Given that battered old Toyota trucks are practically an obligatory driveway fixture here, for hauling the compost for the garden and such, you’ll have to excuse my momentary shock when I saw this down the street on a recent walk. Whoa! Suddenly it’s 1976! Oh, what a feeling!
So is this restored or just exceptionally well preserved?
I actually don’t know if this is a 1976, because Toyota pickups tended to eschew annual styling changes, although it is from at least 1975, as that was the year Toyota got real about Americans’ tendency to be a bit larger than the average Japanese back then, and saw fit to add a couple of inches to the cab length behind the rear edge of the door. That makes these semi-accessible to me, although still not exactly inviting.
This is of course a short bed version of the basic Toyota Pickup, as these were now called in the US, having ditched the Hilux name. That was a rather understandable name, as there wasn’t exactly anything highly luxurious about them.
In 1975, Toyota pioneered the first long-bed mini pickup. Seven feet long! You asked for it, you got it!
1975 also saw the introduction of the larger 2.2 L 20R engine. The 20R was substantially revised in major ways from its 18R predecessor, with a stouter block and internals, a new cross-flow head with hemispherical combustion chambers, a stronger timing chain and other improvements that really cemented the rep of Toyota’s engines. It was used in a number of RWD vehicles here.
I’m only sorry I couldn’t see the odometer because this interior is practically showroom fresh. Wow! Oh wait; I see some wear on the shifter shaft as well as some scuffs on the side panel just ahead of the door. OK; I’m convinced this is original and just very gently or lightly used.
Yes, it is being still used, as a look into the bed makes all too obvious. Yes, it confirms how these Toyota pickups are primarily used in Eugene, where gardening is almost a fetish. Haul the yard debris to Lane Forest Products; bring back a load of Blended Mint compost.
Rather surprisingly, although I’ve certainly showed this generation of Toyota pickup before, there’s no full CC of one in our archives. Well, I know where there’s more…
Outstanding find, and background info. Love the so 1970’s colour, and bed cap. Even like, all the visible sheet metal inside.
As a young teen, I knew I wanted a future in commercial art, and design. As I was quite impressed around 1980, when Toyota switched their tailgate typeface, from the dated serif-style, to a more modern san serif typeface. Seemed subtle, to most. For a graphic designer, it was the equivalent of dumping tailfins, in improving the modernity of the look of their trucks.
The ‘74 in the commercial has the longer cab, but a different grill than the yellow Eugene truck. Continuous improvement, Toyota style 😀.
Gardening is a business in Eugene. I know what grows there 🙂
Wow, great condition which means the owner must be like me. Over the top in maintaining our vehicles. I really need to get a picture of Lou’s 1970 Datsun 521 which is in this kind of condition. We have seen his 83 GLC Sport and 76 Celica Liftback.
Wow… what a memory!! I bought a new HiLux in that same color from Shaeffer & Strominger Toyota in E. Baltimore in early 1973. Mine had vinyl seats instead of this nice cloth and a shorter (6 ft?) bed. Rode like a buckboard when empty, which it was most of the time, and it had a constant backfiring problem when cold that took 4 trips to the dealer before they figured out that it was just a bad coil, drove me crazy. It ran fine after that. But as I had a long commute I soon got tired of the hard ride so a year later traded it on a new (leftover ’73) SAAB 99 that was sooo much better as a daily driver. These are cool trucks, but quite small for a taller/bigger person than average, such as yours truly.
The 20R engine will survive the heat death of the universe, joined by the Volvo Red Block and BMW M54/M57.
Its been ‘doneup’ to almost original the upholstery matched when Toyota last saw it, nice ute though its a minta, very few survived here the metal termites loved them almost as much as the owners.
Oh Americans are larger than Japanese really, have you seen their international rugby team or those sumo guys,
Japanese utes all got bigger cabs they had to regular size Kiwi people barely crammed into them, other than that they built a good ute.
Here you go again…I was referring to Japanese in the 1970s, right? And having been there in 1981, I can assure you that I stood out because of my height. yes, I saw a few young guys who were taller than the average older Japanese, but they were still fairly uncommon. That’s changed in the past 50 years.
If this is as original as it looks, it’s an amazing survivor. Great find, Paul. And eagerly awaiting a full CC!
I dont think I’ve seen one of these in such nice shape since about 1978. These trucks were tough as dirt but were already starting to rust while they were being unloaded off the ship.
One winter was enough to start the terminal rot, but lots of these still ran fine when the body was beyond salvage. In the ’80s lots of these were made into mini flatbeds when the box disintegrated.
That’s a very cool find, I hope the owner works it hard, as it was meant to, but keeps it out of the salt.
What are those things that look like opera lights? I thought these were an add-on as I don’t remember seeing them on Toyota pickups, but the one in the TV commercial has them too.
When I was shopping for my first (used) car in about 1985, I test drove a ’76 or ’77 Celica GT hatchback in this same color, which I though looked hideous then and now. It’s a great color for mustard, not for a car. I remember a peculiar yellow/orange/brown but couldn’t precisely remember the shade. This truck flashes me back to that car – yep, it was this color exactly. The inside was a calm shade of brown that looked good, thick carpeting and all. If the outside had been that color I probably would have bought it.
Sweet .
In 1978 my late stepmother bought a long bed SR5 and kept it until her untimely death many years later .
-Nate
A near-50-year-old Toyota still at work–IMPRESSIVE! It seems doubtful that a modern pickup will still be around in 50 more years to do this kind of work, but who knows? I hope to get at least another 10 years out of my 2011 Ranger; it has 198k on it and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down! I keep up with maintenance of course, and next year it’ll need the 200k-mile transmission service along with new tires. The only thing that has failed recently is the washer fluid pump, but everything else is still in working order.
A shame you can’t buy new trucks this size anymore. The Maverick & Santa Cruz come the closest by far but are crew-cab only! And the vast majority of the bigger trucks are the same way–the market speaks for itself…
I bought a 76 SR5 long bed this same color new in spring of 76. Had the cap and used it for camping and one coast to coast trip. Got 90K plus miles out of it.
My little brother asked me where’s the moose…