Feature > Featured Vehicles
24-Karat Toyota
story and photos by Chris Collard
Robert and Donna Boggio know the value of precious metal, and, working in northern Nevada’s gold-mining industry, they should. There was a day, however, when things weren’t so golden. You see, Robert’s first wife hated four-wheeling, and late nights with Robert tinkering around in the garage didn’t thrill her, either. One day she said, “You need to get yourself a wheelin’ girl.” (I’m sure a few of you can relate, eh?) At the time, he was building a Suburban (which graced the cover of Off-Road Adventures in 2003) with a 454, TH400, and divorced Dodge transfer case. Well, that t-case wasn’t the only thing that got divorced.
An under-bed auxiliary fuel cell allows for extended runs across the vast Nevada deserts, while the home-fabbed wrap-around bumper protects the sheet metal.
The front received an FJ80 high-pinion third member and brake rotors, IFS calipers, and a pair of Longfield bulletproof birfields. An ARB locker keeps the 35-inch Super Swamper SSR radials and Weld Racing wheels turning in sync.
A few years later, Robert met Donna. Both had a clan of kids, and Donna absolutely loved four wheeling (yes, there is hope guys). Life was good. The kids were grown, but the Sub was just too big. Robert needed a rig capable of running the Rubicon and Sierra Trek trails. The search was on for a solid platform for his next project rig, a vintage Toyota pickup.
Entrenched in an industry where four-wheel drive is necessary just to get to work, the two knew the difference between wing nuts and lug nuts. The real nugget, according to Robert, is that Donna always says, “I’ll take a good 4x4 and four-wheeling trip over jewelry any day.” (Now try to control yourself guys). Following some research, Robert started putting the blueprint together for Donna’s own ultimate trail rig — a rig capable enough to run the Sierra Trek, Moab, or the Rubicon and reliable enough to drive it to the trail and home.
The old Hi-lux you see here was rolled into the garage, stripped down to its core, and a laundry list of parts began to arrive. The first area of concern was to upgrade the powerplant and drivetrain. With a plethora of custom parts and conversion information available, Robert chose a 4.3-liter V-6 from a 1995 Chevy. To ensure the new mill would run in harmony with the existing systems, a Howell Computer and wiring harness were the first items to arrive. While the mill was left in relatively stock form, upgrades to the exhaust system included a pair of Northwest headers and a custom Flowmaster exhaust system from McVay’s Muffler in Reno, Nevada. To manage the increased fuel-pressure requirements, a frame-mounted 50psi fuel pump was added, and a four-core Downey radiator keeps the new mill cool during the scorching Nevada summers.
Handy with a welder, Robert fabricated a custom front bumper to accommodate a Warn 9500 winch.
When it came to tranny/t-case selection, Robert wanted the smooth operation of a slushbox but also wanted to retain the OEM transfer case. The solution was a GM turbo 350 mated to the stock t-case with an adaptor from Downey Off-Road. Since this rig would be seeing lot of rock crawling, the t-case was upgraded with a dual low-range setup and 4.7 reduction gears from Marlin Crawler.
Cool add-ons include a Rhino Lined bed, a Power Tank for airing up tires and powering pneumatic tools, and a custom aluminum storage box. Up top, a Rubicon style rack carries a 60-inch Hi-lift jack and additional gear. | 
Front articulation is provided via 5-inch All Pro springs and Bilstein remote reservoir shocks manage dampening duties. |
The suspension needed to provide adequate articulation, with big rocks and long road trips in mind, while maintaining reasonable on-road manners. All Pro Off-Road came into the picture with its Extreme Lift. Providing five inches of enhanced elevation, the front spring pack stretched by 1.5 inches, the rear springs by nine inches (56 inches). Damping duties were delegated to a set of Bilstein remote reservoir shocks.
Both axle housings were removed and replaced with late-model Toyota units. An IFS housing (four inches wider than stock) fitted with a V-6 differential was used out back, while the front received a custom-gusseted 1985 housing, an FJ80 high-pinion third member and brake rotors, IFS calipers for improved braking, and a pair of Longfield bulletproof birfields. Both axles were fitted with 4:10 gears, ARB lockers, and were spun via a pair of custom CV-joint equipped drivelines from High Angle Driveline.
The interior received a complete makeover including matching turquoise paint, dash mounted GPS, a Cobra 40 channel CB, a Delphi XM satellite stereo powered by a Fosgate amplifier, a Bestop center console and bucket seats from a GT Celica.
Drivetrain in place, focus was directed toward the body, paint, interior, and rock armor. To eliminate body contact with the front tires, custom fiberglass fenders from Hannemann replaced the stock units. The truck was then rolled into Homer Nunez Custom Paint for a one-of-a-kind turquoise color scheme. Robert (who’s fairly handy with a welder) fabricated a custom front bumper to accommodate a 9500 Warn winch on order. The backside was complemented with a matching wrap around rear bumper and pair of rock sliders to protect the soft sheet.
Sticking with mostly Toyota components, an IFS housing fitted with a V-6 differential, 4:10 gears and an ARB locker was used out back.
While Donna didn’t want jewelry, she did like the idea of heading down the trail in comfort. That said, the interior received a complete makeover, including matching turquoise paint, dash-mounted GPS, Cobra 40 channel CB, Delphi XM Satellite stereo powered by a Fosgate amplifier, and bucket seats from a Celica GT.
Under the hood purrs a 4.3liter Chevy V-6. The mill was left in relatively stock form with the exception of Northwest headers and a custom Flowmaster exhaust system. Keeping the new mill cool during scorching hot Nevada summers is a four-core radiator. The Howell Computer and wiring harness ensure system continuity while a Red Top Optima battery keeps the system energized.
Final upgrades included eliminating the J-arm-style steering and fitting the new ride with a set of 35-inch Interco Super Swamper SSR radials wrapped around 15x10 Weld Racing wheels. The steering issue was resolved when the UPS driver showed up with an All Pro Hi-Steer setup and a Toyota IFS steering box. Other cool add-ons included a Rhino Lined bed, a Power Tank for airing up tires, and a custom aluminum storage box. Up top, a Rubicon-style rack halos a Smittybuilt double rollbar and carries the Hi-lift jack and additional gear.
Out back, a late model housing, which is 4-inches wider than stock, was fitted with a V-6 third member, 4:10 gears and an ARB locking differential.
We’ll agree that a well-built rig is better than jewelry any day of the week — and that Robert made sound choices in finding a “wheelin’ girl” and setting up her Rubicon runner. Sure, diamonds are a girl’s best friends, but they don’t have the articulation, traction, and the cool factor of this 24-karat Toyota. And they won’t get you on the pages of Off-Road Adventures.
To eliminate body contact with the front tires, fiberglass fenders from Hannemann replaced the stock units. The one-of-a-kind turquoise color scheme was the handiwork of Homer Nunez Custom Paint.