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1990 Mighty Tonka Trucks

1983-96 Truck Grille 1978 to 1997 Logo 1989-97 5 Lug Hub (recessed)

1983-91 Truck Cab Label 1983-91 Truck Chassis Label 1983-91 Loader & Grader Cab Label

The following models continued in 1990: #3901 Mighty Dump, #3905 Mighty Mixer, #3907 Mighty Dozer, #3909 Mighty Tow Truck, #3920 Mighty Loader, #3926 Mighty Crane, #3931 Mighty Backhoe. New for 1990 was model #3908 Mighty Power Treads and #2500 Mighty Anniversary Dump. Deleted were models #4010 Mighty Power Kit, #4902 Motorized Mighty Dump and #4909 Motorized Mighty Tow Truck.

CHANGES FROM LAST YEAR: The bed on the #3909 Mighty Tow Truck changed from black to yellow.

CHANGES FROM LAST YEAR: Just as the #3925/26 Mighty Crane had been re-engineered in 1987, the same would be true for the #3931 Mighty Backhoe in 1990. The changes replaced the entire pivoting assembly (more plastic, less steel).

CHANGES FROM LAST YEAR: The "MIX UNLOAD" label on #3905 Mighty Mixer changed from white letters on a transparent background to white letters on a black background.

1990 #3901 Mighty Dump 1990 #3908 Mighty Power Treads

1990 #3920 Mighty Loader 1990 #3907 Mighty Dozer

1990 #3905 Mighty Mixer 1990 #3909 Mighty Tow Truck

1990 #3931 Mighty Backhoe 1990 #3926 Mighty Crane



1990 #2500 25th Anniversary Mighty Dump Model #2500 celebrated the 25th year of the Mighty Tonka series. The "Silver Dump" as it is referred, began life as a typical #3901 Mighty Dump. All components, plastic and steel, that make a #3901, also make the #2500. Molded plastic parts like the tire hubs and the cab insert (the component that includes the grille) were run in an oil free environment. Special lubricants were used on mold surfaces and injection press operators wore white, lint free gloves when handling the plastic parts. Additionally, the containers the molded parts were stored in, were lined with a plastic bag and securely tied closed.

Pressed steel components also required special handling. After the steel components were pressed, the parts were run through a cleaning bath. This operation removed all lubricants required to keep steel stamping dies performing. Operators, wearing white, lint free gloves, would follow the same procedure as the injection molding operators when handling the clean steel parts.

Small steel components like the cab roof, were bulk packed in plastic bags and shipped in corrugated boxes. Large parts like the dump bed, cab wrap and chassis, were packed in a 48 inch square by 48 inch tall, plastic lined, wire mesh basket.



All components were shipped from Tonka's manufacturing facility in El Paso, Texas to Spartek, Inc. in Sparta Wisconsin. Spartek was a Tonka vendor when Tonka was manufacturing trucks in Mound. Spartek used a process called vacuum metalizing to put a "chrome like" finish on the parts. After the parts were metalized, each component was individually wrapped to prevent damaging the finish and returned to El Paso for final assembly. The trucking company's loved this project. Multiple carriers were signed on to haul approximately 50 thousand sets of parts to and from Spartek.