Cruising In a 1963 Toyota Land Cruiser: Hands On with an Icon
A quick spin in a 1963 Toyota Land Cruiser is all it takes to remind you that sometimes the simplest things in life are the best.
This is not an article that I expected to be writing. Hence, my lack of quality photos. The pleasant surprise comes courtesy of a good friend of mine that recently picked up a 1963 Toyota Land Cruiser. We have not seen each other for much of the summer so he invited my girlfriend and I down to his beach house this past weekend for some boating and summertime fun. Little did I know at the time that the fun would include getting to drive his old Land Cruiser from his house to where his boat was docked. When he tossed me the keys and said I was driving, I am sure I did a lousy job of hiding my goofy grin. I always loved these things but never got the chance to drive one. Finally, I got my chance and I want to share my impressions with all of you.
The word ‘icon’ gets thrown about a bit too much in the automotive world. However, in the case of the Toyota Land Cruiser describing it as an icon is perfectly acceptable. Sadly, after over 60 years of production the Land Cruiser went out of production in 2021. The newest generation is not being offered in the U.S. Although we do have the Lexus LX. As disappointing it is to not have a new Land Cruiser available to buy, we still have examples of the FJ40 generation out there to keep us entertained. And while the old FJ40 such as this 1963 example can’t compete on luxury terms with the newest models. This 1963 Toyota Land Cruiser is overflowing with charm and charisma. It reminds us that we don’t need massaging captain’s chairs to have a good time. Simple is its own brand of fun.
1963 Toyota Land Cruiser
The nice thing about the Land Cruiser that my friend owns is that it is not an over-restored museum piece that you would be afraid to even let out in the sun. It is the perfect driver grade SUV. It is well maintained and is good shape, but you don’t have to feel guilty about putting a few miles on it. It is the perfect little beach town vehicle. And of course, a Land Cruiser that is nearly 60 years old does not have any modern amenities. This baby is manual EVERYTHING. Steering, windows, and of course the 3-speed transmission. You want air-conditioning? No, problem roll down the window or open one of the air vents under the windshield or near the floor.
The Start
As I settled into the driver’s seat, which maybe is adjustable, but I didn’t take the time to figure it out, one of the most interesting quirks became apparent to me. The seatbelts. Mine was a simple lap belt. But next to the driver’s seat is a bench seat for two. That seat shares a seatbelt for both passengers. My buddy sat on one of the jump seats in the rear. His girlfriend and mine both sat on the bench seat next to me and shared the same lap belt. The Toyota started right up (don’t they always) and we were off. For all of about 5 feet before I realized that with manual steering, I should have started my turn much sooner if I wanted to avoid hitting the car parked in front of us. So, I reversed back into the spot and tried again.
The Drive
Pro tip. The side mirrors on a 1963 Toyota Land Cruiser are for entertainment purposes only. I could see nothing out of the tiny, vibrating mirrors. But who cares? Everyone saw us. Driving one of these thru town produces positive responses from everyone around us. My buddy and I each have some high-end sports cars, and this little FJ40 gets more attention than any of them. The shift throws are loooong but well defined and I never missed a shift or even felt like I could. The SUV is not fast of course but accelerates fine away from the lights and is not holding up traffic in any way. My friend has driven this at 70 mph on the freeway and he said it was fine. As long as you wear noise cancelling headphones to drown out the noise. Despite some rattles the FJ40 still felt solid and well built.
The Comparison
It is hard to believe that this FJ40 and the latest J200 generation vehicles are even related as the difference is that vast. But I loved my short around town drive in the old Land Cruiser. It was a beautiful summer night, the windows were down, we were with good friends, and we could not stop smiling. That is what life is all about. We would have all had a good time that day no matter what we were driving. But the 1963 Toyota Land Cruiser just made it all a little more special. That is what makes these things worthy of being called icons. Thank you, Pat, for giving me the opportunity to sample this great machine.
Images: Joe Kucinski; Toyota
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