What Makes This 1982 Toy Pickup Restoration So Jaw-Dropping? the Supercharger...?

Building a proper 4x4 takes serious dedication, and Greg from Greg’s Restorations just proved exactly what that means with his jaw-dropping 1982 Toyota Pickup restoration. This isn’t your typical weekend garage project - we’re talking about a full-blown, frame-off masterpiece that’ll make any Toyota fanatic weak in the knees.

The numbers alone tell the story of this build’s intensity. Over a thousand hours of work, a year and a half timeline, and an estimated cost that would make most people’s wallets run for cover. But when you see the finished product, every single hour makes perfect sense. This California truck rolled into Greg’s shop with nearly 300,000 miles on the odometer and the typical surface rust you’d expect from a decades-old rig.

What sets this build apart isn’t just the pristine bodywork or the flawless Phoenix Red paint job. Greg and his team went nuclear on the powertrain, dropping in a fully built 22R engine that’s been massaged by LCE Performance in Arizona. The real party piece? A Camden supercharger breathing through Holley EFI, pushing this little Toyota to over 150 wheel HP. Greg estimates around 190 horses at the crank, which transforms this truck from a reliable crawler into something with serious grunt.

The attention to detail borders on obsessive. Every component got stripped, labeled, bagged, and either sandblasted or chemically stripped down to bare steel. The Sherman Williams coating system they used actually exceeds factory specifications, and the seam sealing and rust-proofing work means this truck should outlast most modern vehicles. When the bed needed metalwork around the pinch welds, Greg’s crew fabricated replacement panels in-house since aftermarket options simply don’t exist for these trucks.

Suspension duties fall to a 2.5" Old Man Emu lift paired with 33" BFG All-Terrains wrapped around US wheels. The rear axle sports a locker for when traction gets sketchy, and the whole exhaust system received ceramic coating treatment. Even the brakes got upgraded to aftermarket discs with a proper emergency brake caliper setup.

Greg didn’t forget about the details that make these trucks special. Factory reproduction decals bring back that authentic 80s vibe, while a Go Rhino sports bar and KC LED highlights add both function and period-correct style. The interior received a modern stereo system that maintains the factory radio appearance but adds Bluetooth, call waiting, and auxiliary capabilities.

One of the coolest custom touches involves the hood modification. Greg’s team actually cut the underside to accommodate the supercharger’s air cleaner - the kind of detail work that looks completely factory but required serious fabrication skills. The custom front bumper deserves special mention too, as these Toyota bumpers were discontinued in the 90s and Greg’s shop is now reproducing them for other builds.

The bed got treated to color-matched Raptor liner, creating a durable surface that complements the exterior paint perfectly. Even the exhaust header came from LCE Performance, ensuring the engine breathes as well as it looks.

The timing couldn’t have been better when Greg met up with Mike from Vintage Motorsports in Holden, Massachusetts. Mike had been building a 1982 Honda 250R in nearly identical colors, creating an authentic 1982 combo that perfectly captures that era’s off-road spirit. Both builders had no idea about each other’s projects, making their color coordination even more impressive.

This Toyota represents everything right about the current 4x4 restoration scene. Instead of cutting corners or slapping on bolt-on parts, Greg’s team approached this build with the respect these trucks deserve. The supercharged 22R setup gives it modern performance while maintaining that classic Toyota reliability. The suspension upgrades provide capability without compromising the truck’s character.

To check out more of Greg’s work and see more custom builds like this supercharged Toyota, check out Greg’s Restorations.