The Old Wood Hauler: 1983 Toyota 4WD Build/Restoration

[Derek24]

The Mudstar tires are actually not a low-end tire. Big O gets a premium for them, similar in price to BFG. I have a set of 33x12.5s on my Ramcharger now, and before on my Raider. I've traveled about 25K miles on them, varied highway/dirt road/grading jobs and like them well.

Good to know! They ride great and are pretty quite as far as I can tell, it's not the quietest truck...

That truck is a beauty. Nice work on the front. Mud tires don't seem ideal for your intentions. Bet you could get a smoother ride and better mileage with an all terrain. What is the plan for the bed? We see the one rust spot there.

I had ATs on my Tundra for about six months and could not stand the look. MTs just fit the look of this truck! As long as I keep around the same size tire as stock, mileage won't be affected, and the ride, well it's a leaf sprung solid axle truck! For the bed, it's pretty beat up from wood hauling. Might just spray it with color match paint, or a bed liner.

Very nice! Here's a thread you might be interested in, not sure if you have to sign up to the forum or not though. It's a similar build to what you're doing, except it's a shop. It's neat seeing all the little attention to detail that they've done to bring an old truck back to almost new condition on a very limited budget. There's some great ideas there for anyone!
http://www.sontt.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=3805

Thanks for the link! I works! Ill definitely be stealing a couple ideas from them!

My dad's old 82 was the same config with the longbox. Was a great little truck, and is still on the road today (albeit without the original box). Looking great, keep it up!

Thanks! Little by little! It seems everyone has had a little Toyota in their family...

If my memory is correct, you can fit 31x10.50s on those '83s without a lift. You need at least a 7" wide wheel, though. My bet is the stockers are 6", is that correct?

I think the LED lightbar looks ok. It depends what you finally end up with for your front armor. The square headlights and squarish front bumper kind of match it.

I think some color matched bed coating would look great, too.

Just my thoughts... That is a nice old rig to work on for sure.

I was looking at 30x9.50 KM2s. Seems like a good size up from the 235s. Maybe an inch taller. Maybe the LED light bar is not in place for this year truck, like a teenager dating a 75 year old, but it works great! The light from these bars are second to none!

You're doin' the Lord's work there, son.

He works in mysterious ways! He wanted me to save this one!

 

[Derek24]

Before

After

 

[mortonm]

Looks great! Don't get too caught up about lightbar or not. Its an easy on/off mod and if you need the light I would keep it.

My Dad has a 1983 toyota supra celica that is in mint condition. He has also owned since new. It would be a great companion for this!

As much as everyone fawns over these (myself included) its a 30 year old toyota work truck. It was built to have the crap beat out of it and keep on ticking. Its not a show piece., I would worry about "saving" it per say. I don't think she wants to be saved. Well cared for and maintained? Of course

Drive it, use it, love it.

 

[Hermitosaurus]

You guys must be a bunch of young uns with the "my dad" and "my uncle," etc. I bought my '81 Toyota 4WD brand new and it's still in the garage ready to wheel whenever I want to. If you lift it sky high, chop it, bob it and cram 40" mudders into the sliced up wheel wells, it will look like every other cut, bob, chopped, lifted truck and pretty much ruined IMHO. As it is, it represents an era of four-wheelin' from an earlier, simpler time.

I had a shop put on shackles front and rear and run 32" BFG All-Terrains. I get 80K off a set of tires. I am on my second camper shell -- the first one got dry rot after several years -- and it's nothing more than an uninsulated Top One aluminum shell that cost me $400 at the time of purchase. Lord, I've spent many a freezing winter night back there buried under piles of blankets and sleeping bags during deer season. I got curtains hanging on the side and back windows to hide my hunting gear from prying eyes. I drilled and screwed on a metal gun rack on one side window behind its curtains. It's got no power steering or AC. My '99 F250 Super Duty does, so the little truck will be kept.

If I was to sell it, Carfax warns my truck has "possible odometer tampering." That's because I have a 5-digit odmtr. and am well into 6-digit mileage. Also, the odmtr. broke and the local Toyota dealer says the truck is so old they can't/won't fix it. It's probably just a simple cable fix, but right now the truck runs fine so what the heck. I don't have plans to sell it anyhow. Since I'm retired and have other vehicles I split my annual mileage amongst them and estimate that my 32-year old truck has more than 300,000 miles, not an unreasonable amt. given it's age.

I've replaced the clutch a few times, otherwise the engine, drive line, axles, etc. are all original. I had the bench seat reupholstered about 2 yrs. ago. The truck is a good one. Some day you'll be an old f*rt like me and will appreciate the fact that you have a truck that looks the way it does. And when you come back to the parking lot and find business cards asking if you want to sell it, like I do, you'll know that others appreciate that fact as well.

 

[Derek24]

Did a little more painting on the ol rig. Other than that just been driving it everyday to work and around town. Went 3 weeks on one tank, must be getting 25+mpg. The FJ would only last half that. Love this little truck!

Painted the sides of the bed to match the color of the truck, then used bedline spray for the bottom. Still thinking if I should do the wheel wells black as well, or just spray the entire bed, or leave it...?

Painted the front and rear axles and frame. Still some surface rust to clean up and repaint. Ran out of paint...

My buddy hanging out in the backyard!

 

[Dwill817]

Following your build for ideas about mine! Like it so far I really want to keep mine pretty much stock too.. I bet our trucks will be similar in the end..

As for input on the bed. I'm in the process of redoing mine as well.. I'm going all the way up the sides but not to the cap. Just to the seem inside the bed. Know what I mean?

 

[seanpistol]

The axles look awesome. Did you just paint them while on the truck?

 

[Derek24]

Following your build for ideas about mine! Like it so far I really want to keep mine pretty much stock too.. I bet our trucks will be similar in the end..

As for input on the bed. I'm in the process of redoing mine as well.. I'm going all the way up the sides but not to the cap. Just to the seem inside the bed. Know what I mean?

Thanks! Been following your build as well, I'm sure we will be twins in the end! I hear ya about the bed. I might just go ahead and do the whole bed, I think it will look better and finished.

The axles look awesome. Did you just paint them while on the truck?

Yeah got two cans of cheap OSH flat black paint and went to town. Took my time to spray what needed spraying. I bought one of those cheap little extensions for spray cans so you don't have to hold the button on the can, you have a trigger. Works really good and accurate! Once I get my OME lift on this thing I'll be able to paint a lot more while everything is out.

 

[Derek24]

2011 vs 1983

 

[mortonm]

I personally like the way the FJ looks but man does it look bloated beside a 30 year old vehicle.

 

[Derek24]

I personally like the way the FJ looks but man does it look bloated beside a 30 year old vehicle.

I agree! Looks way better back then when everything was trim and stream lined!

 

[Derek24]

Pulled the interior out. No rust at all anywhere which is nice. Started on the drivers door with the sound deaden FatMatt. Using what I have leftover from when I did my Tundra years ago. I bought way to much, I've done my Tundra, my brothers old Tacoma, and now this little truck will take whats left. At least I'm using it all and not wasting it. It worked great it my Tundra and my brothers Taco; really quiet rattles and road noise and made the stereo sound nice. Should keep things a little quieter in this rig. I plan on covering everything I can till I run out of material, then a layer of cheap carpet will tighten and clean everything up. More to come...

I plan on going over to my Uncles on Saturday and showing him his old truck, he might just be sorry he sold it to me!!

 

[Derek24]

Fully sound deaden!

 

[Dwill817]

If you don't mind me asking and if you can remember, where did you order that sound deadening and how much was it?

 

[Derek24]

If you don't mind me asking and if you can remember, where did you order that sound deadening and how much was it?

Can't remember where I bought it from. I think I spent around $120 or so. But I way over ordered. I still have some left over and I've done three vehicles now! It shouldn't be too hard to find online.