1980 Toyota 4X4

Here's a photo of my 1st Toyota 4X4, it was a 1980. This photo was taken circa 1983 in the back country outside of Thunder Bay, Ontario. It was stock except for an extra leaf all around to lift it high enough so that I could ford a big beaver dam on the way into a favourite hunting spot that was near the border with Minnesota. This truck received a lot of off road use, and it never failed me. Even though members are beautiful, and well built with advanced after market parts for off road conditions, I doubt that any of them will ever get 1/2 the use that I gave this truck.
Unfortunately, the truck was no match for Canadian road salt, and it was eventually scrapped when it was about 8 years old. The early ones really rusted!!

 

Neat truck, I wish I had one from the 80's. Coolest body styles.

 

Yeah, you don't see many of them around, even from non rust places. I think they first came to North America in 1979, and made a big name for themselves with off roaders who saw their potential right away. I've driven all of the North American 4X4's in Northern Ontario and the Yukon, and none of them could touch a Toyota for off road capability. The engineering and manufacturing was so excellent. The early ones were simple, and light weight, with heavy duty drive lines that were as smooth as silk. The next one I owned was a 1986, and it rusted too! I gave up on them for awhile, and had a couple of Ford's in between, but now I'm back with Toyota again.

 

So that thing was only 3 years old, and that much rust around the box already?

 

Yeah, that was the problem with them. As cool as they were, you could hear them rusting from 10' away. That truck was completely gone at 8 years old. You almost never see them, they're rare now for that reason.

 

Old is cool. Come down to California. There are still a lot around down here.

 

It would be great to have a 1980 again. Good suggestion.

 

YAY! My dad had a Hilux diesel while we were growing up on the islands. That things odometer (km) went back to zero before he gave it to us. Needless to say we drove the effing piss out of it. Thanks for the childhood memories mang.

 

They were tough, for sure, genequit!