Ontario, California is between San Bernardino and Anaheim, about 40 minutes (give or take) east of Los Angeles. It’s a fairly dry climate, with around 16 inches of precipitation a year on average, about half of what we get in the upper Midwest. The sun can wreak havoc on human skin (melanoma numbers are up) as well as on vehicles. This sunburned 1993 Toyota 4×4 Pickup is listed here on eBay in Ontario, CA, where the current bid is $6,400, and there is no reserve.
The seller talks about the desert sun taking a toll on the clearcoat, and maybe on the paint, in general. I don’t normally think of Ontario, CA as the desert, but maybe they mean the 290 days of sunshine a year that have been beating on this Hilux (“Pickup” here in the U.S.) for the last 33 years. Bidders don’t seem to mind the paint issues. Did I mention this is a one-owner truck?
In running the VIN, something came up about the frame, but I think it was a general statement about the “VIN pattern,” not specifically for this truck. Toyotas were known to have frame rusting issues, and it lists May 2008 with two issues: Frame and also Structure Frame and Members. Again, I don’t know if that was some sort of recall that popped up for this particular VIN or just these trucks, in general. Hopefully, one of you will know. The seller provides quite a few underside photos, just for the record. A very nice job on the photos!
The Ontario heat may have played a part in some rips on the bottom of the driver’s seat, as well as on the vinyl on the side. The dash looks basically like new, so that’s great news. Even better news, this truck has a 5-speed manual! As a regular cab with a short bed, this is probably the look most buyers want. It gives these trucks an almost toy-like look, especially with their jacked-up stance. Having 134,367 miles, this truck has been around the block a time or two, and the bed looks faded, but not like it’s been used for a lot of rugged hauling duties. This truck looks black to me in some of the photos, but it’s what Toyota called “Bright Blue Metallic,” at least in this brochure page. Another source says “Dark Blue.”
Even just a couple of hours of detailing would have done wonders for this dusty, rusty engine compartment. The rust would be a tougher fix, but just a general light cleaning would have been nice. It always makes a vehicle seem like it’s been well-maintained, even if it’s just for show. This engine is Toyota’s 3VZ-E, a 3.0-liter SOHC V6 with 150 horsepower and 180 lb-ft of torque when new. It sent power through a 2-speed transfer case (normally an RF1A) and 5-speed manual to all four wheels when needed, and this one has manually-locking front hubs as well. This truck is said to run great, and everything works down to the cold AC. How much would you pay for this one-owner Toyota 4×4 pickup?
This truck has a lot going for it. Original owner, and they may have a lot of paperwork. I wish Toyota still made a regular short bed pickup. I truly believe there would be a market for it. The age and interior and exterior really doesn’t look bad at all for the age. I have a feeling someones going to snatch this up and get a great little truck.
I’m completely with you. There’s a market for trucks like this. And I’d even pay a premium for one. But the manufacturers only want to make behemoths.
There are rumors that Toyota may bring the Toyota Stout pickup back to the US market to compete with the Ford Ranger and other smaller pickups. It would be great to have an old school workhorse of a small pickup again. The Tacoma and the Frontier have become the older equivalent of full size pickups.
This is a good looking truck to bad its so far away from me i would love to be able to check it out being i do have some questions. Both door panels look like they have water damage also quite a bit of rust in the engine photos for being a west coast truck. But still can be a good deal depending on how high the bidding ends at.
The door panels on these trucks were always the cheapest of materials. Not sure if that isn’t just age.
Toyota had a problem with their fully boxed frames in the 90s up until the early 2000s where they were rusting out from under the vehicles. The issue was not having proper drainage, which I believe they remedied by adding weep holes. If I’m not mistaken, Toyota replaced many truck frames under warranty during that period of time.
Poncho72, you’re absolutely correct. I lived in New England at one time. My next door neighbor was a lifelong fan of Landcruisers, et al. The frame perforation was significant enough to place my entire hand horizontally through the frame rail of his ForeRunner. There’s a lot of videos on YouTube where the entire frame would fold in half on a garage lift. In that area, it was one reason for calling them “Tacos”
Someone here in north Tucson has a pickup of this vintage and they removed TOYOTA from the tailgate and put TACO on it. I was wondering why someone would do that and now I know!
In my neighborhood, Mendocino County California, this truck would be worth at least $12,000, maybe $15,000.
I had an ’89 Xtra Cab version of this series and the engine looks to me like they may have forded deep streams with it or taken it out on the beach somewhere and didn’t bother cleaning it up. A friend of mine lives in Ontario and they’re not all that far from the Pacific so that would be my guess.
It is strange that the engine bay would have so much rust for a CA car.