One problem with the internet is that things never go away. Sometimes that can lead to the “fake news” that we’ve been hearing about the last couple of election cycles and sometimes it can show us previous selling prices on vehicles. This rare 1981 Toyota Trekker can be found here on eBay with an unmet opening bid of $18,495 and a buy it now price of $36,990. It’s located in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Winnebago Industries made around 1,500 of these special 4Runner-like vehicles for Toyota in the days leading up to the actual 4Runner. They were built on the Toyota SR5 pickup platform in both two and four-wheel-drive versions and they’re rare to see today. This example was for sale back in 2012 and the price then was $16,500. I only say that because, you know, it’s the internet, things last forever. Vehicles like this rise in value and that’s normal, but it’s one of the bad things about the internet for sellers, having potential buyers looking up the vehicle online and seeing what it previously sold for.
This has to be the nicest Trekker on the planet I would think, but I have only seen two or three of them. They were only made until 1983 because Toyota was introducing the 4Runner and both Winnebago and Toyota agreed to end production. According to Toyota, it started back in 1979 with the demise of the beloved FJ40 and a Toyota dealer in Brookfield, Wisconsin dreamed up the idea. He was such a good salesman that both Winnebago and Toyota bought into it and the rest is history.
This Trekker looks about as close to brand new as possible and it should with only 28,428 miles on it. I don’t know if anyone could dispute that by looking even very, very closely at the dozens of photos that the seller has included in the auction. There is quite an unusual seating arrangement in the rear and as with the front and everything else, it looks almost like new.
The engine is Toyota’s 2.4L inline-four 22R workhorse with just under 100 hp. You can see what is most likely a Weber carb conversion which may be nice for driveability but for car shows you’ll want an original-spec air cleaner element converted to fit. Yes, it can be done and it looks much nicer when you pop the hood at vintage Japanese car shows than seeing Weber’s budget-looking chrome rectangular air filter. Don’t get me wrong, Weber is about as good as it gets and I have one on my 1980 Dodge (Mitsubishi) D-50 Sport pickup with that tiny air cleaner for driving, but those tiny air cleaner elements just look so cheap to me compared to the nice factory air cleaner. Enough of that, maybe the seller will throw in a custom-fit OEM air cleaner assembly for anyone who hits the buy it now button for $36,990? Have any of you seen a Toyota Trekker before?
Beautiful looking truck, that will last a lifetime. Just seems a bit optimistic about the pricing. Looks well done, and in really nice shape. Wishing the best to buyer and seller
I totally agree about the air cleaner- for the asking price it should have been done. Wonderful rare truck in excellent condition! I think the buy-it-now price is optimistic but Im willing to bet it will definitely move at that opening price.
Wow. As a hardcore Toyota guy and owner of an 87 4Runner, I am very familiar with the Trekker. This example is unquestionably the finest one I have ever seen. They do not come up for sale often and when they do, they require work. Drive on nice days and show off for sure. Great find!
Well, speaking of fake news,
I was working for a Toyota dealer in Connecticut in either 1974 or 1975 when we got in a couple of Hi-Lux pickups rigged out like that with the name 4-Runner on them. It was either when I was Baron Motors in Brookfield, CT in 1974 or Bantam Motors in Bantam, CT in 1975. I’m pretty sure it was the latter, because they had the (then) new 20R engine in them and that engine didn’t debut in this country until ’75.
They were bare-boned inside with these little jump-type back seats. I don’t remember much else about them. We kind of stood around looking at them puzzling over the name and wondering what lunatic at Toyota America thought that chopping the back out of a cab and cobbling together a camper shell and truck was going to sell. As I recall though, they did sell pretty quickly. I went into the military that summer and never looked back, so I couldn’t tell you much more about them. I would try and confirm it, except I think Bantam Motors went out of business 30+ years ago after the owner was killed in a rollover at a dirt track event. The Service Manager was probably in his 50’s then, so I don’t think he’s still around either.
Yep, that rear seating is awkward. Very cool truck though.
It’s a narrow folding seat bolted to the floor of a pickup bed.
No floor wells were made and the seat angles back for head room.
Provides seat in for two.
It’s just not comfortable seating.
Living in Milwaukee, I have seen a couple of these. The dealer in Brookfield (Jack Safro Toyota) was not too far from here. There is actually 2 for sale right now on Craig’s List in Milwaukee by Jack’s son who has a dealership of his own in a near by community. I thought about buying one & putting a plow on it. Then I remembered my fantasy of moving to Phoenix Arizona later this year (I tell myself this every year lol) & I won’t even need a shovel next year.
Jack Safro passed away in the recent past and was known as a fair, decent guy. We all lost a great guy. The family sold the Toyota dealership after his passing.