When Donald Cassel of Venice, California, began the buildup of his 1980 Toyota FJ-40 Land Cruiser, he had a good image in his mind of the type of vehicle he desired. Tackling tough trails such as the Rubicon were certainly on the agenda, but maintaining a street-legal appearance and function were also high on his list of priorities.
Tri County Gear in Pomona, California, built the front Dana 60 using 4.88 Dana/Spicer gears, Superior chrome-moly axleshafts, and an ARB Air Locker. Tri County Gear also completed the steering system using a custom relocated track bar, heavy-duty tie rod and drag link, and AGR Super Box and Pump. A custom antisway bar assembly was also built by Tri County. | 
Donald addressed the rear of his rig with a multifunction attitude. A Premier Power Welder is installed on the tub floor, just aft of a Con-Ferr rear storage seat complete with Simpson restraints. A Man-A-Fre aluminum compartment tailgate also resides in the rear and adds to the functionality of the rig. | 
A GM tilt steering column and Grant steering wheel were employed to tackle tiller duties. The dash was further enhanced by an array of Auto Meter gauges, aluminum knobs, and switches. Corbeau seats and a Tuffy console were installed, with the seats receiving Simpson racing harnesses for occupant safety. Line lock brakes were installed by Don's 4x4, along with an Art Carr shifter to operate the 700R4 transmission. Also note the cool fiberglass half-doors. |
After spending a few dollars on mods to increase the rig's capability in its stock form, a rare opportunity that put him in the driver's seat of an extreme-built FJ-40 opened his eyes to the untapped capability that his own FJ possessed.
Donald Cassel of Venice, California, built his '80 Toyota FJ-40 Land Cruiser to crawl. With Dana 60s, an Atlas case, and a Warn Black Diamond Suspension, it achieves this and even more. | 
The rollcage and nerf bars were constructed by Don's 4x4 in Covina, California, along with much of the body-trimming work. The Bulletproof bumper residing in the rear is sealed to hold air and plumbed to a York engine-driven compressor under the hood. The Warn Black Diamond suspension system clears way for a set of 39.5x12.50R17 Interco Irok meats wrapped around 17x9.5-inch Allied bead locks. | 
A Warn 9.5ti Thermometric winch is mounted to a Bulletproof bumper, which is sealed to hold air, just as the rear. A set of Warn lights also resides up front. Note the cool custom tube fenders that are integrated into the stock fenders for extra rock protection. The Fox Shox coilovers are also visible. |
Launching into a full-scale buildup, Donald headed to Don's 4x4 in Covina, California, for the first stage of many modifications. A Warn Black Diamond coilover suspension system was acquired and a flurry of body and frame cutting and welding ensued (the Black Diamond Suspension line has since been sold by Warn, but the kits are still being produced under the name Black Diamond). Once the suspension installation was complete, Don's 4x4 also constructed the stout rollcage. A host of other interior and exterior accessories was also installed before the Cruiser moved onto Stage Two of the buildup, which occurred at Tri County Gear in Pomona, California. There, the steering and suspension tuning transpired, and the 5.7L Vortec 350 V-8 was tweaked and massaged until it passed smog.