Custom 4x4s

The 105 Series LandCruiser that ignited Off Track Concepts

The original build that set the benchmark for Off Track Concepts

25 Feb 2026 3:42 PM

Jack Pyper

Gallery 1

Every workshop has one: The build that sets the benchmark, ignites the spark and proves the dream was always bigger than the shed it started in.

For Off Track Concepts (OTC), this LandCruiser was exactly that. Long before OTC became the name behind multiple 1VD-converted heavy hitters and high-end touring fabrication, this 105 Series was the project that lit the fuse.

Back in August 2018, OTC set out with a simple goal: To build the 105 Toyota should have made. The recipe began with a grandpa-spec 1999 FZJ105 and a rolled 2009 VDJ79 donor – a duo destined to become something far greater. Engine and gearbox mounts were fabricated from scratch, and before long the mighty 1VD was squeezed into its new home. Then came the headache phase: Stripping back the V8 loom to only the essentials, long days buried in wiring diagrams and plenty of head-scratching. But the payoff? Hearing the V8 thunder to life inside a 105 chassis for the first time.

The bonnet was merged to create a factory-looking scoop for the top-mount intercooler. A custom exhaust followed, along with an in-house airbox, ECU and fuse-box brackets, and a reworked fuel system. The dash was rewired, the cluster modified and everything clicked together like it had always belonged there. With the fundamentals sorted, the 105 received its first wave of upgrades: HARROP E-lockers, Dobinsons springs and shocks, a TJM bar and winch, STEDI Type-X Pros, 35s, a tidy rear bar and a simple but functional drawer setup.

The first off-road trip

By April 2019, “Big Blue” was ready for its maiden voyage: A 3000km haul to SA for a proper dune flogging.

From there the 105 saw mud, snow, sand and everything in between. And when lock-downs hit, the downtime became development time. This was the period where the fabrication style OTC is now known for truly took shape. In 2022, the rough early drawers were ripped out and replaced with a next-level touring system – router-cut, perfectly finished and integrated with an upright fridge, compressor, hot-water setup and a full 12V lithium install. The systems were getting sharper, the finish cleaner and OTC’s identity was forming fast.

Around the same time the infamous VDJ80 build was born, and the 105 was officially registered as VDJ105 with a fresh set of plates. Big Blue had already conquered Tassie, crossed the Simpson, tackled the Tele Track (including a successful Palm Creek drop) and cruised home via Fraser Island. The truck wasn’t just proving itself – it was proving OTC.

By late 2022 and into 2023, OTC was in full swing. The first VDJ280 was completed, followed by another 1VD-powered 80 Series. Custom mounts, intercooler fans, airboxes, brackets, fridge slides, drawer systems, trays and canopies rolled out of the shed in quick succession. By 2025, a second VDJ280 build emerged – this time chopped, wearing a full in-house OTC tray and pushing the brand’s fabrication capability to an entirely new level.