This study was conducted to investigate the microstructure and mechanical properties of friction stir lap joints. Invar 42 and SS 400 were selected as the experimental materials, and friction stir welding was carried out at a tool rotation speed of 200 rpm and welding speed of 100 mm/min. The application of friction stir welding to Invar 42 effectively reduced the grain size in the stir zone; the average grain size of Invar 42 was reduced from $11.5{mu}m$ in the base material to $6.4{mu}m$ in the stir zone, which resulted in an improvement in the mechanical properties of the stir zone. The joint interface between Invar 42 and SS 400 showed a relatively sound weld without voids and cracks, and the intermetallic compounds with $L1_2$ type in lap jointed interface were partially formed with size of 100 nm. Moreover, the hook in the advancing side of Invar 42 was formed from SS 400, which contributed to maintenance of the tensile strength. The evolution of microstructures and mechanical properties of friction stir lap jointed Invar 42 and SS 400 are also discussed herein.