If we handed out a Winning...
If we handed out a Winning Ugly award, this rig would win going away. Still, the FJ is ready for the rigors of the Trap, with an ARB snorkel on board to prevent hydrolocking and a Warn 9.5ti to drag it through all seven waterholes if needed. The brand-new and plenty-capable 42-inch Goodyear Kevlar Wranglers, installed just for TTC, are sure to get their baptism as well.
Every family reunion includes at least one black sheep, and TTC is no different. This year's reader-approved square peg is an '06 FJ Cruiser that was built by some magazine guys as a project rig a couple of years back. The scribes long ago bailed on the project, leaving the hapless driver without a support crew; he managed to enlist his parole officer to help out as a last-minute spotter this year.
Specifications
Owner name/city: Toyota Motor Sales/Torrance, CA
Occupation: World's leading auto manufacturer
Vehicle model: 2006 Toyota FJ Cruiser
Estimated value: N/A
Engine/aspiration: 4.0L Toyota V-6, URD supercharger, Flowmaster exhaust
Transmission: Stock 6-spd manual
Transfer case: Atlas 4-spd
Suspension (f/r): All-Pro custom links, Walker Evans coilover shocks/All-Pro custom link, Walker Evans coilovers; Light Racing JounceShocks
Axles (f/r): Dynatrac Pro Rock 60/Pro Rock 60; Detroit Lockers, Dynatrac/Yukon shafts, Tom Wood's driveshafts, Howe ram assist steering
Axle ratio: 5.38:1
Wheels: 17-in aluminum Spyderlights
Tires: 42x12.50/17 Goodyear Wrangler MT/R Kevlars
 The rear is a near-mirror...  The rear is a near-mirror of the front, with a Pro Rock 60 spinning 5.38:1 Yukon cogs, locked by Detroit, and fed by a Tom Wood's driveshaft. Walker Evans coilovers, All-Pro linkage, and Light Racing jouncers also comprise the rear suspension. |  Stripped down to save weight...  Stripped down to save weight and improve visibility, the FJ's interior is largely stock, though a pair of Corbeau harnesses and custom 'cagework by Poison Spyder and One-Ton Off-Road provide extra measures of safety for driver and passenger alike. Tube doors from Metal Tech won't keep much water out, but it'll help to keep the occupants in. |  The FJ's frontend is simple...  The FJ's frontend is simple but stout: A Detroit-locked Dynatrac Pro Rock 60 located by All-Pro custom links and Walker Evans coilovers. Light Racing JounceShocks add an extra measure of damping, and the steering gets a Howe ram assist to aid in turning the 42-inch Goodyears. We dig the mega-duty Fab Fours bumper/brushguard, too. |
 The FJ's engine bay looks...  The FJ's engine bay looks mostly as it did when it rolled off the assembly line, though the 4.0L V-6 has been given a bit more oomph in the form of a supercharger from Underdog Racing, and a K&N filter and Flowmaster exhaust help the alloy engine send as much horsepower as possible to the OE six-speed manual transmission and Atlas four-speed transfer box. | | |