This 1980 Toyota Hilux pickup is a desirable short-box survivor with a refreshed interior, strong-running 20R paired to a manual transmission, and original paint, all offered with no reserve. The body has some age-related patina that has been permanently baked in courtesy of the seller clear-coating the finish, which should help those cool period graphics live on in perpetuity. While their values tend to be all over the map, the 4WD/SWB combination is definitely the most desirable configuration, so if you want to buy one you won’t lose money on, this is it. Find the Toyota here on eBay with bidding to $4,250 at the moment and located in sunny, dry New Mexico.

The Toyota isn’t perfect, but it sure seems like a nice driver. The new tires and wheels give it a more aggressive stance and certainly freshen up the looks quite a bit. The body reflects its years in New Mexico, with not a spot of rust to be found. The “Toyota” graphics on the bed gate are as clear as day, and the chrome bumpers look quite fresh as well. I’m not sure where I stand on spraying clearcoat over the original, aged exterior, but it’s a much preferred option over a repaint if you’re looking for a way to make it present better for auction purposes without completely distorting its original character. Originality is a theme here, including the factory cassette deck still in the dash.

The interior has been redone to an extent, with the seller noting the “…carpet, dash, and seat” have been redone. The photos in the gallery show a bench seat in nice shape, and a dash that appears to have a new vinyl cover on top. The carpets look clean, though those rubber floormats look like overkill for the compact interior. The seller notes that while the truck is equipped with A/C, it is not working at the moment. Closer photos show carpeting that doesn’t appear to be spotless, and the steering wheel has plenty of cracks. Overall, however, there’s not much to complain about for an unrestored truck that has 70,000 desert miles on it, and I imagine the interior can be tightened up with an afternoon of detailing.

The engine bay looks cleaner than the interior, and the 20R is a venerable mill that won’t cost much to run and will outlast the body around it. Though not particularly fast, they get a lot of respect in the Toyota community (and beyond) for being such prodigious workhorses. The 20R is motivated by a four-speed manual gearbox, which is the transmission of choice for a truck like this (i.e., a slow one.) The paint under the hood matches well with the exterior, suggesting the paint on the outside is as original as the seller claims. I wouldn’t do much to this one, other than add a brush guard and some KC off-road lamps – and maybe some new floor mats.