Small, durable, and affordable. Those are the keywords for the 1981 Toyota 4WD small truck recently offered on eBay. About a year ago, the owner enhanced the small, mighty workhorse with new exterior paint, interior upholstery, and a collection of off-road accessories.
In Praise of Ruggedness
Recent buzz about small trucks, such as the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz, could mean a new wave of mini haulers. These contemporary trucks blend space, utility, and fuel efficiency. Moreover, they come in a price range well below standard-issue full-size trucks.
You can trace the lineage of new small compacts to this ’81 Pickup. It’s rock-solid—four decades into its service.
Hagerty praises the understated reliability of early Toyota trucks:
Toyota pickups have traditionally commanded a premium over their utilitarian counterparts, no doubt due in part to their owners’ ongoing love affair with these hardworking and durable smaller trucks. Compared to domestic competitors of the era, many of these Toyotas look as if they were built three-quarter scale. But history shows they were no less capable.
Compact pickups have a distinct advantage on the road: maneuverability. The ’81 Pickup is three feet shorter and eight inches narrower than a contemporary Toyota Tacoma. As a result, the Toyota Pickup is easier to squeeze into tight spaces and quicker to load and unload cargo. Today’s supersized pickups can be a bear on crowded roadways and tight parking lots.
A Platform for Enhancements
Rock-solid reliability is often cited as to why many truck owners are willing to install upgrades and accessories. This truck was modded with these items:
- Exhaust headers with a Flowmaster muffler - opens in new window or tab.
Nearly every piece of the Toyota engine platform can be repaired or enhanced with affordable parts. eBay’s inventory provides loads of ideas:
The 1981 Toyota already has these add-ons:
- Front and rear brush guards
An Engine That Won’t Stop
The beating heart of the 1981 Toyota pickup is its 22R engine - opens in new window or tab.—a 2.4L SOHC 4-cylinder producing 97 horsepower. The engine's life started in Japan in 1953, although the US market didn’t see it until 1958. That's when Toyota exported its first model to America, the Toyota Crown - opens in new window or tab..
The 22R engine has provided 40 years of service, spreading across dozens of models.
A 2010 study by R.L. Polk & Company showed that over 80 percent of Toyotas sold in the prior 20 years are still on the road. That says big things about Toyota's small pickups.
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This article is meant to provide general guidance only. Automotive maintenance, repair, upgrade, and installation may depend on vehicle-specifics such as make and model. Always consult your owner's manual, repair guide for specific information for your particular vehicle and consider a licensed auto-care professional's help as well, particularly for advance repairs.