What’s Left of this Mega-rusty ’84 Toyota Pickup Still Runs
While this truck’s body is beyond saving, the drivetrain on this old Toyota is still going strong.
It’s no secret that old Toyota pickups are some of the toughest, most reliable trucks out there. We’ll often joke that a Toyota T100 is even harder to kill than the T1000 from Terminator 2: Judgement Day.
It’s not just T100s that have this reputation, though — just about every Toyota pickup truck ever made is nearly impossible to destroy. We all remember that classic Top Gear segment starring the unkillable red Hilux.
This truck may be one of the most extreme examples of Toyota reliability we’ve ever seen. It’s hard to find the right words to describe this 1984 Toyota pickup we found for sale on Craigslist in Oregon. Thankfully, the owner has picked them for us. In the headline for the ad, he refers to this rotten pickup as a “Work of Rust Art.”
This poor old pickup truck is rusted in places we never would expect, and to an extent we never could have imagined. The roof is heavily perforated, and there’s almost nothing left of the floor of the truck bed. The truck’s frame — and the ground beneath it — are clearly visible. Suffice to say you won’t be doing much hauling with this thing.
The obvious question is, how does a truck get this rusty? Our best guess is a look at the map on the Craigslist posting. Lincoln City, Oregon is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Perhaps the owner worked at the beach or close to the dock. A constant salty spray of seawater would certainly explain the incredible amount of rust on this truck.
Rugged Reliability
In an accident, we’re certain that this rusty old Toyota would simply implode into a cloud of fine brown dust. So, why bother selling it? Apparently, it runs and drives really well.
The ad lists the mileage at 121,000. It’s been treated to regular oil changes, and the owner states that the 22R engine “idles perfect” and has “lots of power.”
The interior isn’t as bad as you would expect, given the heavily rusted body. It’s pretty basic, but it’s all there. The seats are torn, and, curiously, the passenger seat shows more wear than the driver’s seat.
Part of us wants to save this truck and keep it as a monument to the reliability of Toyota pickups. We’d just have to make sure that we got a tetanus shot before taking delivery.
Photos: Craigslist
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