Ivan Stuart Tribute: 1985 Toyota Xtra Cab

Many times, we consider replicas or tribute vehicles to be merely cheap clones of the real-deal, or the genuine article most of us would rather own. However, every now and again, someone goes the distance in terms of creating a tribute vehicle so authentic that it deserves our applause and admiration. This 1985 Toyota pickup XtraCab was built as a homage to Ivan “Ironman” Stuart, who is known for being one of the more successful Baja 500 and Baja 1000 drivers in the 1980s. Find this impressive tribute truck listed here on craigslist for $52,950.

Thanks to Barn Finds reader Kendra for the find. Now, over $50,000 is a ton of money for a Toyota pickup, no matter how nice it is, but it’s clear the tribute build was done right. It also shows just 97,000 original miles, which is nothing for one of these trucks. Now, the listing is fairly difficult to read with a ton of text and not enough spacing, but it does seem the price is justified. The listing highlights a mix of both standard servicing and the custom touches done to make it into a fitting copy. This includes a Smittybilt twin-tube roll bar, nerf-bar side steps, rear tube bumper, 4 KC Daylighter roof-mounted spot lamps with yellow vinyl covers, Hella H4 headlamps, and Baja front fog lamps, a rear tire carrier, and removable window nets.

Impressively, it retains its original paint and the custom stripes were painted on this truck shortly after it arrived at the Toyota dealer. I was not expecting that; truth be told, I expected to read these were recently-applied vinyl decals to create the classic Ivan Stuart colors. With that in mind, I become even more of a believer that the price is justified since this is practically an original tribute vehicle. It does seem to indicate the off-road accessories were added at a later date while the original two-piece modular wheels and paint were done when it was new. The interior is in outstanding condition and includes the rare and desirable tiltometer and inclinometer unit on top of the dash.

Of course, the 22R engine is damn near bulletproof and with under 100,000 miles, will soldier on for quite some time with only basic maintenance. The seller reports that “… the valves were adjusted, the factory carburetor was rebuilt, and the clutch master cylinder, oil pump, driveline mount, battery, thermostat, radiator, and coolant hoses were replaced.” That’s a ton of work done that the next owner will not have to worry about for some time. In reading the description, this Toyota has been in collections for many years, and will likely continue to be kept in pristine condition in climate-controlled storage. Do you think the paint job being performed in the late 80s adds significant value to the truck?