Ok ok ok. SO I know some people think the TrailBlazer is a myth, but it isn't. The conversion kits were popular from 1979 to 1983. BUT GUESS WHAT!!!!

My friend Kyle just bought a 1984 Toyota Trailblazer. Its true, no lie. Unfortunately I don't have pictures yet, but I'll try by the weekend.

The second best part to this extremely-unique truck is thr price we got it here for.

We purchased the truck from a used car dealership in Hayward, CA. It runs great, the drivetrain works (including all 4WD gears), and the tires have great tread. The only downside is the missing cat and the oil leak in the front of the motor. SO how much did we snag it for? $500.00 Yup, Hell of a deal, ain't it? And the motor has only 79,000 miles on it. ITs not rolled back either. After driving my truck (of 210,000 miles currently) I could FEEL the age difference in the acceleration the truck has.

Now a brief description.

The truck is a single cab design that basically has a fiberglass campershell. The campershell is molded onto the bed and has a fiberglass trim that runs down the "crack" where the bed would meet the cab; thus making it appear as a real SUV. The fiberglass shell uses standard campershell side windows and the flip-up glass door above the pickup's tailgate.

The entire bed is carpeted with special inner panels, allowing small storage areas. There are built in lights inside of these panels and in the roof that look completely factory (not for Toyota, but they aren't universal looking either).

It does in fact say Trailblazer on the sides as well as the initials "ICI" with "A Tim Deese Production" underneath them.

The solid axles are completely oil-leak free and tires are Firestone with mild offroading tread that is practically all there.

Anyway, its pretty dope. I'm sure words aren't enough for you fellas (and the pictures will be totally worth it when I get em).

To sum it up:

Rare converted truck in California (rust free)
Solid axle front end
Starts up and drives the 100 miles home safely.

Price: $500

You can not tell me that wasn't a good deal.

 

wheres teh PICS?!!

 

could it be like this one ?





you can find more info here https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f114...-build-109135/

 

oh teh noes!

 

Had to subscribe and keep track of these trailblazers.

 

Isn't it the same thing as the Trekker, just with a different name?

 

I'm just going on a whim here, but I think the Trekker was for 79-83 and the Trailblazer for the generation following (84-88). Presumably, the 84-88 conversions would be especially rare considering that the 4Runner was out by then.



And as for the picture, YES that is one! I'm having trouble spotting the vertical fiberglass strip but the rest looks authentic!

 

 

Trekkers (fiberglass bed and cap) were made by Winnebago, they did about 1200 or so of them...
TrailBlazers (metal bed and fiberglass cap) were a conversion done by Griffin at the same time as the trekker about 400 of them were completed. There was a third one, the Wolverine (company?) that was also done, but not a ton of info(have seen pre 79's marked Wolverine that were a 4x4 conversion with a dana axle)
Okiyota's 1st Gen Trailblazer :

with the design of the canopy and window size I believe that Griffin kicked out a few more in 84, maybe to use up some remaining parts-caps are pretty interchangeable..

I like the looks when I pull up in my trekker and people think it is a regular pick up and 4 people hop out

and to the OP $500 for a clean low mileage 4x4 toyota is a good deal in my book--give ya $750 for it...

Curious does the floor of the bed drop down even with the floor of the cab?

 

very cool

 

Yes... it drops straight down to meet the cab floor. There are (what looks to be) factory lap belts for a removable bench seat. There are "cubby" holes along the bedsides with integrated lights and all that jazz.

I still need pictures... please don't lynch me

 

 

Sorry for the crappiness! It was dark, but I did do as I had said!

 

so basically an aftermarket 4runner set up. coo, very coo.

 

thanks for the pics some visual is better than none


that looks like a pillar light in that last photo.... maybe just a trick of the lens

 

It is a pillar light. The "integrated section" where bed meets cab is all fiberglass work of molded panels with blended in lights. There is one for each side, as well as a light molded into the roof near the cargo hatch. They all come on when the doors open.

 

Interestingly, when you look at Tim Deese's website, he has no mention of ever working with Toyota. http://www.probac.com/company.htm

QUOTE
Tim had an idea in 1983 of building an import SUV based on the fact that the baby Bronco and the baby Blazer had made such a hit. Realizing there were no such competitors, Tim sought out a truck that could be made into a sport utility vehicle that would be extremely versatile. Tim designed, engineered and manufactured the first years production under contract with Nissan Motor Company, the truck, (Trail Hustler). At that time Nissan’s 4X4 truck was known as the Little Hustler i.e. the name Trail Hustler. Tim manufactured these vehicles in Jacksonville, Florida and Anaheim, California where the chassis were drop shipped and the truck was then built and shipped on to the dealers. The truck made its debut in the ’83 New Car and Truck showing in Opryland in Nashville, Tennessee, was the hit of the show and was ordered from the Nissan truck book for 1984 production. On the dash of those initial Trail Hustlers, which in ’84 became the Pathfinder, was embossed (Tim Deese Production). They are now considered classics.

oh yeah, real original since Wolverines had been made for 5+ years.
:-(

His company made Trail Hustlers out of Nissans and "On the dash of those initial Trail Hustlers...was embossed (Tim Deese Production). "


I'm guessing that Tim Deese Productions bought out Griffith (or bought their TrailBlazer line) and started to produce the TrailBlazer... then the 4Runner came out... game over.

Trail Hustler big photo.. http://www.probac.com/Image3.gif


Car domain photos

 

 

Did i miss something here, or is this a spammer?

Given that the profile has been deleted....spammmmmmm

 

pic in my album. never seen a yota ici then again ive only ever seen one other nissan