Restored 1981 Deluxe Short Bed

[AZMT]

I finished this truck last summer, just got around to learning how to re-size the photos.  I found this truck in a backyard(2006) with a uncompleted head gasket repair.  By the looks of it, the truck was used for some sort of shoeing business.  The contours of the bed sides were punched out, something heavy(anvil?) slid around.  My goal was to learn body and paint - boy did I get that in spades.  It was also a  testbed for me to learn carbon fiber(dash), fiberglass(rear speaker enclosures), hammer forming(door mounted speakers), door inserted.   Along the way I got a lot of help, thanks to Tim and Ross.  

[Zs Confederate Toy]

Sweet truck

[ninja turtle]

  awesome work! i love the door panels.

[superyota]

clean rig.  i like it!

[ajordan1975]

 
NICE!!! 

[mudmaster]

yummy!   

[87hillbillyoter]

very clean work! looks great

[CrazyYota]

Looks beautiful!!!   

[83 Crawler]

very clean good job

[Wermz84]

  Super clean and nice. good job.

Please keep it like that. 

[LilChief87]

sick looking 1st gen great job man totally jealous for sure   

[Tool Pimp]

Drop dead Gorgeous  

[Seeds]

1st gens are my favorite by far! Good looking one you have there.

[OldGold3VZE]

Sweet resto-mod, but let's be honest here, the 81s came with a center latch handle for the tailgate...

[Caboose]

Beautiful job man.  Would like to see some pics of the dash to check out your carbon fiber job.  Also, what seats are those?

[AZMT]

Thanks for all the comments. 
 
Caboose - The Seats are Corbeau GTS 2's.  Originally, I planned to use some old BMW leather seats, but the interior turned out too nice.  I will post better pictures of the dash showing the fitment.  I am still getting flake from my wife on the fitment.  Here's a link to the carbon being layed.   

http://www.garbled.net/tim/album/cars/carbon/index.html

OldGold3VZE - You are partially right, the tailgate is not original.  I picked up this pristine tailgate and the sliding rear window from Santa Cruz ( the same road trip I went by Marlin's and got the L52HD).  The person I purchased them from said they did camper shell conversion shortly after purchasing their truck in 1981???  The window still had the quality sticker on it!  The TOYOTA lettering style is more gothic looking, most 1980's had block lettering.  The bed is original and it had latches, not center release.   

[CrazyYota]

Sweet resto-mod, but let's be honest here, the 81s came with a center latch handle for the tailgate...

Not all of them, I have a 81 at home that also has the outer latches like AZMT's.

[yota13]

thats one sweet truck man good work    for your great work

[ToyotaObsession]

  That is awesome!!

I love that interior. Gives me some hope that maybe I can redo mine without making it look like crap lol.

[Yota87Truck]

Love it!

Got any before pics?

[80firstgem]

i love the side latches on the tailgate.  This truck is amazingly clean!   

[locked 4x4]

Looks good.  More pictures

[skipnrocks]

impressive work on that door!

[86RTEC]

Wow! I can tell you've got a lot of love for these trucks. Did you enclose the back of those speaker mounts? I want big mids and I feel like doing an enclosure with some batting inside for the door speakers may be the answer. Your
thoughts?

[AZMT]

I did not enclose the front mounts.  However, a person should be able to an enclosure pretty easily as there is a lot of room.  Just watch the front window track.  The front doors, along with the floor, were dynamated.  The original passenger door had a lot of damage.  The replacment door had a speaker cut out for at least a 8 inch speaker!  The drivers side had once housed a 6x9.  The two different cut patterns left me no choice but to rivet the new mounts into place.

   

[thetasmaniandevil]

Wow, thats awesome! Hoping to end up somewhere similar eventually (although a little more 'stock' inside). Great work!

Not all of them, I have a 81 at home that also has the outer latches like AZMT's.

My 4/1981 build has external latches.

[86RTEC]

Yeah! Rivits...... I was envisioning welding, but rivits and body goo would make the most sound friendly joint....
My speaker holes look like someone cut them out with the jaws of life--- Ill have to do the same thing... 

[canadian-atoyot]

looks good!!!!!