1982 SR5 Longbed (1 Viewer)

Which direction should I go with this build?

  • Full restoration to factory original condition

    Votes: 2 11.1%
  • Resto-mod with a newer FI engine, like the 22RE or 2RZ/3RZ

    Votes: 4 22.2%
  • Crawler build with tons, big block, and exocage!

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • "Driver-quality" restoration, leaving a lot of the paint/patina as-is & enjoying it

    Votes: 12 66.7%

  • Total voters
    18
  • Poll closed .

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I may be wrong, but that looks like the original spare. I'd be checking the date code before putting it to pavement.
 
It most likely is an original tire.
 
Small update: When I checked emissions, it showed to be running rich, and a check of the O2 Sensor signal showed the same thing. A common failure on the carburetor is the diaphragms, so I replaced both of those today.

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Now to see if that made any difference.
 
Guess I never posted the results from smogging it. The diaphragms didn't make enough difference out the tailpipe, so I ended up putting a cat on it. I have a picture of that on my cell, but need to swap it over to PC. With the smog inspection passed--got it insured, and have been driving it a couple times a week since.

More recently, the days have been getting shorter, and I've started to worry about headlight output. I knew it wasn't good, then realized the other day that the RH headlight wasn't even on.

Today, I went by Autozone and got a discount on a pair of the Sylvania Silverstars. Here's a couple of before & after pics.

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The running lights with clear bulbs almost put out more light than the headlight(s).

Now for these bad boys!

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Okay, it was still daylight, and those shots were a couple hours apart, but I'm thinking I'll be pretty happy with these for awhile.
 
I have not done a voltage drop test, but I know there is bound to be some resistance in wiring this old. Eventually, it would be nice to redo all that, adding a relay, etc.
 
I had an 82 the same color. I was with my dad when he bought it brand new in the fall of 81. I was 8. I wound up with it in 96 and put a small lift and 33's on it, a header, and I painted it dark green. Looked better beige. Still kick myself for trading it in on a 91 a year later. I would love to do a SAS on my 89 and put an early cab and bed on it. I love the first gen body style.
 
The factory headlight wiring is pathetically undersized. Highly recommend you wire up a new headlight harness with relays that get triggered by the factory wiring. Then get some e-code headlights with proper H4 bulbs.
 
Yes, I probably will build a new harness for what's there at least. I had looked at the Hella H4 conversions online, and now hearing a couple people recommend it, that may be what I eventually do.
 
If you end up making a headlight harness, post some pics. I'm curious to see how it's done and where the existing light harness is within the loom.
 
Here's what my harness looks like, I put this together waaaay back in 2002:

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The entire thing is free-standing, plug-and-play, no factory wires were harmed in installing. The red #10 wire is the main feed (20A main fuse), comes off the side terminal on the battery, the plate is mounted on the inner fender hiding behind the battery (see photo #3). Then each headlight has an individual 10A fuse. All the headlight feed wires are at least #12's. Relays are some really nice weatherproof Hellas that I found at Rally Lights, Hella, TerraTrip, Hans, WRC, ZAMP but unfortunately I don't think they sell those exact sockets anymore. The little bundle with the yellow and green wires are trigger wires for future fog and driving lights.

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The aluminum plate holds the 2 relays and the resistor that makes the hi-beam indicator work correctly on the dash. It was challenging back then finding all the plugs and various parts, but it was well worth it.

I have Hella e-code headlamps with 55/100W H4 bulbs and they kick butt. I'm considering converting them to LED bulbs, not sure they're worth the expense.

I'll try to find my hand sketched wiring diagram and post. These vintage trucks used switched grounds for the headlights, they are tricky to adapt.
 
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These harnesses are just too cheap for me to want to build my own.
 
The thing is, I probably have almost everything I'd need to make one. Not necessarily with waterproof components, and would reuse the original connectors, but it would work. Probably only need to source the resistor.

Where would you buy one? Slee?
 
Well, they weren't back then. Besides, mine is better made. ;)

I actually really like doing wiring, I'm starting another project tomorrow morning, swapping out an aux fuse panel under the hood for a new Blue Sea model, and getting the wiring done for the OBA project.
 
Well, they weren't back then. Besides, mine is better made. ;)
... swapping out an aux fuse panel under the hood for a new Blue Sea model.

Blue Sea is dynamite stuff. I have the dual-USB socket in my dash and was looking at their fuse blocks to replace the generic blocks under by hood.
 
Back when I made one for a fox Mustang they were like $150 so I made one. But I bought one for about $30 for the FJ40 a few years later. I like KLF's though. Nicer looking than the one I made for sure.
 
In keeping with the theme, I made some more lighting improvements.

The reverse lights weren't working at all, and when I tried to take a quick look at the switch, I found it is harder to get to than some. So I figured, why not have a look at the bulbs.

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Both bulbs had turned white, and the socket portion was rusty...

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...as well as the socket itself.

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Took some sandpaper & rust penetrant to the socket, and glass cleaner to everything else, then upgraded to some LED 1156 bulbs from Napa. Probably should go back in there and chrome paint the housing for better reflection.

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That was all yesterday, when it was slow at work. I even got in & tackled the passenger window regulator. I'd looked up & found that one is not available from Toyota; the driver's side is still available, though pricey.

On the way in, got a better look at the 3 speakers that were in the door.

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They were nice Pyle Drivers at one time, but now the cones are destroyed/rotted out. Then I found that one of them was probably partly to blame for the window problem. The PO was quite the audio guy at one time, but probably not a sharp mechanic. The speaker that was cut into the lower rear portion interfered with the arm of the window regulator, bending it and causing some of the teeth to strip out.

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Straightened the bent portion, here you can see where it was scraping.

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The stripped part was at the fully closed position, so the window would slip down a bit & leave a gap. This was getting pretty annoying at freeway speeds, and we may be getting more rain eventually. The passenger side is actually staying up now, but I'll be looking for a used regulator.
 
Also replaced the hard & dry oil cap o-ring with a new one.

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Then, today I started tackling the driver's window. Found similar issues with the speakers, except the offending one had a screen/cover over it, but had been gutted.

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It looks like I also need to source a set of door panels, or make some. That's as far as I got with that side before I had to go do some other work.
 

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