Philsey and Titanpat are being dicks and contributing nothing to the thread. They should just avoid the threads they don't find interesting.
As I lurked this forum for a while before joining, that seems to be the case with a number of threads.
Philsey and Titanpat are being dicks and contributing nothing to the thread. They should just avoid the threads they don't find interesting.
You think it is a GM truck underneath? Dude, seriously?
It has a GM engine and transmission. That is it for the GM parts. Is the frame GM? No, it is a custom frame. Is the suspension GM? No, it is a custom suspension with remote reservoir shocks. Are the axles GM? No, they are Dana axles. Is the floorpan GM? No, it is custom-built.
As for the price, if you think you can get a hand-built, custom vehicle, built with with top of the line parts (heck, èven the knobs on the dash are machined from billet) for $60k then you are completely out of your mind. There is no plastic crap anywhere on an Icon.
It would be reasonable to say that you would rather buy a Wrangler Rubicon and put $20k into it. But to assert that you could build an Icon for $60k is flat-out BS.
If you simply bought all new stock parts for a FJ40- no upgrades like remote reservoir shocks - it would cost you more than $60k in parts, and you would still have to pay thousands for labor.
Once you lose the inline 6 2F motor with the H42 (or H41 if you can find it) 4 speed that came with the later model FJ40's you lose a BIG part (or all) of what that truck was.
And you can buy and outfit a FJ40 that is just as nice if not nicer than the ICON for far less than $60K, I have done it twice and looking for a third project truck.
ICON FJ's are bad ass. Too bad they use an American V8 in there.
Would be much more cool if they used the Tundra 5.7 Toyota V8. I heard they had plans to use a Toyota V8 but somehow Toyota was giving them trouble.
If I had the money I would not get one due to the American drivetrain and engine. If they had a Toyota engine and drive train than I would definitely buy if I had the money!
AEV makes the Brute DK for about 80-90k. You have to refab the entire body shell, stretch the frame, and add a bed. The suspension, driveshafts, tires, wheels, and interiors are also overhauled. You can even add a HEMI and still come in under 100k.
I'll take two of those over an ICON.
Once you lose the inline 6 2F motor with the H42 (or H41 if you can find it) 4 speed that came with the later model FJ40's you lose a BIG part (or all) of what that truck was.
ICON FJ's are bad ass. Too bad they use an American V8 in there.
Would be much more cool if they used the Tundra 5.7 Toyota V8. I heard they had plans to use a Toyota V8 but somehow Toyota was giving them trouble.
If I had the money I would not get one due to the American drivetrain and engine. If they had a Toyota engine and drive train than I would definitely buy if I had the money!
The Chevy small block is truly an outstanding engine. It is very compact for its output -- far more compact than overhead cam engines. GM makes a lot of crap, but the Chevy small block is an incredible engine.
The reason that they don't use the Toyota 5.7l V8 is that Toyota doesn't sell crate engines to the aftermarket. GM does.
It's also easier to build a stout and reliable Chevy small block than it is to try and get the iForce 5.7L retro'd into an older vehicles and have the plethora of sensors and modules playing nice together. I'm not a Chevy guy, but it's hard to argue with the simplicity, reliability, and versatility of the Chevy small block.
I'd rather have an engine that isn't gutless.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and to discuss this any further would be too far off topic, but...
![]()
My FJ was bad ass. I am trying to like this 4Runner but so far, if I had it to do over, I would have kept the FJ and just bought a mini van for the kids and dog.