'78 Toyota wolverine unit
01-25-2011, 01:53 PM
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'78 Toyota wolverine unit
I need some info. I have a '78 toyota SR5 that has the wolverine 4x4 unit installed. It was installed in Jacksonville FL(?). The truck is headed for the scrap yard, but I know there is someone out there looking for these. Is it worth saving or do I just send the whole truck and unit to the iron pile? It is a Wolverine; truck has the sticker on the body and the window sticker says it added about 3500.00 to the truck price. Any advice?
01-25-2011, 02:00 PM
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you would probably get more for the entire truck then the yard is gonna give you for it. I am sure someone wouldn't mind restoring that truck since they are rare.
01-25-2011, 02:05 PM
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I thought about that but the body is GONE. Cancer from sitting for about 15 years has made the bed/doors/and part of hood full of holes. The chassis is still good as well as the motor and drive train is rebuildable. I stopped driving it becasue of the bed rusted out years ago.
01-25-2011, 02:10 PM
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one of the guys on here brought his truck back from the ashes of a fire. Anything is possible. Toyota enthusiasts are very loyal to their trucks. You would be surprised.
01-25-2011, 02:13 PM
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If you scrap that you'd practically be destroying a piece of history... 78 toyota 4x4s are one of the hardest to find in the US. rebuild it, or sell it... someone will take it.
01-25-2011, 02:20 PM
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Now I might be way off base here, but I'd be willing to bet you would be able to get at least 700-800 for that truck. And this is me saying this sight unseen. Your everyday fella isn't gonna front that with a body that needs alot of work, keep it on message boards like this, pirate4x4 or any other toyota 4x4 wheeling site and you'll most likely get that much for it.
Here we don't allow new people to post up in the classifieds, but in this case I am sure with some photos full specs on the truck etc etc that a mod would let me list it for you.
Here we don't allow new people to post up in the classifieds, but in this case I am sure with some photos full specs on the truck etc etc that a mod would let me list it for you.
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01-25-2011, 03:38 PM
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I live in NC. And MANY thanks for the reply's. I know that this truck was fairly special becasue it came to the US as a two wheel drive and then converted. I know that parts for these trucks are somewhat hard to get. Being that I restore cars(pre-64 VW's) I just hate to see something go under the tourch because I feel like "somewhere" someone is looking for a part or the complte front end. Thanks for your help and I can supply some pictures if needed.....but spread the word if you know of someone.
tharris@gloryroad.net
tharris@gloryroad.net
01-27-2011, 06:58 PM
#15
01-29-2011, 11:09 PM
#19
OH...NOW I get it!!!
It's not the Trekkerish Wolverine. It's a 78 Hilux 4WD conversion.
Man I just couldn't figure this one out for the life of me. Then I saw those pics and was TOTALLY baffled. I mean WTF?! How come I've never heard of these things before?
This is the only "Wolverine" I've ever heard of or seen.
Not this "WOLVERINE".
Here's another one.
So what's a "Wolverine II"?
Well...now I know!
It's not the Trekkerish Wolverine. It's a 78 Hilux 4WD conversion.
Man I just couldn't figure this one out for the life of me. Then I saw those pics and was TOTALLY baffled. I mean WTF?! How come I've never heard of these things before?
This is the only "Wolverine" I've ever heard of or seen.
Not this "WOLVERINE".
The Toyota Wolverine
This was an after market four wheel drive conversion of a 1978 hilux. The conversion was done by adding a Dana 20 and Dana 30 to the hilux package and an extreme lift.
So what's a "Wolverine II"?
Wolverine ll (wheel drive that is)
Posted Sunday, March 28th, 2010 at 1:38 pm
1979 was the beginning and the end.
It was the year that Toyota began selling the 4 wheel drive pickup in the United States. Until then there had been a niche market for mini-trucks to be converted to solid axle four wheel drive. There were many companies to choose from such as Low Manufacturing that would take your 2wd mini and cash, and give you back a desirable 4wd truck. However in 1979, Toyota brought an end to such aftermarket suppliers with their factory engineered solid axle 4×4 truck.
One such company produced a “look a like” off road conversion for base Toyota trucks know as the Wolverine and subsequently the Wolverine II. However an analysis of the value of such a conversion quickly revealed why these conversion businesses quickly gave way to Toyota’s successful product line.
Toyota Wolverine II
The Wolverine II started life as a basic SR5 2wd refrigerator white base truck. Adding a body lift gave clearance for the large off road wheels and tires. Using stock Toyota body parts the 2wd truck began to take form with the addition of front fenders and rear plastic fender flairs. To complete the off road facade, a roll bar, grille guard, tube rear bumper, numerous lights, and a winch were added. The truck received a custom paint job with a distinctive blue and gold sweeping body stripes. The interior received the same custom treatment with a corduroy and vinyl door panel set, blue carpeting, and light blue and dark blue seat cover.
A Wolverine Toyota owner would receive an ultimate example of a custom truck, but at what cost? Notice the 4wd badges on the fenders? There aren’t any because this is still a 2wd truck. So a question of economics came into play in the early eighties; what is worth it?
As history can now tell us; the answer is no. The list price of the base 2wd truck in 1980 was just $5488. The parts alone for the Wolverine conversion were another $3430. With the additional labor factored in the Wolverine II wheel drive conversion truck exceeded $10,0000. Back in the day it wasn’t uncommon for dealers to sell Toyota 4×4 trucks for more than the sticker price. Even at that, one could still buy a new Toyota special edition black package 4×4 pickup for less than 10 grand. While the SR5 4×4 didn’t have the appearance of an off-road racer, it was still a true and capable four wheel drive truck. Thus the lesson in economics revealed that the expense of making a truck look like a 4×4 wasn’t as great of a value as purchasing the real thing.
Eventually other manufacturers came out with their own 4×4 minitrucks just like Toyota. One exception was the solid front axle which only Toyota had until 1985. This became a major selling point for Toyota; and became the reason for the extinction of the numerous conversion companies that had up to 1979 been the only provider for a small four wheel drive pickup in America.
Posted Sunday, March 28th, 2010 at 1:38 pm
1979 was the beginning and the end.
It was the year that Toyota began selling the 4 wheel drive pickup in the United States. Until then there had been a niche market for mini-trucks to be converted to solid axle four wheel drive. There were many companies to choose from such as Low Manufacturing that would take your 2wd mini and cash, and give you back a desirable 4wd truck. However in 1979, Toyota brought an end to such aftermarket suppliers with their factory engineered solid axle 4×4 truck.
One such company produced a “look a like” off road conversion for base Toyota trucks know as the Wolverine and subsequently the Wolverine II. However an analysis of the value of such a conversion quickly revealed why these conversion businesses quickly gave way to Toyota’s successful product line.
Toyota Wolverine II
The Wolverine II started life as a basic SR5 2wd refrigerator white base truck. Adding a body lift gave clearance for the large off road wheels and tires. Using stock Toyota body parts the 2wd truck began to take form with the addition of front fenders and rear plastic fender flairs. To complete the off road facade, a roll bar, grille guard, tube rear bumper, numerous lights, and a winch were added. The truck received a custom paint job with a distinctive blue and gold sweeping body stripes. The interior received the same custom treatment with a corduroy and vinyl door panel set, blue carpeting, and light blue and dark blue seat cover.
A Wolverine Toyota owner would receive an ultimate example of a custom truck, but at what cost? Notice the 4wd badges on the fenders? There aren’t any because this is still a 2wd truck. So a question of economics came into play in the early eighties; what is worth it?
As history can now tell us; the answer is no. The list price of the base 2wd truck in 1980 was just $5488. The parts alone for the Wolverine conversion were another $3430. With the additional labor factored in the Wolverine II wheel drive conversion truck exceeded $10,0000. Back in the day it wasn’t uncommon for dealers to sell Toyota 4×4 trucks for more than the sticker price. Even at that, one could still buy a new Toyota special edition black package 4×4 pickup for less than 10 grand. While the SR5 4×4 didn’t have the appearance of an off-road racer, it was still a true and capable four wheel drive truck. Thus the lesson in economics revealed that the expense of making a truck look like a 4×4 wasn’t as great of a value as purchasing the real thing.
Eventually other manufacturers came out with their own 4×4 minitrucks just like Toyota. One exception was the solid front axle which only Toyota had until 1985. This became a major selling point for Toyota; and became the reason for the extinction of the numerous conversion companies that had up to 1979 been the only provider for a small four wheel drive pickup in America.
Last edited by MudHippy; 01-30-2011 at 07:50 AM.
Nevvamind....
