Stock #6988
The Hilux Surf is easy to love. Its classic styling, surefooted 4WD system, and reliable powertrains are all hallmarks of this legendary model.
Exterior Overview
The Hilux Surf is easy to love. Its classic styling, surefooted 4WD system, and reliable powertrains are all hallmarks of this legendary model. This 2000 is a heck of a buy, and features a spacious cabin, numerous power amenities, and is offered with a mere 129k verified and documented miles on the ticker. Finished in a no-nonsense Black over Topaz (KD0), this rig is adorned with refinished OEM 16″ alloys, OEM chrome mirror caps, OEM spare tire swingarm, OEM rainguards, and a set of OEM chrome tail lamp garnishes. Aside from a few light dings, chips, and scuffs, the paint is in fine shape, and this Japanese Classic is fresh off a recent service. Perfect as a year-round daily driver, these trucks also make decent dedicated overlanders, and cool campsite companions. Collectible, cool, and inexpensive to operate and modify, this terrific Toyota is our best-selling SUV for a million and one reasons!
Interior Overview
The cabin pops with the black and bright blue textured upholstery that is absent from our American models. The material is in good nick, lacks any major rips, stains, or tears, and is mirrored in the door cards. The driver can find the ideal seating position courtesy of a tilt-adjusting steering column and optional adjustable lumbar support. The dashboard lacks any cracking or fading and dual SRS airbags are afforded to both front occupants for added peace of mind. The center stack is close by and easy to reach. The digital automatic climate control system pipes in cool A/C and piping hot heat, and if you prefer more natural ventilation, the side glass and rear hatch glass are electric and can power down for a light breeze. Power mirrors and electric locks function in typical Toyota fashion and make daily use more enjoyable. An Eclipse headunit comes preloaded with a bunch of Japanese tunes and sounds clear and crisp. The headliner is clean, the door cards are in good nick, and aside from a minor hole in the carpet located in the driver’s footwell, which has been obscured from view with fitted Imperial floor mats, it’s hard to critique the cabin’s condition. We even replaced the hatch struts so cargo can be more easily loaded.
Mechanical Overview
The body-on-frame platform is robust, and the same can be said for the 2.7l engine under the hood. Fresh off an oil and filter service, the 3RZ-FE chugs to life courtesy of a new 12v battery. A new fuel filter and engine air filter were replaced as a part of our tune-up and to keep all the new oil internal to the four banger, we replaced a leaking distributor o-ring. The four-cylinder sends power through a strong automatic gearbox. The driver can choose between 2WD and 4WD on the fly, and for the offroading crowd, an optional center locker and low range can be engaged. The long wheelbase aids high-speed stability, and when you need to slow down, the ABS-equipped brakes feel confident. One of our trained techs has refreshed the suspension heavily. New front shocks, new front lower control arms, front lower ball joints, and front sway bar links were all installed. We then focused our attention on the steering system. We rebuilt the rack, flushed the fluid, and added new rack bushings and boots. We chucked in new inner and outer tie rods so we could dial in a proper alignment and then mounted and balanced four new 31″ Falkens at each corner. The Surf tracks straight as an arrow, and the new rubber quells road noise, looks mean, and should last for tens of thousands of miles to come.
*California Residents: In order to register a Grey Market vehicle in the state of California then it will have to be made CARB compliant first. CARB certifications will have to be performed within the state. Depending on the vehicle and any existing modifications will affect the pricing. Typically CARB compliance will range between 5-10K. Additional information can be found on the California Air Resources Board website.