In 2004, when he was 15 years old, Jesse Rzonca and his dad were on the hunt for Jesse’s first 4×4. In eastern Oregon, his dad found a run-down 1985 Toyota pickup on a farm. Haggling ensued with the truck’s owner and culminated in a purchase price of only $700. The Toyota was a prime example of a project truck. Jesse says, “The motor (a 22R-E) was in pieces in the bed, the interior was destroyed by rats and mice, and the exterior gray paint was oxidized and falling off.” After trailering the truck home, his dad handed him a Chilton repair manual and said, “We better get to work.”

1985 Toyota Pickup Engine Rebuild, Manual Transmission Swap

Together, the pair learned how to rebuild the 22R-E four-cylinder engine in the 1985 Toyota pickup, and they got it “running like a top.” Next up was a transmission swap. Why? Jesse says, “The truck came with an automatic, and we found that those really did not pair well with the gutless—but bulletproof—22R-E. So, we found a W56 manual transmission from a local scrapyard for $100 and tossed it in.”

Engine Rebuild #2 And A Rollover

Over the following years, Jesse and his truck had several off-road adventures that resulted in a variety of outcomes. For example, during one off-road foray, the engine got hydrolocked, which required another rebuild of the 22R-E. A rollover came later, ultimately resulting in a swap to a newer 1988 Toyota cab. “Not as easy as one would think it would be,” Jesse says. Soon after that, the factory cargo bed was replaced by a flatbed.

Dual Transfer Cases, A Pair Of Salvaged Axles

Nowadays, Jesse’s Toyota is a fine example of a budget build that works. It still sports the 22R-E and W56 five-speed manual transmission that he installed way back when. Mated to the transmission is a dual transfer case setup, which uses a pair of stock Toyota cases and a Marlin Crawler adapter. The setup gives the truck a maximum low-range ratio of 5.20:1. Up front is a GM Dana 60 axle, and out back is a GM 14-bolt. Jesse salvaged both axles from a project rockcrawler that was in a garage fire. Both have 4.10:1 gears, and Jesse welded the spider gears to create low-buck lockers.

Leaf Springs, Bias-Ply Tires

It’s leaf springs for the win on Jesse’s truck. Up front are a pair of rear Toyota springs, and out back are a pair of 63-inch GM springs. The leaf springs are mounted to custom perches that are frenched into the framerails. “We frenched in the spring perches so we could get the frame a little lower to the ground for a better center of gravity,” Jesse says. Bilstein 5100 shocks handle damping duty at each corner. The big 39.5×13.50/16.5LT Interco IROK bias-ply tires are mounted on re-centered Hummer H1 wheels, and each has an inner beadlock and outer rock rings. Pointing the wheel and tire combo is easy thanks to a Trail-Gear hydraulic steering setup.

Home-Fabbed Rock Sliders And More For The 1985 Toyota Pickup

Other mods to the Toyota include enlarged front wheel openings (approximately two inches), home-fabbed rock sliders, and a front-mounted Warn VR EVO 10 winch. Additionally, the truck has a custom front bumper and a variety of functional components on the custom flatbed.

It Crushed The Rubicon

Recently, Jesse drove his low-buck DIY Toyota over the legendary Rubicon Trail. He reports, “I did not have any real breakdowns. The only thing was a fuse that popped, which caused a crank-no-start issue. It was fixed and back on the trail in less than five minutes.”