Could a 1986 Toyota pickup really be worth over $47,000? In this case, yes. While a bit puzzling, it proves that cars and trucks from the 1980s have some hidden value. Or is this just a one-in-a-million fluke?

This Toyota pickup has almost 160,000 on it

This particular Toyota pickup is an Xtracab model with four-wheel drive. Surprisingly, it is not a low-mileage creampuff. It has almost 160,000 miles on the ticker. But this pickup has gone through a “refurbishment” to make it look newer-at least in pictures.

Everything has been cleaned up including the engine compartment. It looks almost like new. The same goes for the interior, except for the steering wheel which looks a little worn. You can see it is shiny, which happens to all plastic wheels.

The only non-factory item inside is the aftermarket radio. Manufacturers were still bonking crappy radios into their offerings. This was before they figured out how much money could be made in offering audio choices. The same thing happened in the 1960s with air conditioning. 

The paint and graphics on the Toyota pickup look almost new

The exterior looks fresh as a daisy right down to the factory graphics. How many of these Toyota pickups do you remember seeing in this beige color? It seemed like Toyota made millions of them, and it did. 

Since 1968 Toyota has cranked out over 11 million Hilux pickups worldwide. In 1986 alone it shot out just under half a million of them. And almost every one of them was this icky shade of beige. Not really.

Even the correct mud flaps and chip guards look brand new

The correct mud flaps and chip guards are present, and the chrome has been redone in some cases. KC Daylighter auxiliary lights were a nice option in 1986. The spray-in bed liner looks great, though these pickups didn’t come with this. It’s a cheap and easy way to hide 160,000 miles of hauling stuff. 

Rounding out the exterior are the chrome steel wheels and BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A off-road tires. All of these pickups came with a 2.4-liter fuel-injected 22R-E four-cylinder banger. When new they cranked out 113 hp and 140 lb-ft of torque. 

So, is this Toyota pickup really worth $47,500?

And this could all be yours for the grand total of $47,500. Is it worth it? Would you pay that much for a 1986 Toyota pickup-even one as nice as this? To the right person, intrinsic value has almost no limits, so there is somebody out there that fits into this wheelhouse. 

You have to admit that seeing this at a show or in the parking lot of Psycho Taco you’d give it a look-see. It looks so clean. And if you were around back in the 1980s you would almost think this just landed from another dimension in 1986. There can’t be many like it.