1983 Toyota 4x4 Long Bed Hilux Pickup SR5 RESTORED 33" Tires Lockers Rust Free

VEHICLE
This is one of the nicest 1st generation (79-83) Toyota Hilux 4x4 pickups in existence. It's rare because of the factory long 8 foot bed which gives it a desirable 110 inch wheelbase. It's had only2 owners, the 1st in Lemon Grove, CA (basically San Diego) and the 2nd in Tucson, AZ.Always garage kept. 100% rust free. Never wrecked. Professionally rebuilt and meticulously restored drive train and axles. Everything works as it should. Absolutely nothing leaks. Runs and drives like new with absolutely zero mechanical issues. 4 newer 33 x 10.5 x 15 BFG All Terrain tires mounted and balanced on 4 newer 15 x 8 black steel Rock Crusher rims. Brand new Powertrax automatic lockers by LockRite are installed in both rebuilt 8 inch differentials with factory 4.10 gears.
I have 40 years experience restoring classic cars and trucks and strive for both mechanical and aesthetic excellence as documented in my 12,000 plus eBay feedback rating at 100% for 17 years.
I recently acquired the truck from a client, the 2nd owner, whose using the proceeds to help restore his 1965 Plymouth Fury. I don't consider myself an owner because although I've helped restore this truck I've only driven it less than 50 miles. It's been mechanically freshlyrestored by a team of Toyota professionals and includes many thousands upon thousands in receipts. Everything was touched except for the exterior which had one repaint by the original owner that's still in nice shape.
HISTORY
1983 was the last year of this Hilux body style. This truck was built in Hamura, Japan in Feb.1983 with every available deluxe SR5 option available except air conditioning. They have proven the world over to be brilliant fully boxed framed trucks with a virtually indestructible drive train. The 22R was produced from 81 to 97 (81 to 95 in the US) and is considered widely to be the most reliable 8 valve 4 cylinder engine ever built. The nickle content of these cast iron steel blocks is so high (higher even than most of the best old American muscle cars) that often they can be rebuilt without machining the cylinders, requiring only a simple honing.
THE 22R BUILD
Although these engines will run 300,000 miles before needing overhaul the 2nd owner wanted to restore the drive train to better than original so the engine was professionally tore down and anything worn was replaced. The cylinders were honed and new standard size pistons and rings were replaced. The cylinder head was machined (by P.O. Machine) and restored with new parts where needed and the valves ground. The rod and main bearings looked fine but were replaced with new in the standard size. The timing chain and cover are new and of course the superior metal chain guides (rather than plastic) were used. Every seal and gasket was replaced. Finally the stock carburetor was professionally rebuilt. Needless to say this 22R runs like a sewing machine. It makes smooth quiet power and runs cool with strong oil pressure.Starts every time with a bump of the key. No knocks, no rattles, no smoke, no leaks, no issues whatsoever. These engines are bullet proof, torquey, fuel efficient and reliable as they come.
UNDER THE HOODEvery serviceable part was replaced with new. The distributor was replaced with a new OE unit along with cap, rotor, plugs & wires. The filters and fluids are all new. The belts are new Premium GATES and hoses are all new. The battery is new with a 12/16 date sticker. There's a battery cut off switch installed near the positive terminal to prevent any drain when stored.
EMISSIONSThis truck is Emissions Legal in all 50 States and Canada as it runs the factory catalytic converter. On 3/17/17 it literally blew 00.00 Co2 readings in AZ (which are modeled after CA emissions) as you can see in the last picture, meaning you'd be hard pressed to kill yourself sucking the tailpipe in your own garage! Zeros on a carbureted engine? That's real objective proof on how well this truck runs. Moreover, this truck is eligible for Historic Plates in any State. That means you can get Collector Car Insurance from places like Grundy Worldwide or Haggerty, which in not only far cheaper ($18/mo. for a $15,000 full coverage policy) but also the vehicle becomes immediately Emissions Exempt! Can you imagine only $18 per month for Full Coverage auto insurance? Well that's exactly what I pay on my Tundra V8 powered '79 Hilux through Grundy.
5 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSIONToyota manual transmissions are rugged. This was only the 2nd year for the 5 speed which replaced the 4 speed offered 79-81. The bearings were more robust than the predecessor. Nevertheless this transmission was removed and given a complete professional overhaul and then completely resealed with new shifter bushings. At that time the flywheel was machined and a new OEM clutch disc, pressure plate, throwout bearing and pilot bearing were installed.
GEAR DRIVEN TRANSFER CASEThe 79-85 Toyota straight axle 4x4 features the strongest 2 speed transfer case Toyota ever made. Not only are they stronger than chain driven units but they are upgradable allowing aftermarket lower gear sets as well as bigger splined output shafts for Rock Crawler applications.This top shift gear driven transfer case was removed, taken part and thoroughly inspected then completely resealed. Of course the 4x4 actuation is smooth and flawless. The factory Aisin manual lockout hubs (known far & wide as the strongest hubs ever factory installed on any 4x4) engage smoothly.
DIFFERENTIALSBoth differentials were removed, tore down, and the bearings professionally replaced. The stock 4.10 gears have a great pattern with no unusual wear. New Powertrax automatic lockers were then installed in BOTH differentials so now it climbs like a mountain goat. In my opinion there is no better off road vehicle than a straight axle Toyota Hilux with lockers front and rear.
A shop owner colleague who had a "built" Jeep once told me about his 1st trip to Moab, Utah for the Easter Jeep Safari week around Y2K. On the big Saturday a large crowd, mostly Jeep owners of course, was gathered below an infamous obstacle called "Potato Salad Hill" that's sent many a Jeep (and other rigs) tumbling down over the years. On this day the hill climb proved exceptionally challenging (the hill changes over time as rocks move and wear away) and there was only one viable line, straight up the center, but despite picking the correct line one Jeep after another wound up rolling over, causing significant vehicular carnage, although thankfully nobody got hurt. Suddenly three nearly identical 1st generation Toyota Hilux longbeds with lockers and 33 inch tires (same as this truck) approached the hill side by side. They were obviously buddies. They each got out, locked in their manual hubs, jumped back in, shifted into low range and then side by side the 3 of them marched right up the hill like it was nothing, with only the center truck being able to utilize the good line. The other 2 stayed right with the center truck despite having to negotiate the precarious lines. (Having a 110 inch wheel base like these longbeds do really helps stability). Needless to say the crowd cheered, albeit a significant bunch of the Jeepster crowd were no doubt deeply butt hurt.
The beauty of the Powertrax automatic locker is that on the street you don't know they're there (except maybe once a month they will reset themselves going around a slow turn) but off road they work 100% of the time engaging both wheels when you need it. Except for some old Dodge military vehicles and old Land Cruisers, the 79-85 4x4 Hilux differentials were not only seriously robust but also unique in that the drop out 3rd members were interchangeable from front to rear. This is a life saving feature if your differential breaks in the middle of the Australian Outback or you're a Guerrilla soldier in some godforsaken war zone. No wonder when news footage shows some 3rd world fighters with AK47's in the back of a pickup the tail gate always reads TOYOTA, without exception.
STRAIGHT "LIVE" AXLESWhen the differentials were redone both the front and rear straight axle assemblies were completely disassembled and resealed. The rear got new axle bearings and seals along with new drums, wheel cylinders, brake shoes and gear oil. The front got the same treatment along with rebuilt calipers, new ceramic pads, new rotors, new wheel bearings, new inner & outer axle seals, and new gear oil. The knuckles were rebuilt with new trunion bearings and birfield sweepers. The knuckles were then refilled with 3 tubes of grease each (often neglected because few people realize they're supposed to hold that much since a little bit swipes out onto the outer birfield on every turn) which the birfields need for strength as it acts like a hydraulic shock absorber when banging up a tough obstacle.
DRIVE SHAFTSBoth the drive shafts were removed, professionally rebuilt with new greasable u-joints and re-balanced.
INTERIOR
Non-smoking truck. Neither of the 2 owners smoked. The interior is amazingly clean for a 34 year old vehicle. The speedo works and the odometer shows the 168,000 original miles. The seats aren't ripped or stained. The dash pad & gauge cluster looks good as new, featuring a tachometer and temperature gauge. There's a nice aftermarket CD deck installed that features MP3 & BlueTooth capability with 6x9 Sony speakers installed in the doors. Sounds great. All the windows, gauges and lights work as designed. The heat blows hot. This truck did not come with AC. (These are one of the easiest & cheapest vehicles to retrofit AC). The 2nd owner also had the interior reupholstered with new vinyl seat material, a vinyl dash pad, and digital camo door card cloth. A CB radio was also installed by 2nd owner (the plug-in CB microphone is stored in a steel ammo box that's been padded to serve as the center console) and has a magnetic portable antenna that can be moved to multiple locations, the roof being optimum. A custom wooden drink holder was fabricated by a carpenter and sits behind the shifter. The 1st owner professionally installed a pop up sun roof that allows extra light and air flow. I say "professional" because they did a good job, meaning it almost looks factory and is quite functional, albeit the tint has a few scratches. There's 3 switches mounted on the dash. The one to the left of the steering wheel operates the the dual KC lights on the front pre-runner bumper. The one to the right of the wheel operates the rear utility lights. The one nearest the glove box door is an engine kill switch. The 2nd owner also installed an alarm that comes with a key FOB.For whatever reason the original owner painted the glove box door in a camo theme. The factory bottle jack and tools to lower spare are behind the seat. The key for the wheel locks is in the center console.
EXTERIOR
100% rust free truck. On a scale of 1 to 10 the rust free scale would be 10. Garage kept. The Southwest is where the Air Force mothballs old aircraft because there is no corrosion due to lack of humidity. Just Google "Tucson Air Force Bone Yard" for some amazing pics. Paint is not sun faded and was professionally repainted at some point by the original owner to the factory color. Nevertheless there are 4 spots where the paint has inexplicably chipped offexposing bare metal. The 1st and largest is in the center of the driver door. The 2nd and next largest is on the right rear bed side about 2 feet from the tail light. The 3rd is just behind the door handle of the passenger door. The 4th is on the hood on the center ridge line. The truck has never been wrecked. The bed has a spray on bedliner and looks amazing. No bondo or filler anywhere. I reiterate there's not a spec of rust on this truck anywhere and never has been. No cracks in any glass but there is a fixable stone chip in the windshield on the passenger side that the driver can't notice because the rear view mirror blocks it. It is 34 years old so there are a few very really tiny blemishes to be expected that are not noticeable until you get a foot away. The original owner also had a camo painted camper shell installed at some point along with all kinds of trail gear doodads like a highlift jack & shovel mounted to the side of the bed so there are some small mounting holes drilled into the sheet metal of the bed sides shown in pics. Behind the driver door mounted to the bed side with 4 stainless screws is a badge recently installed by 2nd owner that has a Smith & Wesson theme. New owner can remove it in 4 minutes if they choose. The stock front bumper has a pre-runner bar mounted to it and the rear bumper is aftermarket. There's a Class III receiver hitch properly mounted to the frame with grade 8 bolts for towing heavy loads. The 2nd owner professionally installed 4 BushWacker fender flares using aluminum rivets. Bushwhacker flares are designed to be bolt on so absolutely no factory sheet metal was cut to mount. (That 8 foot camper shell mentioned but not included, which is very rare, has a very functional roof rack and window lift-gate, is also available for a reasonable additional price to be negotiated after sale if the winner desires).
TIRES,WHEELS & SUSPENSION
The five matching 33 x 10.5 x 15 BFG All Terrain tires have very low miles and no dry rot. The 15 x 8 black steel Rock Crusher wheels were bought at same time as the tires. The 5th matching spare wheel and new tire (which holds air) is secured in the factory location under the bed. 2 inch wide billet aircraft aluminum wheel spacers with grade 10 studs were installed with LockTite on the threads by 2nd owner. As I explained to him, when you go taller you also need to go wider to compensate the center of gravity since the original owner installed a 3 inch suspension lift at some point. The lift is all in the springs. No blocks. The shocks aren't new but don't leak and work fine. The power steering gear box was removed and rebuilt with new seals. Any worn steering components were replaced when the front end was tore down.Fresh 4 wheel alignment was performed.
DRIVEABILITY
Starts great. Runs great. Shifts great. Stops great. Handles great. Looks great. 4x4's great. Comfortable to sit in. Comfortable to drive. Smooth ride. No rattles. No issues. Everything works.Truck drives exceptionally tight like new with absolutely no rattles. You can tell it's never been seriously off roaded because the gas tank skid plate is pristine with none of the usual scrapes and dings. One of the reasons old Toyotas are typically tight and rattle free is because these trucks used fine thread bolts on every single fastener down to the windshield wipers, whereas American and other builders only used fine thread bolts on their engines and transmissions. A fine thread bolt costs more to manufacture and because more threads means more surface area it means they stay tighter longer.For those who are considering flying in and then driving home it goes without saying from the description that wherever you live in North America you can jump in this rig and fill up the tank (which is just under half full) with the lowest available octane gasoline and drive straight home with confidence the whole way needing nothing but gas stops.
OH WHAT A FEELING!They don't build them like this anymore. Even modern Toyotas, with their partially boxed frames and cheaper interiors, lack the same quality as the older ones as they're not 100% Japanese anymore being assembled mostly in the USA. Considering the junk vehicles the USA has been churning out for the last 35 years it's actually a badge of honor to drive a truck that's "100% Made in Japan" (and I come from a UAW family).Stock un-restored Hilux of this era in this condition are selling for over $12k on eBay these days. This ones better than stock and there's at least $10k worth of recent parts and labor into this restoration.
PAPERWORK
TITLE is Clean, Notarized, Arizona, "A Box" (meaning original miles) ready to go. Never liened. Never salvaged. Comes with receipts for the major work done plus the fresh passed emissions slip pictured.
TERMS OF SALE
Please do not bid without funds to honor terms. Ebay is not a game. Per the eBay Terms of Service (TOS) you agreed to when registering: "Your bid on a public auction constitutes a legally binding contract for sale" so please don't bid unless you have the means to pay per the following terms.
Cash or bank transfer for bulk of sale preferred to avoid fees. $2000 PayPal deposit due within 24 hrs. of auction close. Full amount due within 72 hrs. of auction close by bank wire transfer or overnight letter with cashiers check made out to my wife. (This applies even if you are planning to fly down & drive home). Vehicle cannot be picked up until paid in full. PayPal fees will be charged on any amount after deposit. I'll help shipping agent load vehicle as much as possible. Upon full payment I will pay to overnight the title & paperwork. Will store vehicle free of charge up to 3 weeks after auction close. After 21 days a $15 per day storage fee is charged. I've been doing this for 17 years on eBay so just know this, I'm a man of my word and my reputation is worth far more than any money you could possibly pay for some old truck.For any questions Email through eBay or call 520-977-0112 between hours 8 to 8 AZ time.
Similar 1st Generation Hilux that just sold on eBay. Just click ADVANCED SEARCHat the top right of your screen and enter in the following item numbers:
Item #322428422174 is a 1982 short bed model that just sold for $12,500. It won't stay running when warm & the fuel gauge is busted. Except for gas and oil and a new carburetor that doesn't work he obviously hasn't put a dime into this truck. If he did he would have mentioned it. I don't know how this miracle worker sold it with only a one paragraph description but he somehow did? One thing is clear, if it won't stay running it cannot pass emissions.
Item #192071354923is a lovely 1980 short bed model that just sold for $17,000. I hope buyer didn't have to ship it out of Alaska because that's $2500. I'd also be afraid this thing would start rusting in a couple years after being where it's lived. Too bad it's the 20R engine with 4 Speed transmission and an aftermarket Weber carb which may not pass California emissions but clearly none of that held the price back.
Item #292033209688is a sharp 1981 short bed model that just sold for $13,750 despite being from CO where they use salt on the roads to melt snow. The new paint's nice but I'd be afraid this thing would start rusting in a couple years after being where it's lived. Doesn't appear to have a penny spent on it besides cosmetics, gas, oil & a Weber carb? 2 paragraph description pretty much proves it.
Item #302188647236is a sweet 1983 short bed model almost identical to mine that just sold for $15,700. I guess a meager 4 paragraph description with few details can still garner the big bucks today although it doesn't seem like too much was done to this truck besides adding a winch?
TOYOTAS WE'VE RECENTLY SOLD
This 1993 4Runner is special but alas it's not a straight axle:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1993-Toyota-4Runner-SR5-/371823786832?hash=item56926cbb50:g:7Q8AAOSwZQRYXg-a&vxp=mtr