1986 Toyota Pickup — The $700 Mini Truck That Chose Its Owner

Vehicle: Owner: 1986 Widebody Toyota pickup | Chris Ventura | @yota8six Photography: Marvin Recinos | @mr2mivin

From Aerospace to Asphalt

Chris Ventura is 27 years old, based in Los Angeles, and by day he's an aerospace technician — working on windshields for commercial, regional, and military aircraft. By every other hour, he's a builder. And if you know anything about LA car culture, you'll understand why someone who works that precisely with their hands ends up applying the same attention to whatever's sitting in the garage.

"There's no other place to build a car and have the privilege of taking it out for a drive on some of the best scenic backroads, or hitting a local cars and coffee and sharing the same passion with others."

Hard to argue with that.

Where It All Started

Like a lot of great build stories, Chris's passion for cars traces back to a specific moment with his family. He was around 11 years old when his dad picked up a beaten-up 1974 Chevy C20 from an auction. It became a shared project between father and sons — something they'd work on almost every day, even if it was just a couple of hours.

"I remember there was a specific day when we had just bought some headers for the truck and we were all excited to see how the truck would perform. I'll never forget the look on my dad and brother's face. They were so excited to hear it. As soon as the truck started and I heard that V8 idling, I knew my passion for cars was just getting started."

That memory never left him.

The Truck That Chose Him

Chris will tell you he didn't pick this 1986 Toyota pickup — it picked him. At the time, his eyes were set on a Datsun 620, but the right one kept slipping through his fingers. Then, while working a landscaping job in El Monte with his brother, a conversation with a homeowner changed everything. Her husband had passed away, and she wanted to move on the truck. It was rough. It wasn't what Chris was looking for. But he threw in an offer anyway.

Seven hundred dollars later, it was his.

The original plan was simple: sort out the mechanicals, tidy it up, flip it. That plan lasted about as long as it took to bolt on a set of cheap fender flares and a spare set of wide wheels he had sitting around. Something clicked. The vision arrived. The truck wasn't going anywhere.

Building the Mini Machine

From that point on, Chris and his brother got to work — and they did every bit of it themselves. That included one of the more ambitious jobs on the list: a complete 2RZ-FE motor swap sourced from a 2004 Toyota Tacoma, mated to a W59 five-speed transmission to handle the extra power. They'd looked into having a shop handle the swap, but after the job sat untouched, they decided to take it back and do it themselves.

"I don't regret it because it was definitely a learning experience, considering we'd never done anything like that before."

Wiring was sorted with an Off-Road Solutions wiring kit to keep everything clean and reliable after the swap. The suspension was handled with a Belltech lowering kit giving the truck a 3-inch drop all around — enough to get it sitting where it needs to be without killing driveability.

The bodykit is where things get genuinely interesting. Rather than reaching for an off-the-shelf solution, Chris built his own from a combination of donor parts that really shouldn't work together but absolutely do. An E30 front bumper leads the way, Lexus IS300 side skirts run along the rocker panels, and custom SekCustoms fender flares tie the wider stance together. None of it was designed with a 1986 Toyota pickup in mind. All of it looks like it was.

The Details That Make It

Rolling stock is a set of classic Watanabe R-type wheels — a name deeply rooted in Japanese car culture and a natural fit for a build with clear kyusha influences. Inside, a pair of 88 Corolla GTS seats replace the originals, and a Grant GT steering wheel keeps the driver connection clean and direct.

Then there are the fender mirrors.

It's a detail that divides opinion, and Chris knows it. That's almost the point. Fender mirrors are an unmistakable nod to classic Japanese truck and van builds, and seeing them done right on a kyusha-influenced mini truck like this one makes you wonder why more people don't run them.

"I feel that not a lot of mini trucks have them, and they're probably not everyone's favourite — but for that same reason, they stand out more. Fender mirrors have always been something I wanted to add to a build, and seeing how iconic they look on other kyusha builds just motivated me to have them on my truck."

It's a brave call that pays off completely.

Spec Sheet

Engine & Drivetrain

• 2RZ-FE motor swap — sourced from 2004 Toyota Tacoma
• W59 5-speed manual transmission
• Off-Road Solutions wiring kit

Suspension

• Belltech lowering kit — 3-inch drop all around

Wheels

• Watanabe R-type wheels

Exterior

• DIY custom bodykit:
  • E30 front bumper
  • Lexus IS300 side skirts
  • SekCustoms fender flares
• Fender mirrors

Interior

• 88 Toyota Corolla GTS seats
• Grant GT steering wheel

On the Road

The best part of the build, according to Chris, isn't the motor or the stance or the bodykit. It's what happens every time he takes it out.

"I get at least one person complimenting the truck every time I take it out, and it's the memories that people share with me that makes me feel proud to own this mini machine."

A $700 truck that stops strangers in their tracks and brings out people's stories. Not a bad return.

What's Next

The next chapter is power. Chris has his sights set on turbochargng the 2RZ to push around 250hp — a project that, if the rest of this build is anything to go by, he and his brother will handle themselves.

The dream car? A Toyota Chaser. Keeping it in the family.

For more build features, show coverage, and stories from across the car community, visit Stance Auto Magazine.