Authenticity… it’s one of the few things money CAN’T buy. And here’s the thing: Authenticity is often undervalued by the people who have it, and obsessed-over by the people who don’t. Let that sink in & maybe read it twice. Because no amount of ‘adding to cart’ will buy anyone authenticity. You have to earn it, exercise it, and develop it. And that’s why people will step over the newest lame exotic crossover or Tesla Cybercuck to feast their eyes on this Long Beach-local Toyota Pickup drift minitruck creation.

turbo Toyota pickup

toyota drift truck

And you know what???

I could end this article right here honestly. I said what I wanted to say in the opening paragraph. The photos of the truck back me up, and those of you who needed to hear it… heard it. I don’t want to muddy-up the message. The problem is – SEO won’t know what to do with text this short lol. Additionally, AI probably won’t know how to steal the message … plus it has curse words in it & AI probably doesn’t like that. Wait – not yet it doesn’t. Let’s fix that: Fuck AI, and fuck cars that drive like they’re AI. But enough with all that…

toyota drift truck

Toyota RN50 pickup drift truck

Toyota pickup drift truck

drift minitruck

Let’s talk about this Toyota minitruck drifter… 

Jordan Alatorre’s (aka; Scrapelux) Toyota Pickup settles-in where minitruckin’ & JDM street drifting collide. And here’s where authenticity takes root: When Jordan was a kid, his dad drove an ’85 Toyota Pickup X-cab. Jordan LOVED riding shotgun in that truck. In Jordan’s words, old motors just scream. They’re mechanical, and they attach you to the moment. They very obviously inhale & exhale air… and feel alive. In other words, they ooze authenticity… and likely oil lol. Old-school engines have a way of feeling fast even when they’re not terribly fast. And honestly, in a lot of ways, that’s more pure. It’s a real experience when you’re behind the wheel of an older, simpler, analogue car. By today’s standards, we’d probably confuse that with ‘inconvenience’.

Anyway – when Jordan Alatorre came of age (roughly 30 now), he kind of started taking ownership of the truck little-by-little. He just started driving it more-&-more… and his dad was cool with it. Probably happy/proud to see the bond in all honesty. Eventually – Jordan lowered the Toyota pickup. And his dad said, “Alright you messed with it; now it’s yours.”

drift truck

Toyota drift minitruck

Toyota RN50 pickup drift truck

Jordan went-in deep on that Toyota Pickup…

He promptly bought a Toyota 2J engine swap. And before long – the little Toyota pickup truck was fully-scattered across the front driveway. To no one’s surprise, some Karen on the street complained to the county. And in typical California fashion, the county gave Jordan 1-week to get the truck reassembled (back to stock) & inspected by the state… or it would be impounded. Jordan decided the best option was to sell everything, move lol, and start over. That’s when he bought the single-cab Toyota Pickup you see here. It was literally a bone-stock little gardening truck. And thankfully, Jordan learned nothing from the Karens of the world because…

drift truck

He went deep on this Toyota Pickup too. 

The mission was – to learn. If Jordan needed to do engine work, he took to the internet & learned how to perform the task. Likewise, if he needed to fabricate a part, he used the internet to study how others approached it. Then he’d buy the tools & learn the trade. And that’s what it’s all about. As a society, we don’t encourage the youth to work with their hands, create, and express themselves anymore. Not if it’s noisy. Rather – we’re more likely to complain to the county like assholes. And our government steadily regulates & legislates the youth to the lowest common denominator… inside into a virtual slavery on screens. Where they bicker, divide themselves, and become offended online… rather than uniting under the camaraderie & common interests of real-world/outdoor hobbies, sports, and activities. AKA – things that build character, discipline, dedication, perseverance, talent, & wait for it… authenticity!

You wonder where true authenticity has gone in the modern age?!? With all due respect, it’s probably gone to the same place true freedom has. 

Photos by car owner Jordan Alatorre, AKA Scrapelux

toyota pickup drift truck

1987 Toyota Pickup RN50

Engine

3SGE Beams Blacktop engine (230whp)

Eagle forged rods

Stock pistons/rings

Kelford springs & retainers

ARP head studs

Stock metal headgasket

80mm AT Power throttle body

Weldspeed intake manifold

Turbosmart 45 Gen-V wastegate

Garrett GT3071R turbo with Arashi GT3071R Internals

Custom turbo manifold

16.5-gallon fuel cell

Walbro Hellcat 525lph fuel pump

Performance Injection 1000cc injectors

Hyperfuel pressure regulator

R35 GTR ignition coils

Custom ignition coil hold-down brackets

ISR S13 240sx intercooler

External Derale oil cooler

2JZ Alternator 150a

MyWireShop engine harness

Link ECU G4X & MXS 1.2 Street Dash

3″ Exhaust

Dual inline Vibrant mufflers

Tuned by Unrivaled Tuning

Custom motor mounts & trans mount

Yellow Optima battery (mounted in bed)

Toyota Pickup 15x10 wheels

Drivetrain / Brakes / Suspension

J160 6-speed transmission

ClutchMasters 725 twin disc

Custom driveshaft

Nissan S13 R200 diff

Infiniti j30 axles

S13 5-lug swap

ARP wheel studs

S13 240sx rear subframe

Rear Tube Chassis

Rear custom cantilever suspension

Front & rear SAESPEED 7″ coilovers

SAESPEED upper control arms

1992 Toyota Pickup lower arms

Shortened Belltech drop spindles

Modified inner tie rods

Vision521 wheels (Front: 15×10-25, Rear: 15×10+25)

205/50R15 tires

300zx calipers

ChaseBays IS300 brake booster delete

Tucked brake & clutch lines

Modified GKTech hydro e-brake

toyota drift truck steering angle

tire stickers

Steering

1976 Mustang II rack-&-pinion

StabFab rack-&-pinion bracket

2012 Volvo S40 electric power steering (mounted in bed)

6an PTFE power steering Lines

Derale power steering cooler w/ fan (mounted in bed)

Toyota RN50 pickup drift truck

Toyota Pickup clear taillights

Exterior

1988 4Runner 4×4 fenders, bumper, grille, & front valence

2003 350z side splitters

Lemon Hill Avenue rear metal flares

DapperLighting headlights

Clear bumper/corner lights

Custom taillights & diffusor

CHECKMATE tonneau cover (discontinued)

Interior

Weld-in harness bar

Custom door panels & roof-mounted steering wheel holder

1992 Toyota Pickup DashCab

Custom body/chassis harness

NRG seats

Shortened Corbeau seat mounts

RaceEquip harness

Voswitch switch panel

Skar Audio 6×9 speakers and 8″ subwoofer

JDM Minitruck

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FILTERWEARS

COLORFITTINGS

WELDSPEED

AT POWER

DAPRERLIGHTING

R1 CONCEPTS PERFORMANCE BRAKES

PERFORMANCE FUEL INJECTION

ARASHI DYNAMIC TURBOS

JC TINELA

 

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