2022 Hilux Single Cab Build

[LionZoo]

Yet another truck the EPA has deemed evil in the US.
My anti diesel friend changed his tune after driving a Hilux diesel in Nicaragua. He couldn't believe how quiet and powerful it was. No smoke.
He's sold but it doesn't help as we can't get them.

The Hilux isn't sold in the US due to the chicken tax, which makes it uneconomical here to sell any truck that isn't made in the US.

In terms of the build itself, I love it. I've been on a kick of single cab bare bones basic trucks lately. Sadly, the market here has shifted and everything is at least a 2+2 cab, but there is a real simple honesty in a single cab.

 

[zolo]

My buddy liked mine so much he bought one also and we did the same Old Man Emu suspension and painted the wheels block. 235/80s as well. Single cabs are awesome.

 

[plainjaneFJC]

I am guessing the next Tacoma gets a fully boxed frame and a turbo gas with more torque than the diesel. The limiting factor would be suspension which is easily remedied.

 

[Redline61]

So cool to see the Hillux build!

 

[Nicklovin]

I had the 2.7 gas engine in my old single cab Tacoma and it was a good engine but no way could it have held the same payload this Hilux has. The other big difference is the bed length, which is why I fabricated a flat bed for my Tacoma. Toyota USA has a very focused design strategy.View attachment 716790

I know this is old but do, or did, you have a build thread for this. Very intrigued to see that flatbed and inside the back. Is that canvas around a frame or hard sides

 

[zolo]

I know this is old but do, or did, you have a build thread for this. Very intrigued to see that flatbed and inside the back. Is that canvas around a frame or hard sides

Yes, I had a small build thread. I did this way before it was common place in the US. I'm not sure where the truck ended up. The canvas was sewn by a local shop in Atlanta and the fabrication was done by me and a friend with a TIG machine. The canvas was around a frame and I had a dual spare tire set up on the back.

 

[zolo]

Here it is out in the wild. Near a lake called Lago Chapo, southern Chile. I actually have a Safari Snorkel in route, to help cut that dust entering the intake of this truck on the long chase truck duties it will have come summer time. So far so good, really nice truck.

 

[zolo]

Since we travel a LOT of dusty roads here in summer time I went ahead an installed a Safari Snorkel to the truck. The dust is so heavy here I wanted to get as much protection as possible before the season started.

Safari makes two snorkels for this truck, one for the narrow body (mine) and one for the wide body.
After waiting several months for the narrow body one to arrive from Australia I got is knocked out on about 3 hours. Always a weird feeling cutting a huge hole in a brand new truck. But it turned out perfect and the fit and finish of this Safari is much nicer than the IronMan one I have on our Prado.