tonka series
My first restoration project was my 1985 Tonka Dump Truck. I have bought others on eBay that are on my to do list. Have gotten hired to restore some other classic Tonkas as well.
1985 Tonka mighty dump truck
My first restoration project was my 1985 Tonka Dump Truck. This was mine when I was a kid. Played with it for years in the sandbox. It spent many years stored away in the barn getting covered in dust and cobwebs. It had a cracked wheel and needed all new wheel hubs. I ‘plastic welded’ the wheel back together with a soldering iron using a black zip tie as a welding rod. A friend 3D-printed me some new wheel hubs which turned out perfect. Overall the truck was in very good shape. Looks great after a cleaning, painting and getting new decals.
1970s Tonka mighty Crane
Tonka Mighty Crane refinished in Versatile Red/Yellow color scheme. This was probably the most time consuming restoration to date with all the large parts and complexity.
1980s Tonka mighty loader
Tonka Mighty Loader refinished in Allis-Chalmers Orange and gloss black.
1970s Tonka mighty road grader
Tonka Mighty Road Grader. This thing is huge! Over two feet long. It looks very formidable in Russian Red Army colors.
1980s Tonka mighty roller
Tonka Mighty Roller BlueSilver Edition. Very pleased with the color scheme and how well this piece turned out. That’s how I roll!
Tonka t6 bulldozer
A small T6 Bulldozer given a clean up and new coat of paint. Went with gloss black for the blade and rails. Made a canopy for it too. Might as well have a little shade.
1990s Tonka Road grader
Got hired to do this one! My next door neighbor asked me to fix this item up for his grandson. This was my first restoration job on commission. My neighbor was very pleased with how this turned out.
1990 Tonka dump truck
My next door neighbor asked me to fix this dump truck for his grandson. Stripped off two layers of paint, smoothed out some dents and even made a new windshield. Should last several more years hauling dirt and rocks.
