He Bought Somebody Else’s Dream Truck, a Rust Free 1988 Toyota Pickup on 35 Inch Tires, and the Reason He Bought It Is a Story of Its Own

Every once in a while a truck comes along that makes you stop scrolling. A 1988 Toyota pickup riding on 35-inch tires, with a floor that is still solid and a bed that is not rotted out, is exactly that kind of truck. The man behind TheRoadAfterWrench just bought one, and he opens his walk-around with a line that says it all: he bought somebody else’s dream truck.

A video cover about a rust free 1988 Toyota pickup beside a stock photo of a silver pickup truck on a tree-lined road.

The previous owner had a vision for it. Through a series of photos, you can watch it take shape one piece at a time, until it became the truck you see today. Now the new owner gets to take it on adventures of his own. And as for why he bought it, that is a story he says deserves its own video. He gives us the short version anyway.

What He Bought

He calls it a typical recipe-built Toyota, and the recipe is a good one. Up front there is a solid axle swap, with the axle housing gusseted and face plated, stock Birfield axles inside, IFS hubs with Tacoma rotors and V6 brakes, and an IFS steering box with high steer. The frame is plated from body mount to body mount in the front section. Suspension is 4-inch Trail Gear leaf springs at both ends, extended shock hoops, and 12-inch Bilstein shocks. The truck sits on 35-inch Cooper STT Pro tires.

The rear axle is IFS width to match the front, with new wheel bearings and seals, and both axles run 4.56 gears. There is also an inspection hole on the top of the rear housing. That is a clever touch: if you hear odd noises, you can pop it open and look inside without pulling the differential.

The engine is the less exciting part. It is the basic 22RE four-cylinder, which he describes as tired, slow and burning oil. It is paired with a five-speed. The truck began life as a two-wheel drive, five-lug pickup in Arizona and was imported to Canada in 2020, so it has only seen about six winters. It also came with extras: a hood that he once sold to the previous owner from a parted-out 4Runner (so the part has come full circle), powder-coated headache racks front and rear, a spare 2RZ-FE engine, and a canopy.

The Rust Is What Matters

For anyone who has owned an old Toyota truck in a place that salts its roads, this is the headline. He says the cab corners and rockers are not rotten, the frame is immaculate, and the box is the best 1980s pickup box he has ever seen. A seam that normally rots out is still in good shape. Even the floor inside is solid, which he called the shocking part, since the passenger side is usually gone. Sun has faded the clear coat and baked the seats and dash, but he says he is more concerned with rust than with paint.

Why He Bought It

This is the interesting part. It was not an impulse buy, and he says whether he needs it is about 50/50. He bought it to temporarily replace his 4Runner, which he broke badly. In his own words, he broke the frame, and the repair will be extensive. He plans to build it back up during the week and use this truck on weekends to camp, wheel, and film content for the channel. He has also decided to rethink the 4Runner’s suspension while it is apart.

He says he may sell this truck when the 4Runner is done, or he may get attached and keep it. He does not know. His other truck, a blue Tacoma, is comfortable and fuel-efficient, but it cannot get to the places this one can.

The Good, the Goofy and the Plans

He loves the wheels, the tires, the canopy and the clean wiring. It is a stock-looking truck, which is how it picked up its nickname, Grandpa, from the previous owner. He likes that the engine and interior are complete and unmolested.

He is also honest about the flaws. It is tall and stiff. The auto column shifter is still in place even though there is a five-speed on the floor. The combination of 35s, 4.56 gears and a tired 22RE is gutless and thirsty, and the fuel tank is a smaller two-wheel drive one, about 40 to 45 liters, rather than the 60 to 65 liters of a 4×4 tank. The console is not bolted down, the driver’s seat is worn, the interior is rough, and the truck came without carpet because it leaks water.

The plans are long. He will swap the engine for sure, build a bed platform for camping, work on the springs to soften the ride, add bump stops to save the fenders, and fit boomerang shackles because the front shackles hit the frame. He is thinking about pulling the body off to paint the frame, and possibly painting the truck. The previous owner dreamed of a 2RZ swap and a turbo, and the new owner says he is leaning toward following that dream, partly so the original builder can see it, since he knows he watches the channel.

What to Look For in a Used Truck Like This

Check the floor, cab corners, rockers, bed seams and frame. Rust in those places is a bigger issue than faded paint.
Ask where the truck has lived. A dry-state truck can be a much better starting point than one from a salty region.
Look at what is already built. Gusseted axles, plated frames and quality springs can save you thousands.
Think about fuel range. Big tires and tall gears can wreck mileage, so know what you are getting into.
Budget for the small stuff, like water leaks, carpet and seat repair.

It is a reminder that a solid base is worth more than a perfect paint job. As he says, it makes a great skeleton to build something with.

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