I know of someone who is selling an 81' Toyota pickup. I haven't seen it yet but from what I hear, it is in mint cond. It is the original owner and the truck only has only 60k miles on it! It's a 5speed with power windows and A/C. From what I was told there is only some rust on the bed. The owner wants $2500. I don't know much about these older ones other than the obvious solid axle up front and the lack of fuel injection. Besides the basics, what else should I look for if I were to seriously consider picking this one up?

 

if it's in mint condition, i'd restore that sucker! they're getting rarer all the time, and they're beautiful pickups when they're in good shape. could be worth the money if it only has 60k on the clock. out of all the 1st gens i've looked at, i've never found one that actually had a/c! don't think it has power windows though...that began around '86 or '87 i think. typical options on 1st gens were wing windows, bucket seats, 5 speed tranny, rear slider, power steering, tach etc

don't think i've ever seen any toyota made before '89 without any rust. it's just a fact of life if you ask me.

some things to check for are rust on the frame(and elsewhere), timing chain, exhaust leaks, and howling gears on the 1st gen trannies(doubtful since it's only got 60k on it...most seem to go around 200k)

could be worth your money in the end! if i had the cash, i'd probably buy it, as i have a special place in my heart for the '79-83 trucks, and '79-81 especially(round headlights, though you can swap bezels to convert the '82-83 pickups to have them). i might look for a second 1st gen eventually, one in good condition to restore, and the one i have right now to keep for a trail rig

 

In '81 I was a Toyota lot attendent. I was going to highschool and working at Toyota. I drove all sorts of nice .. classic .. Toys. I like the '81 FJ-40 landcruiser the most. Lots of torque. The 81 Hilux seemed a little tinny and didn't have the graphite coating that the used later.

The '79 1-ton Hilux is a true work horse. My neighbors had the same one for decades. It had rust but, pulled like no other. Datsun had nothing compared to the classic Toys.

If the interior was in decent shape, the motor was not leaking, and transmission shifting well, and it was the same owner ... I would vote to buy it @ 2,100 and ask for maintenance records. This is based on it being a 4x4. A 4x2 would be less maybe 1,200. I believe the '81 5-speed trans had a weak input shaft. Be careful.

Good luck!

 

Thanks for the help guys! I don't really have the money to spare right now but if it's one of those really rare finds I might have to snag it up. The owner has the original window sticker too, I guess he paid 11,500 for it brand new.

I'll post when I find out some more info.

 

wow...that's a lot more than mine cost brand new. i believe my '79 was around $7000