I figured I would start a thread on an old truck I have had for years. Here is the Reader's Digest version.....
The truck is a 1988 Toyota Hilux (Pickup truck for those who aren't familiar with that term), with a standard cab, short bed. It has the 3.0 V6 with a 5 speed transmission, and is 4wd. My father purchased this truck brand new off the dealership showroom floor in 1988 and maintained it with an open checkbook the entire time he owned it. It has been garage kept it's entire life and has never been in an accident. As a teenager, I grew up with this truck, traveling all over Central and South Florida. It spent weekends offroading and cruising the sand at Daytona Beach. He kept it for years and clocked over 100K problem-free miles on it. When he mentioned he was buying a new truck to replace this "Old" truck, I mentioned how much I loved the truck and how many fond memories I had with him and this Toyota. That was all it took. Two weeks later, it arrived here in SoCal compliments of an enclosed Reliable Transport.
I used the truck and cleaned every single inch of it, removing stuff I didn't like, while preserving the things I wanted to keep. I lost the 235 sized tires and chrome/gold rims, and exchanged them for some aluminum wheels and 31" BFG Mud Terrain tires. It looked SOOOOO much better with that simple change. I drove it all over SoCal and put another 40K miles on it. Eventually I ran into a head-gasket issue, so that was addressed. That was about the time the "Prerunner" craze started, and I jumped into that scene as much as my wallet and psycho ex-wife allowed. I worked side jobs, squirreled away recycling money and did whatever I could to put together an upgraded suspension on the truck.
I didn't want to skip many corners, so I went with the best I could afford, and put in a call to Total Choas Fabrication. I ordered one of their first "Caddy Kits" and installed it all myself in the garage. They were pushing RaceRunner or Fox shocks at the time, but I love blue. So I went with King instead. The front end was dialed in and I added as much "Pretty" to it as I dared, without taking away from the look of the truck.
I continued driving, waxing, polishing and working on things, and started to pick up some more parts to address the rear end. It responded like a wooden donkey cart with those stiff factory springs. I drove it and as life goes, "Life happens."
I went through a nasty and expensive divorce, and the truck got pushed aside simply due to lack of funds and priorities. I pulled the truck out of the garage at my soon to be old house and set it aside with boxes of parts.
So here we are. The truck is still garaged, but at the new digs. I've picked up other projects over the years, and this has sat covered, and forgotten in a dark garage. Well, it's time to get back on it.
More to follow.....
The truck is a 1988 Toyota Hilux (Pickup truck for those who aren't familiar with that term), with a standard cab, short bed. It has the 3.0 V6 with a 5 speed transmission, and is 4wd. My father purchased this truck brand new off the dealership showroom floor in 1988 and maintained it with an open checkbook the entire time he owned it. It has been garage kept it's entire life and has never been in an accident. As a teenager, I grew up with this truck, traveling all over Central and South Florida. It spent weekends offroading and cruising the sand at Daytona Beach. He kept it for years and clocked over 100K problem-free miles on it. When he mentioned he was buying a new truck to replace this "Old" truck, I mentioned how much I loved the truck and how many fond memories I had with him and this Toyota. That was all it took. Two weeks later, it arrived here in SoCal compliments of an enclosed Reliable Transport.
I used the truck and cleaned every single inch of it, removing stuff I didn't like, while preserving the things I wanted to keep. I lost the 235 sized tires and chrome/gold rims, and exchanged them for some aluminum wheels and 31" BFG Mud Terrain tires. It looked SOOOOO much better with that simple change. I drove it all over SoCal and put another 40K miles on it. Eventually I ran into a head-gasket issue, so that was addressed. That was about the time the "Prerunner" craze started, and I jumped into that scene as much as my wallet and psycho ex-wife allowed. I worked side jobs, squirreled away recycling money and did whatever I could to put together an upgraded suspension on the truck.
I didn't want to skip many corners, so I went with the best I could afford, and put in a call to Total Choas Fabrication. I ordered one of their first "Caddy Kits" and installed it all myself in the garage. They were pushing RaceRunner or Fox shocks at the time, but I love blue. So I went with King instead. The front end was dialed in and I added as much "Pretty" to it as I dared, without taking away from the look of the truck.
I continued driving, waxing, polishing and working on things, and started to pick up some more parts to address the rear end. It responded like a wooden donkey cart with those stiff factory springs. I drove it and as life goes, "Life happens."
I went through a nasty and expensive divorce, and the truck got pushed aside simply due to lack of funds and priorities. I pulled the truck out of the garage at my soon to be old house and set it aside with boxes of parts.
So here we are. The truck is still garaged, but at the new digs. I've picked up other projects over the years, and this has sat covered, and forgotten in a dark garage. Well, it's time to get back on it.
More to follow.....
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