This Japanese Shop Is Face-Swapping Land Cruisers and Hiace Vans for a Sweet Retro Look
Modern bodies with retro front ends, what’s not to love?
It's hard to go wrong when buying a Toyota. With an unimpeachable reputation for reliability, and build quality beyond reproach, you know what you're getting when you put down your hard-earned cash. However, despite all the good qualities of Toyota's modern vehicles, like the Land Cruiser and Hiace, you might find their design to be a little too modern and anonymous for your particular tastes. Never fear, however, for Japanese outfit Renoca can build you something a little more retro instead.
Renoca, a subunit of a larger company by the name of Flex Inc, specializes in building customized Toyotas, often with a throwback flair. The Renoca 106 is a great example. Based on the 100 Series Landcruiser built up until 2007, it sports a complete restyling intended to evoke the earlier 60 Series Land Cruiser design. The original lights, grille, and bumper are all removed, and replaced with an old-school slab-front design. Fitted with big round headlights and a flat Toyota grille with a wordmark badge, it's a handsome look that completely transforms the car.
The work is no mean feat, requiring a custom hood and other panel work, along with a new bumper and plenty of other smaller touches. A set of wheels that could best be described as "nostalgic" are paired with chunky offroad tires to complete the look. Inside, seat covers transform the seats to be a little more 1980s, along with a few other trim pieces to tie everything together. The configurator lets you explore all the options, including the alternative square headlight front grille which looks rather cool in its own right.
It's surprising just how well the old-school look works on the 90s design of the 100 Series Land Cruiser. However, Renoca doesn't just limit itself to four-wheel drives. It also works magic on the Toyota Hiace van. Going by the name of Coast Lines, it features a similar conversion with old-school round or square headlights paired with a classic grille. Similarly, there's also the Euro Box, a conversion of the Toyota Probox van to create a charming little wagon.
Seemingly based on used vehicles sourced from parent company Flex, a retro Renoca will set you back somewhere in the realm of 3 to 4 million yen, though it's unclear if this includes the purchase cost of the donor vehicle. That's somewhere between $27,000 and $37,000 US dollars. However, even if a Renoca build is the apple of your eye, you'll still be hamstrung by the usual 25-year US import policy, preventing you from bringing one into the country any time soon.
While it may not be easy to land yourself such a throwback here in the States, Renoca's output nonetheless shows the value of the design trends of yesteryear. We'd love to see more well-executed swaps like these; bonus points if someone puts original 1969 headlights on a new Nissan Z. If you build it, let us know!
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