1985 Tan XtraCab Thread (was Oil and Coolant Mixing)

[tacomaJoe73]

@rover67

The old girl is settling in her intended role. You can't really tell but the 'Nest, hood and driver front fender got some experimentation with a buffer and 3M microfinishing compound.






Pulled up next to a Double Cab 3rd gen Tacoma that was also tan at the gas station. Always a conversation starter. Complemented on how it was humming along nicely, so that was a little bit of an ego stroke and in no small part to all the work Dean did on the fuel and ignition.

Congratulations man, was a long road to get it this far... enjoy the memories, glad you're out making new ones with it.

 

[Crash]

@rover67

The old girl is settling in her intended role. You can't really tell but the 'Nest, hood and driver front fender got some experimentation with a buffer and 3M microfinishing compound. The paint is just too faded to pop I think but it helped with rust stains and oxidation.






Pulled up next to a Double Cab 3rd gen Tacoma that was also tan at the gas station. Always a conversation starter. Complemented on how it was humming along nicely, so that was a little bit of an ego stroke and in no small part to all the work Dean did on the fuel and ignition.

The exhaust leak is still there and irritating but seems minor at this point.

Awesome, Dave. Reminds me of many incredible camping trips with the beautiful people driving it way back then where we learned that dining didn’t have to be K rations. Dearly miss those days.

 

[DaveInDenver]

We've started referring to our small fleet as "The White Truck" and "The Tan Truck" so a thread title change seemed necessary to reflect the ongoing reality.

Anita was the first owner. She retired, joined the Peace Corps and sold all of her stuff, which included the truck to Dean. It was already 18 years old then.

I view myself as humble caretaker. I really think any Toyota would prefer getting new dents in the box from a Home Depot run for plywood over a Show and Shine and obsessing over just the right mix of 557 paint code.

I know it joys me that the guy I bought Imelda fused the heck out of it building canoes and proud of the stuff it did and does for Martin and Kevin. As an aside, *that* is why the front wall of the bed is so dented, it spent the first 10 years of its life having a guy jamming 18 foot long wood canoes into a 6' bed and I never had the heart to replace it. I did bend it back so that it wouldn't hit the cab back wall anymore, though.

Dean looked at the '91 with me and I think enjoyed talking woodworking with him more than kicking tires. And he really loved old Toyotas.

 

[DaveInDenver]

We hit 102°F yesterday and it was close to 100°F today. That temp needle is solid stuck at the happy spot even in town traffic. Yea! Now driving around GJ ain't like being stuck in Denver rush hour. So...

 

[DaveInDenver]

If anyone is seriously interested in becoming the next caretaker let me know say in the next week or two, perhaps by the first week of September.

Seemed to run fine last I drove it (been over a month since then) but can't say it's ready for highway. Definitely needs front axle service and the rest of the fluids changed at least before it's attempted.