Old School Retro Taco's

The U.S. Truck (sometimes called Pickup) and the Hilux were essentially the same model year to model year. A 1985 Hilux would have had the same fenders as a 1985 Truck.

There were made at the same Tahara plant in Japan up until 1991 when some of the production shifted to NUMMI in Fremont, CA. In 1991 some were made in both places (my 1991 was made in Japan) but in 1992 I think all U.S. Trucks were made in NUMMI (which eventually made Tacomas along with Mexico until the move to Texas). The biggest difference was the bed. The U.S. Truck got a domestically made bed since the trucks were imported as cab-and-chassis to skirt chicken taxes that protected the domestic manufacturers.

The Tacoma and the Hilux (which is in its 8th generation now) are different trucks that share some common parts. But a 1985 Pickup would be indistinguishable from a 1985 Hilux if the badges were removed.

 

Here is my 83. Just a little custom. Lol

 

So who's going to put those cool hockey stick style stripes on their 3rd gen??? If I were to get a white one, I'd totally look into getting it wrapped with the Ivan Stewart era graphics, like the white one with the red orange yellow graphics here.

 

I've been kicking around black, grey and red hockey sticks for my QS OR, similar to this

 

Can't have this conversation without the truck that made me fall in love with the Tacoma!

Or the new version of it...

 

Honestly I'm not so sure. Are you comparing a Hilux built in 85 and sold overseas to an 85 sold in the states? Either way I would say theyre different. Ive seen a lot of Hiluxs overseas and none of them looked identical to a 85 Toyota pickup sold in the states.

 

I'd take the original one any day, over the new one.

 

I concur, but if you read the article on the build, they actually didn't a pretty decent job on the homage. I think the article was via Motor Trend.

 

It might be a sacrilege, but I'd love to see Icon restomod a vintage pickup. It wouldn't need an LS swap, just modernized and kept light.

 

We are all just dreaming, those days are gone forever.

 

...gone but not forgotten...

 

Nope, identical trucks. Globally there was several dozen configurations of wheelbase, cab, engines, bed, tray, suspension (the Hilux had a solid axle option until 1997 along with IFS), etc. So what everyone got could be all over the map.

Anyway, right hand drive 1985:

Other than the old school outside bed rail hooks it could be like ours.

The U.S. 1985:


We then, as it is now, get a pretty limited number of options. For example the Double Cab has been around since the first gen 4WD in 1979 in the Hilux we be never got it.

 

I had a '81. sr5 4X4 5speed black. great truck. rough ride. bed rusted right off.

 

I'm still not convinced.

 

Picked this up for me, while Christmas shopping for a great-nephew Saturday. Thought I’d throw it in here for shits and giggles.

 

BTW, the truck Jeremy Clarkson tried to kill on Top Gear was a U.K. spec 1988.

 

Just look at the right side frame rail, it's stamped with a model number. My 1991 was an RN110, which was a 121" (in Toyota speak extra long) wheel base XtraCab 4WD IFS with a 22R-E. Same as anywhere else. A 4Runner of that vintage here was a VZN130 but that was called a Hilux Surf in Japan and Australia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Toyota_model_codes

http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/ToyVIN.shtml

 

Last word.

 

I completely agree...I hope someone does it and posts pics.

 

Yea I think those colors would be the best on the QS. Black and red looks great on QS.