May 14, 2021  •  For Sale  •  42 Comments

Only 1,865 Miles? 1971 Toyota Hilux Survivor

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The Toyota Hilux was Toyota’s most successful global pickup truck. Known in America, after the first generation, simply as the “Toyota Truck,” it helped solidify Toyota’s reputation as producing reliable, simple, affordable, and practical vehicles. This first-generation model comes with a 1.9 liter 8R single overhead cam inline four-cylinder engine, producing 97 horsepower when new, and driving the rear wheels through a four-speed manual transmission. You can find this 1971 example here on the Madison, Wisconsin craigslist near Columbus for $39,000. Special thanks to Lou W for letting us know about it.

This specific Hilux’s claim to fame–and justification for that high price–is that the odometer shows just 1,865 miles. It’s barely been used, and it looks the part. Everything is in exceptional condition. The seller’s images are mostly detail shots; odometer, carburetor, jack, seatbelts, et cetera. The detail shot above, of the odometer, not only proves the mileage, but the fact that the plastic lens is as clear as it is lends some credence that it’s actual mileage and it hasn’t rolled over yet.

Inside, you’re going to find absolutely zero wear, with the factory plastic still on the door cards and sun visors. The seller doesn’t include images of the dashboard, but all of the necessary bits are displayed. You got pictures of the odometer, the floor, and the door, so you can extrapolate what condition the rest of the interior is in from that. My knowledge of 70s-era Toyota Hiluxes is embarrassingly lacking, so someone may want to correct me on this, but I can hazard a guess that you won’t be getting air conditioning, and the FM band on the radio might be a stretch. It’s a truck, built for work. It’ll get done what needs to get done, screw comfort, and that’s a selling feature by itself. They don’t make them like they used to, and when the smallest pickup truck on the market is twice the size of this and proportionally priced, this workhorse is a true time capsule.

Toyota pickup trucks are so ubiquitous in the world that wars have been fought using almost exclusively them. Worth a watch: TopGear did a segment where they tried to kill one and failed hilariously. Despite their mortality rates being parallel with cockroaches and Volvos, older Toyota pickups seem to be hard to come by, especially examples as showroom fresh as this one. If you have a spare $39,000 and need a work truck or something that will turn heads at Cars & Coffee, this truck is for you.

Comments

  1. angliagt angliagtMember
    May 13, 2021 at 5:43pm

    $39000…….for a ’71 Hilux –
    NOW I’ve seen it all.

    Like 19
    • rmwardMember
      May 13, 2021 at 6:31pm

      $6,000-$7,000 might be more like it

      Like 11
      • Car Nut Tacoma
        May 15, 2021 at 9:45am

        I’d pay close to $10,000 for a truck like this. $20,000, however nice a condition it may be in, is a bit optimistic for a Japanese truck, most of which have most likely been used and abused to such that it had eventually fallen apart and junked.

        Like 0
    • Terrry
      May 14, 2021 at 11:13am

      i did a double take. I first thought it was $3900. It might be worth 10k tops.

      Like 7
      • Darvin46
        Jul 27, 2021 at 6:00pm

        Hmm…did you see what it sold for and bring a trailer lol. So many guys and so many opinions..

        Like 0
  2. nycbjrMember
    May 13, 2021 at 8:07pm

    Why would anyone not drive/use and squirrel this away? Makes zero sense lol

    Like 9
  3. Bluetec320 Bluetec320
    May 13, 2021 at 10:26pm

    Sorry, but I am not buying the mileage claim. Why is the number 8, number 6, and number 5, not in line with the number 1?? My guess is that someone turned the odometer back to that mileage. This is just my opinion, but I have owned a lot of new cars and I have never seen that happen on any of my vehicles. I have said this before, and I will say it again, I am very skeptical of any “ultra low mileage” claim on a 5 digit odometer unless it has documentation to back it up. Also, why do some of the pictures look 40 years old and yellow, and some do not?

    Like 11
    • Steve R
      May 14, 2021 at 11:16am

      You guys are just a bunch of skeptics. The seller is telling the truth. He provided three forms of proof, a picture of the speedometer, oil changing sticker and of the clutch and brake pedals. It looks like he have even cleaned it up prior to listing it. You don’t go to that much trouble if you are lying. That effort goes above and beyond 90% of sellers making low mileage claims, most only shows a picture of the speedometer.

      Steve R

      Like 11
      • Skorzeny
        May 14, 2021 at 11:31am

        Understanding that they could be replaced sometimes, my go to was always the pedals. Something that a lot of people would overlook when making low mileage claims.

        Like 3
      • Steve R
        May 14, 2021 at 11:56am

        Me too, I’d always look at the pedals.

        I’d accept multiple forms of evidence like when I was looking at cars, however, I won’t accept it when the price is a multiple of what it otherwise would be. In cases like this, with such a high asking price, there needs to be hard proof.

        Steve R

        Like 1
      • Larry
        May 14, 2021 at 12:11pm

        For $39K if I was a dishonest seller, you could find some $500
        NOS pedals and put them on. It’s foolish to think because the pedals look new or some oil change sticker is on there that the mileage is accurate.

        Like 1
    • Ryan Naro
      May 15, 2021 at 9:36pm

      Owning a lot of 60’s and 70’s vehicles I can say with confidence that the odometer readings are never straight.

      Like 1
    • Trav
      May 17, 2021 at 12:17pm

      It’s fairly common for old Toyota odometers to not line up – even with low mileage. They are plastic and even with minimal usage, over time, they distort.

      Being an avid 70s Toyota guy with an emphasis on this particular model, this truck is absolutely correct in every way. It’s hard enough to find used parts for these let alone anything NOS and this truck has it all. Zero rust in the common areas. Zero paint fade. Undercarriage is immaculate. Original tires. Plastic in the door cards. The list goes on.

      It might be priced high but so is every muscle car on the planet. Japanese cars of this era are skyrocketing in price too.

      They say there is a sucker born every minute but what they fail to mention is the skeptic twin who is just minutes behind.

      Like 1
  4. Bluetec320 Bluetec320
    May 13, 2021 at 10:26pm

    Sorry, but I am not buying the mileage claim. Why is the number 8, number 6, and number 5, not in line with the number 1?? My guess is that someone turned the odometer back to that mileage. This is just my opinion, but I have owned a lot of new cars and I have never seen that happen on any of my vehicles. I have said this before, and I will say it again, I am very skeptical of any “ultra low mileage” claim on a 5 digit odometer unless it has documentation to back it up. Also, why do some of the pictures look 40 years old and yellow, and some do not?

    Like 8
    • Terrry
      May 14, 2021 at 11:15am

      I used to repair instrument clusters and mechanical odometers, and I believe you’re right. That counter screams ‘I’ve been tampered with”.

      Like 9
    • Darvin Frey
      May 20, 2021 at 7:54pm

      Date coded tires in new condition help?

      Like 0
  5. Terrry
    May 14, 2021 at 11:12am

    Sorry, that’s 101k miles. Mechanical odo numbers lined up perfectly even “first time around”. This one has either rolled over or been turned back.

    Like 5
  6. ace10
    May 14, 2021 at 11:15am

    Miles shown on Odo look entirely believable based on the low-res pictures. Yes, there appears to be some freshening here and there, but that is as solid a first gen (N10) as I’ve ever seen.

    The right buyer would go to $25-30 without hesitation.

    Cue the import haters, the truck haters and especially the import truck haters.

    Like 8
    • Steve R
      May 14, 2021 at 11:40am

      My hate isn’t directed at it being either a truck or import, it’s directed at the the repeated acceptance of claims by sellers that offer absolutely zero proof. There is often no signs of skepticism when there is no documentation offered, which is almost always absent from the conversation. It seems like pictures and a nice interior us all that’s necessary for the seller to be believed. I’d be happy if a simple caveat were included, but it rarely is.

      Steve R

      Like 5
      • ace10
        May 14, 2021 at 12:05pm

        Regarding the Odo digits… I am the second owner of a ’67 Land Cruiser. It reads a very-much unaligned 78XXX.X
        I have documentation back to the early 70s.

        It’s so lazy for some to look at that one picture and then dismiss what it shows.

        Look at the wear items. Pedals. Seats. Door threshold trim…

        These are cheap, soft items that wear fast. You could reupholster the bench, but the rest is NLA from Mr T. And there aren’t exactly stockpiles of N10 NOS parts lying around.

        Like 7
  7. flmikey
    May 14, 2021 at 12:04pm

    Even if the miles are correct, and in my opinion they are, it’s only worth what someone will pay for it…15K maybe? Also, I love the picture of the sticker that shows where the vehicle was sold new…Evanston Rolls Royce/Toyota….what a combo!!!

    Like 4
  8. Russell Bounds
    May 14, 2021 at 1:06pm

    Mileage is probably close – too much of the truck looks to be unscathed.
    As to price – it may go for the ask – but it is not worth much more than 8-10 k to me. And at that I would have some reservations.
    It is a weird time in America – pricing to the moon…

    Like 3
    • 370zpp 370zpp
      May 14, 2021 at 1:45pm

      It is a weird time in America, period.

      Like 17
  9. Kelly McKnight
    May 15, 2021 at 10:09am

    I had a 72 model. Guys, the door panel plastic is absolutely original. No one woulld have thought of faking that, and there’s no way it would have lasted 100,000 miles. This is the real deal.

    Like 6
    • Rick
      May 15, 2021 at 11:53am

      I also noticed the “fabric” upper radiator hose and the clamp are either the factory originals, or someone tracked down some NOS parts and swapped them out.

      Like 2
    • Mahlon Ray
      May 15, 2021 at 12:01pm

      Correct mileage or not, it’s still way over priced!

      Like 2
  10. charlieMember
    May 15, 2021 at 12:28pm

    Years ago one looked at the pedals. Now, they do not tell much. The pedals on my 2002 Audi with 185,000 miles, my 2014 Audi with 100,000 miles (bought new) and my 2005 Toyota 4Runner with 155,000 miles (bought one year old) show no wear at all. And I don’t drive in just socks to keep them nice. And the mechanical odometers often did not line up well at 75,000 miles but should line up at less than 2000.

    Like 1
  11. Steve Clinton
    May 15, 2021 at 12:52pm

    If someone in 1971 told me that someday everyone would have computers, there would be an internet, there would be sites where you could purchase any car you wanted, and there would be a ’71 Hilux for sale for $39,000.00, I’d say they were out of their ever-lovin’ mind.

    Like 5
  12. Bear
    May 15, 2021 at 5:38pm

    Pretty Cool! (y)
    Definitely “1865 miles cool”.
    …but certainly NOT “$39K cool”.

    I wish they still made basic inexpensive mini pickups like this.
    (I used to have a ’71 Datsun p’up & it was a great vehicle.)
    The upcoming Ford Maverick p’up will be an attempt to address this neglected market, but the front-wheel-drive base config and unibody platform will likely limit its appeal.

    Like 1
  13. Bear
    May 15, 2021 at 5:46pm

    The most likely buyer for something like this would be a Toyota Dealer with fairly deep pockets.
    (…even then, I seriously doubt that they’d be willing to pay $39K for it.)
    They could park it in their showroom and they then would probably benefit from all of the local news coverage that it would attract.
    It would be interesting to see it parked next to a 2021 “base” model Toyota p’up just to show how much these vehicles have evolved over the past 50 years! :-)

    Like 1
  14. Bear
    May 15, 2021 at 5:51pm

    Original MSRP for the Base model in 1971 was $1978.00.
    That’s approx $13,042.79 in 2021 dollars.

    Like 2
  15. Chris Londish
    May 15, 2021 at 6:01pm

    They are still Hilux in Australia and they are the top selling vehicle here

    Like 0
  16. Kenn
    May 16, 2021 at 6:25am

    That odometer has been tampered with. Maybe not 100,000 miles worth, but neither is the shown mileage correct, all the other “evidence” notwithstanding.

    Like 1
    • Bluetec320 Bluetec320
      May 16, 2021 at 3:11pm

      Agreed!

      Like 1
    • ace10
      May 16, 2021 at 5:23pm

      Based on what?

      Like 1
  17. mike
    May 16, 2021 at 11:44am

    My issue is, with so many advertisements there is no detail. If you want someone to pay big bucks for a truck or believe the low miles tell us the story why it only has 1800 miles on it. I guess a lot people missed marketing class in school.

    Like 2
  18. Darvin Frey
    May 16, 2021 at 6:20pm

    My truck!! Thanks so much for the article Barn finds. Yes, it is an original 1800 mile truck and anyone that saw it in person would have a very difficult time disputing that. It has the original date coated tires on them with 100% tread. There’s no way this truck is a fake. It’s undisputable and anyone that says otherwise has never seen it.

    Like 1
    • Mike
      May 20, 2021 at 5:08am

      I would like to know the story on the low miles!

      Like 1
  19. Bob
    May 16, 2021 at 6:33pm

    I know the owner, and, the tires are date coded 1971 and are like new. Contact the owner and verify.

    Like 6
  20. t-bone BOB
    May 16, 2021 at 7:28pm

    Located in Columbus, WI

    Like 3
  21. chrlsful
    May 17, 2021 at 4:49pm

    saw the horns (I think) and thought “…LP gas regulators…” Imagine this on the pain rather than the gasoline?
    Lub dez w/single wall bed, tie dwns, just a lill small in the cab, wanna auto as it’d B a DD (coffee in 1 hand, samich in other, drivin w/my knee, job site, to personal chore, ta job site, etc)……

    Like 0
  22. Gary Rhodes
    May 21, 2021 at 2:18pm

    $39000.00, dream on.

    Like 0

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