Sean Santoro’s 1978 model FJ40 Toyota Troop Carrier is living proof that something that was once a workhorse can be turned in to a family pet.
For Sean Santoro, while the looming COVID lockdowns of 2020 had lots of negatives, there was perhaps one bright spot: He decided he needed a project. He explains, “It was about June 2020 and I was thinking it would be great to have something in the garage I could tinker with.”
Okay, but what exactly? “So then I started looking at YouTube videos, camping videos – one thing led to another and I got on to a channel called Overland Travellers.” They’re an Australian couple that were going around the country in a troop carrier – albeit a later model than Sean’s.
With a target in mind he then started looking for further inspiration and tripped over the FJ Company out of the USA. It builds custom restomods out of early LandCruisers, many of which look fabulous. And so they should. As Sean noted, “Their pricing starts at US$180,000! And I started thinking well I could do something for less than that.”
He found a good ‘foundation’ for the project for about $10,000 and reckoned he could get what he wanted, doing much of the work himself, for well under what the finished product was likely to be worth.
We’re talking of a 1978 model FJ40 Troopy, in tired but reasonably complete shape. “It had nice straight channels and it wasn’t too rusty,” says Sean. “It was good enough to work with.”
And, of course, you should have some fun along the way. “The idea was to get it into the garage, pretty it up, have a beer in it, tinker with stuff. I’ve got a great photo of me and my mate sitting in the back with a beer There is another of daughter in there, with a headlamp on, reading a book.”
The Project Begins
As is often the case, the project changed shape in the early stages. “The first thought was we could have it as an old banger and just fix the engine. However, the engine is asthmatic and needed to be replaced – you can’t get enough torque out of that H motor. But I didn’t want to put an LS (V8) in it, which everyone was doing. We still wanted it to have that ‘bus’ kind of feel, and be capable of 120km/h.
“You start sketching it out and the idea was now we could build this thing for about $80,000 and we’ll have a car that’s worth a lot more than that and it will be unreal to drive. And it could be a project I’d enjoy doing.
“Of course, it wasn’t that simple. It took a lot more than I expected. For example the panels over the rear wheel have seams in them and they often seem wonky, and you can see the pinch welds. One of the things you have to do is almost give it a kind of liposuction, where you burn the panels with heat to shrink and tighten them up so you get a nice flat finish. Then you have to skim it.”
Even little things could become complex: “Such as when I went to put speakers in the rear compartment and discovered I really had to custom build some boxes to take them.”
We had to choose a new motor and ended up going with a 1HZ out of a 1990 LandCruiser – it’s 4.2lt six-cylinder diesel. The transmission is now a dual-range five-speed. Essentially, it’s very much a Toyota driveline that’s sympathetic to the model, but updated. Brakes are discs all-round.
Sean was somewhat less conservative when it came to the general fit-out. For example the entire electrical system was gutted and redone. It now runs LED headlamps, complemented by a set of spotlights which the owner describes as being able to “just light up the world – you can see into the future with them!”
Where once the Troopy had an interior you could probably hose out if necessary, it now has better sound-deadening, with heated seats trimmed in leather. Lee Brothers in Albion did the upholstery work, and Sean highly recommends them. As he described it, when they struck a snag with one area of the job they ‘owned’ the problem and made sure the end result was right.
A modern makeover
Meanwhile the dash has been modernised and now runs Apple CarPlay. There are cameras both front and back, while an electric folding step (the type you find on upmarket caravans) has been fitted to the rear to allow passengers easy access.
Then there is the odd quirky touch, such as the transmission guide plate fitted to the interior. These are common enough for the era, explain what the different high and low ranges are intended for. As Sean points out, no-one ever reads them – so he thought he’d have some fun. For example, the line for L4 explains it is for “black mud, deep sand and pulling fools out the shit and stuff”.
Maybe you need some fun along the way, as the three-year build would have been exhausting.
“It’s an absolute nut and bolt restoration – there is not a single part that is not immaculate,” he explains. It was often the details that caught him out: “Even putting the window rubbers on was a struggle. They’re taut, they don’t fit, so you have to heat them up. Everything was an effort.”
Any advice?
Does he have any advice for someone tackling a similar project? “You need good people,” says Sean. “The LandCruiser community were so helpful. Troop Carriers of Australia (Facebook) is worth following and has a huge amount of information.”
Though it’s a fair age, the Troopy came with the original paperwork – quite a find. Through that, Sean was able to track down the first owner. Carol and her husband bought it new in Mackay and it served as transport and workhorse on their sugar cane and cattle farm in the colourfully-named Alligator Creek. Back then, her kids referred to it as the family truckster, after the hero car in the movie National Lampoon’s Family Vacation.
Carol was staggered to hear how it was now fitted out, and that it was being taken to a car show in Noosa.
Rudy is born
It now has a new name: Rudy. That came about because Sean was concerned his kids weren’t engaging with the project – giving it a name changed that. It also meant it has now become a family pet. “Another one I can’t sell,” he comments.
Rudy ended up with its own Instagram page (instagram.com/rudytroopy/) which, of course, made its progress something of a public event.
Sean’s choice of colour was controversial and a long way adrift from the usually conservative choices for a Troopy. However, when you understand what he has put together, the colour works and somehow goes with the name.
So what does he do with it? “It’s used for fun times with the family, day trips up the country. You park it in the middle of the city – it gets tagged on Instagram.”
The driving experience is pretty much what he expected. It’s a bit of a bus, he says, though the engine is clearly more enthusiastic than the original and the general ride quality is up a couple of notches.
“It’s exactly what you want to chuck some kids in and amble up a mountain. It’s not great for long trips – that’s not what it’s for. But it’s reliable and gets up and goes,” Sean explains.
In any case it works well and brings a smile to the face of pretty much anyone who gets near it. A great result.