I’m telling you right now: if there’s an old Toyota pickup in your neighborhood owned by the proverbial little old man, either buy it yourself or tell him to hold out for a big payday. I’ve noticed on a few different channels that old Toyota trucks in any condition approaching survivor-grade are popping up routinely for big money, and way more than what the seller likely paid for it. That said, this 1981 Toyota 4×4 pickup is a long bed model that is equipped with the preferred manual transmission and seemingly in exceptional condition offered for sale by the original owner. Find it here on craigslist with an asking price of $35,000.

Man, $35K – does anyone else remember when these were a $5,000 purchase and that was considered high? Not the newer Tacomas – I realize those are in the rare class of vehicles that seemingly never lost value once they became used cars – but the older pickups like this one. These were no frills machines with anemic four-cylinder engines, and while they were near impossible to kill, they’re a far cry creature comfort-wise from its newer siblings. I personally have no issue with a more bare-bones experience, but it’s amazing to think someone would pay close to $40,000 for a truck that offers very little coddling. In terms of this particular truck, the interior is incredible – it looks damn near brand new, and even the fragile dash remains crack-free.

That’s a testament to the current owner, who racked up 120,000 miles on this Toyota while still keeping it in damn near showroom condition. The seller claims it has been babied its entire like which certainly seems likely given the clean condition. Now, the two wheel drive models show up as preserved specimens every now and again, but the 4x4s almost always have some battle scars due to their usability off-road. However, the seller claims they’ve never used it off the blacktop and kept it off the overgrown trails, which is certainly helpful for preserving the original paint for the long term. No specific maintenance records are mentioned in regards to the 22R engine, but these are fairly simple powerplants to keep in good health.

Seeing the tailgate with its original Toyota lettering and 4 Wheel Drive sticker still intact is quite impressive, and it’s clear that in addition to the paint being washed and buffed on occasion, the Toyota was also kept indoors. The taillights even present as-new, and that cool period-correct Winnebago bed cap has likely kept the bed floor in immaculate condition. I personally love the old-school stickers and I’m not at all surprised to see the Oregon license plates – all of the vintage Japanese trucks went to the Pacific Northwest to retire, it seems. $35K is a big ask, but the seller will still likely get a fair price given the condition on display here.