Alright, so to start off, I'm 16, and i have a 1981 Toyota Pickup(4x4). The truck runs, but it doesnt run great. dont get me wrong, it can get me from point A to point B, but i'm not sure how far i should start limiting point B. Now, this has been my dad's truck for 26 years, and he finally passed it over to me. It has been garaged and rarely driven (almost 130,000 orig. miles), and most of the parts on it are original. I know pretty much what it needs, but i dont know what i should get first.

here are a few things, cosmetic and mechanical and etc. i dont have TOO much to spend, so i have to stretch this project out over a period of time. i have a job, and 90% of the $$ is going to this coz i really need a vehicle.

the tires are extremely old, but still have tread, and the spare has never been used since 81.

the radiator is almost shot.

i learned stick on this truck, so i know that the clutch has been worn down a lot.

when we took it down to mexico, we got almost got stranded, and unfortunatly had to put LEADED fuel in it. i'm not sure if the cat. converter is bad, but this truck smogs a lot.

it makes funny beeps and rings when i hit the accelerator, so i think it has loose bearings and whatnot. dont know what i'd tell the mechanic, so any ideas on that?

i want a new carb, coz i hear that helps fuel econ and emissions...

and yeah. i dunno. you guys know your stuff, and i do too. but when it comes to knowing what to do first, i dunno.


as for looks, its a pretty straight body. i WANT a new bed, but thats not gonna happen any time soon. i'd rather get it running great than looking great.

it has very little rust. no holes (yet). and i'm looking for bucket seats. and a new steering wheel (the plastic is cracking; not good)


please get back to me, coz i wanna start fixing my truck up asap.



oh, and btw, it has a long bed campershell i dont want or need anymore. if youre interested in that, well... you know what to do. I'll post pics of the truck next time i take it out.



thanksss
-tim

 

Get it running properly first, a good tune up ( cap,rotor,plugs wires, all filters air,fuel oil etc maybe even some seafoam) and then see where you stand on driveability. If the truck sat a long time anti freeze becomes acidic (corrosive)after a while so flush it out and replace and again see where you stand on the the rad. repair. Get a carb kit and save a boatload of money. All the above you can likely do yourself in your spare time on the cheap. And well for the tires if they are cracked particularily between the treads or worn they are a big risk ( I'm former highway patrol and before that freightliner tech many horror stories)....just one mans opinion

 

Like said above do a tune up.Carb rebuild would cost you about $50 and a couple hours. The spare is most definatly toast, even if it does not show signs of deteriation, it will under stress. Let us know what is going on after you give it a tune up. Congrats on getting a first gen.

 

sounds like you have a great project keep us posted on your progress, and i agree with the above posters about the tune up and what not. also we need pics because we love pics.

 

thanks guys. i figured the carb would be first to do. i always read up on people buying a weber, but for the money should i just rebuild?

and pics will be up by today or tomorrow. grrr @ the camper shell, by the way. you'll see what i mean when the pics are posted.

in each of your opinions... how much money will i drop by the time it's good to go anywhere?


sorry if i dwell on money issues a lot, but hey... i'm 16 and work for minimum wage. gimme break =]

 

I rebuilt my stock carb and then bought a weber so I could get rid of all the emissions stuff. It helped clean up the engine bay. One other thing I recommend is to clean out your whole fuel system. I ended up having a plugged fuel intake. But I did not find that untill I tore apart the whole system. You should be able to get it going well for a couple hundred bucks depending on if there are any serious issues. It starts to add up when you add in tires ect.

 

he lives in california though so he has to keep all his smog stuff.

 

In that case I would keep it stock for sure. A rebuild kit is around $30 and some cans of carb cleaner. Make sure you put a new fuel filter on when you do it too.

 

Get it running right then put your money into other stuff.
If i were you, i would do, motor 1st (full tune up, rebuild carb, etc), tires #2, shocks #3, etc.
Since you are in california, check pirate4x4.com... lots of people GIVE away perfectly good 1st gen beds/parts... check the "free stuff" section..
Get some pics...

Greg

 

you asked for them...




(1996)

grill and headlights good. bad lighting in pic.

I'll get better pics soon. when i got home from school i pulled it out of the garage, took a few pics, and got it back in. all in under 5 minutes. haha. i'll get more detailed pics sooon.


and yeah. california smog stuff. LAME!

 

Tune it up and source Craigslist for a set of used tires. Get it running first before worring about cosmetic issues.

Looks like a nice truck, you are very very lucky. If I had a 1st gen for that long, my kids wouldn't drive it, lol.

 

DUDE THAT TRUCK IS SO NICE. ditch the camper shell and get some seats from ajunkyard....rebuild the carb and rock it!
i love the pic of you... and DONT CRASH IT

 

SHUT THE HECK UP! dont give my dad any ideas!

haha. yeaah. and thank you. i know it's a nice truck. i just hate how it's been...sitting for so long. i wish it would have been maintained a BIT better. but hey, at least it wasnt sold (my dad was gonna sell it in 2002, but i stopped him...somehow =] )

 

other than the seat, that truck would be welcome in my driveway. Very good.

WSUweston put in a set of Civic Seats. I found a set of 93 Acura Integra seats for less than $50. They are almost the same seats (civic and integra) and very easy to install.

like ewayota said, you could find a set of tires very reasonable on craigslist. I bought my truck and a ton of parts for it off craigslist..

 

i'm really flattered by all the compliments. like... wow i see some of your trucks and i'm blown away, then i see mine and say "eh". but when i have a bunch of yota loving people saying my truck is this nice (sans the seats), it makes me realize how great of a prize i have. =] i'm happy now.

 

spare tire i was talking about. lol.

other side.

other side of engine bay

another pick of myself as a child in AZ (1995)

 

That truck is solid. Wanna trade? Hehe. The body is in better shape than mine. Love the old school pics. Bout the only advice I can give ya is don't change the clutch til it slips. You can always drive the truck when it starts slippin/shift w/o a clutch.

 

sure, i'll trade. just give me about $200,000 cash, and a total of about 43 years of amazing family memories (27 of my dad's, and 16 of mine), and you have a deal.


i wouldnt trade this truck for anything in the world.

 

^that's the good stuff

 

Dude that truck is a solid starting point, get r done!!!!! I wish i could find a 1st gen like that here!