1987 Toyota 4x4 Pickup

So...I did some trading and came up with this:

Oh...it's so ugly. But then...I know you love it. So do I.

That's an '87 body sitting on an ~85 frame...so, solid axles at both ends.

This is more of a "project car" post than a build thread. Those who know me know I don't do anything fast (including, but not limited to, driving...in case any LEOs are browsing this). I haven't even decided what role this will play in my fleet. It will either be an occasional driver/winterbeater/lumberyardmobile or a dedicated offroad toy. Don't get excited about the latter...it really just means I will COMPLETELY ignore it until it's time to drive through the forest at the back 40 (back 40: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5OcFcyLwDY&list=UUkQCyoKqfLkieBjkxMMvpjw&index=9&feature=plcp and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXb0EmDMhOg&list=UUkQCyoKqfLkieBjkxMMvpjw&index=2&feature=plcp)

Don't expect regular "build thread" style updates...but I'll post back every now and then.

Step one is most likely to fix the brakes (needs a front caliper according to PO). Next is to remove body lift spacers from cab. I don't think they're necessary, and it's generally (as we all know) considered a poser move to have a body lift kit. Go easy on me, I didn't put it there.

Of interesting note is that there are only 4 body lift spacers on the truck (under the cab). The front core support is completely free floating at the moment. Yay!

hey, "slow and steady wins the race" and I'm curious to see where you take this.

Good luck! She's a beaut

Ok...I'm motivated to pay some attention to this little monster. I'm in need of a wiring diagram for a 22RE. Mostly, I think I want to pare down the harness into a stand-alone engine wiring harness. If anyone here has done that, I'd LOVE to have some advice. What stuff is necessary for a good running engine. What stuff can I ditch?

My current direction for this truck is bare bones simple and barely road-legal (questionally road-legal is more accurate).

I want to be able to hop in and go anywhere/anytime I want to. Especially in the winter months. But I won't plan to drive it except very occasionally...for fun and/or utility.

Thanks!
Clem

Nice truck, looks like the rust isn't too horrific on the frame or suspension, but the bed...looks pretty bad. If you can do DIY bodywork I'd get the rockers first and then the bed.

+1 for getting rid of the body spacers. Looks stupid, raises the CoG, doesn't help suspension travel or ground clearance one bit.

There's plenty of room to upsize the tires on these trucks, even when they're bone-stock, and that is a really good mod. Bigger meaty toothy tires, less backspacing. You want to keep rim diameter as small as possible, bigger rims never helped anything offroad.

It came with a flatbed. I hope to have it bolted on before winter. That might be a stretch goal. The bed that's on it is destined for the scrap heap.

Clem

I've always wanted to drop one to the deck and drop a boosted 2jz and make a track toy...you're obviously going the other way...which is cool too

After months...my wanted ad on craigslist finally paid off. I got this bench seat for $20.

It's not nice, but compared to the rest of the truck it's going in, it's a huge upgrade.

The seats that were in it were buckets from something else that didn't fit.
(As you can see...the interior is full of nasty stuff. Well, it was. Now it's not full, but still has a ways to go to be "habitable.") The bench seat needed some repair. There are steel wires running under the foam of the seat. Several of them had rusted and broken. I just improvised with safety wire. Should work just fine for my purposes.

(black vertical lines are the original steel wires. Silver vertical lines are my replacement stainless safety wire ones where the originals were broken/missing)

The nice guy who sold me the seat thought it came out of a '94 truck. The brackets will bolt up to the stock holes without modification. Cool.

Clem

Well...Here it stands as of today:

The bed has been removed. The fuel tank has been bolted on (until yesterday, it was supported primarily by the filler tube and bailing wire). I also removed the caliper on the front (has been leaking since before it adorned my drive) to possibly rebuild. That is...IF I can remove the pistons from the clutches of their bores.

I tried to sell the aluminum wheels to a friend...but I don't have any other wheels that will fit on this truck. Turns out the hubs on these trucks are FREAKING HUGE (as opposed to wee, or not-so-wee), and the backspacing is a little lower on the Solid axle trucks than the IFS trucks. The Wheels Single Slammer gave me won't work without spacers . Too bad...because I like them.

What you see on the rear here are 16" wheels from a '00-something chevy that don't actually fit (but they work for supporting the weight while I patch the tire that WAS on there).

Thanks to singleslammer and psteav, there is now a flatbed on the truck. Well...gravity is helping, also:

[URL=http://s123.photobucket.com/user/clemsparks/media/1987%20Toyota%204x4/P1010481_zps7bd791ed.jpg.html][/URL]

I always loved those trucks.

I wonder how differnt your axles are from my 87 landcruisers

Sure the flatbed will allow enough upward suspension travel? If not maybe you could put the body spacers under the bed when you take them off the cab.

In reply to GameboyRMH:

You know...I had not thought of that. Partly because I'm not really too worried about articulation and suspension travel. What I have in mind for this truck is more of a utility vehicle than an extreme-off-road-challenge type vehicle.

You're right though...it's easy enough to raise up if I find I need more clearance/travel on the rear.

I like that flatbed. I plan on building one for the Ranger soon.

I had a very rusty old Nissan that I thought of putting a flat bed on. The frame needed to much repair for me to keep though. I like where you are taking this one though.

Chris

Love Toyotas! Got a 3rd gen 4runner SR5 4x4 for my daily. I'd love to lift it and go with larger tires and shorter gearing but my car is expensive enough right now. Maybe someday. Good luck on the build!

Here's the drop furry4cylndr was talking about:

Ok...not exactly the drop 4cylndrfury wants...but still...I'm happy to have the poser blocks removed. The cab is now roughly 3" lower than it was yesterday. Seems a little more "right" this way, if you ask me. (and there's not much about this truck that actually IS right).

I also hooked up the fuel filler neck and replaced the fuel filler vent/vapor hose and clamps. I bolted down the bed, too...not that that is obvious. The bench seat is now securely attached to the floor of the cab.

Does anybody have a left caliper for me? I was going to rebuild the stock one...but I'll just spend the $40 on a remanufactured one to save the time of extracting the other two pistons from the caliper I have.

Clem

Matching rims are in the plans, right?

uhhh...yeah. Last photo shows them.

Though...I'd rather something a little less...uh...period correct. Hello McFly!

ClemSparks wrote: uhhh...yeah. Last photo shows them. Though...I'd rather something a little less...uh...period correct. Hello McFly!

helps to out the glasses on, I suppose

I like the bed! Plan to add on the loops that allow 2" x 4"s slot into the sides?

DoctorBlade wrote:

ClemSparks wrote: uhhh...yeah. Last photo shows them. Though...I'd rather something a little less...uh...period correct. Hello McFly!

helps to out the glasses on, I suppose

Just to be clear...my "Hello McFly" comment was an allusion to the truck in "Back to the Future&quot...not directed to you, Doc.

ClemSparks wrote: uhhh...yeah. Last photo shows them. Though...I'd rather something a little less...uh...period correct. Hello McFly!

directional rims are directional. looks like you've got a left and a right on the driver's side.

"yeah, and i've got a pair just like them on the passenger's side!"

Hey...you're right!

Ha!

I dislike those wheels so much I had not even noticed. The least I can do is put them on "right." That is...if I actually have a matching pair on the other side. I'll check into that.

ClemSparks wrote:

DoctorBlade wrote:

ClemSparks wrote: uhhh...yeah. Last photo shows them. Though...I'd rather something a little less...uh...period correct. Hello McFly!

helps to out the glasses on, I suppose

Just to be clear...my "Hello McFly" comment was an allusion to the truck in "Back to the Future&quot...not directed to you, Doc.

I'm a geek, so that's what I thought you were referring to.