I just can’t take it anymore. Here is another sale from the same person that listed the red/white truck on Ebay a while back. Even though the seller ID’s have changed they are both from Edmond, Oklahoma and have the same phone number listed. The listing bears the same format as before:

 RN37014484
This is a 1980 Toyota 4×4 Pickup ALL ORIGINAL with only 74,600 Original miles!! I am relisting this truck one more time, so i have lowered the reserve price. Truck still has its original redish orange paint whch shines up nice and looks great for its age. The truck has the original 20r motor which looks and runs good.There is NO RUST on this truck, it has a couple bubbles on the rear quarters but nothing showing through. The tires have alot of tread left and the wheels look really nice. The bed of this truck is also solid with no rust. The interior could use a little work just because the truck has been in california all its life so it got a little sun damage. This truck is a nice all original truck, has never been re-painted, no rust, and only has approximately 74k original miles.

So where to begin… It is a nice 1980 Deluxe 4×4 truck. I did see this listed on Craigslist for much less than the sellers reserve price. However it is not all original as the listing repeatedly claims and there are multiple inaccuracies. First it may or may not have been repainted, however it has a 1981 or later tailgate(center latch) on a 1980(side latches) box which means the tailgate is not original. It is mising the Toyota lettering and 4wheel drive decal and has some damage. Also from the rear the bumper is custom made. The wheels, tires, and nerf bars are obviously aftermarket. The 4×4 decals on the doors come from a department store. And the black painted fender flares are not the way a 1980 Toyota would have been; looks more like an S10.

 Inside the interior has a seat cover and a dash cover; one might assume to cover damage. The aftermarket gauges under the center vent are certainly not original. And to be correct in 1980 a Deluxe truck would have come with a vinyl floor mat instead of carpet. Not sure how that got there. The listing shows the truck as having a sunroof(not available until 1981), air conditioning(no it doesn’t), and a cassette player(none installed in the map pocket); 3 strikes against original. In fact I don’t see speakers in the doors so the radio/cassette must be aftermarket. Now the big claim- only  74,600 Original miles. Really? Hard to disprove with no Carfax available before 1981 and only 6 digits on the odometer. But look at the brake pedal; so much wear that the rubber is gone and the metal is shined up like a mirror. And the steering wheel shows as much wear. 174,600 miles? Maybe. You be the judge.

It’s a decent truck but really not worth the hype and asking price.

So this year has been flying by and it seemed as if I might have to wait until next year to get in my Toyota fix. But as luck would have it- I found a 1982 SR5 4×4 shortbox for sale in northern California. After some negotiation I decided to go for it.

I managed to search for a flight by using Cheaptickets.comand found a very good price. The timing worked out well as I was able to leave work in the late afternoon, get on a plane and be in Detroit just in time to catch a flight to Salt Lake City Utah by 5:00 pm. This was a 3 1/2 hour flight which left just enough time to catch the next flight to Arcata, California by 9 pm. I finally arrived in California at 10:00 pm after 11 hours of flight time and 2 short layovers. Because Arcata is such a small town a direct flight would not have been possible and would have cost three times as much. So the two short layovers were a good compromise.

Since I had made the drive home from California last year I thought I had a good plan. While I had driven straight through from Los Angeles to Michigan in two days before, I decided that wasn’t a very good plan. I ended up staying the night in California Friday night chatting about the truck and other Toyota topics until about 1 am. The next morning the discussion quickly turned to Toyota trucks again, but after a couple of hours I had to hit the road- as much as I would have loved to stay longer.

A route was determined and I knew that I-80 was the best direct route from California to Chicago, but there’s no easy way to get to I-80 from northern California. Nonetheless it was decided I could drive south on 101 until Highway 20 which would take me to I-80 just before Reno, Nevada. As it turned out it took all day just to get to Reno, so even though I was already behind I decided to stay the night in Reno. Staying away from the casinos that night I was able to get an early start at about 7:30 and was on the road again. My goal was to get to Cheyene, Wyoming on Sunday, but again I came up short. I was not able to find a decent price on a room Sunday night, so I slept a couple of hours and hit the road again. I ended up passing Cheyene around 5 am Monday morning and continued driving into Nebraska. Then later Monday afternoon into Iowa. My next goal was to get through the Chicago area before dark, but again I didn’t make it in time. I ended up South of Chicago around 9 pm and driving in that area is just plain craziness. I finally managed to find I-94 and headed north into Michigan. And then home about 1:30 am. All in all it was a long long drive. But luckily the truck did not break down and the only accident I saw was West bound. I was also happily surprised that the truck got better than 20 mpg for each tank of gas on the trip. There was a definite trend with gas prices as high as $3.47 on the west coast to $2.57 average across the border of Michigan.

So what did I get for all of that trouble. A medium blue 1982 SR5 4×4 shortbox in nearly rust free original condition. The SR5 package included tachometer, trip meter, oil and voltmeter gauges, two color blue interior with bucket seats, carpeted floor and woodgrain dash. This truck still had the original Toyota stereo am-fm radio and optional cassette player. It also had the original SR5 white spoke wheels with black center caps and lugnuts. The spare is the original white spoke rim with a H78-15 Dunlop Snow Cruiser tire. The body had it share of dents and scrapes over the 171,000 miles of service, but the owner had take care to preserve the body with touch paint where needed. The engine bay was clean and the motor ran well. The 5 speed L52 transmission had a bit of a growl in some gears, but performed well.

So I am happy to be the new owner of this Toyota. But I also had the chance to see this great country of ours. There were many awesome sights along the way; both from the air and on the ground. I really enjoyed meeting the seller and our conversations about Toyotas. Northern California is a beautiful place to visit and the pictures and memories of the trip will live on with me at least as long as I own this truck.

This truck in nearly immaculate with only 94,932 miles and it shows everywhere on the truck, especially on the driver’s seat which tend to crack near the side lever. The body looks straight and clean. The only bad points are an aftermarket stereo added, the center console was replaced with aftermarket, and the rear bumper is missing. The extra carpet and plywood may have saved the inside of the bed, or may have held in moisture- hard to tell from pictures. Still possibly one of the finest examples of an original Toyota you might find anywhere. The frame still sports a black finish, the stripes have not peeled, and the chrome looks like new. With the super low miles the truck is worth the opening bid. Be prepared though, as another website indicates that the dealer wants $7995 for this truck!

 RARE TOYOTA 4-WHEEL DRIVE SR5 SPORT RALLY 5 SPEED TRUCK

Well now the seller knows what SR5 stands for, but its not, with the reported vin#. And by the way I’m not listing these trucks under rare, because they are not true representations.

 I am proud to offer a rare, original two-owner 1981 Toyota 4WD SR5 Truck

Again with the original two owner claim. Was this simply copied from the other truck ad?

super low miles, and in bone stock configuration

Ah, no in both cases. Later the milage was reported at over 200k.

original two tone blue/white paint retains much of its original shine and luster with very minor blemishes

Not. The stripes on this truck are not even close. Its obviously been repainted. Although the two-tone colors do match on the cab and inside of the door, the outside top frame should be all blue. But again how did two-tone paint and SR5 decals get onto a deluxe truck?

The truck has a deluxe or SR5 package, included was tilt steering wheel, chrome front and rear bumper, tach gauge, L50 5-spd transmission, and the 2.4L 22R motor.

Deluxe. Tilt steering has nothing to do with SR5 or deluxe. It is an option on both. So is the chrome package which included front bumper, grill, and wheels. Rear bumpers were dealer installed options. L52 5 speeds were standard on SR5 trucks, but since this is not it probably has a 4 speed. All 1981 non diesel trucks had 22R engines.

Also, the A/C system will need to be recharged.

What AC??????

Now comes the bad news. The seller added some carfax information to the listing:

Guarantee Coverage: 07/29/2009 - 07/29/2010

CARFAX Vehicle Description: 1981 TOYT STANDARD BED 1/2 TON

If I read that correctly this truck has been totalled and does not have actual miles. How can this be a rare and original SR5 then? Looking at the front end, it doesn’t look square. But I’m not sure if it was in an accident, or stolen and recovered, or - what does manufacturer buyback mean?

I sent a note to the seller to send a pic of the tag under the hood. This should make some things clearer. I hope to get a response. From the seller’s “discoveries” I get the sense that the title may not be in his or her name. I noticed that the carfax has 20 hits, but I’m not going to waste my time reviewing it. This falls into the not recommended category- again.

Please review the factory literature printed by Toyota Motor Corporation for a list of options that were available on SR5 or Deluxe model trucks.

Anyone that knows me at all knows that I have always wanted to find a nice original two-tone SR5. After several years here it is. Or is it? This truck is currently for sale on Ebay listed as follows:

Seems like a great deal right? The trouble started with a quick review of the VIN:

JT4RN48D9B0025179

Whoa! How is it that a two-tone SR5 original truck has a VIN code of a truck that is a Deluxe Long Box? After all it is a one owner truck right? Well no. Out of frustration I decided to order a Carfax report. Oddly, the truck has been titled 3 times. First record of registration was in 1996 in New Mexico with 118K miles. How did this happen? Someone suggested to me today that the truck might have been imported from outside the US. Therefore the second owner bought it in 1996. The next record showed a title issued in 1999 in California. This makes sense as the pics show the truck with California plates on it. However the current seller is located in Oklahoma. So it would seem as if the seller purchased the truck from the third owner, making him the fourth owner. However the current seller doesn’t claim to be an owner as he bought it from the original owner, but didn’t put the truck in his name cause he wanted to sell it. Isn’t that illegal?

So I can only guess that one of two things has happened. A) One of the owners took all of the SR5 items from another truck and updated a Deluxe model. Factory SR5 items include: tach/speedo with trip meter, oil/volt gauge pod, woodgrain dash panel, bucket seats, 3 spoke steering wheel, SR5 decal on tailgate, oh and two-tone paint. Seems like alot of work. I am leaning toward plan B) take tags and title from a Deluxe truck and add them to the SR5 truck in order to hide the vehicle history or sell a stolen vehicle. Isn’t that illegal?

A 4 speed transmission? Not on an SR5 truck. Finally, the seller has repeatedly listed this truck has having factory air conditioning. Take a look at the pictures. Anyone that knows anything about original Toyota trucks can see that it does not have air conditioning. How can it be that a one owner truck could be misrepresented like that?

It saddens me greatly that a Toyota like this has fallen into the hands of someone that is less than forthright. It seems to be bringing top dollar though. I hope the money is worth it.

 Up for sale is a 1984 Toyota SR5 4X4 pickup with only 88,546 original miles and original two-tone paint. This truck is loaded with options and the seller has the original window sticker, dealer invoice, dealer brochure, 2 owner’s manuals, 2 owner’s guides, copy of certificate of origin for a vehicle, new car protection plan, 84 tag slip, receipts of maintenance, customer’s comment cards; all included in the sale. The seller bought this truck from the original owner 2 years ago and 1 year ago  put a new 4″ Super Lift, new wheels, and 9.00 x 16 Michelin military tires on it. Also recently installed its first new clutch, two new headlights, rear brakes, and brake master cylinder. Other than that its all original!

The window sticker reads 3-year corrosion perforation, 2.4 Liter ( 2367CC ) Sonic engine, 5- speed overdrive transmission, 2- speed ( Hi/Lo ) transfer case, double wall cargo bed, HR78×15 mud and snow radials, free wheel/locking front hubs, 6-Spoke styled steel wheels, protective steel skid plates, tachometer and oil/volt gauges, SR5 sport stripe / AM / FM MPX, center console / dual mirrors, power steering / tinted glass / fully carpeted / reclining lo-back bucket seats / halogen headlamps / digital clock Upgrades: AM/FM MPX cassette upgrade, two - tone paint upgrade w/chrome rear bumper, power package upgrade has a power antenna, power windows and power disc brakes.

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

Here is a former California show truck with no rust - Very Clean and only 84K original miles! The legendary 4-Cyl 2.4 Liter 22R engine is all stock with a 5 speed transmission (shifts smooth), 4-Wheel Drive (rarely used) never off road, roll bar (not pictured but comes with the truck), power brakes, and sliding rear window. Original paint! No Accidents (a few dings and dimples).

Clean interior, original carpet (a couple of holes were cut in for the roll bar), bench seat,
reupholstered door panels, camper shell (see photos not on the truck), carpet kit.
Garage Kept (most the time), regular oil changes, just passed smog (have Cert. for Ca.).

Now the Good Stuff!!!!!  The Big Body/Suspension Lift….. 4 Inch Body Lift,

6 inch suspension lift, 20 staggered heavy duty chrome rancho shocks, heavy duty suspension/springs, chrome and balanced drive shaft, stabilizer bars, chrome under guard oil pan, chrome rock guard, chrome clamps and extensions. chrome front bumper and lower valance, chrome grill, chrome air cleaner and breather extension, chrome hood release, mesh radiator and heater hoses. Literally Thousand of Dollars in Chrome Work. All Tastefully Done……..

35 x 12.50 x 15 Inch B.F.Goodrich Mud Terrains T/A Radials Tires. Nice Chrome Rims.

Multiple First Place Trophy(s), Multiple Best of Show Winner

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