76 chinook

I live in a remote area in nor-cal don't have many folks to share my excitment with. Round here trucks end up in the barn or back 40 acres of the property where they just sit until nature takes her toll. This one however came to me and I see what all you guys have done with your various rigs. So here it is, my 1976 chinook. I do have a few questions first is this a Hi-Lux? At napa they tell me it is, but a couple of other folks tell me it was just called a toyota pick-up. Second the 4 speed gearbox, how do I identify which one it is? My manual shows three possibilities an L-40, L-43 or an L-42 all seem to be very simular (the L-40 and L-43 seem identical). Anyone who has any tips, suggestions, advice, warnings etc... I'd like to hear them all. Right now it's new and exciting, a couple months down the road it may be expensive and tedious, I'd like to avoid costly mistakes due to inexperience.
Thanks All

Discombobulated

Pics please

76 chinook

I just finished an album for my starting point, next I'll have to make some progress.

phildelfino

good luck with that chinook.
plenty of pics inside and out.
thanks, enjoy.

depends what country the truck was originally marked for sale in. our market did not have hi-lux trucks. those where north of the border, but anything is possible.

76 chinook

A little bonus I found tucked away in a drawer in the back, is a delivery slip from "Port Terminal Transportation" in Long Beach CA. It's dated 8/14/76 this would be when "Chinook International" in LaVergne CA finished the conversion and Shipped it to "Dexter Toyota" in San Rafael, CA. I assume it's no coincidence that the shipper was "Port Terminal Transport" who in the 70s received new imports from ships and usually shipped them via rail to various parts of the country. Although I don't have any earlier receipt, it stands to reason that It was recieved by "Port Terminal Transport" in Long Beach taken by them to "Chinook Int.", then once again by them delivering it to ''Dexter Toyota". Probably only interesting to me.
Point being not a Hi-Lux, so what is it?
Thanks

81YOTAPU

Congrats on the new ride, as far as the trans goes, my 81 has a badge in the middle of the engine bay directly above and behind the valve cover that has a series of letter codes and at the end of that is L-45 so you might get lucky and find it there. If not, i believe 1981 was the first year the L-45 was used and 1972 was the last year the L-40 was used. So you probably have the L-42. Hope this helps.

76 chinook

Sure does help I'll check it out in the morning thanks for the input

76 chinook

It's been raining here for almost two weeks now hard to motivate yourself to climb in, around or under a truck in this crap, when it clears up I'll get back to it. Anybody have a suggestion for the back interior, gonna do a complete remodel on it but haven't seen an Idea I like with such limited space to work with

Shelley

Hi 76Chinook,

I have had a 1976 Toyota Chinook for 3 years and have done a bit of work on it. Feel free to ask questions. It has a 20R engine in it.

Shelley

Rusker

It's been a few months, any progress?