A Hockey Striped HiLux: 65k-Mile 1983 Toyota 4x4 Pickup 5-Speed
- December 01, 2020
It’s not all that fair to call this one a HiLux – built in 1983, it’s one of the third generation of Toyota pickups. During the second generation, Toyota quit using the term “HiLux” in their marketing materials, at least in North America. They simply became known as “trucks.” Whatever you want to call them, in recent years vintage and semi-vintage Toyota trucks have been going a bit nuts on the market, with better examples selling for money normally reserved for high-end sports and luxury cars.
What a turnaround it’s been. Not too long ago, modern-classic era trucks, including those not hailing from Detroit, were considered hugely inferior wastes of metal. It didn’t matter how robust the chassis and engines were, it didn’t matter how much more efficient they were over their counterparts, it didn’t matter how reliable and reasonably priced they were, tried-and-true pickup customers in the United States weren’t having much of any of it. Toyota recognized this early on, and instead of fighting the fight, they aimed for a new customer. One who maybe wouldn’t have opted for a pickup in the first place. They were looking for the young, environmentally conscious, thrifty, forward thinking types who were maybe a little shy when it came to the macho bravado associated with the typical American pickup. They also marketed to larger cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, New York, Miami, all normally associated with populations of youthful, open-minded, and free-thinking individuals. In short, they sourced from their existing clientele.
The marketing worked well, and steadily, with Toyota creating a solid reputation for themselves in both the car and truck making business. Ironic, the resistance, considering Toyota Motors’ first vehicles were trucks. Sadly, like so many Japanese vehicles, very few seem to have survived –most owners treating the vehicles like simple consumables to be bought, used up, and discarded for the next one – but this 1983 Toyota pickup appears to be one of the few that enjoyed a charmed life.
Having covered only 65,000 miles from new, this ’83 Toyota pickup is very well optioned with working air conditioning, the upscale cloth-vinyl interior, the 4-wheel drive, and sport stripes. Per the seller, it was repainted in grey and had new, correct sport stripes adhered to its’ flanks about three years ago. Worth noting, the vehicle’s represented as never having any rust or having been involved in a major collision. It’s that word “major” that we love and leaves us wondering – exactly what kind of collision did it have? Did it occur three years ago, and that’s what motivated the repaint? The interior looks terrific and is all original, according to the seller. The seats feature the striped cloth seating surfaces while vinyl covers pretty much everything else. Powered by the venerable 22R inline 4-cylinder engine and a manual transmission, the third generation was the first of the Toyota pickup line to offer a 4x4 option. This one is riding on new tires and wheels the post describes as “resurfaced.” Whatever that means, the white finish upon them looks terrific, as does most everything else. With a clear title on hand, the seller is looking for $25k cash and, by the tone of the post, doesn’t seem to be interested in negotiating. If we were looking for one of these, negotiation would be fairly moot from our end, too.
