I first owned an 1987 Toyota Pickup Base model (didn't even have a cigarette lighter) when they were brand spanking new. I drove that thing all over the place, and just loved it. It was light (only like 2600lbs, and nimble for a little truck). At that time I was 24 years old and it was my first new vehicle. Prior to that I'd owned probably 15 used semi-junkers. Immediately before this truck I owned a 72' super-beetle with an 1887 built motor and dual Weber 40's! It could burn the tires off it up to 2nd gear. I never sup'd up the Toyota Pickup I had and later traded it in a Ford Ranger (Big mistake! Piece of shit!). Anyway....
I'd long forgotten about the 87' pickup until I was hunting for a used truck recently as a little fixer-upper for my girlfriend, we found one for $700.00 that had little mechanically wrong with it. And the body was almost perfect except for some dents and a cracked windshield.
I bought it in August of 2013. And immediately went to work on it.
It's not October and I started thinking along the way....that I could seriously make this in a light race truck, but still kind of a daily driver. I didn't really start taking pictures of it until I'd already done a fair amount of work on it, because I wasn't initially thinking this would be anything special.
As I began working on it, I just fell head over heals in love with it. And after doing a fair amount of research and more work on it I discovered this little 22R 1987 2WD pickup had a LOT of potential.
So this blog is dedicated to "Lil Bad Ass". Because when it's all said and done, I'm hoping to make it be somewhere in the 250-300hp range with a supercharger and and rebuilt motor, 5-speed transmission (manual, duh?) heavier balanced race ready drive shaft, and probably something like 4.88 Detroit Locker rear end. So that's kind of where I'm heading...and this blog will take you along for the ride as I get there (hopefully)!
So...more to come soon.
