I've always been in love with the 80's Toyotas.

My first one was a 1988 Toyota Corolla when I turned 17. I tore it to pieces-I cut out the carpeting, replaced it with white shag (EVERYWHERE), painted the interior, wrecked it once, fixed it, drove it for another year then sold it before I left for college. It drove like a bat out of hell.

Second vehicle was a 1980 Mercedes diesel. Drove like a champ, put 50k on it in three years. Awesome car, sold it between 450k-500k. Put many miles on it driving loaded up with friends at college in Pensacola (13 was the record). Sold it while I was at Camp Geiger in 2008. Drove like a bat out of hell.

Third vehicle was a 1989 Toyota Camry Station wagon which I am presently driving. 114k now, runs like a champ but needs a fair bit of front end work. It will smoke my other ride, a 99 Taurus, and also, just like the others, drives like a bat out of hell (especially with ECT on )

My next Vehicle will be a 2011 Toyota Tacoma, access cab, 4x4 4cyl 5spd SR5.

My goal this next year is to find an 80's Toyota 4runner or truck in decent shape and tear it down to the frame...and rebuild it from the ground up. Not as a rock climber or off road machine, but as a vehicle to keep in the garage, drive on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Personally, I don't care if it's a 3.0 or 22re, stick, or auto. I'm going to doing the same on my Camry once I get a replacement DD (Tacoma).

I'm a big fan of the 80's Toyotas, as you can see. Heck, automotively, I'm still in the 20th century. It's "my" decade.

In 2010 I graduated from College with my Bachelor's degree. 2011 hopefully will be the year I am able to take a better paying job than being a Vet Tech/Landscaper.

Your thoughts?

 

editing your thread title, "Call me dumb, call me crazy" could have been deleted out of hand...

 

what....exactly, are you asking?

 

What's the opinion of the Yotatech forum on a ground up restoration of an 80's Toyota 4 runner or pickup?



Sorry, should have clicked the 'short and sweet' button vs long and drawn out.

 

go for it? lol

i'm all for seeing a stock pickup or 4runner!!

but honestly..i would go for Stock-ish (as in..SLIGHTLY modified.) SMALL lift, maybe some 33's or 35's.

a guy in my college town has an '83 that he lifted in '85 and that's all he's done besides the 33x13.50's he's got on it. (plus the wheels) has a factory roll bar, factory lights on it, and factory (he says....it's SUPER SHARP) desert tan color paint job. it's a sharp 1st gen for sure!!! and all he does is SOMTIMES haul firewood with it, but mostly just for around the house stuff and just enjoying..said it was the first NEW vehicle he's EVER bought.

 

Dont' apologize, I totally get it! lol... Yeah, could have been quicker to the query, ...but that's ok.

Do you care if it's Straight Axle or IFS? Other than that, I would say GO FOR IT, I think it's a great idea. Without tearing mine down to the frame, that's what I've been trying to do(within reason) with my 87 4Runner. You can see more about what I've done/doing/wanting to do, in my threads in sig. I've changed a few things, but kept EVERYTHING I removed or modified out of. I'm kinda hoping to find one, if I can afford it soon, to build for my Grandson, over the next 14 years or so(if they'll still allow them in CA by then! lol).

I've had 8 toyotas now... all of them were GREAT vehicles... Just had to sell them for some reason or another(usually money).

I could really go on about that, but long and short... I THINK IT'S GREAT, do it FS!

OOHRAH!