An Adventure-Spec Toyota Hilux SR5 Pickup Truck

This 1982 Toyota Hilux SR5 Pickup Truck has been extensively modified to further improve its off-road ability – all without losing any of its retro 80s charm.

It’s now fitted with lifted suspension, Pro Comp shock absorbers, solid faced 6 lug wheels with 35 inch M/T Baja Claw TTC tires, tubular side step bars, and a bed mounted roll bar with five KC spotlights. All you need to do is throw a tent in the back and it’ll be ready for any adventure you like.

Fast Facts – The Toyota Hilux SR5 Pickup

• The Toyota Hilux SR5 package was first offered as an upscale trim option on the second generation version of the truck in 1972, the name stands for “Sport Rally 5-Speed.”
• The SR5 package was offered again on the third generation of the Hilux, this would also be the first generation of the truck to get an optional four-wheel drive system and updated styling that continues to influence the design of new Toyota trucks today.
• In the North American market Toyota stopped using the Hilux name in 1976 in favor of simply calling it the Toyota Truck or Toyota Pickup Truck. In most other world markets the Hilux name has remained in use.
• The SR5 you see here has been significantly modified with lifted suspension, larger off-road tires, and a slew of other changes to make it even more capable when the asphalt gives way to dirt.

The Origins Of The Toyota “Hilux” Pickup Truck

The Toyota Hilux started out in 1968 as a very simple, and very small rear-wheel drive pickup truck designed to compete with the likes of the Datsun Truck at the lower end of the small commercial truck market.

With its lifted suspension, 35″ tires, and ProComp shocks this Hilux is ready for just about any off-road trail you can find.

The name Hilux was, at least at first, a bit of a misnomer. The trucks weren’t “High Luxury” in any sense of the term, however many decades later they would succeed in living up to the name, carrying a wide range of formerly unheard of luxuries like power steering, power windows, air conditioning, and even cruise control.

The first generation Hilux was designed by Toyota but built by Hino in Japan due to their expertise in truck manufacturing. The second generation version appeared in 1972 with a styling upgrade, and in 1978 the first of the truly modern Hiluxes appeared – and importantly it was offered with four-wheel drive and more ground clearance as an option.

It would be the third generation truck that really defined what the Hilux was globally, even though the name wasn’t used in the North American market. It would be succeeded by the fourth generation model which looked very similar and became famous due to its prominent inclusion in the Back to the Future film trilogy.

The eight generation Hilux is now in production and the popularity of the model series shows no signs of waning, it remains the go-to vehicle of everyone from Australian tradesmen to Middle Eastern warlords.

The interior remains largely original, with a tan bench seat, an uncluttered instrument cluster, and a 5-speed shifter.

The Toyota Hilux SR5 Pickup Truck Shown Here

The vehicle you see here is a highly-modified 1982 Toyota Hilux SR5 Pickup Truck, it’s a member of the truck’s third generation and it comes with the desirable SR5 package – Sport Rally 5 or 5-speed.

It has a white over orange paint scheme with twin transition stripes down the sides, a tan cloth bench seat interior, locking front hubs, custom molded fiberglass fender flairs, a 5-speed manual transmission, and it’s powered by the almost indestructible 2.4 liter 22R inline four-cylinder engine.

The modifications applied to this truck include the fitment a suspension lift as well as Pro Comp shock absorbers, solid-faced alloy wheels with hefty 35 inch M/T Baja Claw TTC tires, front and rear tubular bumpers, a bed mounted roll bar with five KC spot lights, tubular side step bars, and a bed-mounted full-sized spare.

This truck is now due to roll across the auction block with Mecum in the second week of November in Las Vegas. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.

Images courtesy of Mecum

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.