This is a modified Toyota Xtracab SR5 Pickup from 1985, one of the most desirable model years for the fourth generation Hilux as it was the last year with live axles front and back and the first year with the reworked fuel-injected 22R-E engine.
The 1985 Toyota Pickup is also famous as the all-black 4×4 with KC Daylighter spotlights that was prominently featured in Back to the Future I, II, and II, and Marty McFly’s “dream truck.”
Fast Facts – The Toyota Pickup Xtracab SR5
- The “Xtracab” version of the Toyota Pickup Truck featured a small expanded section of the cab behind the driver and passenger to increase storage room compared to the standard single cab.
- “SR5” stands for “Sport Rally 5” where the 5 means that it has a 5-speed manual transmission.
- The Toyota Pickup Truck, or Hilux in most world markets outside North America, was introduced in 1968 as a simple, small rear wheel drive truck before morphing into the larger four wheel drive pickup we know today in its third generation, in 1978.
- The truck you see here now benefits from a suspension lift, stainless steel exhaust system, 15″ alloy wheels, air conditioning, aftermarket speakers, an Alpine CD stereo, and Ivan “Ironman” Stewart-inspired exterior graphics.
The Fourth Generation Toyota Hilux Pickup Truck
Toyota released the fourth generation version of its pickup truck in 1983, it had similar styling to the third generation model but offered a slew of upgrades to make it more comfortable and more competitive.
This truck has a 6″ suspension lift, 15″ alloy wheels, and 33×12.5″ Cooper Discoverer S/T Maxx tires.
The Xtracab extended cab option was first offered in the fourth generation model, as was the fuel-injected 22R-E engine, and in 1986 the front/rear live axle set up was changed for an independent front end coupled with a live axle rear for better road handling.
Like the earlier generations the fourth iteration of the Hilux would make use of a steel ladder chassis with a stamped steel body on top, a standard layout for many four wheel drives. Toyota was designing their truck to be slightly smaller than the popular American pickup trucks like the best-selling Ford F150, with better fuel economy and oftentimes better reliability.
It was a strategy that worked well for them both in the North American market and around the world, known as the Hilux internationally the truck became a de facto form of transport for everyone from the Mujahideen in Afghanistan and FARC rebels in Colombia to roofers in the USA and farmers in Australia.
The Hilux is now in its eight generation and its popularity is showing no signs of slowing down.
The 1985 Toyota Pickup Xtracab SR5 Shown Here
The Toyota Pickup Truck you see here is finished in white with multicolor Ivan “Ironman” Stewart graphics and racing decals.
Power is provided by the fuel-injected 22R-E engine, a 2.4 liter inline-four gasoline engine producing 113 bhp at 4,800 rpm and 140 lb ft of torque at 3,600 rpm.
Ivan Stewart is one of the most famous American off-road racing drivers in history, he spent much of his carer driving for Toyota and by the time he retired he had won 17 Baja 500s, three Baja 1000s, four SCORE World championships, and three MTEG championships.
Stewart remains the only person in history to win the Baja 1000 overall while driving solo – hence his nickname “Ironman.”
As mentioned in the introduction this truck also has a 6″ suspension lift, 15″ alloy wheels with 33×12.5″ Cooper Discoverer S/T Maxx tires, air conditioning, manually locking front hubs, a a receiver hitch, a glass sunroof, aftermarket speakers, and an Alpine CD stereo.
It’s now being offered for sale out of Royse City, Texas on Bring a Trailer and you can visit the listing here if you’d like to read more about it or register to bid.
Above Video: This Toyota promotional footage shows Ivan “Ironman” Stewart and his team competing in off-road truck stadium racing in 1983. You can see the similarity between the racing livery used here and the livery used on the truck in this article.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
