This is just one of three Minitrucks that we’ll be drooling over this Monday morning. We’ve decided that we’ll pick three from Craigslist, and spotlight it for one of three uses, either drag racing, autocross, or off-road. Each of them will be featured in their respective BANGshift subsites, 1320, APEX, and XL. This particular 1983 Toyota was chosen by us for a couple reasons. Number one, this era of Toyota has great heritage racing in the desert and that is inspirational. Number two, there are a bunch of parts available for this thing like all fiberglass body panels with giant flares and all kinds of fun stuff to stick big tires under it without ruining good original stuff. So if we bought this one we’d sell the front fenders, hood, and bed to someone trying to make a nice truck out of steel parts. Then we’d bolt on all the glass stuff and go to town. For power, we’d see about getting a wrecked late model V8 or V6 powered Toyota as a donor. Engine, trans, maybe some other mechanicals.

We’d probably build it as a 2-wheel drive and go for as much suspension travel as we could up front without going stupid wide on the thing. Out back we’d go big giant triangulated 4-link like they are doing on all the desert stuff now. Maybe some big Fox shocks on the thing would do the trick. A new fiberglass bed makes it easy because there is no cutting of the bed floor to fit it around all the suspension. The cab would be a little tight, but we’re sure that by the time we cut most of the stuff out of it that we can make it work. Hmmmm I wonder what mid engine would be like for this thing? Hmmm.

Start dreaming. We are!

Here is what the seller has to say: CLICK THIS LINK FOR THE AD

1983 Toyota 4×4 Pickup for sale AS IS for parts or for a project. Engine needs to be rebuilt and has already been taken apart. Rare body style, a great find. Manual transmission, 4×4 Perfect for a project to build an awesome sand toy.

$1450
Serious buyers only. Email if interested