One car amid the others in the peaceful Homestead, Florida suburbs is a perfect 1969 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40. For more than ten years, Joe Hernandez, the owner, has lovingly kept this legendary off-road vehicle in evidence of the FJ40’s ongoing excellence and capacity.
Toyota debuted the FJ40 in 1960 and soon established it as a tough, dependable, flexible utility vehicle. Popular among adventurers, outdoor enthusiasts, and those just looking for a dependable workhorse, the FJ40 was built for use in the toughest conditions on Earth.
Lifelong automotive buff Hernandez came across his FJ40 in 2010 while perusing a nearby old vehicle lot. “I had to have it as soon as I laid eyes on it,” he says. “The boxy silhouette, the iconic round headlights, and the generally toughness of the design just captivated me.”
Hernandez set about painstakingly restoring the FJ40 to its previous splendor following a comprehensive inspection and some little repairs. He painstakingly restored the engine, changed out-of-date suspension parts, and painted the outside a fresh coat of the venerable Toyota “Olive Green”.
Hernandez’s 1969 FJ40 is a real head-turner in Homestead today. “I love riding it and observing the responses of the people around me,” he says grinningly. “They can’t help but stop and admire the simply existence of this vehicle.”
Hernandez’s FJ40, though, transcends mere exhibition value. He routinely off-road, easily negotiating the rough terrain of the neighboring Everglades National Park. “The FJ40 was developed for this sort of adventure,” he says. “The four-wheel-drive system, the high ground clearance, and the incredibly durability of the chassis – it’s all designed to conquer the toughest environments.”
Hernandez’s respect of his FJ40 has only deepened as the years go by. “This is a living piece of automotive history,” he explains. “It’s a reminder of a simpler time when vehicles were built to last and a monument to Toyota’s engineering ability.”
The venerable and cherished Toyota Land Cruiser is still a road and trail emblem for Hernandez and innumerable other FJ40 aficionados worldwide. And one spectacular example from Homestead, Florida still draws attention and motivates a fresh batch of off-road adventurers.
