This is how my Trekker looks today.  I am still in the process of restoring it.  How far I will go into the restoration process is still a question for me, but I am very detailed.  I have done a lot of Trekker research in the last few years which has given me some great stock restoration ideas for my Trekker.

There is a claim that this truck was hand built by John Safro (Jack?) but I’m not sure what that means. There are definitely more than two Toyota Trekkers in the United States, so I wonder if this truck is titled as a pickup? In any case it’s a very cool Toyota and well worth the asking price which is a fraction of the original cost of $50,000.

So now here is this Trekker that was owned by one of the original designers Jack Safro and its made an appearance on Ebay. I originally saw this truck last spring for sale through Mecum auction service at a state fair. I had serious thoughts of going to bid on it, but not knowing the price range I decided against the two day road trip. At that time this truck was advertised as driven barely more than 18,000 miles. Now the truck is in very good condition for sure. The more I read the more I begin to have issues; and now I can see it was a good decision to pass on the sale.

Now that the vin has been revealed: JT4RN38D4B0011149 we can see that the truck in fact has over 200,000 miles. Since the 81 Toyota trucks only had 5 digits we can assume the actual mileage is close to 218,700 miles; although it could as easily be 318,700 miles too. Here lies the issue- this truck has been restored- not an original collector’s piece. Again don’t get me wrong it is in great shape for a 1981 trekker. But again with my pet peeve on some of these “original” trucks- the vin reveals that the base truck was a deluxe model and there are SR5 stripes on the outside and an SR5 interior. Yes it does have an SR5 package, but its not original as the vin indicates. There also has been some modification of the drive train that is not original to the truck. Again it is a nice restoration, but not an original SR5 Toyota.

Now to add to it, the seller claims distress and will be selling the truck for “half” of what was paid. I saw it for sale on Craigslist a few weeks back and the asking price was $15,000.

Update:I just found the original auction site for this truck and it did sell for $22,500 then- wow! Now the bid is at $9100 and the reserve is not met. With the issues revealed I don’t see the value but considering what it sold for at auction that would be a bargain

Up for sale is a hard to find 1987 Toyota 4runner turbo 4 cyl with an automatic. From the auction listing: The Toyota is all electric – all power windows, locks; everything power. It also has the electric instrument cluster that lights up blue. The Toyota is in great running condition the engine has tons of power and the tranny runs and switches great. There is no rust on this 87 there is dings and a couple of dents but no major damage. The paint is faded in all the normal spots such as the hood and the top of the removable top. The 4×4 is an working order it needs a new cv boot on the driver-side about a 30 dollar fix. The interior is ok no rips or tears in the seats; normal dirt stains on the carpet nothing outrageous or unidentified sticky substances. The tires have 60 percent tread left on 33 inch bfgs. This is a great everyday driver and has tons of potential as a off roader . The trucks odometer reads 208xxx miles but the head has been replaced and runs like new. New water pump, oil pump, timing chain, new brakes in the front oil changes every 2500 miles.

Click the link at the top of the page for more info or to bid on this truck!

This is an example of a rare 1983 Toyota Pickup Limited Edition with a Trailblazer conversion by Griffith. These are very similar to Trekkers, however Trekkers were converted by Winnebago. The Trailblazer differs from a Trekker in the conversion. Trekkers were made with a rear fiberglass shell. The back of the cab is cut out and the shell is bonded to the cab. The Trailblazer were more of a fiberglass cap conversion where the original steel box is retained. Which is better is a subject of debate. The seller states that there were only 400 made that consisted from 1979-1983, and also a few 1984’s. I doubt any were made before 1981 and there were definately no ‘84 Trailblazers as the 4runner was in production by then. This one is an 1983 and it has A/C, power steering and appears to be an SR5.  It has 177,000 original miles and shows it. The good news is most of this truck is just standard pickup parts, so finding restoration parts shouldn’t be a major problem. I hope someone can buy this and restore it; as it is a rare piece of Toyota history.

There are some cheaper non factory manuals out there that do a pretty good job of referencing repairs of your 4runner. The common is Haynes. They sell a repair manual for just about anything. It’s still available and covers 4runners, trekkers, and trailblazers from 79-95:
 

Another common service manual company is Chilton and they also have a manual that covers 4runners from 89 – 96. And another one that covers 4runners from 97 – 00:

The best way to go is a Toyota factory service manual. Unfortunately these are no longer made. So finding one can be a challenge. And the price can be far more than the non-factory manuals. But the extra money is worth it. There is no more complete set of reference for repair of a Toyota truck than a factory service manual. Even some of the material in the other manuals was lifted from the factory manual. Don’t worry though. Depending on the model year of your 4runner, its fairly easy to find a used factory manual on Ebay. The prices and condition can vary alot, but the basic information is there.

Find Toyota factory service manuals on Ebay now!

If you have a computer and some paper and don’t want to spend the cash, Sidney was nice enough to locate several free online resources for downloading service manual information:

1985-1994 Toyota Pickup and 4-Runner Gasoline FSM 22R-(E)

http://rapidshare.com/users/4NH9R4 

http://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=128021

http://www.babcox.com/editorial/ic/ic110028.htm

ftp://ftp.bauchan.org/Toyota

Lots of info including non Toyota manuals & EPCs

Free 1985 Toyota 4-Runner & pickup Factory Service Manual

http://www.ncttora.com/fsm/1985/1985FSM.pdf
muchadoproductions.com
truckporn.com
s3.uploadline.com
http://www.lukemiller.org/toys
forums.bauchan.org

subliminaltrips.com

Free 1987 Toyota 4-Runner Factory Service Manual1

Free 1987 Toyota 4-Runner Factory Service Manual2

Free 1988 Toyota 4-Runner & pickup Factory Service Manual

Free 1990 Toyota 4-Runner Factory Service Manual

Free 1990-1995 Toyota 4-Runner Factory Service Manual

thepiratebay.org
torrentportal.com

Free 1995 Toyota 4-Runner Factory Service Manual:

Free 1995 Toyota 4-Runner Factory Service Manual

Free 1996 Toyota 4-Runner Factory Service Manual

Free 1996-2002 Toyota 4-Runner Factory Service Manuals:

forums.bauchan.org
thepiratebay.org
www.btmon.com

Free 1998 Toyota 4-Runner Factory Service Manual1:

Free 1998 Toyota 4-Runner Factory Service Manual2:

Free 2002 Toyota 4-Runner Factory Service Manual:

Free 2002 Toyota 4-Runner Factory Service Manual:

Free 2006 Toyota 4-Runner Factory Service Manual:

“Oh what a feeling, Toyota” has to be mine, maybe because it’s the first one I remember. Seems this slogan has gone to the birds. Updated link

The best built cars in the world. Yes! But what about trucks?

“What will you do with all the money you save?” Toyota. Buy a set of custom rims

“Hey Toyota, you’re terrific!” – Toyota.

Bugger didn’t make the official list

Everything keeps going right Great for trips around the block.

Think you’re tough enough to drive a Tacoma? Ummm no.

Loch Ness Monster even prefers a Toyota.

This has to be my favorite. Did you know that Hiluxs are unbreakable? Crikey!

I love what you do for me – Toyota! Awww group hug!

I’m sure that I missed a few. Leave a comment with yours.

Since alot of parts are available, it’s not too difficult to update your truck to an “SR5″. Depending on the year and model most of the SR5 upgrades are “bolt ons”. Finding a donor truck at a junkyard could net a set of gauges, bucket seats, carpet, and interior panels. Finding stripes & decals that most SR5 models sported is nearly impossible these days, so that could be a first clue when approaching a truck for sale.

In the end, the only way to know for sure is to check the VIN code. This is really a good idea anyway to make sure you are buying the right truck. For example, first generation Toyota trucks had 3 models: regular, deluxe, and SR5. Well thats not quite true as 1981 was the first year for SR5 pickups. Previously they were known as Sport models. In any case, for each model there is a letter in the VIN code that corresponds with the model. ‘R’ = regular, ‘D’ = Deluxe, and ‘S’ indicates that the truck is indeed an SR5 model.

This is not to say that a Deluxe Toyota truck isnt worth anything. But when the seller tries to extract a few exta Ben Franklins from you by claiming its a rare original SR5, you will at least have the knowledge to say, “I dont think so”.