So I started in the Toyota world with a 3rd Gen. Surf, have had it for around 9 years now.
It has done a bit of touring but not a lot of serious off-road work. After having the head crack and spending a loooong time trying to sort out the cooling system to stop it warming up up hills and when towing, I had the LBJ go and I decided I didn't really trust it anymore. I wanted to build it into a truck that I could keep for a long time and eventually use it to tour Australia, but these two issues are always in the back of my mind when I'm driving.
So I started looking into 1st Gen's and decided that's what I needed. I like the simplicity and I have always liked the shape of these trucks and the removable roof, also, i'm not a fan of big trucks like the Landcruiser or the Nissan Patrol. I picked this one up in March.
I wasn't looking for a solid axle, however this one popped up at a reasonable price so I snapped it up. This is what I'm starting with;
-1985 Toyota Hilux Surf SSR
-2L (2.4l) diesel with approx 340,000km's (originally a 4Y petrol)
-33 x 12.5 Cooper Discoverer STT's (done around 5000km's)
-Custom Tube Bar
-Ironman 9500lbs Winch with Synthetic Rope
-Homemade overhead console
-GME TX3100 UHF
-EFS 3" Springs
-Amadaxtreme shocks
-Extended Shackles
-Tight LSD in the rear
-IFS Rear diff
-Spacers on the front
-Regeared to suit 33's
Drove it 3 hours home, it sits on about 95km/h comfortably. Parked it up in the driveway and started to get it to how I like it.
The paint is pretty average, has had rust repairs and touched up with a color match spray can and has plenty of bush pinstripes. Underneath has been paint bombed black, all the chrome trims were sprayed over either black or color matched to the truck or removed. Its a 'good from far' kinda job. I'm glad I didn't have to deal with any real body rust though, there is a small amount underneath the rear which I'll sort out easily.
I'm a big fan of tasteful chrome so I picked up some new chrome handles, a 1st Gen Pickup grille and some 86-89 headlight doors. This is what I ended up with;
I noticed the drivers side axle seal had gone, so I picked up a few sets of OEM inner axle seals and a Rock Ring kit and dove into my first experience with a solid front axle. After pulling everything apart, I noticed the axle was worn where it was sitting on the seal and previous owners had done a very rough job removing/installing the seals. Picked up a new axle/cv and put it all back together.
Next up was the height, unfortunately in Australia we have some stupid laws. In my state, the maximum overall lift allowed is 2 inches. This includes extra tire height, body lift and suspension lift. I figured I would make it somewhat legal and purchased a 2" lift with EFS Springs and Amadaxtreme Shocks, the same setup that is in there just 1" and a bit lower.
That's where I'm up to for now, just need to torque the U-Bolts on the front and then put the old 30" wheels on there and get it registered. The 33's will definitely be going back on as I like the ride the bigger sidewalls give.
Major plans for the future include a Softopper (very high on the list) and possibly a 3RZ swap. Thinking about something similar to a 'carpet kit' in the rear. I have a drawer in the 3rd Gen and honestly it's kind of ruined the car for me, so I would like to have something modular or at least very minimal. Other than that I just want to get it back to being a nice tidy daily driver/touring rig.
It has done a bit of touring but not a lot of serious off-road work. After having the head crack and spending a loooong time trying to sort out the cooling system to stop it warming up up hills and when towing, I had the LBJ go and I decided I didn't really trust it anymore. I wanted to build it into a truck that I could keep for a long time and eventually use it to tour Australia, but these two issues are always in the back of my mind when I'm driving.
So I started looking into 1st Gen's and decided that's what I needed. I like the simplicity and I have always liked the shape of these trucks and the removable roof, also, i'm not a fan of big trucks like the Landcruiser or the Nissan Patrol. I picked this one up in March.
I wasn't looking for a solid axle, however this one popped up at a reasonable price so I snapped it up. This is what I'm starting with;
-1985 Toyota Hilux Surf SSR
-2L (2.4l) diesel with approx 340,000km's (originally a 4Y petrol)
-33 x 12.5 Cooper Discoverer STT's (done around 5000km's)
-Custom Tube Bar
-Ironman 9500lbs Winch with Synthetic Rope
-Homemade overhead console
-GME TX3100 UHF
-EFS 3" Springs
-Amadaxtreme shocks
-Extended Shackles
-Tight LSD in the rear
-IFS Rear diff
-Spacers on the front
-Regeared to suit 33's
Drove it 3 hours home, it sits on about 95km/h comfortably. Parked it up in the driveway and started to get it to how I like it.
The paint is pretty average, has had rust repairs and touched up with a color match spray can and has plenty of bush pinstripes. Underneath has been paint bombed black, all the chrome trims were sprayed over either black or color matched to the truck or removed. Its a 'good from far' kinda job. I'm glad I didn't have to deal with any real body rust though, there is a small amount underneath the rear which I'll sort out easily.
I'm a big fan of tasteful chrome so I picked up some new chrome handles, a 1st Gen Pickup grille and some 86-89 headlight doors. This is what I ended up with;
I noticed the drivers side axle seal had gone, so I picked up a few sets of OEM inner axle seals and a Rock Ring kit and dove into my first experience with a solid front axle. After pulling everything apart, I noticed the axle was worn where it was sitting on the seal and previous owners had done a very rough job removing/installing the seals. Picked up a new axle/cv and put it all back together.
Next up was the height, unfortunately in Australia we have some stupid laws. In my state, the maximum overall lift allowed is 2 inches. This includes extra tire height, body lift and suspension lift. I figured I would make it somewhat legal and purchased a 2" lift with EFS Springs and Amadaxtreme Shocks, the same setup that is in there just 1" and a bit lower.
That's where I'm up to for now, just need to torque the U-Bolts on the front and then put the old 30" wheels on there and get it registered. The 33's will definitely be going back on as I like the ride the bigger sidewalls give.
Major plans for the future include a Softopper (very high on the list) and possibly a 3RZ swap. Thinking about something similar to a 'carpet kit' in the rear. I have a drawer in the 3rd Gen and honestly it's kind of ruined the car for me, so I would like to have something modular or at least very minimal. Other than that I just want to get it back to being a nice tidy daily driver/touring rig.
Last edited:
. I also damaged one of the rubbers on the wheel cylinder so I picked up the correct set of shoes and some new cylinders, reassembled it all for the 4th time (I'm REAL fast at fitting and removing shoes now!) then adjusted bellcranks (with handbrake cable un-attached). Hooked it all up and bled the brakes. The fluid that came out was filthy so did a complete flush and replace. 
