Anyone use a 1st gen Toyota 4x4 for expo, trails, daily driver ??
- Thread starter Zatara
- Start date
sparksgarrett45
Observer
Really it just depends on what you pack and how you pack it. I drive an 86 4runner as a DD and Expo rig, and I have no complaints. Not much to speak of as far as power goes, but they are reliable, decent mpg, and super easy to work on. The real question is, what are your plans?
Sam Huynh
Village Idiot
I have a second gen regular cab with a soft top on it so basically the same exact size and I love it for camping. I do a bit offroading and camping at the same time usually, and I find the short wheelbase and tighter cornering/maneuverability quite helpful in many situations. I do wish I had an extended cab sometimes to keep certain things out of the rain. If you do a long trip though it probably wouldnt be very fun since you are kinda limited to what you can carry. The longest Ive camped out of my truck has been a week and it started to suck a lil. I recently picked up a 4runner and plan on turning that into an expo rig as well. But time will tell.
Dawgboy
Adventurer
They have two of the first gen 4x4s in daily use at Palomar observatory, one has a lift gate and a snow plow that never gets used any more. I used to use that one when splitting wood as it could get in tight to the trees and did well in mud because of those narrow tall tires. Bit cramped for my 2xl carcass, but I could see a smaller person doing well with it. Had a 79 Datsun 4x4 in the family for 30 years and that was the least comfortable thing I have ever driven, but was an acceptable offroader.
Brought to you by Cyberdyne Systems
Brought to you by Cyberdyne Systems
darien
Observer
Granted that's one of the world's greatest trucks, but it is 34 years old, so it's time to replace a ton of stuff on it before you take it into the hinterlands and bet your life on it. You didn't say what the mileage is. But, that aside, if you can deal with the available cab space for long trips, you can outfit the bed a million different ways to give you lots of room for a camping setup.
Heck yes - great truck for your purposes. But baseline the dickens out of it and check for rust in the frame!
Heck yes - great truck for your purposes. But baseline the dickens out of it and check for rust in the frame!
Rot Box
Explorer
Absolutely. I drove mine everywhere from the bottom of Utah to the top of Montana every chance I had before I had kids (and a decent camera 
). The 20R is an incredible engine in terms of reliability however the power will likely let you down when loaded with gear. I used a 5.29 axle gear with 33" tires for more rpm's and it did alright. If you're mechanically inclined I would HIGHLY recommend raising the needle in the carb. It might take several attempts to get it perfect but ultimately you want the fuel to be in the lower part of the sight glass (on the float bowl) when idling. This makes an enormous improvement when driving off road. Doing the vented rotor upgrade is something else I would recommend. When loaded with gear the front rotors are marginal at best. If I remember right 79-early 80 require a slightly different rotor than the more common late 80-85 axles to make this work. Worth looking into anyway: http://www.toyotaoffroad.com/Articles/Projects/Vented_Rotors/vented_rotors.htm
Hope this helps, Keep us posted
Without the shell and roof rack:
). The 20R is an incredible engine in terms of reliability however the power will likely let you down when loaded with gear. I used a 5.29 axle gear with 33" tires for more rpm's and it did alright. If you're mechanically inclined I would HIGHLY recommend raising the needle in the carb. It might take several attempts to get it perfect but ultimately you want the fuel to be in the lower part of the sight glass (on the float bowl) when idling. This makes an enormous improvement when driving off road. Doing the vented rotor upgrade is something else I would recommend. When loaded with gear the front rotors are marginal at best. If I remember right 79-early 80 require a slightly different rotor than the more common late 80-85 axles to make this work. Worth looking into anyway: http://www.toyotaoffroad.com/Articles/Projects/Vented_Rotors/vented_rotors.htmHope this helps, Keep us posted
Without the shell and roof rack:
Sempertoy
Explorer
It's that's documented mileage it's a fair price. Where are you located? I recently missed out on a first gen I really had my heart set on.
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Ten42adventures
Explorer
I daily drive my 1980 SR5 4x4 Longbed, and have for nearly a year. I just picked up a set of FJ Cruiser steelies, and long term plans call for front/rear bumpers, winch, softopper canvas canopy, and 33's or 35's. OME lift, and a dark desert tan paint job. This is a side project, as I have a Jeep obsession that consumes a majority of my fun money.
Arktikos
Explorer
Sounds pretty good to me. Post up a photo or two after you buy it.
Toyotero
Explorer
There are probably a dozen forums dedicated to Toyota Hilux/Tacomas with a subforum for the specific generation; these are my personal favorites:
- pirate4x4
- yotatech
- allprooffroad
- marlincrawler
- trail-gear.com
- ih8mud.com
- toyotaminis.com
FYI, the Hilux 4WD was changed gradually from 1979 to 1995, so you'll see a lot of the same parts or very similar parts on multiple generations over this period.