You'd think that at 36 I would have owned a truck before, but no. I've been really wanting a JNC pickup for a while. My first choice would be a Datsun pickup, but this came along for a steal and I couldn't pass it up. Paid $300 for the truck with the transmission in the bed. The guy would have charged me $1200 if the tranny was installed so I took it as is I spent most of last Monday installing the trans and other small stuff. I fought the cross member for the trans for about 2 hours before I realized I was trying to install it upside down A lot of the hardware was not original so I had do do a lot of deciphering to figure out which bolt went where. I still have a couple things to do to finish the job, but it's about 95% complete. Stats: 1975 5spd 20R weber (not sure of the size) All original sheet metal except for tailgate. It's in pretty good condition except for a couple minor dings and dents. I also found a rust hole in the rocker panel under the driver side door, but not too bad. I'm in the desert so I don't think it will progress too quickly. Super sweet light bar It runs pretty good but lacks some power. I'm guessing the carb needs to be thoroughly cleaned and tuned and mostly likely a timing adjustment. Future plans: fix 40yr old wiring throughout Smaller wheels and static drop fix interior remove/replace towing mirrors. Maybe add some fender mirrors. clean up bumpers drive it daily
Welcome! Good to see another 2nd gen Hilux joining the club here. Looks like a good project. Nice price too!
Thanks! I thought it was a good price too! I was just reading up on your project. I'm really curious to see how those jeep wheels look mounted with tires on them. I still don't have a clue on what I want to do for wheels.
I kinda thought the light bar looked "not horrible" for some reason but I'd still ditch it - then I noticed you have bumpers pads on your bumper...dunno if I've seen that before. Kinda cool. Your paint looks good too, I'd buff it out and keep the patina. I wish my truck wasn't primered over by the PO. I'll post up pics of the wheels when I finish. I think member WhiteTrash has pics of a 2nd gen Hilux with these Heep wheels mounted on it. One of the only examples I could find online to help me decide what route to take with wheels. It was between these jeep 10-spoke "turbine" wheels or the jeep/Enkei gold mesh wheels. I'm also diggin the Starion wheels, but those seem pretty high demand. I personally think these older Hilux trucks shouldn't have any wheels on them that look newer than maybe the early 90s styling.
I love patina. The paint is in surprisingly good condition. Very oxidized, but not beyond repair. I want to keep it, but one of the previous owners punched a bunch of holes in the door for tow mirrors. I swear they were blind and dumb, had 3 different mirrors on it, or both. I don't want to lose the patina, but I need to fix these holes. I do know a guy who is very handy with an airbrush so I might fix the holes and have him blend in the repairs with the rest of the paint. I do want to say "period" correct. Nothing looks more garish IMO than modern wheels on a classic vehicle. That being said, I'm not going full classic, but still staying with something simple and appropriate. The other day I was at a tire shop that I frequent and he had a few sets of wheels laying around. These 3 caught my eye. I'm leaning toward the gray ones. I want them gone. I'll keep them around in case I think they look better with them, but they might be for sale down the road
