Hi-lux Short Bed Pickup Truck 5 Speed 2.5" Lift 33" Rust Free Arizona Survivor

1980 Toyota Hilux 4x4 Straight Axle Rock Crawler Additional Info:

THE HILUX:This rust free classic 1980 Toyota Hilux 4x4 straight axle regular cab short bed pickup truck with 2.5" lift on 33" tires runs & drives good from Southern, Arizona and is the perfect candidate to either restore or use frame and cab parts to restore your rusty 1st Generation pickup.Comes with a clean Notarized Arizona title and very low miles for the age. If you think about it, where you going to find another rust free, bondo free, never wrecked, running, driving, 1st Gen 4x4 Pickup on 33's with a G52 5 speed for under $3k in this day and age?HISTORY:This truck was born in late 1979 in a factory in Hamura, Japan. It came to the USA shortly thereafter as a 1980 model.This body style ran from 79 to 83 and is known as the 1st Generation 4x4. It's lived its whole life in Arizona where it's so dry nothing rusts.
Truck's really only had 2 owners that actually drove it for the last 38 years. Here's the story. In 2010 a friend ask me to store this truck on my property where I have a Toyota boneyard. Back then it was a pristine specimen with only 43k original miles. It was painted bold yellow and but wasn't running due to sitting for years. It was rust free and dent free and complete. Painted on each door was a logo that read: "Al's Marine" in black letters. Turns out it was bought by Al back in 1980 as a base model with no AC and no power steering (it doesn't even have vent windows!) strictly as an industrial implement to tug boats around his boat yard. (Go figure that Arizona supposedly has more boats registered than any other of the contiguous 48 States). Al eventually sold the business but kept the truck and wound up giving it to a gal he got close to as he got ill during his retirement. That gal, who had no use for it, gave it to her son who was my friend. (The word "was" will become operative shortly).
In 2012 I struck a deal with that friend along these paraphrased lines: "Hey, friend, since you're not going to do anything with that old truck and I really like it and can restore it to its former glory, plus you haven't really paid any storage for 2 years, I'll buy it for a fair price so consider it sold". He agreed. Yet 2 weeks later I see it being towed away on a trailer in some deal he struck with another guy (who was also a so-called friend) while I was out buying the first guy lunch!
Needless to say I terminated 2 friendships that day.
6 YEARS LATER:Last month I had a '95 4Runner that I traded on Craig's List for 2 trucks and one of them was this 1980 Pickup. It was a strange deal because the kid negotiating was only 13 so couldn't even have had a valid Driver's License! When I got the 1980 pickup home I figured out it was the same "Al's Marine" pickup. No question. Same yellow paint under all the flat black. Same straight rust free body. Same 43,000 miles on the title as was on the odometer when I last saw it. I questioned the kid and turns out he was in fact the SON of the ex-friend (guy #2, his father) who had undercut me and trailered it off my property 6 years earlier. I scrutinized the title and sure enough it had his dad's name on it. Turns out it had been used to mend fences on their ranch and along the way had been converted to a 5 speed G52 4x4 transmission with a new clutch from an 86 carbureted pickup and a newer 21RU engine with a Weber carb. Inexplicably all the interior creature comforts were removed so there was nothing left but a lumpy bench seat (which I immediately replaced with a pair of 1985 Pickup SR5 seats) plus an ignition switch with a key, a steering wheel, a gas, brake and clutch pedal, plus 2 doors with window cranks, a windshield and a sliding rear window which still locks. Obviously the mileage today is unknown but the kid insisted the truck never left the ranch as it was the only place he was allowed to drive it so the mileage can't be much beyond the original 43k?
6 YEAR TRANSFORMATION:In the 6 years since I last saw it the engine an transmission have been replaced. Why I have no clue? It now has a smooth shifting R52 5 Speed (which started production in 1984 and has bigger bearings than the previous L series transmissions) plus a strong running 21RU engine (made from 78 to 87 as a Japanese replacement for 20R engines) that starts every time with a turn of the key. You turn the key half way and you can hear an electronic fuel pump humming. Let that prime a few seconds then pump the gas pedal when cold and it fires right up. It runs like an industrial sewing machine with no smoke, no knocks, no leaks and no issues beyond the Weber carb could probably use a rebuilding and a new air filter. It still retains the factory live straight axles with open carrier 8 inch differentials, power disc front brakes and manual steering. There's evidently new brake parts on all 4 corners because the braking is exceptional. It drives down the road nicely without any surprises or issues.
5 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION & GEAR DRIVEN TRANSFER CASE:This G52 upgraded 5 speed transmission shifts tight and smooth as you'd expect with a new clutch. There's no leaks. The 4x4 engages normally, meaning the 2 speed gear driven transfer case (one of the strongest humans have ever invented) operates as designed. Manual lockout hubs engage like new. This is a Toyota after all. Their 4x4 reliability is legendary.
SUSPENSION,WHEELS & TIRES:A 2.5 inch suspension lift was installed along the way which basically consists of 4 new leaf springs with a larger arch. There's no cheap lift blocks, it's all spring. They allow clearance of 33 inch tires, which in this case are 33 x 10.5 x 15 Pro Comp Mud Terrain Radials with about 50% tread mounted & balanced on 15 x 8 chrome steel rims. There's a newer aftermarket steering stabilizer and 4 newer longer travel shocks along with newer sway bar end links. Yes the factory sway bar is still in place as is the front axle bump steer arm which is usually the 1st thing people remove when lifting these trucks.
DIFFERENTIALS:Both factory differentials are stock with open carriers and no leaks.
INTERIOR:Why it was molested is inexplicable but unfortunately the interior is mostly gone so except for a steering wheel with ignition switch, a pair of SR5 seats (which are the only 2 interior things I've added), 2 nice straight doors that have good glass, working cranks (missing knobs) and working regulators. The sliding rear window stil locks. There is no working gauge cluster nor signal switches. There is a working aftermarket temp gauge which shows truck doesn't overheat. There is a toggle switch that operates the factory headlights. It is what it is. When I asked what the hell happened to this museum piece all the kid could do was shrug his shoulders and say: "Talk to my dad." Well I didn't want to. I knew he was a wheeler dealer of used trucks and figure he used the interior parts on some other Toyota. But why he would molest this one to refurbish another defies logic?
FRAME & BODY:
This truck has no frame rust, zero, none. The frame is as solid as when it left the factory. The only evidence of corrosion on the whole truck was a couple minor spots on the floor pans owing to the windows being left rolled down during monsoon rains so water puddled up on the floor and created some small holes. I say "was" because somebody (guy #2 no doubt) has patched those small holes reasonably well, although he's no welder). The R52 requires different placement of the shifter holes so somebody (guy #2 no doubt) also cut out a section of the passenger side tunnel cover and then welded it back in place. It fits fine but again, his welding skills are weak. Truck has never been wrecked because the 2 front fenders are factory but at some point the hood was replaced. The kid said the latch malfunctioned and it flew up and got bent. The latch was still jenky but (and this is the only thing I've done to the exterior) I fixed it today with a new latch assembly from my parts yard along with a factory grill and a pair of the factory headlight trim panels with corner lights so it all latches and looks normal. The kid of course had no idea why the Bull Bar bumper was poorly welded to the front frame horns? Truck has the 6 foot short bed with exterior panels that are not all beat up like most this age but does have some unusual treatment near the tail lights shown in pics with working aftermarket LED lights. The kid had no idea why the stock tail light openings were cut out and new LED units welded in? The tailgate was slightly tweaked at some point in its life and at the bottom inside has some corrosion where the pinch weld is separating. The roof unfortunately has some dents shown and an aftermarket sun roof was installed but at least it does not leak.
INSURANCE:This truck is currently registered as a Collector Car, something you may want to consider since it is eligible for historic plates in any State. That also mean it's eligible for Collector Car insurance from outfits like Grundy Worldwide or Haggerty which only costs $10 per month for a $5,000 full coverage policy. That's right, a stated $5k full coverage insurance policy is only $10 per month and, get this, emissions are forever waived.
JUSTSO YOU KNOW:When you click BUY NOW on eBay you're "entering into a legally binding contract for sale". That's per the TOS (Terms of Service) agreement you accepted when becoming an eBay member. The point is when you click you need not only be truly committed but also have the funds in place and your wife's permission because, for example, at auction's like Barrett-Jackson if you raise a paddle then renig on a bid they ruin your credit score the same as a loan default. This is not a video game. It takes time and money to present an antique vehicle like this on a public auction. Ebay auctions follow the same protocols and rules as any public auction.
OH WHAT A FEELING:
There's many reasons Toyota trucks are so legendary worldwide. It's no accident that no matter what part of the world you look at whenever you see news footage of a guerrilla fighter soldier with an AK47 in the back of a pickup it's always a Toyota. Just find a counter-example? That's because Toyota truck reliability is 2nd to none. It's what soldiers count on. That's why Toyota is the only import vehicle ever allowed to compete in NASCAR racing. When Taliban or ISIS fighters tackle US Troops they're not running around in Fords, Dodge or GMC. They're not in Nissans, Subaru, Isuzu or Mitsubishi. No, on the contrary, they're always in Toyota trucks and that's part of the reason their resistance is so stubborn.
Unlike American vehicles of this era, every Toyota Hilux came with a fully boxed steel frame. Not only is the frame boxed square, meaning super strong, but also every nut, bolt and fastener is fine machine threaded. That's why a 38 year old truck like this has no rattles. Virtually every American vehicle has coarse threads throughout and a C-channel frame with only the engine and transmissions having fine machine threads so except for some exceptional rare American vehicles, like Early Ford Broncos and some Jeeps with fully boxed frames, nobody in the USA constructed 4x4's with as much engineering integrity as Toyota. Just for example picture this. The stub outer shaft of this stock Toyota Birfield axle is virtually the same thickness (less than 1/16th of an inch different) than the outer stub shaft of a 1 ton Ford Super Duty with a Dana 60 straight front live axle. That's right. This little mini truck less than half the weight of a 1 ton has almost the same front axle diameter!
PAPERWORK:
Clean and clear notarized Arizona title is ready to go. This is NOT a Salvaged title.
INVESTMENT:Because of their exceptional engineering and reliability these Toyota Hilux pickups, especially standard transmission 4x4 live axle trucks like this, only go up in value every year even while you drive them, providing one of the best investments in the automotive world today, bar none. Fact is there will never be another made like them. They're 1 off legends, as important as American Muscle cars, and are getting exceptionally hard to find in virtually rust free condition. If not now then soon this truck will be a bargain at twice the price.
CONTACT:Email through eBay or Call 52O-Nine 77-O112 for any questions prior to clicking which is highly encouraged.
FEEDBACK:If you have ZERO feedback and are serious about this truckthen before doing anything please be sure to call the number above so we can establish that you're not a squirrel.It won't take more than a couple minutes so please just do it or your offer will be cancelled. Unfortunately this is required due to the notorious reputation of eBay rookies for being impulsive non-paying bidders who don't read auction descriptions thoroughly.
BUYER NOTE:For those new to eBay or nervous about buying a vehicle over the internet, that's understandable, but think about these stubborn facts for a moment. I've been selling vintage 4x4's along with vintage parts on eBay for 18 years. Some 15 years ago I happened to sell a vintage Early Bronco to an eBay seller who runs a large scale pawn shop in Philadelphia with tens of thousands of feedbacks and he taught me this important eBay rule of thumb. Every positive feedback is worth about a dollar of trust. That means if you're buying something, say a special vintage carburetor for $300, then ideally the seller will have at least 300 positive feedbacks. This is just an ideal rule of thumb mind you. It's not etched in stone but rather a simple guideline or compass for action. So if there's somebody's selling a $10,000 vehicle with only 32 feedbacks I'd be leery. Doesn't mean it's not legit, it's just that there's not much track record. By contrast if a seller's asking under $3k for a vehicle and has more than 12k positive feedbacks like myself, well then you can rest easier for you can ask yourself why would they risk throwing away their whole business model, their decades old hard earned feedback reputation for under $3k? The answer is they wouldn't.
IMPORTANT AUCTION TERMS SO PLEASE READ CAREFULLY.As noted from the outset, per the eBay "Terms of Service" (TOS) that you agreed to when registering your OFFER, should it be accepted, "constitutes a legally binding contract for sale" so don't start clicking if you're not committed to buy with funds in place and wife's permission. Please also make sure the phone number and address you have registered with eBay is current and if you're planning to use PayPal for the deposit that you have liquid funds ready to go that are not in the form of an E-Check which takes 5 or more days to clear, in other words, be a responsible bidder whose got their act together and doesn't have a bunch of excuses.
Inspection prior to bidding is welcome as vintage vehicles are always sold AS IS with no warranty expressed or implied.
PAYMENT TERMS:A non-refundable deposit of $500 either viaonline PayPal payment orcard over phone through Square is due within 24 hours of auction close.
Full balance of Payment is due within 72 hours of auction close by either direct bank to bank wire transfer, or you can overnight envelope a Cashiers Check, or pay cash in person. PayPal for the full balance is NOT the preferred option, however a credit or debit card payment through Square.com is, so long as buyer is willing to pay the 3% fees.
SHIPPING:All shipping arrangements and costs are the responsibility of the buyer however we will always help your shipper coordinate the loading to the best of our ability. It all begins by calling the number above. Figure shipping any vehicle East of the Mississippi is about a grand. West is less. We will store the vehicle free for 21 days after sale. There is a $15 per day storage fee thereafter unless other arrangements are pre-dickered.
Similar 1st Gen Hilux that recently sold on eBay comparisons: (Simply copy and paste the links below into your browser to view):
This 1980 short bed sold for $20k.https://www.ebay.com/itm/1980-Toyota-Other-Pickups-/132596497305?hash=item1edf5dfb99%3Ag%3AyysAAOSw5WNa32Vs&vxp=mtr&nma=true&si=dDcmG5mB9Fb3quEb3OzSPgKay%252FA%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
This 1980 short bed model just sold for $17,000.I hope buyer didn't have to ship it out of Alaska because that's at least $2500.http://www.ebay.com/itm/1980-Toyota-Other-Base-/192086314819?hash=item2cb93c8f43:g:OlwAAOSw241Yiko3&vxp=mtrIt came from West Virginia originally so I'd be afraid it would start rusting in a couple years after being where it's lived?
This 1983 short bed sold for $15,700.http://www.ebay.com/itm/1983-Toyota-Other-SR5-/302188647236?hash=item465bd8d344:g:DQoAAOSwEzxYbxgm&vxp=mtrI guess a meager 4 paragraph description with few details can still garner the big bucks today although it doesn't seem like too much was done to this truck besides adding a winch?
This 1981 short bed sold for $13,750 despite being from Colorado where they use lots of salt on the roads to melt snow.http://www.ebay.com/itm/1981-Toyota-Other-/292033209688?hash=item43fe892558:g:OL8AAOSwLEtYkp0y&vxp=mtrThe new paint's nice but I'd be afraid this thing would start rusting in a couple years after being where it's lived? Doesn't appear to have a penny spent on it besides cosmetics, gas, oil & a Weber carb? 2 paragraph description pretty much proves it.
This 1982 short bed model sold for $12,500. It's from New Jersey which salts the roads so just compare.http://www.ebay.com/itm/1982-Toyota-Other-/322428422174?hash=item4b123b481e:g:H9gAAOSw32lYqcIK&vxp=mtrIt won't stay running when warm & the fuel gauge is broken. Except for gas and oil and a new carburetor that doesn't work he obviously hasn't put a dime into this truck. If he did he would have mentioned it. I don't know how this miracle worker sold it with only a one paragraph description but he somehow did? One thing is clear -- it won't stay running!
This 1983 short bed sold for $10,001.http://www.ebay.com/itm/1983-Toyota-Other-SR5-/292059146411?hash=item440014e8ab:g:YkQAAOSwTM5YzGu2&vxp=mtrNice truck but the description shows that not much was done to it mechanically over the years and it's not from a low humidity environment.
This 1983 short bed sold for $10,500 but nothing done to it over the years.http://www.ebay.com/itm/1981-Toyota-Other-Pickup-Hilux-/192078488417?hash=item2cb8c52361:g:YzIAAOSwB09YLQI1&vxp=mtr
This 85 (last year of the straight axle) sold for $15,400:https://www.ebay.com/itm/1985-Toyota-4WD-Pickup-94K-Original-Miles-Paint-22RE-AT-AC-NO-RESERVE/173233595622?hash=item285586e4e6:g:aVcAAOSw6T9ataSg&vxp=mtr
Based on the comparisons above the BUY NOW price of this rare truck for sale today is a mighty sound investment.
OTHER VINTAGE TRUCKS WE'VE RECENTLY SOLD:
1982 Toyota Hilux 4x4:https://www.ebay.com/itm/323251781429
1980 Toyota Hilux 4x4:https://www.ebay.com/itm/1980-toyota-hilux-short-bed-straight-axle-20r-classic/372098692694?hash=item56a2cf7656
1983 Toyota Hilux 4x4:http://www.ebay.com/itm/371903777977?ul_noapp=true
1983 Toyota Land Cruiser:https://www.ebay.com/itm/1983-Toyota-FJ60-LAND-CRUISER-4X4-SURVIVOR-STRAIGHT-AXLE-SUV-/372376617195
1987 4Runner:https://www.ebay.com/itm/372404753189?ul_noapp=true
A Very Special 1993 4Runner:http://www.ebay.com/itm/1993-Toyota-4Runner-SR5-/371823786832?hash=item56926cbb50:g:7Q8AAOSwZQRYXg-a&vxp=mtr
1986 Toyota Hilux 4x4:https://www.ebay.com/itm/1986-Toyota-Hilux-SR5-4x4-Pickup-Regular-Cab-Short-Bed-22R-/323217289273
1968 Early Ford Bronco:http://www.ebay.com/itm/371654293442?forcerRptr=true&item=371654293442&viewitem=&sspagename=ADME:L:EOISSA:MOTORS:1123
1979K5Blazer
http://www.ebay.com/itm/371809865925?ssPageName=STRK:MESOX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1559.l2649