A New Heart, Same Soul

Hudson came to us as a 1974 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 with one clear objective: replace its original powertrain with something stronger, more capable, and better suited to modern driving without losing the mechanical character that makes an FJ40 what it is.

Built Around New Power

At the center of the build is an ATK High Performance GM 350 TBI Stage 1 V8, producing 290 horsepower, paired with an AX15 5-speed manual transmission. But fitting the new powertrain was only the beginning. The transmission, transfer case, driveshafts, steering, cooling, fuel delivery, exhaust, and electrical systems all had to be reworked around it.

The integration became the heart of the project. The fuel tank was modified for an in-tank pump, with new fuel lines, filtration, regulation, and EFI management. A new radiator and electric fan system were built around the V8, while the exhaust was custom fabricated to clear the factory PTO and revised steering components.

The steering system required its own solution, with a new power steering box, custom mounting, and fabricated lines. The transfer case and shifter were adapted to work with the AX15, while the driveline was reworked to suit the new configuration.

The final stage was about making everything work together. EFI was tuned, timing was set, the engine was broken in, fluids were checked, fasteners were re-torqued, and the truck was repeatedly test-driven and inspected before sign-off.

Hudson isn't trying to become something new. It's still an FJ40 at heart just with a new one.