Post by Slacker on Jan 30, 2011 10:22:40 GMT -8
just saw this posted on another board , and couldnt resist
Wolverine ll (wheel drive that is)
Posted Sunday, March 28th, 2010 at 1:38 pm
1979 was the beginning and the end.
It was the year that Toyota began selling the 4 wheel drive pickup in the United States. Until then there had been a niche market for mini-trucks to be converted to solid axle four wheel drive. There were many companies to choose from such as Low Manufacturing that would take your 2wd mini and cash, and give you back a desirable 4wd truck. However in 1979, Toyota brought an end to such aftermarket suppliers with their factory engineered solid axle 4×4 truck.
One such company produced a “look a like” off road conversion for base Toyota trucks know as the Wolverine and subsequently the Wolverine II. However an analysis of the value of such a conversion quickly revealed why these conversion businesses quickly gave way to Toyota’s successful product line.
The Wolverine II started life as a basic SR5 2wd refrigerator white base truck. Adding a body lift gave clearance for the large off road wheels and tires. Using stock Toyota body parts the 2wd truck began to take form with the addition of front fenders and rear plastic fender flairs. To complete the off road facade, a roll bar, grille guard, tube rear bumper, numerous lights, and a winch were added. The truck received a custom paint job with a distinctive blue and gold sweeping body stripes. The interior received the same custom treatment with a corduroy and vinyl door panel set, blue carpeting, and light blue and dark blue seat cover.
A Wolverine Toyota owner would receive an ultimate example of a custom truck, but at what cost? Notice the 4wd badges on the fenders? There aren’t any because this is still a 2wd truck. So a question of economics came into play in the early eighties; what is worth it?
As history can now tell us; the answer is no. The list price of the base 2wd truck in 1980 was just $5488. The parts alone for the Wolverine conversion were another $3430. With the additional labor factored in the Wolverine II wheel drive conversion truck exceeded $10,0000. Back in the day it wasn’t uncommon for dealers to sell Toyota 4×4 trucks for more than the sticker price. Even at that, one could still buy a new Toyota special edition black package 4×4 pickup for less than 10 grand. While the SR5 4×4 didn’t have the appearance of an off-road racer, it was still a true and capable four wheel drive truck. Thus the lesson in economics revealed that the expense of making a truck look like a 4×4 wasn’t as great of a value as purchasing the real thing.
Eventually other manufacturers came out with their own 4×4 minitrucks just like Toyota. One exception was the solid front axle which only Toyota had until 1985. This became a major selling point for Toyota; and became the reason for the extinction of the numerous conversion companies that had up to 1979 been the only provider for a small four wheel drive pickup in America.
getting closer to the 4WD
.
Wolverine ll (wheel drive that is)
Posted Sunday, March 28th, 2010 at 1:38 pm
1979 was the beginning and the end.
It was the year that Toyota began selling the 4 wheel drive pickup in the United States. Until then there had been a niche market for mini-trucks to be converted to solid axle four wheel drive. There were many companies to choose from such as Low Manufacturing that would take your 2wd mini and cash, and give you back a desirable 4wd truck. However in 1979, Toyota brought an end to such aftermarket suppliers with their factory engineered solid axle 4×4 truck.
One such company produced a “look a like” off road conversion for base Toyota trucks know as the Wolverine and subsequently the Wolverine II. However an analysis of the value of such a conversion quickly revealed why these conversion businesses quickly gave way to Toyota’s successful product line.
The Wolverine II started life as a basic SR5 2wd refrigerator white base truck. Adding a body lift gave clearance for the large off road wheels and tires. Using stock Toyota body parts the 2wd truck began to take form with the addition of front fenders and rear plastic fender flairs. To complete the off road facade, a roll bar, grille guard, tube rear bumper, numerous lights, and a winch were added. The truck received a custom paint job with a distinctive blue and gold sweeping body stripes. The interior received the same custom treatment with a corduroy and vinyl door panel set, blue carpeting, and light blue and dark blue seat cover.
A Wolverine Toyota owner would receive an ultimate example of a custom truck, but at what cost? Notice the 4wd badges on the fenders? There aren’t any because this is still a 2wd truck. So a question of economics came into play in the early eighties; what is worth it?
As history can now tell us; the answer is no. The list price of the base 2wd truck in 1980 was just $5488. The parts alone for the Wolverine conversion were another $3430. With the additional labor factored in the Wolverine II wheel drive conversion truck exceeded $10,0000. Back in the day it wasn’t uncommon for dealers to sell Toyota 4×4 trucks for more than the sticker price. Even at that, one could still buy a new Toyota special edition black package 4×4 pickup for less than 10 grand. While the SR5 4×4 didn’t have the appearance of an off-road racer, it was still a true and capable four wheel drive truck. Thus the lesson in economics revealed that the expense of making a truck look like a 4×4 wasn’t as great of a value as purchasing the real thing.
Eventually other manufacturers came out with their own 4×4 minitrucks just like Toyota. One exception was the solid front axle which only Toyota had until 1985. This became a major selling point for Toyota; and became the reason for the extinction of the numerous conversion companies that had up to 1979 been the only provider for a small four wheel drive pickup in America.
getting closer to the 4WD
.
