There’s no denying that survivor-grade Toyota trucks are on the rise, and will likely be hot for some time. They benefit from a few things, one of which is the iconic styling – yes, those decals turn people on – and the other big driver is the impressive reliability. It’s a classic you can use every day without fear of a breakdown all while doing little to tarnish its value. The turbocharged pickups are incredibly hard to find, and this one benefits from a full engine overhaul and light cosmetic restoration on an original paint body. Find the Toyota here on craigslist in Colorado for $27,500.
That’s a strong price even with the white-hot Toyota truck market at the moment. But, at the same time, the truck is a lifelong California / Colorado resident and as such, it sports a rust-free body. The seller claims he was amazed at how much shine came back with a paint correction, and coupled with the new decals, this Toyota now looks fairly close to being in showroom condition. The condition of the wheels / tires, bumpers, and rubber trim around the glass all lend further support to the notion that this is a very nicely preserved specimen.
Thankfully, this turbocharged Toyota truck comes with a manual gearbox. The interior is clean but has some flaws; the seller notes the dash pad is cracked (hence the fuzzy cover) and that one of the seat covers has some loose stitching, but he doesn’t ever tell us what sort of condition the original seats are under that cover. From the edges that are poking through, we can see what looks like decent factory upholstery, but then again, why is it covered up? The gauge cluster is clear and clean, and shows just over 125,000 miles.
To the seller’s credit, the engine bay is where he spent most of his time. It’s impressively detailed but it’s also been removed and rebuilt in order to deal with excessive blow-by, according to the seller. The photos show the engine out of the truck and on a stand, but we don’t get a clear sense of what was overhauled and/or replaced during this process. Regardless, for the asking price, one would hope the powerplant was throughly rebuilt – as it would mean the turbocharged 2.4L 22R-TE is kicking out all of its mighty 135 horsepower. This truck recently failed to meet its reserve on Bring a Trailer,
$27,000!? I’m soo tired of the crazy (asking) prices,
most the time from flippers,who want to make A LOT of
money.
I looked at a ’99 Toyota pickup with 99,000 miles on
it a few years ago.They were asking $7000 for it.I didn’t
buy it.
I’ve decided that I’d rather keep my ’95 Dakota 4WD
with a a 318 V8,than buy one of these.
Tacomas don’t depreciate as much as other trucks and have been in high demand lately.
I had the privilege of owning a turbo Toyota for many years. this one looks to have the original ct20 turbo still, the exhaust housing is prone to crack at the waste gate after about 150,000 miles. mine seemed to want a head gasket every 3 to 4 years, still was a great little truck
No way. Nothing but greed at work here. Could build a better example, and still have a few grand left for fun and games. I wish the hobby could revert somewhat, but realize this is the current game. For 27K no way…YMMV
I drove one back in the day. My gosh it was gutless, I was so disappointed. If it didn’t say turbo, you would never know there was one. Makes me wonder if Ford now has the right idea with the smaller Maverick truck. At least it has190 to 250 HP and you can get a brand new one for less than the asking price for this one.
I had an 86 Turbo, it was an automatic. It was great it had 130,000 miles and started to have things go wrong. Needed a lot of work so I sold it. Big mistake, should have kept it. Moved to Michigan from Arizona so I’m not sure how it would have held up.
You might want to drive one again.I bought a 1977 Toyota SR5 Longbed
new,& bought one just like it about 25 years later.In my memories,it was a great truck.After I drove the second one,I realized that reality was different
from memories – not a lot of power,thin sheet metal,not much leg room,& not
much towing capacity.
It would have rusted thru in 5-10 years.