Said to be from Arizona and having had one repaint while with the original owner, an unknown number of years ago, this 1978 Toyota long-bed pickup looks like a nice example. It’s been hiding away for a few years, and it looks pretty well-preserved. It’s posted here on eBay in Concord, California, and they’re asking $6,000, or you can make an offer.
Fancy! White wall tires and full wheel covers, jeepers/criminy, who was the former owner, J.D. Rockefeller?! Enough of that. I like the look, I don’t know if we’ve seen a lot of Japanese pickups with white wall tires and full wheel covers. The seller says they bought this truck from the original owner in Scottsdale, Arizona three years ago and have had it in storage ever since.
That’s one long bed, at least for a Toyota pickup, at seven feet. Even with the longer bed, this truck is only 15′-4″ long. They show this truck in all sorts of scenarios, in a storage unit, on a trailer, and outside. Here’s what the bed looks like inside.
This is a second-generation Toyota pickup, which was made from May 1972 until July 1978. The much more modern third-gen trucks took over from there. I believe this color is called Medium Blue, and they say it received a repaint sometime during the original owner’s time with the truck. It looks nice and solid, and they say it’s never been driven on salty roads. They say it’s “Almost RUST FREE!” The interior looks nicer than I thought it would. The seller was kind enough to send me a photo of the interior, as there weren’t any in the listing. I see three cracks in the top of the dash, and the seat vinyl is a little wrinkly, but otherwise, it looks nice inside.
The engine is Toyota’s 20R, as you can see. That’s a 2.2-liter SOHC inline-four with 95 horsepower and 120 lb-ft of torque when new. Backed by an L43 4-speed manual transmission sending power to the rear wheels, they mention that it hasn’t been started in the three years they’ve had it in storage. I’m assuming 98% of Barn Finds readers could get it humming like a sewing machine in no time. Power brakes with discs in front are standard, and this would be a fun truck to get running again and use as a truck without worrying about the paint. It looks good to me as it is. Would any of you use this Toyota truck for truck duties?
It boggles the mind that we now use “Manhood” extending 1/2 ton 10 mpg Ford Raptors to do the same thing as this little pickup.
What is crazy is that one time, this was all the pickup you needed. I had one in the early 80’s. It was efficient, fun to drive and did everything I needed very well. It didn’t have air or power anything. It towed my watercraft and carried my plywood or hay. I kept it for many years. But towing a larger horse trailer became a problem and eventually I moved up to the square body chevy dually which did that well, but at a terrible economic cost. So the Chevy sat and the Toyota got worn out.
I now have a 2005 Dodge Ram 3500. It is functional, comfortable and gets 25 MPG, but for 90% of my work this Toyota would do just as well.
This one is in exceptional condition, it is hard to believe one still exists .
Jay E.. That is very well said. And very true too. I’m the same way, a small, fun to drive economical pickup is all many of us need, myself included. You nailed it right on the head.
I’m glad they sent a photo of the interior. Truth be told, this looks like a great solid little truck.
“Manhood extending”. I love that phrase. And it sure does fit modern pickup trucks. If only they still made trucks this size…. for those of us not in need lol!
I don’t buy vehicles strictly online without a in person inspection this is one of those trucks I wish was closer so I can check it out and negotiate a purchase price if I really wanted it these are good little trucks and in my opinion better built than today’s Ford ranger and Maverick and that smaller thing Chevrolet builds. Nissan still builds a small truck but the box is so small a clothes dryer fills it up. I think all the manufacturers that actually build trucks need to get back to building these basic trucks again.
My first vehicle was a 71 Datsun that I drove 22 years and 280,000 miles. Can’t remember how many miles were hauling motorcycles to the track or moving college girls and friends, or towing boats, cars, trailers. It also was a half ton. Simple, durable, easy to work on and cheap to operate. It did everything my later Silverado did but with out ac or power everything but I still wonder if we could not use a new offering like this Toyota today. Just sayin’
highly prized here.
We have several (all pre tundra, some lastada 4cyl tacoma s) here
4WD, 4, 5 speed mannys, short beds. Just wish one was extended cab.
Boss/owner has short legs~
I’ve got one of those, added to my collection about 7 years ago. I wish it was as solid as this one. I also had a 1934 Ford pickup that was on a 1980 Toyota truck chassis, it was a real peppy runner.
Fun write-up SG.
I’m wondering…. perhaps those (plastic?) wheel covers were purchased many years ago from (the almost now defunct) K-Mart— Wikipedia says there are three stores still in operation,
I had a clean 76 long bed with the 20R. Great truck very dependable but slow on the highway. Over 70 it was a challenge up a long grade. It rode like a dump truck because the suspension was so stiff. These were all things that you could live with but the one problem that was inexcusable was due to the distributor mounting on the front side of the engine (behind the fan) could cause the engine to completely stall when you drove through a deep puddle. Toyota supposedly came out with a rubber cover that went over the distributor to help eliminate this.
Auction update: the seller accepted a “best offer” on this one.