Through my work I recently acquired a 1991 Toyota 4x4 pickup. It's a Xtracab with the 3.0L V6 and 5-speed manual transmission. It was built in Japan (some of these trucks were built in Fremont California) The owner had bought it new 25 years ago and only drove it 178000 Kms. It was never driven off road. It was immaculately maintained and came with all the documentation. Serviced at the same shop since new, it had every single recommended maintenance performed right up to the point where I bought it. All fluids and filters changed as required, recent muffler replacement, new brakes, new tires, timing belt, cam cover gaskets, battery, windshield, and much more. Mechanically the truck is immaculate. It starts and runs smoothly with no noise, no smoke. The transmission and clutch work superbly and the transfer case clicks into 4WD with minimal effort and no noise. The interior is almost perfect but for a small tear on the side of the driver's bucket seat.
Cosmetically, the truck has some issues. The body is mostly rust-free... the cab, doors, floor, hood and bed are in great shape. The front fenders have some bad areas around the wheel arch and the bed sides are rotted with rust. The truck had a camper installed at one point, and holes were screwed into the bed rails to mount iron bars. They weren't properly treated and this is where the corrosion originated. Had it not been for that camper the truck would be almost perfect, but for the Cardinal Red paint, which is oxidized and faded. The chrome back bumper is rotten.
My initial plan for the truck was to recondition it a bit, drive it a little while and flip it for a modest profit... but... the more time I spend with this truck the more I like it and I'm running the risk of becoming attached.....
What I've done so far:
-oil and filter change (not fun... idiotic oil filter location on the 3.0 V6)
-cleaned up and painted rusty screw heads and brackets (battery strap, overflow tank holder)
-strip and paint steel wheels (1 down 3 to go)
-remove crappy hood deflector
What I plan to do:
-strip and repaint the front skid plate. maybe the fuel tank plate too.
-replace the centre caps (the originals are corroded beyond repair)
-undercoat rusty frame parts and paint rusty suspension parts
-replace back bumper
-remove camper brackets and wires
-detail under hood and interior
What I might do if it makes $ense:
-replace fenders
-replace bed sides
-paint job
I would need to pay someone to weld the box sides on but I could do the rest myself. The paint will be far from perfect but I see this as a nice daily driver, not a show truck.
Cosmetically, the truck has some issues. The body is mostly rust-free... the cab, doors, floor, hood and bed are in great shape. The front fenders have some bad areas around the wheel arch and the bed sides are rotted with rust. The truck had a camper installed at one point, and holes were screwed into the bed rails to mount iron bars. They weren't properly treated and this is where the corrosion originated. Had it not been for that camper the truck would be almost perfect, but for the Cardinal Red paint, which is oxidized and faded. The chrome back bumper is rotten.
My initial plan for the truck was to recondition it a bit, drive it a little while and flip it for a modest profit... but... the more time I spend with this truck the more I like it and I'm running the risk of becoming attached.....
What I've done so far:
-oil and filter change (not fun... idiotic oil filter location on the 3.0 V6)
-cleaned up and painted rusty screw heads and brackets (battery strap, overflow tank holder)
-strip and paint steel wheels (1 down 3 to go)
-remove crappy hood deflector
What I plan to do:
-strip and repaint the front skid plate. maybe the fuel tank plate too.
-replace the centre caps (the originals are corroded beyond repair)
-undercoat rusty frame parts and paint rusty suspension parts
-replace back bumper
-remove camper brackets and wires
-detail under hood and interior
What I might do if it makes $ense:
-replace fenders
-replace bed sides
-paint job
I would need to pay someone to weld the box sides on but I could do the rest myself. The paint will be far from perfect but I see this as a nice daily driver, not a show truck.
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