canuck351

This is my oldest running build, it began three jobs and seven years ago.
And It began with a gift.

A coworker had posted his 1989 pickup for sale at work for $800, and was laughed out of the lunchroom.
It was a rusty as hell and stunk like an ash tray inside.























I saw him dropping his price to $500 and I took a look at it, and quickly passed.
When he dropped to $200, guys asked him if he was going have to pay the scrap guy to take it because of the lack of metal left on it?

canuck351

Then one day he aproached me and asked "Do you want that Toyota?".
" If you want it you can have it for free but its has to be gone tomorrow".
He had bought a new Harley and needed the under ground parking spot for his new bike.
As Free is my middle name (my wife will say Anything is my first name).
I set my alarm drove to New Westminster and had it loaded by noon.












We got the truck home and I figured I had the perfect feild beater to teach my son how to drive a standard shift on.

We drove the Truck hard for a few days, over logs and threw mud holes I thought for sure it would get stuck.
But even with broken rear leafs on both sides, bald tires, and a stuck front caliper,
the truck drove like a tank.

canuck351

Now here is were a lot of guys would have had their fun till she got needy, parted her out, then called the scrap guy to take her away, all to the sound of ker ching.

But not me, I tend to form emotional attachments.
(Still own my first car for 37 years).
(Just celebrated my 25th wedding anniversary).
Combine that with my addictive personality, and you have the makings for a full-blown Toyota addict.



The box came off and the frame looked good, let the sand blast away the old,
and paint protect the new.




Now as this truck was going to be for my son, so no labour was spared, but cash is king and this truck needed so much stuff a doner was needed to keep cost. down

canuck351

I hit Craigslist and soon I found the object of my desire.
The guy was a saint giving me the parts truck for $500, a full $1000 below his asking price and threw in the stereo.




The Truck had a ton of kms. on it 536,000,<br/>and it had been worked and had few dents.





But it also had been well maintainted haveing just had a new timing belt water pump, right before it threw a rod, punched a hole in the block and puked its guts into the engine bay.





But the engine wasen't needed and the truck read like a wish list of needed parts, heavy springs, nice interior, valance, fenders.

canuck351

I prepared for spring to sandblast, by looking for breaks in the winter weather to strip the gold of my doner truck.




The rear end had heavy springs and perfect backing plates on the brakes





It also had nice stock steel rims, polished up nice




newer brake cyl showed maintenance done



Little sandblasting and paint





New brake shoes, wheel cylinders, spring kits.





caped them with new brake drums

canuck351

As spring broke I set the sandblasted to stun, I recovered filtered and ran the sand so many times it looked like baking soda.












The parts truck had a nicer frame but was a extra cab





hung onto this frame and will use for anouther project

canuck351

With the back half done I could put the rear end in to make it roll



Still not sure how this spring hieght will work





so nice to put things together clean

canuck351

The cab came off





the power train came out





the degreasing





ready to return to the sandblasting booth

canuck351

in the booth it was time to strip yhe front end





parts were sorted and inspected





need more sand

duckhead

Oooooh boy this is way too familiar In more ways than the build... I'm a bit sentimental too.

Can't wait to see what you all do! What kind of paint you end up going with on your frame?

Gizler00

iTrader: (1)

Very nice that you are saving this old boy!! I had an 89 that a friend gave me a long time ago. It was actually my first toyota. The body was rusted to hell and back, and the engine had been overheated so many times, it was hard to believe that it would still start and run.

Anyhow...I always regretted parting with it and not taking the time to repair it. Seeing this makes me wish I kept it even more.

Keep up the good work man. Its going to look great when you are done.

canuck351

I started reading your build and "way to familiar" is and understatement Donald!
I will defiantly read the whole thing and chime in on it later.
This was my first toyota also, and the 3.0 is the family member no one wants to talk about around here. I am not ready to give up on this engine and think it has a lot of merit (along with a few correctable design flaws).
Part of the reason I started this thread was to spread some opinion and tech on the 3.0.

As for the paint? the answer should be P.O.R..... but its not.
It's Tremclad rust paint I got on sale, the surface was clean and dry and I warmed the spray cans up in the sun and shot the metal right after blasting I will show you how its holding up six years later.
You will see me spend cash were I think it counts, but this truck is on a tight budget

canuck351

Thanks for the comments
Like you I also have had many Toyotas my first being this 1989.
Was your 1989 a 3.0 or 22r/e
It still remains my favorite year.
I like the styling
I think its seems wider inside a little more room.
Still has W transmision
manual hubs no add yet.
The ECU's seem to run the best.
No patches on the harness for day time running lights, abs brakes,add.
simple power steering boxes.

canuck351

The truck had only 230,000km so most of the original suspension parts were used, the parts truck had more than twice the milage





some of the frame was good with just a cleaning and some touch up around the welds and seams



Now I got the 89 in the fall of 2009 and picked up the part truck just before Xmas that same year, these photos were taken June 30 2010 representing about 8 months progress.





all new upper lower ball joints tie rod ends, shocks. reused the bearing looked fine, just cleaned packed and new seals





this was a hard to find dust seal, couldn't choke down Toyotas price, found a more reasonable price by cross referencing toyota part# at NAPA





and the crowning with rotors and new calipers

canuck351

I continued to work intermittently on the truck over summer, but had a few distractions Its Summer eh!

Now I was hitting a wall finding a long box bed for the truck, and had begun looking at whole trucks as an option.
I had planed to pay no more than $500 for a nice rust free box with tail gate preferably grey, as 1989 2wd has the same box as the 4wd, my plan was to buy a cheap 2wd truck (I seem to find more L.B. 2wd's than L.B. 4wd's),
with a good long box, part the truck out, scrap the rest and try to keep the cost in check.
Any other parts I get help justify the cost right?









And here it is 1989 22r 5sp 215,000 kms (133,000,miles) one of those can't get my wallet out fast enough deals





His dog had chewed the seat a little, his wife had caved the driver side door in the drive through.<br/>(shown here with a blue door until I found a grey one) and he had broken the back window on the fiberglass canopy that came with it, but all I could see was a grey L.B. and a fresh 22R





I bought this truck 6hrs after posted on craigslist for $1000 didn't have the heart to try to jew him down on cash so I asked him to deliver the truck to my place 50 min. drive away and he agreed




Now my dogs loved this truck!! easy to get in and out and the seat was already broken in.
But more importantly I love this truck.
It started to compete for attention

canuck351

The First parts truck, hearafter fefered to as "the doner" had a near new belt /tensioner/ aisin water pump. I set to TDC and marked the timing belt with marker paint





I did open the wallet for a new aisin oil pump.





You can see by the windows Day is now night and on June 10 thats after 10pm. and I still have a little assembly to do before bed





It looks a little top heavy dressed





The next morning I roll the frame over to the shop, I have already plumbed in new brake lines and layed the wiring harness in





Now I was trying to keep the budget under $2000 total on this build, and I reused many parts I never would have considered in the past... however the one thing I will never cheap out on again is gaskets, Toyota seals are supreme and In a perfect world they would be all I ever use, however for the money Felpro are my gaskets of choice, Rock Auto's complete engine sets are very reasonably priced, and they offer individaul and top end sets that don't break my budget
With the tranny layed in place time to start finishing things that are easier to do with the frame off....





things like fuel lines muffler hanger, the fuel filter here is only for mock up a new one will be used later

canuck351

the lawn needs mowing, and the house needs paint but I got my priorities straight.





Are we ever goin to the lake again!





The fuel pump bracket was another crazy price at toyota, but managed to find a new toyota one on ebay for $135





Things are going together easy with the cab and box off, I have a new 2"cat back exhaust from Lordco for $120





tossing in the rag for this day, time to start prepairing the cab for touch down, and start thinking box, the budget is getting tight and I am thinking maybe making flat deck from some nice aluminum I already have..

canuck351

Now the floors were in pretty good shape to start<br/>








I used a rust inhibiter on any areas with rust before painting <br/>





Now this truck is what I refer to as a user, not afraid of over grown trails or ruff conditions so function over appearance.





Especially If its under the carpets, (until I find some nice vinyl } and it keeps the moisture out than it works for me.





Now this is the repair I would like to have back and will likely redo.<br/>I could not get the floor coating up without destroying the thin floor, later I discovered the dry ice method while watching utube build by “aroncake” doing a Cosmo restoration. <br/>Still not a fan of Rotary’s <br/>

canuck351

This is my Redneck cab hoist, I made it from an old set of camper jacks and some 4x4’s and planks.<br/>I would not rent this rig out, or recommend or imply that it is safe.<br/>





I used a plumb bomb to help align and was careful not to bump the jacks.





My son helped me lower the cab slowly and evenly until it rest on the tranny





We used the cherry picker to lift some weight while my son loosens the carriage <br/>bolts.<br/>





I had to pause to marvel








With the doors and seats stripped the cab was so light we had no problem finessing the cab on.





I set the cab on hockey pucks to space it up a little and make hook ups easier <br/>

canuck351

Now I consider myself a purest, I like my Toyotas to be completely original.
I try to use all the original clips clamps and fasteners everywhere.
But in contradiction, I am building a custom 1989 4Runner with a full 1999 -2.7L 4Runner frame, drive line, suspension,dash, E brake conversion, I am allowing myself full artistic license on that one.
I will probably do a thread on it sometime.






The doner had a new Rad and a second set of clips and clamps to choose through.





Just a little cleaning and paint goes a long way to keep rut at bay, I don’t paint brackets and bolt heads, I have too many other project waiting for that.




I like to treat and paint any exposed sheet metal


or areas known to be suspect or rust



I Love the 60 / 40 bench the xtra cab doner had.