid" inside hasn't left him yet :D

[@SpanjaPrime]

"Not better, but they are the best." that made sense. Crawling with a manual gearbox is way more fun. It requires extra focus on clutch work while wheeling. My gearbox would shit on auto trans. Would the rest of the powertrain compare? Probably not. But, then again, we have differing opinions on what makes a trans awesome. My hilux has been on(and off) the road for nearly 30 years now and, besides your basic maintenance, it's been perfect.

[@eduardogatoify]

There is nothing wrong with the 3f engine,but a love the v8 sound!

[@deanbassist01]

I hated what this guy did to the Icon FJ series because of the non toyota axles and engines he put in them, but this sheds light on the fact that there was actually consulting with toyota on the project, and i take back any hateful comments i may have made towards his company in the past. An iforce or a VVTi 1UZ would have been an awesome thing, but the LS does have a good reputation, just too bad they are so expensive.

[@forrestadams]

Jay is catching 4x4 fever

[@rawdog1631]

At 6:52 Jay trying to shoulder check Jon and fails humiliated lmao

[@PokemonDiamondUS]

9:24 "420 output" "Ganja" That's what it sounded like. LOL

[@anotherrandomtexan25]

lol i like how the guy is just explaining stuff and jay just punches it

[@ravenfn831]

LS v8s are a blast. They pull so hard with not a ton of effort.

[@geraldgriffin8220]

Just have to say it LOVE IT ! LOVE IT ! LOVE IT ! -- Wish I could afford it !

[@TheCamaro5]

Love these Icons rides they are definitely cool. Cost is a lil ridiculous tho. Good to see Jay do some trucks or off road stuff. Keep up the good work Jay.

[@81XLT]

Not to correct Jay Leno, (Jay I'm a HUGE fan) but the 5.3 was never put into the Vette. The LS engines were put into the Corvette starting in 1997, but the smallest was the 5.7. What I don't understand is why put in a 5.3 when the LS3/L92 6.2 engine makes FAR more horsepower, but takes exactly the same amount of space. Same engine mounts and everything. You could even go with the LQ4 or Escalade/Yukon LQ9 which is the 6.0. In something that heavy the extra torque would equate to better mpg.

[@gibbethoskins8621]

That awkward moment at 6:53 lol Put a big turbo diesel and a snorkel on it and it's pretty much my dream 4x4

[@jodyandmichelle1]

This video does make Jay seem like an obnoxious a-hole. 6:53 is like, wow.

[@theoriginalt-paine3776]

Thank you! That makes more sense than a damned LS.

[@markreynolds3850]

This is real nice toyota.

[@TheBasher-_-]

YESS MORE OFF ROAD PLEASE SIR JAY!

[@garycoleman8223]

indeed! Mr, Ward needs to take Jay out and get him DIRTY

[@murwaz]

My new dream car..!! Screw Veyron or waht ever, this is what I'd want! :D Awesome as allways Jay!

[@J.A.GCustoms]

Icon makes a very nice clean tough vehicle, very nice! Wish I could own one!

[@kylestewart4444]

Aren't powder coatings much more difficult to clean and keep clean? An old friend of mine had powder coated rims and I remember him saying something about them being very hard to maintain.

[@pearljamrock]

Awesome work - So glad I subscribed to this channel, I watch it more than regular tv!

[@XX-fj2ky]

At about 4.50 is that a Citroën SM in the back? Yes!

[@deller5924]

Very beautiful look the vehicle has! Should be put into production again.

[@jtmar]

That is an awesome truck!

[@ghepardogts]

Reminds me of Morgan, but for offroading. Great stuff. I wonder what they can come up with if they go completely custom with a unique (exterior) design. Also wonder what ICON could do with an early G Wagen.

[@paulmanhart4481]

Hi. I have a 1977 FJ40 that’s in pretty good condition. It has a Chevy 305 in it that’s very old and tired. I’m looking for advice on what engine I should get when I replace the 305. Something with fuel injection and maybe vortec headers. I’m not looking for 600 hp, but something reliable. Your help would be appreciated. My Cruiser has disks on all wheels, power steering from a 79 FJ40. Paul

[@robertlaird6746]

Where do I get aluminum body parts for the FJ?

[@theranter]

A) It's built probably mostly by hand. B) It's essentially a completely new vehicle, you don't know how much it costs him to build them, and he has a business, and thus has to make a profit. C) How can you say that it isn't all that much better than a Grand Cherokee, have you driven both of them on and off road?

[@johnmilligan2964]

Keep pushing the edge of the envelope Jonathan! If I were to hit the lottery Icon would be one of the beneficiaries!

[@aeelmore69]

Thanks again Jay. I appreciate all things mechanical. Heck, I took Diesel @ county Votech & subsequently joined the Army doing the same. That said, the trucks & utes are much enjoyed!

[@larrymoore326]

Dear Uncle Jay please remember me in you last will and testament, lol 😂

[@GRAFHC]

Looks like two dudes watching clouds go by at around 6:00 lol

[@ryanflippin1243]

Those would sell beautifully in south Louisiana, I live in Lafayette and it is very common for people to buy Jeeps and F-250s and Chevy trucks and lift them, upgrade the suspension, brakes, tires, wheels, engines, exhaust, Icon maybe try marketing out here because big tricked out trucks and jeeps are very common down here.

[@Twilson_Vtwin]

love icons!

[@spacegaming7015]

This will be in everyone's recommendation

[@Mejevoli]

You're getting something better and equally bulletproof :)

[@jesusdiaz2348]

Hello Jhonathan , where do you buy your paint ?

[@maljohn1414]

BRILLIANT

[@heyimakidilikedragons8526]

My dream Toyota

[@tads9280]

Love the cruiser

[@georgiafan6618]

How much weight was saved using the aluminum body? Bullet proof - modernized on-off roader. So cool

[@bogotstogoskiing]

Hah. Leno knows nothing about cars but he loves them. :) Makes me happy! Ward is the Einstein of modern 4x4's. This video made me laugh a lot.

[@esoteric651]

Though I completely agree you kinda have to think that if the cars they are building are essentially from scratch and the original cars are rust buckets, the original motors would take more work then its worth to get them running, the easiest and cheapest motors capable of moving such a car are newer v8's plus they would be easier to maintain etc, so though i agree, the decision is understandable

[@Dirtjim]

Awesome!! Thanks for the great videos Jay!!

[@monching1503]

Nice model multi purpose, how about in the pHilippines still available in the market?

[@esoteric651]

800,000 miles is really impressive, good luck

[@ajfarson]

Jay: You should connect with an FJ40 club in SoCal and go on some trails. I am sure Jonathan could get you connected.

[@FepXBL]

And that is a classic clash of styles. What are the odds, two guys wearing jean pants and jean shirts, the same day?

[@Pr3ct]

Keep the 4X4's coming, Jay! Find some dirt!

[@TheMainMan318]

this thing looks so awesome, but i think id have to stick to my roots and get an old defender, that has 4 doors and can do everything this can

[@rickitickidicki]

Anything ICON is Good with me.

[@DrewHarris-the1drewharris]

You all should do more off road stuff!

[@julianv.5848]

JONATHAN WARD GRATE COMPANY.........ICON

[@Jasshands1]

yea no kidding, the stuff is wicked, I could only dream of owning something like that. But they are putting in a lot of quality parts that look almost stock

[@BorealSelfReliance]

Somewhere down in that valley there is a place that does what they call a class 3 restoration

[@OldsCutlass1978]

Its not a corvette engine, its a truck engine with similar technology as the corvette engine which is why it gets the distinction, These are primarily iron blocks and the engines are built tougher to handle abuse a truck would go through with plenty of reliability and power. I can see your point but you can't always assume all Americans do this as a lot of us are purists that try to keep everything within the brand like me for example.

[@SpanjaPrime]

double clutch systems don't have torque converters =D. I'm pretty sure an auto trans shifts faster than most 4x4 manuals. It's a long throw, even more so if you have those old k10's with column shifts

[@bastospe]

Awesome!! Loved it!!!

[@DemeDemetre]

do you know this comment is older than most of the viewers! (not me)

[@6SHIFTER1]

I love the icon off road stuff too Jay!

[@Spring794]

I want one of these older Toyota 40's. There was one in my town but it was rusted out.

[@chazwalley2842]

can y'all do an famous modern atv; like a can am or something. I think that would be neat and jay could enjoy and learn the quality of them also.

[@MultiWazz]

Hey Jay! Really like your show a lot!!!! But can you one day please make a review of your Eco Jet? That would be awesome! Greetings from Denmark :)

[@EpicHotCheese]

hahahaha that tried to dress up like Jay but you can tell in Jay's eye, he was happy about that.