personally , I wouldn't even give you $500.00 ! .. for a restoration unit , every single panel needs work or replacement , I wouldn't be surprised if the frame was toast as well tons of work ahead of you if that is your direction .

 

Where are you located? Location and local availability plays a significant role

 

did you read the thread?
OP said he is thinking of it as a trail rig.
never mentioned squat about restoring it.

 

um.. yeah I did , and your quote to me is irrelevant !
I know he didn't say anything about restoring it .. just though I would give another opinion ! is that ok ?

 

I got the unedited version

 

FWIW, I thought the same thing when I saw the photo. Every panel is rusty. I agree it came off as a bit rude but we appreciate some brutal honesty around here, right?

I'll be interested to see what the frame looks like. Could be that there's just a bunch of surface rust on the thing and not rot. Slacker's got a better eye than me for that stuff...

 

Not much advice on value, but some input anyway... My first TOY was and 82 SR5 22RE 5 Speed with a short lift. It was more than 25 years ago and I still miss that truck. It has fed my passion for Toyota's since then, and I've had several since then. My current weekend drive is a first gen 4runner and my garage project is a 68 FJ40. When I am done with the FJ40 I still think of finding a first gen SR5 and going to work on it.

As far as advice; early on someone said it will be a "money pit". I agree! If you're planning a flip don't bother, but the joy of the finished product is worth it when you know every other joe can't go down the the local dealership and pick one up. Besides, nothing goes through the terrain like a TOY!!!

 

I haven't kept up very well on my own thread. I live in Wichita, KS and the truck is in Joplin, Mo. This is just a small project for my nephew and I to work on. I doesn't have to be pretty, just reliable. I plan on just getting it on the road this year and do some shake down runs. Thanks for all the advice. I'm glad that I joined this forum and gained some knowledge first instead of just diving into it head first!

 

Thanks for the advice, I will pay extra attention to any rust on the frame. Where does the frame normally rust at?

 

I am in MO and not that far from Joplin. If you decide against buying it yourself I am interested...

 

worst part for frame rust is usually on the passenger side rear .. right @ the front hanger of the rear spring . fuel tank is right there . drivers side is easier to get to and is also prone to rusting .

 

Did you end up taking this truck home?

 

I have a lil '80 and love it. It is my daily driver. I still have the L43 trans. Rebuilt it after the cluster gear had a chipped tooth. (Cluster gear is OBS, but most of the bearings and clips are available from Toyo if you dig far enough) I bought a second L43 to cannibalize . Now there is a difference in the t-cases between an L43 case and a 5 spd case. Slight, but diff. The L43 uses a marriage bracket and the 5 spr is a direct bolt between t-case and trans. The difference is in the shift rails. On the 5 spd t-case, the shift rails stick out a lil and have a flat end with a sort of hook on them. On the 4 spd t-case with the marriage bracket the shift rails on the t-case are round on the ends and very short. (found this out when installing a LowRange 470 t case) Otherwise I believe they are the same. Oh, except for the drive shaft flanges, they are different also. So if yer gunna swap in a 5 spd. be aware that it is more than just a swap, a few parts need to be changed. The L43 has it's own clutch fork also. Like a cast piece vs a stamped piece. As someone else said, the bushings wear out and cause the slop, but an easy fix if ya are mechanical. I run down the freeway on 30" tires and 4:38 gears (stock) at 75 mph. I do have a later (87 - up) 22 R under the hood. To get it where ya want it will take $'s ... I bought my rig for $1500 and now have nearly $7000 in it, all the running gear is rebuilt or new. All the suspension is new including leaf springs. All the body mounts have been replaced. Door panels, taillights, marker lights, grill, brakes and hydraulics, u-joints, steering wheel. Ain't much I haven't
replaced or rebuilt. This rig will last the rest of my life. She's basically a stock 03/1980 rig ....