At first glance, you could rightfully question this Toyota’s ability to tow anything other than a similar-era Corolla. However, that’s exactly why a Toyota dealer bought a pickup and outfitted it with a tow body when new, as the perfect complement to the dealer’s service department. It makes you wonder if other marques took notice and introduced roadside assistance as a selling point. Find this low-use and low-mileage Toyota here on eBay with bidding over $3K and the reserve unmet.
There’s just over 7,000 original miles on this Toyota pickup, which retains its stock 22R four-cylinder motor under hood. Yes, that can’t two much, but it would certainly tow reliably whatever fit into its weight and size class. The body looks pretty much mint and you do tend to think your eyes are playing tricks on you upon seeing the tow apparatus on the back of a tiny single-cab pickup. The colors and hubcaps are a nice tough.
The interior remains in excellent condition, a nice effect of the low mileage. The manual transmission is a godsend, much like when you see them in the camper conversions around the same model and era. Hard to imagine moving one of these along with a slushbox. The seller points out that this unusual tow truck went into storage for over 29 years when the dealer closed its doors for good.
Normally, a truck like this would be sold off as a dealer liquidated its assets, but the ownership group must have felt compelled to keep it around. For the Toyota collector, this is likely a once-in-a-lifetime find, especially with its intended use as a Toyota support vehicle – likely as close to OEM as you’re going to get. I certainly think it’s worth more than the current bid, and wouldn’t be surprised to see it crack $7-$8K. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Todd for the find.
Feb, 25, 2018 on Barnfinds, Nash tow truck. The Nash tow trucks appeared to be capable of towing Nash sized cars.
They didn’t use this little guy too much because Toyota’s rarely break down! Sure would be nice to have it in car shows, definitely something different.
Just the thing to tow that Power Wheels Barbie car back to the shop for a quick battery charge.
Hubcaps are from a Fox body Mercury Capri!
Wow! Impressive! I would’ve installed a 2.4 litre turbo diesel engine under the hood. I reckon it would’ve provided the truck with better fuel economy and more reliable performance. :)
I can’t even imagine what sort of silly reserve the seller has on this. While it’s cool and all, it’s not much more than a cool car show toy. Sure it could have some minimal utilitarian use but the market is so small for this he might as well have put a big number on it with a make an offer option.
My bet…it doesn’t sell at auction
shucks Ben, search didn’t bring it up. But
I know alota guys who’d use this just as it’s designed but
R not actual Dealers, just import mechanics…
You can’t tow newer cars with this.
That bumper lift will rip those plastic bumpers right off there.
And what is wrong with that? Some are looking so hideous, I am tempted to do that just passing by! So it sounds to me like it would be doing the world a favor. LOL
For towing Kei cars…
I agree. If you have a JDM Kei car that needs to be towed, this could do the job.
It’s both cute and unconventional, who could ask for more? I have to admit I like it.
find a mint original bed and convert it back to a pickup
Or convert it to a Camper?
Just the tow sling overloads it.
That’s a dually version of the Toyota truck. I bet it’s a full 1 ton truck
Yeah, if the bed is metal and not plastic the whole truck may weight a full 1 ton……maybe.
It’s not a factory duallie or 1 ton. The Capri wheelcovers wouldnt fit the offset of the front wheels if it was factory..
The early 80s Toyota 1 tons were generally not duallys, though you did see them. When they were duallys, the rear wheels were an odd design that seemed to mount the outer rim to the inner one rather than to the hub. I recall hearing that one owned by a friend of a friend could not have is rear wheels balanced on common balance machinery sure to its odd wheels. Later models did offer factory duallys with offset rims similar to those on American duallys. I have seen other Toyota trucks with the early-style duallys with full wheel covers made for cars. It was a somewhat common thing to do to Toyota-based class c motor homes in those days.
A big deal was made about the first one ton Toyota pickups in the early 80s. They had a legitimate 5000 lb tow rating, but (or perhaps because) they were geared for the 55-60 mph highway speeds of the day. Their heavy duty axles and 4-speed transmissions complemented that 22R to make a serious work truck in a small, economical, rough-riding package.
This truck is perfect for dragging the UTV, ATV, and golf carts that have infested the roadways around here. For some reason, the drivers of these $20K ‘utility’ screamers think that we live in a gated community. No license, no insurance, no speed limit, no problem. And… they don’t have to obey stop signs. The Slingshot herders and trike drivers do have collisions and get stuck around here as well.
I think I have just talked m’self into a new business.
The size of a tow truck has little to do with its towing ability. One of my trucks slid off the road on an icy driveway and I requested a heavy tow truck as mine was fully loaded and was around sixty thousand pounds. They sent a one ton instead. But he dragged my truck out of the ditch no trouble. He had to pull the front end over about ten feet and pull the whole truck up about six or eight feet.
Question? Did he pull you out with his truck or did he winch you out? Big difference. After he got you out did he actually tow you down the road? If he was towing your 30 tons behind his 1 ton he was undoubtedly breaking the law.
I had a 73 Sedan DeVille. When the standard tow truck arrived to tow my Caddy, the front wheels were off the ground as he started off…
One thing is for sure, it’s kinda hard to know this tow truck’s capacity,as well as capabilities,Holmes,is and was always as good tow conversion company, l think maybe or believe, so any car’s, and or truck’s, that year or older should haul,and or tow,just fine, think about it, it makes sense.Although l think lfor l we’re to buy it l would try to get it for around $500.00-$1500.00,and change the interior color do a dark grey,and or black.
Having been a wrecker owner/operator I can say that towing is not the problem. Stopping is the problem. You could maybe sling 4000 lbs. and tow just fine. Panic stop and that 4000 lbs will push you in to a hospital bed. Truck is to light, brakes are to small and tires don’t have the road contact. This is a nice little wrecker for what is was intended.Towing light compact cars to a car show would be neat. I like it. it be unique.
I imagine. I think the most this truck can tow safely would be a Mk 1 Toyota MR2, or possibly a Japanese (JDM) Kei car. They’d be small enough, and possibly light weight enough that this could tow, and possibly stop safely without much drama.
I have 2 Toyota Tow trucks I built.
I was just at the JCCS show yesterday in Long Beach. This rig would have been a big hit there.
Tow-yota…
Years ago Lime Rock Park, the race track in Ct., had Toyota as the official vehicle and as part the the fleet they had 2 dually Toyota wreckers. they now use Rams but they still have one Toyota hanging around i guess as a backup.