Minneapolis Street Sighting: Toyota pickup

As a secret fanboy of earlier Japanese vehicles, this old Toyota got me excited! I have pinpointed the styling down to two years, either 1973, or 1974. I know it's not in the best shape, and it's not the coolest option package, either, but hey, it's a vintage Toyota in the Midwest that isn't rusted in half yet. I had to snap this puppy!
Long before the days of the Tacoma, there was simply the "Toyota pickup". Brought over here about the same time that Datsun entered, and Mazda was selling the REPU (Rotary Engined Pick Up, cleverly enough), this Toyota was a welcome addition to the US' growing small truck segment. Powered solely by a 2.0L 18R 4 cylinder, this truck had more power than a Chevy LUV, Ford Courier, or Nissan/Datsun 720 series. Like its competition from Nissan/Datsun, the Toyota, too was available with a long bed, as well as with a 5 speed manual, whereas the Chevy LUV made do with 4. What's cool about these Toyotas, is that even though they're pickups, they share styling cues found on the rest of the model line such as Celica and Corona.
On the outside, this old 'yota is rough as it as tough. Bondo abound, obvious repaints, and what hasn't been repainted has rust showing through; signs of a true "daily driver". Like the bodywork, the interior is dire shape as well, but that's to be expected with any 37 year old vehicle, let alone a pickup. I do wish I'd grabbed more photos of it, but hey, I got what I could.
In any event, I'd consider myself lucky to see another Japanese pickup, and this much intact. Even at U-Pull-It, I haven't seen any Japanese vehicles of this vintage. Quite a shame, really, because today's bloated monstrosities can't handle a candle to this little truck in terms of its coolest and funky factor. Like many other makers, Toyota has fallen down a steep slope quality-wise, and styling-wise and they have no chance in hell of climbing back up. Long gone are the days of honest, decent looking, well-functioning, no-nonsense compact pickups, and say hell to today's bloated, overweight, overpriced monstrosities. They're gonna be around for awhile.