My father passed in March 2024- I had his 1977 5-speed pickup hauled from Bend, OR to my home in Midlothian, TX. The truck was pretty beat, but still intact with nearly no rust anywhere, as Bend is a dry, high desert environment. I will post pics along the way, but intend to memorialize my Dad by making this rig look as good as possible. He bought it forty years ago second-hand.

First step upon arrival: it had been sitting for 3 years without starting, so I pulled the gas tank, installed Starbrite tank cleaner and steam cleaned it out- no rust anywhere. Covered the tank with Rust Convertor in matte black finish and reinstalled the tank. Note to self: check the fuel sensor before reinstalling tank - it does not work-LOL.

New fuel, new battery, new starter, new plugs and wires, I trashed the smog pump, and the engine started up fine, but needed a tune-up to run optimally. The rear bumper was bent badly and I removed it- those bumpers are ugly anyway!

New whitewall OEM-size tires were installed to pass a safety inspection, and I found some brand new OEM hubcaps on eBay from a guy who installed after market wheels and stuck the OEM caps on a shelf for 47 years - unbelievable luck if you are aiming for a stock look. I still have to pull, sand. and paint the rims to look new.

Dad had a minor collision in the truck - crumpled right front fender, grille, and head light assembly- no shop would repair the fender in Dallas for safety reasons, but I found a replacement OEM primed fender (brand new metal, not fiberglass) in Bulgaria and it arrived safely to my home for $329.00- cheap if you really need that part! The radiator was also repaired from the crash.

Next, sent the truck to a local mechanic, who installed a Flowtech header wrapped with DEI titanium exhaust wrap, a Weber 32/36 carb, pulled all of the vacuum and smog crap out, a new water pump and a new electric fan and relay replaced the OEM fan and clutch that were also bent in the crash. I also located a new OEM front fascia/grille pieces, and the coveted OEM (NOS) front grille emblem! They charge too much on eBay for some of that stuff, for sure.

The truck now has a new exhaust system from the header: a stock equivalent muffler and piping back to the tip. It runs great now with good compression, and needed no top end rebuild even with 330k miles on the original 20 R. I see why they call that engine BULLETPROOF if you change the oil- the one thing Dad did have done every 3k miles.

Next step this week is a replacement windshield and rear glass I actually located at a Dallas glass supplier- shocking that he had the front glass. I replaced the window regulators with clean salvage units from YodaJim salvage in Colorado and reinstalled the original side glass. Jim also had salvage visors and an ash tray that were like new, and head light bucket assemblies that included the stainless headlight dress rings along with several other needed parts. Check that guy out for mini truck parts!

New repro taillight assemblies were located in Thailand- the fit was not perfect, and the harness had to be cut and manually wired, but they look good. I also found all of the new rubber glass seals and weather strips on eBay from a Thailand supplier, and those will get installed this week when the glass goes in. I found a salvage OEM antenna in Alaska, and just received a pair of the original West Coast mirrors from a salvage yard in California- really clean!

Looking at the chassis, there is really no rust except some very minor surface stuff that can be sanded or covered with Eastwood rust encapsulator, so at most, I think I will only pull the bed, spray the frame, and replace the fuel sensor while the bed is off. That might take a week or two.

The truck will then go to the body shop for a new MEDIUM BLUE paint job (like the original OEM color) and finally to the upholstery shop for a new seat- the only thing intact is the original seat frame with a plywood top and cloth cover at present - the original foam and vinyl covers were eaten by field mice- You Tube shows it to be a straightforward job for a talented upholster to recreate the original seat design.

I found custom-made interior door side panels that perfectly match the originals from a guy in Thailand- WOW, they are nice, and arrived last week. As well, new pedals, door handles, pull handles for the interior roof, and door lock pulls that are OEM repro also arrived. I am buying an Accuform dash cover that matches the original along with an interior carpet kit and the truck should then look pretty good.

I am doing as much of the work as I can by myself, but the big stuff requires professionals and cash. My Dad will soon be smiling down from heaven, and I will have a truck that I can eventually hand down to my kids. Pics coming soon!

Finding parts is a huge challenge for all of us, and I feel fortunate to have found the key things needed to get the truck back on the road!

 

This will be a worthy thread. Condolences on your loss. What a nice tribute to your pops! What score of parts you have in such short time.. I've come across people looking for that type of parts list going on years. Please keep us posted on this mini!

 

Thanks, Erwin! Finding a body man that will work on this old truck is a challenge, but I think I have found an old school guy locally. The key is to tell them to make it look as good as they can, even if not perfect. No body man wants his work to look shoddy, but most want to replace all body parts rather than straighten them- not an option on this project.

I am searching for an OEM salvage A/M or AM/FM radio- if anyone has one available, please let me know. I know there are retro radios, but the original is preferred. If no one has a radio, but they DO have the RADIO DELETE plastic cover that they will part with, I might be interested in buying that part. More pics coming along the way!

 

Should someone desire the OEM carb that I replaced with the Weber, it still works just fine and I will sell it at a very fair price. I also have the original air cleaner, should someone need that part.

 

I need a new back window for my truck and found one for a 1978 pickup in the Houston area. Will this fit my 1977? I think so, but want to be sure before driving 4 hours to get it. I already have the new rubber- I just need the glass.

 

I would bet yes. There were very little metal differences in the cab of these generations of trucks.

 

I drove 450 miles RT on Saturday and picked up two rear windows in Houston, just in case one got broke during installation. Cleaned all the residue and stickers from a skateboarder (LOL) and the window looks great- it gets installed tomorrow morning! No salvage yard would ship the window to me. I will likely offer the extra window to someone that needs it for their mini- it appears it fits 1972-1978.

 

Last two critical parts needed before heading to the body shop- a hood (found it today at YodaJim's in Colorado) and a front lower valance (found today in Lawton, OK- NOS of all things!) Yahoo!

 

Update: I received the hood from Colorado, but unfortunately, the hood separated from the inner frame during transit making it too unstable to repair or use. However, I found a "NEW" After Market hood for an R20 at a salvage yard in Columbia, MO this week. I drove there and back home yesterday (1230 miles from Dallas!) and the hood only needs some minor repairs for surface rust (even in covered storage, rust shows up eventually). I delivered it to the body shop this morning. This is the final part I needed to get the truck exterior straight and ready for paint.

Meanwhile, I have the interior almost done: new interior door paint, new trim panels and hardware, new bench seat custom built from the frame up, new headliner, and new carpet (still needs trimmed on tranny hump... I have the bottle jack, tire wrench, and jack handle cleared of rust, repainted and ready to mount behind the seat. I found a 1977 NOS Toyota gear shift knob that is nice, albeit pricey. Here are some pics of the interior so far.

 

AND, I did locate a NOS windshield and a salvage rear window that have been installed. Amazingly, I found OEM Toyota rubber glass gaskets in Thailand for front, rear, side windows/doors- the glass installers were astonished that I had actual OEM rather than aftermarket rubber. What a project this has been since I started in April 2024. I know so many of you out there have struggled to find what parts you need, so here is a toast to your hunt!

 

Right on! Keep doing what you're doing!! Truck is looking good.

 

Sorry for your loss, cool truck!

 

Thanks to all- another update... the truck is at the body shop and as they were working on it, they determined that the front cab mounts were rusted badly and the passenger side bolt and bushing actually fell out on the ground. That was a bummer as the cab mounts are actually welded to the frame and not easily replaced. As well the cab mount holes in the floor pans were rusted, but only directly around the mounting holes - maybe 4" diameter. Fortunately, the rear mounts are still intact and rust-free.

Yoda Jim's salvage in Colorado located one 1977 frame that was clean and solid. They are cutting through the frame and sending me both mounting brackets and a large section of floor pan for both sides. An expensive repair, but the only way to finish this project. Once welded in, the body shop will finish pulling out the front and mount my new grilles. Then it goes to the paint shop. I am closer to the end than the beginning but those failed cab mounts were a real scare.

Should there be anyone with the OE steel wheels for this vehicle with the dimples to affix the OE hubcaps (I have 4 O.E. hubcaps that were taken off a truck when brand new and never remounted- stored for 47 years!), I would love to discuss a purchase of the wheels if you have them- I am located in Dallas but shipping is not an issue. Here is a pic of the (4) wheels I need in order to keep this thing mostly stock - thanks in advance for any info you might have.

 

Update: November 1, 2025: Finally got the truck back Friday- new cab mounts and hardware, new salvaged floor pans left and right welded in, carpet reinstalled - interior is nearly done if I can find a retro radio (know a place) or a radio delete cover- hard to find. The body shop put the truck on a frame straighter, and pulled it back mostly aligned- some minor tweaking still needed to get the hood match the fenders. I have all of the trim rings for the headlights, but will await the next step below.

Next week it will go to a two-man body and paint team (that the other body shop recommended) and who is willing to spend the time to fix the driver's fender, remove the body dents, and paint the truck in the same color so we do not have to pull the bed. I am not looking for a concours quality paint job $$$ - it is just a truck, but becoming a cool one! I found a company that installs after market air conditioners in classic cars, and they have one to fit this truck- 20 miles from my house! That will have to wait a bit ($$$- maybe never-LOL), but living in Dallas summer heat makes it tough to drive all year.

I wish I could find some original steel rims with dimples for this truck so I could put on my OEM dog dish hubcaps. Car-parts.com has one or two but they are all over the country.

More news as I progress!

 

To all,

I am located in a suburb of Dallas, Texas. I am considering selling my truck to a body man or someone who would want to finish the exterior restoration- a lot has already been done, but I cannot do the body work and paint. Selling the truck might be a good option to consider. The interior is great: all new custom-upholstered vinyl bench seat, new carpet and floor mats, restored top dash panel, new repop door panels, sound insulation in the doors, new headliner, new rear view mirror, brand new OEM windshield and salvage rear glass- both with new OEM Toyota rubber gaskets installed the old fashioned way with rope by pros. New tailight assemblies and headlights.

The engine is original and runs great, all smog crap removed, new Weber carb, new custom radiator with electric fan, new starter, new battery with restored battery holder. I have all of the new door gaskets and moldings awaiting paint before installation. New tires and repainted rims. I have an OEM exterior antenna, I had the right side mirror holes welded closed. I have the chrome dress rings for the headlight, new repop front fascia and grilles, new OEM lower fascia, and a new OEM Toyota grille emblem. I have all of the original Toyota emblems and exterior lights, plus reflectors. The hoods pictured in the rear bed were not serviceable and I disposed of them. The new (mounted) hood is OEM Toyota, as is the new right fender.

This truck lived in the high and dry area of Bend, Oregon for 49 years with no road salt so there is only minimal surface rust on the body, but the frame and body are solid. The cab was just remounted to the frame with rust-free salvaged floor pans and new rubber bushings and mounting hardware. The OEM gas tank was removed and repainted. I have more than $8,000.00 invested in parts, but that does not mean I could sell it and break even. New paint can be expensive unless you know how to do it yourself. I would love any of you to hazard a guess on what this truck might be worth.

 

Additionally, the engine has a new header and entire muffler system.

 

I am keeping the truck, and found the right guy to do the bodywork and paint. I will post when completed in May 2026.

 

Any idea where they sourced the body mount bushings? I'm looking to replace them on my '78. Thanks

 

I think they just measured the original ones and used a generic replacement- my guess is that the cab mount bushings are similar or exact for 1972-1983. Erwin Merida on this site might know.

 

At least through 1978.