Leave it to Facebook Marketplace to deliver such irresistible temptations right to our fingertips. The latest find to stop our doom scroll in it tracks was this lovely 1995 Toyota Hilux. Now, we know what you’re probably thinking … finding a Toyota Hilux for sale isn’t that rare of an occurrence. On the contrary, this particular specimen is not just any Toyota Hilux, rather a right-hand drive Hilux SSR-X powered by the company’s 2.4-liter 2LTE turbo diesel engine. Oh, but that’s not all. The truck also features a factory-installed bed-mounted crane.
This truck’s most recent story begins just a couple short years ago in 2023 when it was imported to the United States from Japan. Tokyo Motors DC out of Boyds, Maryland, handled the importation and did all the necessary work to get the truck legal for the U.S. It was then listed for sale on the automotive auction site Bring-A-Trailer, where it sold in January of 2024 for an impressive $20,500.
For a 30-year-old pickup, the Hilux appears to be in fantastic shape. According to the ad, the truck has just 130,000 miles (208,000 kilometers) on the odometer. The exterior is finished in a metallic green paint and features the impressive body-colored bed-mounted crane. Additionally, the exterior features a power sunroof, power mirrors, running boards, and window rain guards. Silver-finish steel wheels come fit with 215/80R15 Yokohama Super Digger-V all-season tires.
One thing this truck won’t be doing is winning any races. The impressively durable 2LTE engine at its best produced 96 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque. Also interesting, this overhead-cam diesel engine is “square,” with a matching 92-mm bore and stroke. This indirect-injection engine runs with a high compression ratio of 21:1. The 2LTE was also among the first diesel engines to move away from a mechanical injection pump and to an electronically controlled fuel injection pump. These engines remained in use by Toyota until 2000, with some later variants of the 5LTE engine remaining in production through 2020.
In addition to an oil and fuel filter change, this truck’s current owner has also replaced the timing belt, water pump, accessory belts, and batteries along with installing new shocks at all four corners. The underbody has also received an anti-corrosion coating to stave off damaging rust during the winter months.
According to the owner, this truck is just one of three known specimens in the United States with the factory bed-mounted crane. It has current New Jersey registration and a clean title, ready to transfer to just about any state in the Union. For only $22,000, this Toyota should sell quickly. And if there’s any question as to the durability of Toyota’s legendary Hilux pickup, just ask the Top Gear lads or Whistindiesel, as they’ll surely vouch for the mighty ‘Yota.