sbh1973

Hi,

First off, this is my first post and I hope I'm not asking questions that have already been answered. Much to the annoyance of my wife, I spent a good chunk of this past weekend searching for information, reading posts, and looking at Toyota pickups. But I still have a couple of things I'm curious about.

So, here's my story. In 1989, when I turned 16, I bought a 1985 Toyota SR5 Longbed with 70k miles on it. It was an amazing truck - 3" lift, 33x12.5 tires, chrome roll bar, lights on top, front and rear fogs, winch, chrome step bumper, velour seats, tonneau cover - and - to top it off, a horn that played 100 annoying tunes. It was quite a sight - just beautiful. Three years of lawn mowing and birthday money and a little extra from my folks got me to the $7000 (in 1985!) I needed to buy it from a local cop and old family friend. I had been drooling over it since he bought it four years earlier and he told me he'd sell it to me when I turned 16. Of course, it had big tires and was too much fun in the mud. During the last two years of high school my friends and I did everything we could to ruin it. A few months after I graduated from HS I sold it - 105k miles, still running okay, but battered and bruised - for $2000. I bought an 89 Chevy with a 4.3 with 6000 miles. And that was that.

Well, now I'm 41, drive a VW wagon with a car seat in the back, and guess I'm having a mid-life crisis or something. This summer my neighbor's kid - 15 and soon to be licensed - worked for me. All he talked about was trucks, reminded me of myself. So, I started browsing Craigslist for an old Toyota - maybe a project he and I could work on. Maybe I'd keep it, maybe I'd give it to him, maybe I'd get bored with it and sell it a few years later. I don't know. But I'm thinking I want one! I've got my eye on a couple of options, but know there will always be more. One is a 1985 longbed, 125,000 original miles, no rust ($4200), the other a 1995 standard bed, 128,000 miles, no rust ($5500).

So, after that long-winded introduction, here are my questions:

1) Any thoughts on which is the better buy? I'm more interested in 1985, because it's the same truck I had and the longer bed will accommodate my motorcycle. But to be honest, I'd rather 31" tires and maybe a 1" lift. I'd probably bring this one down. But it does have the solid axle and looks very clean (see pic) On the other hand, the 1995 is 10 years younger and looks to be in great shape too. And even my 1985 had some rust on it in 1991 when I sold it - how is it a 1985 has no rust??

2) Neither of these has rebuilt engines, but many others with 120-150,000 original miles do. It was my understanding that these engines easily went to 200,000 without anything. Why are so many being rebuilt at c.120-150k? Just to make them run better? Should I be looking for something with a newly rebuilt engine, regardless of the original miles, so long as the frame and body look good?

3) I've read a few posts here and elsewhere about lowering a lifted truck. Seems pretty simple. But do the leaf springs need to be changed out too? Or is it really just a matter of a few bolts? And its seems that the rims for the 33x12.5 tires would be fine for 31x10.5 tires, which I'd prefer.

4) Anything else I should be looking for, or questions I might be overlooking when I start looking at these? I'll spend several more hours here reading through posts, but maybe there's something that absolutely needs to be asked, but is often overlooked.

Thanks for reading this long post!

JasonYota

iTrader: (1)

I'd vote for the 95. The price isn't that much more to get a way newer truck. Don't let the solid axle on the 85 be the deciding point, you can always swap in a solid axle in the 95 depending on how you'll use it.

sbh1973

Thanks Jason.

Any thoughts on why so many engines seem to be rebuilt around 100-120k miles? Better to go with a rebuilt?

JasonYota

iTrader: (1)

These engines are not the holy grail people talk them up to be.
I avoid "rebuilt" engines when I'm looking to buy a truck. Unless I plan on going through the engine myself. There is no telling if it was done right or wrong. In my opinion.
To some a head gasket replacement is a "rebuild", to others (including myself) a rebuild is completely torn down and all bad/worn parts replaced.