This sexy beast, surely the mother of all FJ utes, is a dead cert to attract some serious attention when it takes centre stage at Summernats on Thursday.
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A surprisingly sleek marriage of a 1954 Holden ute body to a 1986 Toyota 4Runner four-wheel-drive chassis, the yellow peril runs a 3.8-litre V6 that originally lived under the bonnet of a VN/VP Holden Commodore.
The gearbox is a Supra five-speed, a popular unit to hang behind the torquey Holden V6.
While it is neither the fastest nor the most powerful car that has been entered for the 2014 event, the FJ captures the spirit of the modified car movement, Gundaroo's Brett Southwell says.
Mr Southwell is the vehicle's custodian for this year's Summernats. The owner, Lou Jenal, also of Gundaroo, was unable to attend so Mr Southwell and partner Meredith Stevens have entered it on his behalf.
Mr Southwell's own project, a Holden one-tonner, has yet to make it out of the shed.
Ms Stevens said the pressure was on from daughter Kayla, who is working in the Summernats office this year, to have the one-tonner ready for 2015.
While the FJ is not yet road registered it is 90 per cent of the way there. ''It is a streetable car and that is the plan,'' Mr Southwell said. ''Lou has built it as something different; as a car you can take out and enjoy.''
This was a common motivation in the modified car scene, he said. Like most enthusiasts, he is less than enchanted by the ''sameness'' of modern car design. ''We like to keep outside the mainstream. It's good to have something that is original and different.''
Ms Stevens agreed: ''It looks cool - like a cartoon car in a way.''
As with almost all Summernats entries, the workmanship on the FJ is eye-catching and the attention to detail far greater than you would find in any medium-price car.
The original Toyota ''bucket and bench'' seats have been retained but retrimmed in high-quality cloth. Door panels have been retrimmed in fabric and the painted dash has been executed to a standard Holden owners could have only dreamt of 60 years ago.
Ramped up on oversized wheels, the car is a towering 1.9 metres high and the view from the driver's seat could best be described as commanding.
The Holden V6 burbles in a very business-like manner and one gets the impression this FJ could keep up with most modern four-wheel-drives on road and off.
That said, this particular pride and joy is unlikely to go bush bashing any time soon despite its tough-as-nails underpinnings.
Mr Southwell said it would be competing in the show and shine, and the grass events.
He hopes its combination of old-world charm and underlying toughness will give it a chance in the people's choice awards.
Summernats Car Festival is on January 2 to January 5 at Exhibition Park in Canberra (EPIC). Visit summernats.com.au.
