Under 100K Miles: 1989 Toyota Pickup – SOLD!

February 15, 2022 Update – We confirmed the seller of this “Classifind” deleted their listing, so we’re now able to call this one “SOLD!” While this one got away, please reach out either by email or call us directly if you’d like to be informed when we come across something similar.

If you had told truck enthusiasts a few years ago that they should snap up every used Toyota pickup they could find in order to flip them down the road, most people would have said you were wasting your time. After all, a Toyota didn’t even compare with the domestic pickups in terms of size and brawn – why would people ever collect them? My, how the tables have turned. As we all now know, the Toyota pickups of the late 80s through the early 2000s are in high demand, and this 1989 V6 extended cab was listed originally listed in January 2022 on Craigslist in Alamogordo, Colorado, with under 100,000 miles for $17,500. Comparing this price against the Hagerty Insurance Online Valuation Tool for an ’88 model isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison as the early models are even more sought after, but the seller is on the money valuation-wise with an extended cab V6 model in “Excellent” condition graded at $18,000.

Toyotas are obviously seen as one of the more dependable lineups of trucks on the market today, with the older models even more revered owing to their lack of complexity and bulletproof reliability. While many mid-90s trucks were plagued by frame rot issues that led to the frames being replaced under warranty or simply scrapped if it was too severe, these issues don’t seem to do much to changes the minds of those enthusiasts who live and breathe Toyota truck culture. The big question to me is what drives what: did the increase in truck prices cause reliable used models to look more desirable (since you could buy a good one for less than $25K) or did nostalgia kick in when truck buyers realized the days of an affordable, mid-range pickup were effectively over, so they should grab every used Toyota they could find? I suspect it was a mixture of both, but the fact that you can now conceivably “flip” a Toyota truck for quick money doesn’t hurt, either.

This 1990 Toyota 4×4 Pickup commercial featured on the Library of Old Car Ads YouTube Channel illustrates just how compact and capable this generation of HiLux truly was:

The seller’s truck is a clean 1989 model with low miles for the year, clocking in at a reasonable (for a Toyota) 98,000. The pickup features an extended cab design and the sought-after combination of a five-speed manual with the larger V6 engine. So many of these Toyotas seemingly came with the four-cylinder 22-RE engine, which is a workhorse with incredible reliability, but somewhat agricultural in real life. The seller’s truck is quite clean, with no apparent modifications beyond what looks like a set of OEM wheels from a Toyota 4Runner of the same vintage. Everything is said to work, including the air conditioning, but the seller doesn’t go into any great detail about the service history of the truck; while they don’t need a lot, you still like to hear about belt and fluid changes. The price may seem like all the money to you, but it’s par for the course at this point with Toyota pickups from the 80s and 90s.

Here’s the seller’s description:

“I have a rare 1989 V6 Toyota Pickup in excellent condition with only 98k miles. Manual transmission. Its turns on immediately and engine sounds and drives strong, transmission shifts smooth as butter. Fairly new tires, as well as the truck, is super clean. Everything works, A/C, Heater, Stereo, Cruise Control, Sunroof, Power Locks, and Power Windows. The truck is fun to drive and is looking for a new owner. Interior is in great condition, just has very minor damage to driver side interior door handle. Besides that, I can’t say anything bad about the truck, it is a great collector’s vehicle.“

Do you have a Toyota Pickup story you’d like to share?  Comment below and let us know!