Classic Japanese.

Pretty sure there's one of those toyota trucks ( in prime mover version ) near Muswellbrook

Two of my neighbours have those Toyota trucks and they seem to be quite common around here I think its like a lot of thing's it depends on what dealers were in what area

Paul

You mention Crown utes asw try and find one now for their day the where pretty flash

...those Toyota trucks were pretty common throughout QLD on our trip around Australia in the early 1980's...

...something to do with Thiess being the importers and the QLD government purchasing a heap of 'em for the roads department (or something along those lines?).....

First Jap 4X is saw at the Brisy. Exhibition came with gun racks across the rear window.
I was too young to know what they were but Digger, the ex. soldier with me, pointed them out.
He would never buy anything Jap. of course, persisted with Land Rovers.

...those Toyota trucks were pretty common throughout QLD on our trip around Australia in the early 1980's...

...something to do with Thiess being the importers and the QLD government purchasing a heap of 'em for the roads department (or something along those lines?).....

Yep, there were certainly lots of them in North and Western Queensland, seems like every cattle station had one with a stock crate. I remember rows of them at Thiess Toyota at Townsville in the 70s

Hmmm,

A rough as guts unrestored ute on the outside
and a restored Crown (or better) level of trim on the inside.

That's not a bad idea. . .

-b


Ya, to Thiess, 1980's Darwin was an all Toyota fleet except for the real gear.

Posted by: geoffb Posted on: Today at 06:53:03

You mention Crown utes asw try and find one now for their day the where pretty flash

I reckon I can find one for you Geoff....be a lot quieter to drive than that oil spiller you got!!!!

Cheers

Showin me age here fellas but I had one of them early Lite Stouts, grey in colour, 4 on the tree (no synchro on first), with a 1R 1600cc carby motor. Used to drive it from Bankstown to Chullora every day and the thing used a litre of oil and a tank of fuel a week. It was a trade-in when I bought it off the used car dept. and I recall it cost me a months pay ($250).

Those Toyota trucks were far less popular in the Sydney suburbs, Hino was the new modern truck that all us dealers had to push - and this was the time that Theiss lost the distribution and it became TMSA, so the push was on to push the right product.

Someone here suggested the shovel nose Corona, the RT40 was its designation. Great car, back then.

Memories...

...those Toyota trucks were pretty common throughout QLD on our trip around Australia in the early 1980's...

...something to do with Thiess being the importers and the QLD government purchasing a heap of 'em for the roads department (or something along those lines?).....

Yep, there were certainly lots of them in North and Western Queensland, seems like every cattle station had one with a stock crate. I remember rows of them at Thiess Toyota at Townsville in the 70s

Just to add a little to the above, Thiess Bros used those Toyota trucks (as well as the early 3 speed petrol Land Cruisers,) at Talbingo Dam down the Snowy, around '67 or '68. The full size trucks were fitted with "man-haul" bodies, similar to what the NSW railways used to run to get the fettlers around. Just a simple sheet metal covering with a few windows, bench seats down the sides, used to drop the plant operators off at their machines. Good reliable units, the ones I remember may have had the vacuum two speed rear end. Non air con, so got a little hot in Summer, but also being rear entry, a bit awkward to get in and out of, especially for some of us more "portly" types!

Plenty running around SE and SW Qld on Govt work, Thiess Bros, Joh Bjelke and "Big Russ" were all good mates at the time. Not that I would intimate that there was anything untoward going on with govt contracts, that wouldn't have happened in Qld? Would it?

Cheers, Dave 64