1986 2WD 22R RN50 pickup

[konradjk]

I'm a cruiser guy, currently finished an FJ62 from the ground up. As I'm buttoning it up I somehow came across this little gem for $300! I've owned Tacomas (95 extra cab (awesome truck) and a 2012 Double Cab TRD) but never this generation. It was in horrible shape when I went to see it - PO was a heavy smoker and never cleaned it or washed it. It's the worst truck I've ever seen in/out but when I had a closer look there was no major rust or even damage and it ran and drove great with newer tires, battery and master cylinder and most of all - 90,000 km (just over 56k miles) and totally original. for $300 I could not pass it up. Plan is to make it totally different from my FJ62 - mechanically sound, slightly dropped sweet shop truck. I want to leave the scratched body as it with exception of polishing it out and repairing rust - it's sort of an exercise in doing a major patina restomod as I have a 67 FJ40 that I want to do the same way. Anyway, here are some pictures.

As found:

 

[konradjk]

And after a little elbow grease. The steam cleaner and polisher got a workout that day. It's been a fun dad and son project!

 

[Prairie Swamp]

Nice! Amazing score.

 

[pappy]

Geez, nice truck. Not a crack in the dash. That little truck cleaned up nice. Great save!

Does it have an engine?

 

[joseywales]

That thing only has about another 750,000 left in it. I’ll give you $500 for it.

 

[old87yota]

Nice score!

I vote keeping it stock!

I love these trucks.

My 1987 RN50 22R as been a daily driver for the past eight years.

It looks like your truck is a base, base model (vinyl seat, rubber floor, no radio) It probably has a 4-speed transmission.

 

[steffan]

outstanding!!

 

[KLF]

Wow. That takes me back. Back in the late 80's I had an '85 of the same model, except red with tan interior. It's the truck that got me started on Toyotas. I had the "2-touch" tailgate. Loved that truck. Swapped it out for an '85 4Runner in 1990.

 

[konradjk]

Thanks guys, I'm super stoked as well. It's a totally bare bones which makes it a sweet shop truck. I've been inspired by a few recent builds that keep it all original and just fix major dents/rust etc so that's my plan....unlike my OCD which took over on the LandCruiser which ended up with a full windows out respray...not doing that again....i hope. I want to put in a rear slider (current window is a plexiglass) and I'm currently fabbing up a hitch. these are fun because of the simplicity. and I have to find a mysterious coolant leak...I think it's the heater core (coolant goes down slightly and my windows mist). I just read up on the two stage thermostats so will have to look at that too.

 

[konradjk]

Quick update on how the progress with the Hilux. It's been super handy having this thing and even thou I'm a LC guy by heart I can't get enough of how cool this thing is. Here is a little progression of what I've done to it.....call it polishing a turd

 

[Prairie Swamp]

It's a worker like trucks were meant to be! I have the same rack for my '03 Tacoma.

 

[konradjk]

I've done some major maintenance (plugs, wires, thermostat, belt (haha, just one!...not 15 like my LandCruiser). Added my truck rack, rear slider window (brought on a plane from some faraway place while on a business trip) and I'm just wrapping up a custom hitch install (made from scratch) including a brake controller to tow my aluminum trailer. I also painted my wheels...could not stand looking at those rusty things anymore. IH white, matches tailgate lettering.

 

[D21FJ60]

Love the white wheels and what you've done with this. Leave it stock, don't drop it!

 

[konradjk]

Ya, I'm also thinking no drop because I'm using for hauling and trailer quite a bit. It's not heavy but would still not be practical. I just have the blocks and am always tempted to try it but have bigger priorities right now. I've also got some new lenses coming, super cheap from Taiwan because I could not find any faded originals and got a friendly reminder from a nice cop at a coffee shop that I shouldn't really drive with broken lenses, he was super cool about it.

 

[D21FJ60]

My impression from reading on here and other places is most the cops in Canada are super cool aboot stuff.

 

[Prairie Swamp]

My impression from reading on here and other places is most the cops in Canada are super cool aboot stuff.

Dope is legal lol.

 

[konradjk]

Ya, we're all pretty chill up here and not just because of the weed. Our neighbourhood cop (different guy than the taillight guy) swings by for a coffee on Saturdays at our business just to say hello, usually so the kids can play with his car lights.

Back to trucks. I'm looking for some solid front of rear wheel box sections....just the lower part. I want to leave the rest of the box a bit beat up, but fix the rust (that portion is rusted out, but rest of box is pretty solid) and have been slowly pulling dents. I've seen many at Pick-n-Pulls but they would not let me bring in my grinder.

 

[pappy]

I've seen many at Pick-n-Pulls but they would not let me bring in my grinder.

Will they let you use a cordless sawsall?

 

[konradjk]

they will you are right, just do not have a cordless one. I travel quite a bit for work all over the world so often will swing by a junkyard when there but having a cordless sawzall in my luggage is tough! I did bring my cordless grinder once thou! lol. Nothing locally that I have found that's not rusty like mine.

Heading to Japan in October but definitely not bringing sawzall.

 

[konradjk]

Got my eBay rear lights (lenses only) from Taiwan. I was skeptical for $19.99 and free shipping but they are great and fit very well in case anyone is wondering. Pretty quick shipping too considering it's coming out of Taiwan. Thumbs up, not OEM but better than a hole. (p.s. my hitch is not welded yet, just fitted dry so hence it's a bit wonky....have to take it apart one more time to do a little bit more trimming on the brackets).