The 3rd gen Toyota Pickup undoubtedly sits at the top of our list when it comes to our idea of the ultimate Toyota. Old school looks, unrivaled reliability, and Toyotas most efficient version of the great 22RE. We put countless miles on Wilson, our personal 3 rd gen and when it came time to look for a truck to restore and sell, Sammy, a 1991 22RE powered Extra Cab 4x4 more than fit the bill.
Sammy came to us out of sunny Arizona. A craigslist find that almost seemed too good to be true but after a few calls on the phone with his previous owner, we knew it was worth the trip out of town to take a look. An original truck, besides a fresh paint job recently complete, Sammy had great bones to build off and just a few months later would roll out of our doors as one the most well sorted Squirrel Trucks to date.
Reliability was our main focus in building Sammy. We would address everything the truck needed and only then would we send it off to a new owner to push his limits and go the extra mile. From the top down, we started with a fresh valve cover reseal while also adjusting the valves and refreshing all the vacuum and airlines. A full ignition tune up followed as well as a complete cooling system overhaul (CSF 3 Row radiator, Aisin water pump, thermostat, fan clutch, and full Toyota cooling hoses all around).
With the motor running strong, we went on to focus on driveline and suspension. Sammy received a full brake job from master to wheel cylinders. All steering components were refreshed from ball joints to tie rods, replaced with only Toyota genuine parts and we capped it all off with fresh fluids and Bilstein 4600 shocks.
Finishing off the build, Sammy got some fresh SR5 wheels refinished by our friends over at RAW Powder coating, wrapped in 31x10.5x15 BFG KO2s. Sammy stayed in our possession for quite some time, making it hard for us to stop in the quest to make him perfect. Odd bits and ends would end up on Sammy before he eventually went to a new home, a full exhaust, new Aisin locking hubs, redone interior etc…little did we know it wouldn’t end there. Not long after Sammy’s purchase, he would end up right back at the shop for a full 4.88 regear, coupled with front and rear ARB air lockers, courtesy of YotaMasters. We’re looking forward to maintaining Sammy for years to come and most of all, seeing all the miles and terrain he’s going to cover under new (and stoked) ownership!