Vintage Toyota Land Cruisers Simply Don’t Get Cooler Than This

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The Land Cruiser has seen a lot of love over the years. But as the vintage, boxy-4×4 market continues to explode, much like the camper-van market, we have seen increasingly rad (and expensive) vintage Toyota Land Cruiser, vintage Land Rover Defender, and Bronco builds. This 1984 Toyota Land Cruiser is a cut above any other Land Crusier we have seen in a long time. 

1984 Toyota Land Cruiser | Corsetti Cruisers

Feast your eyes on this vintage Toyota Land Cruiser build

The FJ60 is easily one of the most inspirational and influential SUVs the world has ever seen. Like many Toyota 4x4s, this generation Land Cruiser really prioritized reliability and off-road capability over most things, but somehow never abandoning the “family car” feeling. 

According to Gear Patrol, California-based Corsetti Crusiers completely agrees with our love of the LC and has put together one of the finest in the game. The best part of this inspired 1984 Toyota Land Cruiser build is that it is only one of a series of builds the team is working on. 

This Toyota FJ60 is the coolest

Profile view of Land Cuiser with paint and orange, yellow, and while stripes
1984 Toyota Land Cruiser | Corsetti Cruisers

This build has over 2,000 hours invested. While that may seem like a lot (it really is), it doesn’t take long to see where those hours went. This thing is not only immaculate; it is cooler than the other side of the pillow. 

Corsetti Cruisers didn’t mess around with a motor rebuild; instead, they went straight for an LS3 6.2-liter V8 swap. This monster powerplant is paired with a four-speed automatic transmission. The drivetrain now triples the FJ60’s original 135 hp to make a colossal 495 hp. There are plenty of new bits and bobs, but CC kept the original three-speed transfer case cause if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. 

Other mechanical modifications include a killer suspension from the Aussies at Old Man Emu, 33-inch BF Goodrich rubber, and hydro boosted rear disc brakes to match the front. Even with the nearly 3x increase in power, the folks at CC claim this Land Crusier can get between 22-24 mpg on the highway. According to Gear Patrol, the original would typically get around 12 mpg when new. 

ThisToyota FJ60 looks like a million bucks

Interior of a restored vintage Toyota Land Cruiser
1984 Toyota Land Cruiser | Corsetti Cruisers

Clearly, Corsetti Crusiers went to the mat on this one. Due to all-new suspension, brakes, drivetrain, and tires, this Land Cruiser is hard to beat as a truck. However, the build obviously didn’t stop there. 

The design aesthetic for the custom Landy might be the best part. First of all, just look at that paint scheme and graphics package. The electric blue with the 80s livery is so good that I don’t even really want to talk about it anymore. 

The interior is on par with the rest of the build. CC upholstered the seats with leather, added a 10-inch Pioneer touchscreen infotainment screen, reverse camera, and a modern stereo system. And, in case you’re wondering, yes, they even added the jump seats behind the second row. This is one of the coolest features of the earlier Toyota FJs. 

This vintage Land Crusier ain’t cheap

It should come as no surprise that this vintage Toyota Land Cruiser is said to have cost nearly $135,000 to build. That is about the same money as a Mercedes G series. While that is a ton of money for an old truck, no one, and I mean no one could argue in good faith that buying a new production G Wagen is even kind of as cool as this vintage Land Cruiser. The choice is an easy one. 

RELATED: 1994 Toyota Land Cruiser With 1,000 Miles Sells for $136,000

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The Volkswagen ID. Life Concept is the PlayStation 5 you can’t have

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Recently, at the IAA Auto Show in Munich, Germany, Volkswagen unveiled their newest electric vehicle concept, the Volkswagen ID.Life. Reportedly, you’ll be able to play video games in this one, a-la Tesla Model S. Obviously, you can’t drive and play. However, being able to game while you wait outside the house of the “be out in 5” friend beats sitting on Twitter wondering what’s wrong with our world. Plus, with the way the chip shortage is going, you’ll probably be able to get one of these before a PS5.

Will the Volkswagen ID.Life come to America?

The Volkswagen ID.Life will have removable roof panels a-la Porsche Targa | Volkswagen

RELATED: The 2022 Polestar 2 Is Here to Send a Warning to the Tesla Model 3

Unfortunately, the ID.Life won’t be coming to America. Rather, whatever the production version of the Volkswagen ID.Life is won’t be coming to America. Honestly, these kinds of things change all the time. In all likelihood, VW is simply using Europe and its native Germany as a test bed for sales of the small lifted hatch to see how things go.

Frankly, the premise of the Volkwagen ID.Life is one that appeals to me, a young professional- VW’s intended market for the car, so I’m hoping for an American version soon. Regardless, the Volkswagen ID.Life is supposed to be cheap. The folks in Wolfsburg via CNN say around $24,000 MSRP for the starting price. That places the ID.Life securely below other EV city cars like the Honda E.

VW will let you play video games in their new concept

The interior of the ID.Life concept with phone integration instead of an infotainment unit and sustainable wood and cloth, as well as an F1-like steering wheel
I love the pause and play buttons on the ID.Life concept’s pedals, very Playstation 5 | Volkswagen

RELATED: The Most Reliable Electric Cars According to Consumer Reports

While this is just a concept, it looks like the Volkswagen ID.Life gives you quite a lot for the money. For starters, you’ll have a huge 34-inch screen to game or watch movies on that rises out of the dash. Bet that Playstation 5 you just bought for $300 over retail doesn’t come with a big ol’ screen. Funnily enough, there’s a lot of video game nods in the car, like the “Game On” script on the dash and the pause/play gas and brake pedals.

Howver, the infotainment details aren’t handled by that big 34-inch screen. Instead, that falls on your cell phone. Frankly, that’s not a good idea. I have near-perfect eyesight and even for me, my phone screen requires a bit too much looking at to be safe to get directions from. The big screen is there, and Volkswagen should use that for infotainment like Carplay, not just as a Playstation 5 substitute.

Tech integration is key to VW’s (ID) life(style)

The rear taillights of the white ID.Life concept car
The ID.Life’s taillights definitely need to look less ominous | Sven Hoppe via Getty Images

All that to say nothing of range and power outputs. Keep in mind this is a concept and numbers can always change. For now, we’re looking at 234 hp and about 250 miles of range. Honestly, that’s just about perfect for a city car, but I imagine batteries will have become more efficient by the time the first ID.Life rolls off the line. No matter what, I’m sure you’ll be able to buy one of these before you can get your hands on a Playstation 5. I bet the ID.Life will be cheaper too.

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Tesla Wants to Sell Electricity to Texas After the State’s Power Grid Failures

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Tesla has been in the news a lot over the years. However, when the EV automaker announced it would be building a new plant in Texas, the world was more than a little shocked. Texas hasn’t exactly been open about embracing Tesla vehicles, but Elon Musk doesn’t seem to be bothered by this. He decided to take things a step further by selling Texans energy through Tesla Energy Ventures. Given the latest power grid issues which hit Texas earlier this year, it appears he’s got a solid argument.

Texas has its own grid

Tesla building | Getty Images

In an effort to retain independence from the federal government, Texas has its own power grid. While it’s commendable to be independent, it can also come with its own problems. The Texas grid is small, meaning that it doesn’t have anyone else to turn to when it fails.

For those on the federal grid, when there is a lack of power in one state, it can borrow from another. Texas doesn’t have that option. Although according to The Texas Tribune, it had imported power from Mexico in 2011. 

However, there have been more recent problems which only prove how serious the situation has become. Just this year, a cold snap left many people without power. In Forney reports, 4.8 million homes were left without power, and 111 people died during the power outage. So what is Texas going to do as winter is quickly approaching? If Elon Musk has his way, Tesla might just come to the rescue.

Can Tesla help Texas?

If there’s one thing Tesla can do right, it’s creating batteries that go above and beyond. Its EVs have a range that leaves the competition far behind, and Tesla wants to branch into selling energy into homes.

The Tesla Energy Ventures could do just that. Now that it’s clear the current Texas power grid provider Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), isn’t able to provide enough power to Texans, there are plenty of companies vying to join in. According to The Texas Monthly, Tesla Energy Ventures is standing out from the crowd.

Tesla has a solid plan to help boost the Texas power grid without involving federal regulation. The Texas Monthly reports, “Tesla could sell kilowatts that are either drawn from the grid when it is working or pull from Tesla-made home batteries when the grid goes down. Importantly, Tesla could also let individual Texans with solar panels earn money by sharing their excess power with the grid. That’s something that, today, only large commercial customers can do easily.”

Tesla is headed for Texas

According to Green Car Reports, the new power grid isn’t the only way Tesla will be involved with Texas. The EV automaker plans to open a new plant near Austin, where it will produce the Cybertruck, Semi, Model 3, and Model Y for the East Coast.

However, this comes as a shock to some as Tesla isn’t allowed to sell its vehicles in Texas. In fact, this may not change until 2023 because of current franchise laws. For this to be changed, it has to go through the Texas legislature. A bill has been introduced to remedy this, but so far, it has been stalled.

It’s unclear how this will turn out, but Tesla is still moving forward with its plans to open a new plant. The fact that it’s helping boost the Texas economy may play a role in what happens in 2023. 

It may also help open doors for Tesla Energy Ventures to boost the power grid. Either way, it appears that Tesla is in Texas to stay. 

RELATED: Tesla’s Secret Battery Project in Texas Is Surprisingly Covert

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This V10 4×4 Camper Van Might Be More Than Most Drivers Can Handle

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The Ford Econoline is typically not associated with power. Moreover, how could an Econoline Camper van conversion ever cross over with a Lamborghini or F1? Well, they don’t really, except for a V10 engine. Although this 2008 Ford Econoline 4×4 camper van conversion hits all the notes of a great off-road camper van; a pop-top, 4×4 driveline, self-reliant power, and so on, it also rocks a 6.8-liter V10. 

The Roamerica 4×4 Ford Econoline Sportsmibile conversion | Roamerica

Roamerica is serious about some campers 

This 2008 Ford Econoline has been outfitted to be more of a Sportsmobile conversion 4×4 camper van. Well, not really “more of”; it just is a beautiful conversion. This incredible camper van was made by the folks over at Roamerica. 

These guys know a thing or two about badass camper vans. Roamerica is a rental company that offers self-contained and fully equipped Sportsmobile camper vans designed for Pacific Northwest conditions. While they mostly rent camper vans, they sometimes sell one or two, and this one can now be yours. 

The “Delta” is an endgame 4×4 camper van conversion

Roamerica has a deep love for getting out into the wilder places of the world. More to the point, they love the machines that get us there. The listing for the Delta Econoline is simple and to the point, “The time has come to part ways with this beautiful Sportsmobile we have lovingly named Delta. It has served us extremely well since 2017. This type of Sportsmobile is extremely rare and has an extended body and roughly 50 layouts (EB50). We look forward to passing the torch of adventure off to a new home and look forward to hearing the stories they will bring.”

A look through a few of the photos is enough for most serious camper vans enthusiasts to know how special this rig is. But, if the photos don’t grab your attention, the powerplant will. This 2008 Ford Econoline conversion 4×4 camper van has a monster 6.8-liter V10. 

V10 is a lot for a camper van

Obviously, this V10 is likely more of Clydesdale to a Lamborghini Huracan’s racehorse V10. Although Roamerica doesn’t specify the exact engine, we speculate that this is likely a Triton V10. If we are correct in our assumption of the Ford V10, that would mean this van has 362 hp and 457 lb-ft of torque. That may not outsprint an F1 car, but it at least has the same number of cylinders. The truth is though, if someone is not experienced off-road, driving this powerful of a rig may prove to be more than some can handle safely.

On the more practical side, that power and torque will go a long way in keeping things more useable both on-road and off. Obviously, having that torque makes a huge difference in off-road/overlanding aspects of the 4×4 camper van life, but the horsepower also makes on-road travel much more pleasant in such a heavy rig. Something tells me passing won’t be a big issue here. 

What other specs does this Ford Econoline camper have?

4x4 camper van parked in the woods with the pop-top up
The Roamerica 4×4 Ford Econoline Sportsmibile conversion | Roamerica

Aside from the monster V10, this camper has also had a full 4×4 conversion as well. The tall lift and knobby tires are an easy giveaway for this feature. Another of the main features here is the Sportsmobile pop-top camper tent. This is one of the coolest parts of the camper van industry. 

Maybe on the less initially noticeable front, this 2008 Econoline has been stretched by 19 inches to make room for all the necessary gear. Speaking of gear, this bad boy has two beds, a built-in heater, a kitchenette with a two-burner stove, a 12-volt refrigerator, 100-amp-hour house battery, and multiple 5-gallon freshwater canisters. 

This Sportsmobile floorplan offers tons of space, multiple storage areas, and plenty of room to hang around and plan the next excursion.

As of this writing, Roamerica is offering this incredible powerhouse rig for $80,000. It has 160,000 miles but seems to be ready for plenty more. 

More photos of the Roamerican V10 camper van can be found on Roamerica’s site.

RELATED: The New Thor 4×4 Sanctuary Is an Aptly-Named 4×4 Camper Van

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