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Chris Geiger’s ’83 Toyota

El Nino
By Wendy Frazier
Photography by Christian Hazel
1983 Toyota Front View
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1983 Toyota Front View
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1983 Toyota Rear Driver Side
1983 Toyota Air Bottle
1983 Toyota Rear Suspension
Front axle: Dana 60/Toyota... 
   
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1983 Toyota Rear Suspension
Front axle: Dana 60/Toyota All Pro hybrid with Ford F-450 knuckles, 5.29 gears, and a Detroit Locker. “I wanted Hy-steer for the front axle but couldn’t find it,” Chris articulates. Two and two came together and he made his own arms on a mill starting with blocks of steel. The handmade custom steering arms move the tie rod above the axle.
1983 Toyota Rear Axle
Rear axle: ’86 Toyota... 
   
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1983 Toyota Rear Axle
Rear axle: ’86 Toyota rear axle, 5.29 gears, a Detroit Locker, and cut and plated housing for clearance and strength. Accompanied by Bilstein shocks, the All Pro 5-inch Extreme lift allows the suspension to talk the talk and walk the walk.
1983 Toyota Transfer Case
Transfer case: A front high-angle... 
   
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1983 Toyota Transfer Case
Transfer case: A front high-angle driveline long-spline driveshaft with 10 inches of travel, and a rear shaft with a CV added between the Marlin Dual Crawler transfer case and high-pinion rearend. Under that All Pro protective shroud (transfer case skidplate) the Marlin Dual Crawler T-case has a 1:1 high range and a choice of 2.28, 4.7, and 10.7 low-range ratios. On the front end of the transfe
1983 Toyota Leaf Springs
1983 Toyota Front Driver Side
Brakes, tires, wheels: A Wilwood... 
   
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1983 Toyota Front Driver Side
Brakes, tires, wheels: A Wilwood front, a Toyota 10-inch drum rear, and a master cylinder from a donor FJ-80. To accommodate the truck’s extreme attitude and 37x12.50 SSR Swampers with bead-locked Champion 15x10s, Chris added wheelbase length—2 inches at the front and 5 inches in the rear, totalling 107 inches. He also moved metal by removing the crossmembers, adding a flatbed, and mounting a fuel tank under it. The tank is mounted above the driveshaft for more clearance.

Versatility and doability are the key concepts in the Toyota’s design. The truck, used for on-road off-road performance, has on-again, off-again removable half doors. Bright yellow skin, durable lightweight power, and a heavy-duty rollcage aren’t the only features and components that draw attention to the yellow screamer. The photos show more of what Chris did to build his favorite Toy.


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