Ryan Tuerck Transforms Obscure 1960's Toyota Chassis Into SEMA Standout

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SEMA and YouTube are two of the biggest platforms for displaying a project vehicle in front of thousands, sometimes millions. In order to stand out in increasingly crowded waters, taking on a build well outside the norm is a reasonable path for the build savvy. Drifter Ryan Tuerck, a guy that has a track record for the unexpected, is back once again and this time it's a 56-year-old truck which never really caught on that's being given a completely new direction in classic Tuerck style.

You remember when Tuerck made waves with this GT4586, which consisted of a Ferrari 458's V-8 stuffed into the front half of his Toyota 86. More recently, he shoehorned a Judd Power GV4 V-10 into an A90 Supra and again stole some of the SEMA spotlight. This time around it's a 1966 Toyota Stout 1900. If the name doesn't ring a bell, don't worry, you're not alone.

Offered between 1964-67, the Stout pickup saw weak sales in the U.S. and wasn't a stellar seller in other regions, either. Powered by an 85 horsepower engine and considered a ½ ton pick-up, though that was a different era entirely, it was compact and dependable but never really caught on. Finding one today is certainly possible, but there aren't many to choose from. Tuerck's example purchased in San Diego seemed to be in excellent shape, having been semi-restored previously to close to 100 percent stock, but it wouldn't remain that way for long.

The entire body, interior, and chassis were 3D scanned by Rob Parsons (the ChairSlayer) and uploaded to his laptop to design the roll cage, frame rails, and chassis, while Jon Sibal worked his magic on coming up with a workable design to transform the truck's appearance. What began as a relatively boring starting point was entirely transformed into something remarkable and that better suits the model's name.

Once Parsons and Bending Solutions finished their part, the precious metals were shipped to KibbeTech where chassis assembly took place. Some custom CNC pieces were machined, including a one-off billet crossmember used to mount the rear cantilever suspension set up that uses BC Racing coilovers. On the hand-made side of things, KibbeTech created dozens of finishing panels that were then fitted, precision bead rolled, and welded in place.

Custom front suspension components were then installed along with the steering rack, and a quick-change rear end secured. Finally, the original Stout cab was set into place, its rear section cut out to fit over the new cage. Just behind the cab is a CSF R-1 Competition radiator that sits below more custom tin work that's been fitted with a mesh screen and coated black.

With Sibal's rendering, the ball was handed off to ADV Fiberglass who relies on their massive CNC machine to cut foam plugs to create a precision fiberglass piece. The design called for huge, squared fender flares at all four corners with black scalloped inserts used at the rear of each to fill in the body-to-flare gaps. The very '60s front end is far more aggressive with Sibal's lower fascia and splitter combo that ADV created in two separate pieces before bonding the finished version that stretches the truck's profile.

Tuerck turned the truck over to Auto Explosion to paint the fiberglass pieces. Like many vehicles with a cloudy past, this one had previously been repaired and it wasn't the sort of work you'd hope for. Layers of bondo were removed and working their way all the way down to the metal, Auto Explosion did things the right way. Livery that features an old school version of the Mobil1 logo was applied, and Rotiform LSR-M wheels bolted over Brembo's GTS brake kit finish the exterior.

With a Ferrari V-8 and Judd V-10 on his resume, you might expect a big displacement mill under the hood of this drift pickup, but in yet another twist, Tuerck is keeping it a 4-cylinder and Toyota powered. PSI Racing provided one of their signature 5S/3S combos consisting of a 5S block, 3S crank, and first-generation 3SGE head. Though the engine side of the build isn't complete yet, a Garrett turbo and Vibrant fabrication components will soon find their way to the bay and help the built engine see boost with expectations around 600 horsepower.

The top portion of the Stout dash is intact and now hosts a built-out hood that houses a digital cluster, custom center console with PDM switch panel, and manual transmission lever in place of the truck's original "three on a tree" column selector.

No, the truck isn't finished yet, and that's something that every SEMA event receives considerable flack for, especially online. Keep in mind this project had a remarkably fast turnaround thanks to some high-level team members. The 3D scanning and CAD portion helped tremendously in allowing multiple groups to work on the truck at the same time, even without it actually being in front of them. Like you, we can't wait to see this truck ripping and knowing Tuerck's previous projects, that will happen sooner rather than later.