Turbo Truck: 1986 Toyota SR5 Pickup

Everyone loses their mind at the so-called “Marty McFly truck,” the blacked-out Toyota pickup that looks just like the one he was gifted at the end of the first installment of Back to the Future. It’s understandable, really, as the truck was kitted out exactly the way you’d want to buy one if you could still stroll up to your Toyota dealer and order one new (side note, it’s a sad commentary on new vehicles that there’s really very little as cool as that pickup being sold today.) The truck shown here on eBay is a 1986 Toyota pickup wearing SR5 trim and equipped with the elusive turbocharged engine, a rig that is likely rarer than even the famous movie truck from the late 80s.

Now, yes, I realize they only made one or two genuine trucks in the same way for the purpose of being Marty’s transport to the lake, but by now, numerous clones have been made. The turbocharged Toyota pickup was not a big seller when introduced, and relatively few survive in any sort of condition today. In addition, you oftentimes find these engines in the less-desirable 2WD models, which don’t have nearly the presence as the high-riding 4WD trucks. So, combining the best of the 4×4 trim with the boosted engine makes this example quite rare, to say nothing of its exceptional cosmetic condition and meaty wheel and tire package.

Oh, and did we mention it’s a 5-speed? Yes, this seems like a holy grail Toyota, for sure. The turbocharged trucks are rare for many reasons, and like most early adopters of turbo technology, the consumer was often to blame. Toyota wanted to make the 22RE engine a bit more competitive with domestic V6 offerings, but didn’t yet have a larger engine to drop in. By turbocharging its standard-bearer of a 4-cylinder workhorse, it was able to eek out an additional 23 horsepower and 31 lb.-ft. of torque. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but these were not heavy rigs, even with 4WD. Sadly, many owners didn’t read the manual about proper cool-down technique with turbocharged engines, and premature failure was not uncommon.

The seller is a dealer, so we don’t get much in the way of useful information. With under 70,000 reported miles, it’s clear this truck has been gently and sparingly used. The 22R-TE engine was rated at 135 horsepower and 173 lb.-ft. of torque, solid numbers for the day. While we’re all amazed by the rarity of the options and the presentation of the truck, the lack of rust is another major selling point for any Toyota truck from this era. Will you ever be able to ask someone else to fork over $40,000 for this rig if you decide to sell it six months from now? Unlikely, but at the same time, if you’ve been hunting for your own Marty McFly truck, I doubt you’ll be letting this one go anytime soon.