This Toyota FJ Cruiser Took 1,000 Hours to Restore. Time Well Spent

Greg's Restorations gave this ratty off-roader some much-needed love.

2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser by Greg's Restorations

Photo by: Greg's Restorations

Anthony Alaniz

By: Anthony Alaniz

Nov 10, 2025 at 1:30pm ET

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If you need more proof that letting a car sit is bad, take this 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser. It underwent a full frame-off restoration after the owner, who had bought it new, wanted to perform some minor rust repair and mechanical work. The project snowballed, and Greg’s Restorations spent about a year and 1,000 hours returning the quirky off-roader to a like-new condition.

Speaking to The Drive, Greg Ward of Greg's Restorations said that the car required extensive repairs, having been stored in a high-moisture space with mice that chewed on wires, infiltrated the HVAC system, and left corrosive urine on an already rust-prone vehicle. It was rusty, smelly, and dirty, so Greg and his team got to work restoring a modern Toyota.

Ward’s techs separated the frame and the body, made their repairs, and repainted it. They replaced the weather stripping, restored the factory brush guard and OEM fog lights, repaired the plastic, and removed the interior. One of the more challenging aspects was matching the paint, as Greg’s Restoration only touched up the front.

Ward and his team even restored the FJ’s engine, a 4.0-liter V-6 that’s rated at 239 horsepower and 278 pound-feet of torque. Greg’s Restorations pulled the engine and transmission out—a five-speed automatic, replaced all the gaskets and seals, replaced the water pump and alternator, and did all the service that was possible.

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The company, which typically restores older FJs from the 1970s and 1980s, kept everything as 100 percent OEM as possible. It even restored the factory running boards, but it had to replace the Cruiser’s rear axle assembly due to rust, which was the reason for the restoration.

The owner purchased the 2008 FJ as new and wanted to preserve it. Now they have a like-new Toyota, preserving a bit of quirky automotive history in the process, and we must commend them for that. A well-loved classic Toyota will turn heads as much as any modern supercar.

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