1981 Toyota Tacoma

Pickup DLX Pickup truck

2.2L 4 Cylinder Diesel Fuel

Manual

JT4LN44D0B0030864

Diesel

I am reluctantly putting my Toyota Diesel Pickup up for sale. The listing price is far far less than I have invested in it- but I know I wont get it all back. I'll do my best here to detail everything- there should be nothing left out- as I've tried to cover everything possible. I bought this truck a while back to put my money where my mouth was and stop buying fossil fuels, there was a neighborhood pumping station that sold 100% refined biodiesel and I made use of that through this truck. They've stopped selling it and I have two of these trucks and it now makes no sense for me to be in this position. I bought the truck a few years back and was told it lacked power. I later found out it had cracked head and was severely abused from lack of engine care. Detail about the truck: This truck body has 89K on the miles- I believe by the shape of the truck that the dial has NOT turned over, as it still rides smooth, drives straight, is not a rust bucket and otherwise is in good shape. The seats are usually a good indication and they are in very good shape and appear to be original. THE GOOD: Engine: After finding the engine problems I tried a quick fix and it didnt work, so I found a spare engine elsewhere and completely stripped and had the block boiled and cleaned by engine shop and completely rebuilt with new polished crank/bearing, rods, rings, rebuilt and repaired head by a professional shop, everything that could be done to the block was done. At considerable time and expense. Additionally- New Timing belt. New clutch and bearing were also done. Rebuilt Injection Pump at Diamond Diesel in Oakland- that was $1500 alone. New radiator. Shipped from North Carolina. New brake booster. Batteries are about 2 years old. Transmission: 5 speed overdrive manual Transmission. Shifts smooth and does not make any noise. Also the Center bearing and U-joint was recently replaced. Interior: I've since replaced the dash with a woodgrain SR5 version, as the old one was cut up, replaced the cracked glass over the speedometer. Carpeted interior floor. The interior otherwise is in very good shape, especially for it’s age. Body New brake Shoes and New Tires all the way around. Tires still have the mold nubbies on them. New headlamps with halogens lamps. Many of the faded signal lenses were also replace with factory new ones. The truck has all the original hub caps with new painted rims. THE BAD: There are couple of issues - Transmission: The 5 speed transmission sometimes falls out of 3rd gear if you're not accelerating, the weight of the long stick shift is just enough if you hit a bump, it doesnt happen all the time, and time spent in 3rd gear is normally a very short period so it's not really a problem. Otherwise the tranny shifts very smooth and is quiet. Its’ only in 3rd gear. Body: There are some Minor things here, There is some real rust on the tailgate-This is the only place that has rust of any seriousness- I did not replace the tailgate because I couldn’t find a good match and it has the diesel decal on it. Seeing how there the tailgate can be tossed for new one I don’t consider this serious. I have had the truck for a few years and been all over it, and this is the only real rust I can find and would be of any concern over. It has not worsended since I've owned it. minor surface scratch rust on the bed, nothing bad. The rear bumper is tweeked, looks like someone bumped into something with it. and it has some minor surface rust. New bumper would make that go away. There are some very minor dings here an there. The truck has the original paint, and it's a little oxidized, a good waxing might take care of that. although there is some fading on the hood. I was not doing this because thought I'd just have the truck painted. Interior: The headliner has some stains and a rip, but I have new one ready to replace it- just havent gotten to it. The new headline will go with the truck. The plastic around the hood release cable just broke like last week, you can still use it- but it should be replaced. None of these things are egregious and are minor, and given enough time I'd fix them too. Engine: The original glow plug system has the notorious tripped timer on it- so I added an aftermarket glow plug timer and problem solved. However all the original parts for the old timer are still in place if you decide to go back and give it a try. But as it is now two clicks on the key will get it going right up. Update: the hood release bakelite just cracked as I put this on ebay- it still works but not well- a new hood release cable would be desirable. Other Notes: I've replaced many many items on this truck, but it's still 30 years old- but please dont expect a 2010 truck. I prefer OEM parts and original equipment is used wherever possible. The truck does not have Air Conditioning or Power Steering. But with the new narrow tires on it steering is not that hard. Since the engine was rebuilt, truck runs great, the engine looks clean and no leaks. I turned up the fuel pump and this gives a lot more power to climb the hills around my house and gives it better highway speeds. Because of this, there is some minor white smoke on starting, but goes away upon warm up. The power trade off is worth the difference. I can climb the rather steep hills in my area around San Francisco with no problem. Keep in mind however these truck were built in a time when 55mph was the limit and gas mileage was critical. This truck in it's current condition gets about 26 miles to a gallon, but could probably would get more if you backed off on the fuel pump. There's a fuel adjustment screw on the fuel pump that can change this. Mileage/power tradeoff. However dont plan on winning any drag races. The truck is currently registered and titled in California. It was my daily driver. I never ran grease or homemade bio diesel in it - only commercially refined 100% biodiesel or real diesel. Right now the tank is full of regular dino diesel which is all I can get around here now. Because of the engine problems I have a spare engine I'm willing to sell with truck for an extra $500 parts are getting hard to find. Along with repair manuals and other parts. The spare engine is nearly complete with all the parts to drop it in. If someone wants it alone, I’ll need $900. The Injection Pump alone is worth $500. The truck has a lumber rack on it now. I hate to sell it but I dont need it- I need the money worse. It is also for sale locally. It’s good little truck. Nice to get around town, and carry stuff with. Feels strong and for a diesel of that era it has a little pep. I’ve written as much as I can think of, about the truck. If you still have questions please feel free to ask. lots more pictures here. https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=dustball62&target=ALBUM&id=5591474017981144225&authkey=Gv1sRgCLe7oqOo3fr75AE&feat=email Be sure to look at the photos. I personally rate this truck a 7-8 out of 10 overall. However-This truck is sold as is- where is. All sales final. I will help with getting it shipped, or local pickup is fine. Payment to paypal of $500 within 5 days of auction completion and full payment with cleared 7 days personal check on US banks within 10 days is fine before I release the vehicle and title. Lots of flakes here on ebay nowadays, please keep your word and I'll keep mine. Please dont bid if you dont fully intend to purchase this vehicle. I know buying vehicles with large sums of cash on ebay is scary, but it can work out OK, I've done it twice. One these trucks recently sold on Ebay here for $3750 - it was a rust bucket- this truck NOT a rust bucket and nowhere is the frame or body seriously rusted- The tailgate as mentioned before is the only serious area. Minor spots in the bed that could be addressed. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250786054208&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT Ebay item number - 250786054208 On May-19-11 at 19:10:27 PDT, seller added the following information: I was asked to post more pictures of the frame, interior and engine- I've taken more and posted them on Picasa link shown in the ad- Thanks to all those of you that are considering.