So, a few years ago I picked up this...thing. I was looking for a reasonably stock unmodified first gen 4x4, and instead I ended up with this.
I mean, I got the nice first gen later, but this giant over chromed monstrosity came first.
Here's a gallery of pics right after I'd picked it up.
http://imgur.com/a/LJCTi
The kid I got it from (dunno his age, but everything he did to this poor truck was idiot highschool kid crap) said he had bought it from a dealership. The original builder/owner of the truck at one point came up to him and was horrified at how beat up it had become. Being the idiot he was, he didn't bother to get that guys info. So, other than blowing up the original engine with dual side drafts, and scattering the rear dif trying to do burnouts with 40" Gumbo Monster Mudders, he really didn't do anything useful.
What I'm curious about is who built this truck, and where it was built.
A couple of old school 4x4 friends swear they've seen it cruising around in the 80's at the beach and various car shows. Another thread I posted it on came up with pictures from a magazine of a red truck, not nearly as over built as this one, that had the same paint job stripes down the side. I mean identical. I can't remember the publication and would love to see those photos again. This truck was originally red, and I suspect that the truck in the magazine was actually this rig in an early state of build. One of the commenters of that thread said him and his dad built it, and he'd love to know more, but the thread vanished before I got a chance to contact him.
There are 20 chromed rancho shocks under it, the front axel is a work of art with all the trussing and stuff welded to it. Everything under the body is chromed or painted, the bed tilts up and at one time was plated underneath with polished aluminum, and I believe the tailgate had some sort of lit up Toyota sign in it or something. The bed looks to have also been upholstered in gray vinyl, though I don't know what else was in there.
I was told, back when it was on the street it was on 33 or 35's, not the 40's it's currently sitting on. They've been on it a long time as they're starting to dry rot a bit.
It has a chrome bolt in internal cage, custom painted dash gauges, and at one time probably had other custom interior stuff.
The truck is a 79 and has probably been like this most of it's life.
I'll be up front about it, I'm considering selling it as I'm moving and can only take one or two of my like, 13 rigs with me. I pulled down the parts truck and was going to drop a running 20R in it just so it would move around a bit (it's a monster to push), so I'm trying to decide what to do with it, if I should sell or keep it.
Parting it out isn't an option, and I think would be sort of a crime.
The things more of an 80's time capsule than a DeLorean made of cocaine.
So, anyone know anything about this oddity?
I mean, I got the nice first gen later, but this giant over chromed monstrosity came first.
Here's a gallery of pics right after I'd picked it up.
http://imgur.com/a/LJCTi
The kid I got it from (dunno his age, but everything he did to this poor truck was idiot highschool kid crap) said he had bought it from a dealership. The original builder/owner of the truck at one point came up to him and was horrified at how beat up it had become. Being the idiot he was, he didn't bother to get that guys info. So, other than blowing up the original engine with dual side drafts, and scattering the rear dif trying to do burnouts with 40" Gumbo Monster Mudders, he really didn't do anything useful.
What I'm curious about is who built this truck, and where it was built.
A couple of old school 4x4 friends swear they've seen it cruising around in the 80's at the beach and various car shows. Another thread I posted it on came up with pictures from a magazine of a red truck, not nearly as over built as this one, that had the same paint job stripes down the side. I mean identical. I can't remember the publication and would love to see those photos again. This truck was originally red, and I suspect that the truck in the magazine was actually this rig in an early state of build. One of the commenters of that thread said him and his dad built it, and he'd love to know more, but the thread vanished before I got a chance to contact him.
There are 20 chromed rancho shocks under it, the front axel is a work of art with all the trussing and stuff welded to it. Everything under the body is chromed or painted, the bed tilts up and at one time was plated underneath with polished aluminum, and I believe the tailgate had some sort of lit up Toyota sign in it or something. The bed looks to have also been upholstered in gray vinyl, though I don't know what else was in there.
I was told, back when it was on the street it was on 33 or 35's, not the 40's it's currently sitting on. They've been on it a long time as they're starting to dry rot a bit.
It has a chrome bolt in internal cage, custom painted dash gauges, and at one time probably had other custom interior stuff.
The truck is a 79 and has probably been like this most of it's life.
I'll be up front about it, I'm considering selling it as I'm moving and can only take one or two of my like, 13 rigs with me. I pulled down the parts truck and was going to drop a running 20R in it just so it would move around a bit (it's a monster to push), so I'm trying to decide what to do with it, if I should sell or keep it.
Parting it out isn't an option, and I think would be sort of a crime.
The things more of an 80's time capsule than a DeLorean made of cocaine.
So, anyone know anything about this oddity?
