Tyler Geertsma knew he would have a workhorse on his hands when a family friend offered to sell him an 1985 Toyota last October. Being on a college student\u2019s budget, it was an opportunity at the right price. Photos courtesy of Tyler.<\/p>\n
In 1979 the Motor Trend truck of the year was the 4×4 Chevrolet LUV. It was a small, but \u201ccapable\u201d and very cost-effective trucklet. The LUV was essentially a Japanese truck, as Chevrolet outsourced its manufacturing to Isuzu, which Chevy partially owned.<\/p>\n
At this time, Toyota was fairly new to the United States truck market, bringing the internationally known Hilux model, and its US sales lagged every other maker.<\/p>\n
One decade later, as part of its surge into the US market, Toyota won over Motor Trend with its Xtracab SR5, which the magazine named its new truck of the year (Motor Trend did not issue truck-of-the-year awards between \u201979 and \u201988). But by then, the SR5 had already proven itself as an indestructible vehicle with the legendary 22R engine. Good gas mileage, a reliable engine, capable of running on nearly no oil, and retailing for just over $10,000. Perhaps because of the success of the LUV, Toyota had obviously retooled to match the market\u2019s direction and created a winner.<\/p>\n
And the results created a legacy that would last decades.In true \u201cit doesn\u2019t matter what you drive” fashion, Tyler Geertsma knew he would have a workhorse on his hands when a family friend offered to sell him an 1985 Toyota last October. Being on a college student\u2019s budget, it was an opportunity at the right price.<\/p>\n
In Toyota years, despite being an \u201985, Tyler had found a baby. It only had 74,000 miles on it. The original owner used it as a ranch truck in Tehachapi, CA, so it got short spurts of hard work and long rests in the barn.<\/p>\n
He wasn\u2019t looking for this year or model specifically, but a solid-axle Toyota was on his wish list. A 4×4 Toyota with low mileage would definitely fit the bill.The owner told him that it was in great shape and needed no major repairs. This, he later found, was not exactly true. After driving with a friend from Southern California, where he lives, to the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon and through Zion National Park all the way back to California, a funny idle hinted that something was wrong.<\/p>\n
Tyler and his friend then spent hours chasing down vacuum leaks and fixing every problem they could find, but something was still off. They decided at that point to do some testing, and a compression test revealed the truck had been running on two dead cylinders and another on its way out.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy buddy and I drove about 1,200 miles on one-and-a-half cylinders,\u201d Tyler said. \u2014 That\u2019s how reliable these trucks can be. They just drive. Tyler\u2019s previous rig was a \u201997 Jeep TJ, but he wasn\u2019t worried about giving it up in exchange for a truck a decade older.<\/p>\n
\u201cHonest to God, a solid axle Toyota is going to get me anywhere that Jeep got me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
But it was obvious Amelia\u2014that\u2019s what Tyler calls the Toyota, after Amelia Earhart because Amelia was \u201cdefinitely a badass\u201d\u2014needed substantial work. First on the agenda was a long block from a company in Moreno Valley, CA called Qimura\u2019s Engines, which Tyler chose because the company uses all LC Engineering parts.<\/p>\n
From there, it was time to do the rest: LC Engineering long tube header, starter, alternator, belts and some paint for a vintage aesthetic.<\/p>\n
Aside from the motor and a few other touches, Tyler\u2019s concept was to keep the truck looking as original as possible, including the \u201cOG\u201d 1985 white steel wheels.\u201cIt totally has a lot of charm,\u201d he said. And luckily, Tyler\u2019s best friend Austin and his father who are starting up their own fabrication company supplied a lot of tools and labor, which Tyler says he paid for in tacos and beer.<\/p>\n
\u201cI honestly was there just to hand them tools,\u201d he said with a laugh. McMillin Fabrication is the name of the company, and they specialize in Toyotas in Suzuki\u2019s. Then it was time to find a replacement for the original camper shell. Tyler found possibly the last custom fabricator of the original aluminum shells in all of California. \u201cHe\u2019s called USA Camper Shells in Montclair, California. He\u2019s been building these things since the \u201980s and still going strong.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since the finishing the engine work, Tyler said the truck has been a solid performer. \u201cIn all reality, other than the fact that I had no idea it would need a full restoration, it is basically what I expected,\u201d he said. \u201cIt continues to surpass my offroad expectations every time I go out. That’s for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite the Toyota\u2019s 22R putting out a whopping 118 horsepower (give or take), Tyler says he has never been stuck once. And not only that, he gets regular unsolicited offers to buy Amelia, mostly from the hipster crowd.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince mine is\u2014in all reality\u2014a hipster mobile, the most offers I get come at breweries. \u2018Oh man, you wanna sell that truck?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
For the record, no. He does not. He originally gained his appreciation and love for the outdoors through his father, Ted, who passed away when Tyler was 12. \u201cHe was a mountain man to the bone, and loved exploring the mountains and deserts of California,\u201d he said. As a diesel generator mechanic, Ted\u2019s work took him to some pretty remote locations in the deserts and mountains of California, driving in his bright red F-150.<\/p>\n
Tyler says his father\u2019s memory is the reason Amelia is likely going to keep her original red paint job and the reason why he carries his father\u2019s old boots wherever he goes.<\/p>\n