This rusting Toyota 2000GT needs a rescue

Whenever we see classic cars rusting away in a junkyard or on the side of the road, we cannot help but feel sad for the poor state of these vehicles. Whether it’s an old-school Japanese tuner, a European exotic, or even American muscle cars, we can only wish we had the time (and resources) to save these pieces of automotive history.

Across the Pacific, there’s one particular Toyota that is in need of saving. It’s the rare 2000 GT, and we were surprised to see the halo car just sitting in a non-descript junkyard.

Posted by ‘Toyota Classics’ on Facebook, the two-door sports car is in dire need of a complete restoration. Not only is the Pegasus White paint peeling off, but the bodywork is filled with rust. From the hood, fenders, roof, doors, and even the tailgate, this 2000 GT is the definition of a rust bucket. Even the pop-up headlights were not spared by the unforgiving oxidation.

What also surprised us with this 2000GT is that it’s up on bricks. We’re not entirely sure why it has no wheels, but we’re guessing someone took them for their own 2000GT. With only about 60 units shipped to the US originally, we’re not entirely surprised an enthusiast thought about just taking the wheels.

There are no interior pictures, but we expect its cabin to be in a sorry state as well. Given that it’s been out in the elements for quite some time, the door panels, seats, steering wheel, dashboard, and other components are in poor condition.

We don’t get to see what’s under the hood of this 2000GT. But originally, the halo sports car came with two inline-six engines. First is the 2.0-liter 3M twin-cam straight-six. It came with three two-barrel Mikuni-Solex carburetors that allowed the engine to produce 150 PS and 175 Nm of torque - an impressive feat at the time.

There’s also the larger (but less powerful) 2.3-liter single-cam 2M-B straight-six. It only made 140 PS but cranked out more torque at 201 Nm. Both engines were mated to a five-speed manual gearbox that drove the rear wheels.

Aside from having powerful inline-six engines, the 2000GT also came with plenty of new technologies at the time it was released. It was the first Toyota to come with rack-and-pinion steering, a limited-slip differential, and power-assisted disc brakes on all four corners. It also had coil springs attached to double wishbones in all four wheels; further cementing the 2000GT’s racing pedigree.

With only 351 examples ever made (337 were production models), seeing a Toyota 2000GT in this condition really makes us wish someone will be able to save it. If you’re a classic car enthusiast living in the USA and are looking to restore this 2000GT, why not contact Toyota Classics and ask where this vehicle is located.

Hopefully, someone will be able to rescue this Japanese halo car and give it a proper home.