Some trucks look like they are done for good. A Toyota Hilux sitting in tall grass and trees, hood open, untouched for more than 20 years, is not an obvious candidate for a comeback. One builder looked at it and asked whether it could be revived.
The comeback was condensed into a short build story by @connor__lund.
View on Instagram
A truck left in the weeds
The story opens on an old, neglected Hilux with its hood up, surrounded by grass and forest. Text on screen says it has not been driven in over 20 years and asks whether it can be revived. A quick shot of the exhaust shows a thick cloud of white smoke, a sign that the engine at least responds to something.
Big tires first
Before anything else, the builder goes for the stance. A man in a cap and work shirt poses with an oversized Mickey Thompson tire beside the front fender and gives a thumbs up. He then grinds metal out of the inner fender well with an angle grinder, sparks flying, to make room. The truck ends up sitting up on large off road tires, shown in daylight and under lights at night.
An engine rebuild right in the truck
The heart of the job is an in frame rebuild of the Toyota 22R engine. The builder pulls the cylinder head, cleans the valves on a tarp, removes the pistons and hones the cylinders with a ball hone on a drill. He measures with micrometers, fits new piston rings and taps a piston assembly back into the block with the handle of a wooden mallet. His own commentary is light, with lines about a little 22R rebuild and easing a piston in.
Everything loose, broken or empty
Then comes the rest of the truck. Text on screen explains that everything was loose or broken, or completely empty. The montage shows tires going on, universal joints being changed with an impact tool, the driveshaft bolted up and differential fluid drained, followed by final engine checks. Then the builder gets in and the Hilux, for the first time in two decades, moves forward out of its overgrown parking spot. A caption simply says she is moving.
First drive and a trail run
The reward is a sunset cruise on a paved road, shot from above, and then a map and a trip into the backcountry. The 52 year old truck climbs rocky inclines, squeezes through tight forest paths, flexes over logs, drives along riverbeds and pushes through thick brush. A note on screen says the whole sequence is three 16 hour days of work squeezed into about 90 seconds, and that a much longer revival video exists elsewhere.
Takeaways for reviving a sleeper
- Start by finding out whether the engine will turn over and run before committing to a full plan.
- An in frame rebuild can save the time and cost of pulling an engine, as long as the block is in good shape.
- After years of sitting, expect fluids to be empty or dried out and fasteners to be loose or corroded.
- Check driveline parts such as universal joints and differential fluid before the first drive.
Credit for the original post goes to @connor__lund on Instagram.