Topic: pataco13's 1982 "Project George's Truck"

[PA_taco_13]

OK guys, I have a bit of a touching story about how I recently came into TWO 1982 pickups.  My buddy George, he's 48 years old, and he's the one who pretty much started my Toyota fetish.  He had the coolest truck around here, hands down, for years.  So, shortly before his birthday last September, he did a little too much celebrating and ended up rolling his truck over.  Only caused some cosmetic damage on the driver's side.  He got a new bed for it and found another 82 with a 3" body lift that he planned on swapping the cab from.  So then, the day before he had the cab swap set to go down, he went out riding his 4wheeler and about took his head off on an unmarked cable that some guy put across the road.  As if the injuries from that weren't bad enough, when he was in the hospital for that, they found a bunch of cancer in his kidneys and surrounding areas.  They did some operating on that to take the one kidney and lymph nodes, but he needs to start chemo in January.

So my buddy George called me up a couple weekends ago and said I have the deal of a lifetime for you man.  Since he knows I'm the only one around here who will do something with the truck other than chop it up and piece it out, he set a price of $600 and said everything must go.  Both trucks, and two full truck loads of spare parts....all the Toyota parts that he's been gathering over the years.

He bought the truck over 10 years ago with 58,000 miles on it, and has only put about 10,000 more on it.  This is the one that was rolled over.  That truck has a slew of aftermarket parts including a 7" super lift, lock rite locker, custom kicker shocks, a brand new centerforce dual friction clutch and flywheel....the list goes on and on.  George gave me his record book of all upgrades and receipts and it is THICK.

He really wouldn't have been able to set a price for anywhere near what it's worth to him, but he pretty much said there's nothing more he can do with them due to his health, and he wanted them to go to a good home.  I told him, I'll make him proud. 

So here are the pics.  The yellow one is THEE truck (a couple pics before the accident, and one as it sits now), and the red one is the donor that he was just gonna use for the cab.  But the red is a DD and has a super clean frame, as does the yellow one.  I just can't tell ya how excited I am!   

[boggerunner]

dang, that was a perty truck, good luck with the build

[Big Pap Dog]

So, are you gonna swap the cabs, build the red one, or...GOSH!! Lucky!

[DTB]

haha u already know what im gonna say.......





get rid of that superlift crap and put a real lift on that biotch


lookin good kiddo! 

[PA_taco_13 [OP]]

So, are you gonna swap the cabs, build the red one, or...GOSH!! Lucky!

Yep, that's the plan, we're still gonna use the red one as the "donor" and then after we get the cab swapped then the project will really start.  But in the mean time I'm just gonna drive the snot outta the red one cuz we probably won't be doing the cab swap until closer to spring.  

[Big Pap Dog]

Is the red one a long bed or short bed?

[PA_taco_13 [OP]]

Is the red one a long bed or short bed?

both are short beds.  and he told me they are both the hilux models too.  can anyone enlighten me on this? 

[Big Pap Dog]

Hilux= 79'-95.5' not tacoma trucks?

[Gittinit]

Ya know, while ya got the cab off of the yellow rig you will have a blank canvass for some mods. Crossover steering and some other frame mods would be alot easier now rather than waiting till the new cab is on.

[DTB]

Hilux= '69-84. After 84 the trucks were referred to as "pickups" (In most Non-US countries, it retained the Hi-Lux name, however..)

FIxed it for ya 

[Big Pap Dog]

Learn somethin' every day! Thanks DTB!

[Hottrod81]

Those wheels are tight!

[PA_taco_13 [OP]]

Ya know, while ya got the cab off of the yellow rig you will have a blank canvass for some mods. Crossover steering and some other frame mods would be alot easier now rather than waiting till the new cab is on.

That's a good point, I'm definitely gonna do the crossover steering.  and you said other frame mods....any suggestions?  I don't really know much about frame mods.

Those wheels are tight!

Thanks I've always liked em.  It's taken me 2 tries but now I finally ended up with them.  They're like 10 years old.  haha.  Here's what they look like now with the new 36x12.50




Here are some parts that I've rounded up.  Now I'm waiting on my wallet to recover from Christmas:  92 rear axle, 85 front, IFS brakes, and an IFS power steering box.

[6.72:1]

Looks like it's going to be a fun one!

[Big Pap Dog]

Brian, i have a spare set of highsteer arms if you need 'em, and i might have a steering box....i have to dig through the junk in the barn.

[DTB]

mmmmm fun stuff! looks like u got some serious cleaning to do there! have fun! 

[Big Pap Dog]

ahhhh, nevermind, you have a steering box!