Hilux in the US

[DanS HJ-45]

Thanks for all of that useful information. I know were I can get a 2nd gen pickup frame, suspension, axles and drivetrain intact for a good price. that might be good starting place. I guess finding a 4 door body would require takinga trip and seeing where the best suppliers would be. Where were these auctions that you found these bodies at?

That hilux pictured is a cool truck. That body style isnt bad either.

The 2nd Generation and 3rd generation trucks have different body mounts and (more importantly) wiring harnesses. If you're serious, get an 89-95 Extra Cab, and do a SAS conversion. As long as you can live with a little lift (Downey does a 3"--it's what I plan on mine for exactly that reason) it'd be no big deal. 4 cylinder or V6 wouldn't matter, as the transmission crossmember is the same, and if you go with a 1KZ-TE (you should) you'd be welding in new motor mounts one way or another. Bonus if you get a V6 truck would be that it would already have an R150f transmission, which is what mates to the 1KZ-TE (and can attach to the 2L-TE/3L as well).

The problems with the government auctions I've found is that they're all in different places, and through different agencies. I would pay special attention to military units who were deployed overseas for a few years, and have recently returned stateside. For some reason they seem to load vehicles into transport planes and boats for auction here instead of passing them onto the next unit. That's why I've missed my opportunity to snag them--they're definitely not easy to find. Most were went to me by friends who knew I was a foreign Toyota diesel nut. FWIW--none were auctions for bodies--they were complete vehicles. Generally pretty rough. But for a 4-door Hilux body: I'd be willing to deal with a few dents and cuts.

Easiest would be to deal with G&S or someone like it who does a good deal of importation from overseas used sources. When I get ready to bring one in myself though, I'll probably just plan on another trip to Chile/Argentina/Patagonia to see what I could drum up. Bonus to that plan is that I love it down there.

Dan

 

[Wavephf]

This will be the first photo I show of my US hilux. I will make a build thread someday. 1990 Toyota Hilux 3.4 Supercharged, E-locker

 

[FJR Colorado]

This will be the first photo I show of my US hilux. I will make a build thread someday. 1990 Toyota Hilux 3.4 Supercharged, E-locker

Wow. Would love to hear the story behind this one.

An LC70 is a bucket list item for me...

 

[Wavephf]

I didn't expect to see another Double cab Hilux in the US but when I went to Moab last weekend I ran into the guys from Canada. They both had diesels and factory solid axles. Imported into Canada. They were staying for cruise Moab.

 

[FJR Colorado]

^ What a line-up.

So how did you go about obtaining your rig?

 

[DaveInDenver]

That Double Cab is super cool, but IFS? We got a million of those. The 3.4L & e-locker are swaps into a 3.slow based truck?

 

[Wavephf]

Millions? I don't think I've seen millions. Other than dreaming over pictures of the Hilux and other cool vehicles not allowed in the US, I have only seen the other 2 trucks in Moab and mine in person. My Hilux was not imported second hand. It has a Colorado title and I've owned it for 4-5 years.

 

[SpongeX]

Do like this guy. I have a first gen I was considering doing this to but I'm not sure if I wanna chop it yet.

Sent from my VS950 4G using Tapatalk

 

[DaveInDenver]

Millions? I don't think I've seen millions. Other than dreaming over pictures of the Hilux and other cool vehicles not allowed in the US, I have only seen the other 2 trucks in Moab and mine in person. My Hilux was not imported second hand. It has a Colorado title and I've owned it for 4-5 years.

The 1979-1995 Pickup is a Hilux and there are millions of 1986-1995 IFS Pickups around, that's all I meant. Toyota even called them Hilux in the U.S. up through 1983 when they renamed them to just Pickup. My IFS 1991 XtraCab came from Japan from the same Tahara plant as the worldwide Hilux.

The U.S. 1992+ Pickup was assembled at NUMMI, but the platform remained the same as the Hilux. But Toyota by 1989 was building Hilux trucks in several places around the world besides just Japan. So the U.S.-built Pickups aren't much different than a Hilux built in the Philippines or Argentina. Also, it was the Tacoma where the North American truck design diverged from the Hilux.

So my point is just that the Double Cab is uber cool and rare (even for Hilux, not to mention that the U.S. never once ever got a 4 door Pickup), but the IFS chassis is the same as what we got here. So if I was going to the trouble of getting an actual Hilux and the associated title and import stuff I would get a diesel with a live axle. Didn't mean any disrespect or to take away from a very nice and super unique example.

 

[Elbee]

Here are the pickups you are looking for, straight from some importers. If anyone is still interested. I may even pick one up

12K for 30,000 mile 1984 Double Cab
http://www.landcruisersdirect.com/#1984-1170

1988 with 80K miles
http://cccruisers.com/1988-hilux-double-cab/

 

[4Rescue]

My hopes at this point (and they're just "conspiracy theory dreams" right now) is that all these faff & fluff "pro" versions of the Tacoma and 4Runner are all just stall tactics for Toyota to watch and see how the small diesel/import diesel market works out (For anyone not watching the diesel news: Nissan's putting a 5.0L Cummins in the new Titan and did a "design study" with a 2.8L CRD Cummins engine in a Frontier, GM is set to release the new Canyon with a small diesel, Ford has been balking at the small diesel they're using for the Transit vans being put into the F-150, Dodge Ram has a 1500 3.0L Fiat sourced Diesel as well as another CRD Grand Cherokee...) before taking the plunge and putting the D4D's in US bound trucks/Giving us a new Tacoma... Toyota in a good position as doesn't need to go to another company to have them make diesels for them (kinda strange that Nissan did, I would think they'd have some viable engines in their ROW trucks like the Navara), they've got a complete line from commercial engines all the way down to a 2.0L passenger car version. My biggest hope, along with the Diesels coming over, is that we get a more ROW comparable Hilux-like truck (and maybe a real Wrangler Comp. to replace the depressing FJC) then the current Tacoma which is simply not my cup-o-tea. Oh and PLEASE Toyota, don't make it the size of a Tundra... not EVERYTHING needs to get bigger every time it get's redesigned. Esp. if you're gonna refuse to make something to replace it.

Millions? I don't think I've seen millions. Other than dreaming over pictures of the Hilux and other cool vehicles not allowed in the US, I have only seen the other 2 trucks in Moab and mine in person. My Hilux was not imported second hand. It has a Colorado title and I've owned it for 4-5 years.

Awful lot of dancing around the Question... How is your truck "not an import"? It's not a USDM truck (at least not the body)... Is it a conversion? Did you bring a body in and put it on a USDM IFS Hilux Chassis (and yes, we have millions of those) with a 3.4L swap? Why all the mystery, I'm sure I'm not the only one curious about what the back story on your truck is...

I've actually wheeled with two of those other "CA JDM Import" quad-cabs here in the NW. Great trucks, but RHD is a PITA IMO. It's not the RHD so much, I lived in OZ for years and drove 70's on the wrong side of the truck the whole time, it's the idiots on the road with you that make pulling out into traffic with RHD a nightmare esp. in a rare vehicle. Still, if I weren't waist deep in my LHD Diesel conversion I'd likely just buy a RHD 7X-series truck and get on learning to live with it. My first step would be lots of armor...

Cheers

Dave

 

[Wavephf]

My truck started its life as a toyota 4Runner. i bought the truck with a rod hanging out the side of the block so I slapped the 3.4 in and found a cheep super charger. I was happy with it until I got dogs so in October I decided I needed a double cab truck but didn't want to shell out the money for a newer Tacoma and then have to transfer my upgrades to it. So I did what anyone would do. I bought a 1990 toyota truck single cab and got out the grinder. I built the truck I wanted because I couldn't buy one. I got the truck back one the road mid march but I still have a long list of stuff to do. I have a spare E-locker and solid front axle so a SAS might be in the coming soon. I prefer the way IFS drives on the road.

The 4Runner in October


The Hilux conversion before final body work


And now


I still need to build a rear bumper and a lot of other stuff

And to avoid future battles and flames I built this truck for myself and not for someone else, I was on a minimal budget, I build/change things as they come up and if I didnt have the 3.4 swap done I would have considered a diesel conversion.

 

[Foster Huntington]

looks great

 

[blakeape]

And to avoid future battles and flames I built this truck for myself and not for someone else, I was on a minimal budget, I build/change things as they come up and if I didnt have the 3.4 swap done I would have considered a diesel conversion.[/QUOTE]

Wavephf

You sir, have impressed me very much!

 

[FJR Colorado]

Great skills and resourcefulness. You have built a unique vehicle that looks very serviceable.