The Active Life: Baja Truck Adventures

Over the past several months I've enjoyed the use of a 1986 Toyota Pickup turned prerunner (prerunners are off road Baja 500 style trucks usually 2 wheel drive, mine was a 4x4 so it was a bit unique). I nicknamed her Maybeline and took her down to Holister and San Luis Obispo where there are sand dunes. When I told my grandpa about this adventure he explained that when he was in the service as a guard (at a detention camp for WWII soldiers who had dissobayed orders) he used to drive on the same dunes with army jeeps.

Here are the details of Maybeline: She is a custom baja style Toyota pickup, 1986 extra "extended" cab with five speeds and a manual transmission. This baja style racer is truly one of a kind and perfect for four wheeling in Hollister or cruising the sand dunes in SLO, she turns heads wherever she goes and is the real deal in terms of design and construction.

Highlights include a pressure snorkel for the rear differential, body mounted brush guard bumper integrated with engine & cage, front and rear King air shocks with reservoirs for sustained action, bucket racing seats with RJS racing harnesses, racing clutch and custom gearing for improved performance in the desert. Full details follow:

Custom off road Prerunner bumper with four floodlights
Custom louvered skid plate and push guard
Custom rear end with two flood lights and fifth full tire mount + locks & quick access bar
Built in farmers jack / 4x4 jack in rear
Deaver leaf springs with racing style rear differential
Racing clutch
K&N racing filter
King air shocks with built in reservoirs
Built in engine roll cage
Built in cab roll cage
Great interior, working sound system + tweeters
Fiberglass front and rear Fenders
Fiberglass pin on hood
RJS 3 point racing harness for passenger, 4 point for driver
In cab and in engine roll cage