1999 Toyota Land Cruiser FZJ75

Stock in the Front, Business in the Back

Heavily modifying a 70-Series Land Cruiser would be on par with changing the solo in Stairway to Heaven or adding brushstrokes to the Mona Lisa.

James Nash knows not to mess with a masterpiece.

Meet Margot, a 1999 Toyota Land Cruiser FZJ75: imported from Australia with a right-hand drive, manual transmission, manual hubs, and solid axles on leaf springs. This truck is, in James’s own words, “Brutal in its simplicity, spartan in comforts, and iconic in its reliability.”

James first gained respect for the platform when he crossed paths with 70-series Land Cruisers while hunting abroad and serving as a Marine Corp Tank Commander in Afghanistan. It was hard not to be drawn to a truck that's stayed in production, largely unchanged, since 1984. Not many vehicles can claim that kind of run. So when it came time to build his own, the plan was never to reinvent — it was to let the platform stand on its own and get it ready to hunt, fish, camp, and handle business running the 6 Ranch.

On the 1–10 modification scale, James puts this rig at a three. Some of the changes, like upgraded leaf springs and fresh tires, are simply swapping out wear parts. The stereo head unit, front bumper, winch, and lights are practical upgrades that don’t meaningfully alter the heart of this truck.

Of course, the most noticeable modifications are the custom aluminum flatbed and custom gull-wing canopy — designs common in Australia but rarely seen Stateside. James worked with a fabricator to design the flatbed around the midsize DECKED Drawer System, integrating an additional full-width side drawer, which together provide accessible storage with or without the canopy.

What's next for Margot? James is looking to add a little more horsepower, now that she's an American. Everything else, James is leaving exactly the way Toyota intended. It doesn’t take much to build your dream vehicle when you start here.