scored a 1970 hi-lux a couple months back and have had a tricky time finding parts like the exterior cab vents and grill decals. any suggestions on where to find old yota parts like that?

 

Man, I don't know, that's a rare beast.
Hopefully you can source mechanical parts from the dealership, but you might have to rely on fabrication and finding parts trucks of that same generation.
If you know a shop that makes custom decals and have reliable photos of the ones you need you might be able to have them made.

Good luck, that sounds like an awesome project!