1983 Toyota 4wd pickup (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Oct 21, 2019
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5
Location
Southern California
My Mom bought this truck new in 1983. Never rolled or smashed... always babied and garaged. All original. Everything works. 155,000 original miles. Anyone in Southern California know a legitimate shop to get it painted?
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I'll be the first - and no way the last - to say: Give a lot of consideration (if you haven't yet) to NOT painting it. If the truck has no body damage or rust, what you have there is genuine, badass, earned patina!

That is just awesome.
 
I'll be the first - and no way the last - to say: Give a lot of consideration (if you haven't yet) to NOT painting it. If the truck has no body damage or rust, what you have there is genuine, badass, earned patina!

That is just awesome.
There is a bit of surface rust to the cab’s roof. I just have fond memories of when she was new. I’ve been driving her since I was 16 years old... I’m 52 now. I think she’s aged better than me. Hahaha!!!
 
First, great truck. Glad you are taking care of the old girl and keeping her in the family. Don't make the mistake several of us have made and sell her.

If you do decide to paint, keep in mind that those decals might be a challenge. Try a search here. I seem to recall somebody found reproductions, or something close.

Oh, welcome to our slice of MUD, the most knowledgeable bunch of addicts you will ever find.

:flipoff2: <- official MUD salute.
 
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There is a bit of surface rust to the cab’s roof. I just have fond memories of when she was new. I’ve been driving her since I was 16 years old... I’m 52 now. I think she’s aged better than me. Hahaha!!!
I wish my mom had picked (and kept) cooler cars! I love the story - that you've been driving it for 35+ years and watched it "patinate". I think I'd want to see it painted too.

I'll be following along.
 
First, great truck. Glad you are taking care of the old girl and keeping her in the family. Don't make the mistake several of us have made and sell her.

If you do decide to paint, keep in mind that those decals might be a challenge. Try a search here. I seem to recall somebody found reproductions, or something close.

Oh, welcome to our slice of MUD, the most knowledgeable bunch of addicts you will ever find.

:flipoff2: <- official MUD salute.
Thanks for the “Welcome”, Pappy! I already have the decals. I picked them up years ago from the dealer. I have seen the money that these trucks are going for; and I can’t deny that it’s tempting. But the memories I have and the sheer joy of engagement it is to drive this truck is beyond compare. I hope to find someone worthy of painting her soon.
 
But the memories I have and the sheer joy of engagement it is to drive this truck is beyond compare.

I understand that. My late bride and I bought this 4Runner 31 years ago. No way in Hades am I selling her. Too many memories, like you said. The standing joke is when I die they will put my ashes in the truck, and bury the truck.

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Beautiful truck you got there, Pappy! Nice spot you took her to. Wish I was there. Can’t wait until my truck is looking as good as she makes me feel.
 
i'm in the camp of don't paint it. as clean as it is, it's a nice tribute to it's history. in southern california, with a little wax, the rust won't progress at all in our lifetime. plus, to have it painted correctly, match everything up, would be a huge cost.
 
I agree with keeping it the way it is. More character. Anyone can have a newly painted classic, but individual patina cannot be replicated.
 
I too agree you shouldn’t paint it. I’ve heard more horror stories with paint shops than any good ones.

Plus if you do find a paint shop good enough to paint it, chances are it’ll look so good you’ll never want to drive it in the event it’ll get dinged up. Keep the patina!!
 
Another vote, don’t paint it!
 
That's a beautiful truck. It's a tough decision on whether to repaint or leave as is. If you decide to repaint, you can find stripes for it here; 1981-83
 
Ok, I got it... since the body is so straight and clean, why not wrap it? Most wraps now look better than a paint job, still get the protection and its easily reversable
 
Vinyl wraps will have a tough time sticking to paint that isn't smooth and clean....my shop has done 100s of wraps over the last 10 years...it can be a challenge on new cars. Plus they don't always resist the elements if the vehicle is an 'outdoor' car. I wrapped my 80 that had typical faded paint on the roof and hood....I had to sand it down so there were no edges where clear coat was peeling or there was rust. Went up to an 800 grit...that allowed the vinyl to stick.

I vote for keeping her as is....it's a great truck with a great story. But I also get wanting to have a nice new and shiny truck. Can't lose either way. Don't worry about the surface rust...as someone mentioned, that rust won't cause any damage in our lifetimes.

We have preserved patina with Krylon satin clear spray paint in a can. Easy and cheap. I did a 40 for a customer that we use 1000 grit on a DA(wet) to smooth it all down. Then we buffed it with several compounds....then wax. It was gorgeous. Actually had a shine to it.

To FindAnother...make sure those decals you have are still good. Vinyl and adhesive can do some weird things when it sits for years. I've cried a lot of tears over some of the cool stickers I've stashed away that have become worthless.

GREAT truck!
 
Welcome to ’Mud. I also say keep the patina as is. No doubt you can find a good paint shop in SoCal, but as posted previously, it will cost an arm and a leg to have it done correctly. On a rig with only surface rust in your climate, I would try the wax option. One of my all time favorite parking lot finds is pictured below. As his slogan says... “dig it up and drive it”. Luckily, you don’t have to do any digging.
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