Buttercup
1982 Longbed 4x4 22R Pickup
THE RUNDOWN
Buttercup came to us as a 1982 Longbed Pickup in relatively good condition, with a smooth running 22R that fired up every single time. With that said, basic maintenance was lacking and some less than desirable repairs from the previous owner needed to be addressed. A cooling system overhaul, knuckle/steering rebuild, and basic mechanical refresh was the ticket to building a cross country capable truck, ready to hit the road in the next chapter of this Toyota truck love story.
Mark lead the charge on the Buttercup project starting with a full diagnosis, making a list of repairs, and gathering all nescessary parts for the build. One of the main areas that needed attention were the steering components, leaking oil from the knuckles and clicking on rotation of the steering box. A full cooling overhaul was also in store with a new water pump, hoses, full flush, and the installation of a CSF 3 row radiator. Also among the list, a new Aisin oil pump, front main seal, and belts with a few other odds and ends that would help seal up the motor using all new accessories and gaskets.
The knuckles were a big focal point in the Buttercup project as they were leaking heavily and in dire need of a rebuild. All new seals and bearings were sourced, key joints cleaned and regressed, and all reinstalled by the book with proper preloads and torque specs in mind. In addition, the steering box was removed and taken to a specialist up the road for remanufacturing.
The 22R didn’t need much in order to dial it in but we tore it apart anyways. We started with the basics, getting the motor in time, installing all new vacuum lines, preforming a valve adjustment and resealing the cover. A leaking oil pump gave us the excuse to tear it off for a new one, replacing the front main seal as well as the oil pump drive spline and harmonic balancer bolt in the process. Buttercup being a roadtrip minded truck, the old radiator was removed and swapped with a new CSF 3 row and the water pump was replaced along with radiator hoses, by pass hoses, a new thermostat, and the addressing of a leak on the EGR coolant plate. New plugs, a solid carb tune, and a deep deep cleaning with some paint rounded off the work needed for this truck to also be a reliable daily driver.
We’ve always been a fan of patina. Not only because of the looks but aren’t trucks that can be used and abused just that much better? Although the paint had definitely seen better days, Mark gave it his special touch with the polish wheel to bring the faded red back to life. The patina’d hood and roof got a healthy coating of boiled linseed oil for protection adding a bit of extra shine to the rusted appearance. To round out the aesthetics and add some new found performance, brand new 33x10.5x15” BFGoodrich KO2’s were mounted on freshly refinished Toyota SR5s.
Overall, the Buttercup project resulted in budget friendly restoration of a truck that now has many more miles ahead of faithful service. Although not perfect, we managed to pass this on to the new owner with a solid baseline and a clear list of recommendations, giving them an opportunity to get their hands dirty later down the line and truly make this beautiful 82’ pickup their own. Happy Travels Buttercup!