roguewave

~~see post number 22 for a new question, thanks!


Hello all,

I am helping my 24 year old son decide what truck to buy. This will be daily transportation around houston without much off roading (for now). We found a rust free 83 4X4, no A/C, no power steering, manual,interior seats and carpet rough,150k miles, all original, 3000 bucks (maybe).
My question to all you entheuists on here ...are there certain years to stay way from ? Parts hard to find or expensive, better engine in one verses another? Trying to stay in the 3-4 thousand range.
Thanks and I look forward to learning about one of the few truck brands I have never owned.

donomite49

i had a 79 1st gen miss it. to answer your question, these trucks are some of the best toyota has ever made. and they are very capable offroad too.
pics? 1st gens are hard to find in reasonable condition.

it could be a relatively good deal if it is decent condition. 150k miles is not much for a yota with good maintanance.

if you decide to get it, it would be a good father son project to fix it up and install power steering AC etc.
could be a good investment, in other words, it is not going to lose value like a new truck.

dropzone

iTrader: (6)

1st gen's (79-83) are fun to have but not the greatest daily drivers, I know I drive one, ride rough... especially if your son is over 5' 9" or so

personally I would recommend a newer truck with EFI,
2nd gen truck (84-85, straight axle, 86-88 IFS) have a cab with about 4" more room
3rd Gen (89-95.5) offer a little more room cab wise.
22RE is a great motor, 3.0 (started around 88) has a mixed reputation (head gasket issues) some folk love the engine but to others it is the bane of their trucks existence.(crappy power and even crappier mileage)

none of the toyota 4x4's are gonna be mileage champs if that is a concern..figure 18-20 in stock form

roguewave

Thanks for the info, my son is a minimalist...no frills kind of guy. Slight build, 5' 9"

http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/3709807162.html

Thoughts anyone? I know I risk losing it by posting a link but if it's meant to be...

85TurboRunner

Price seems a bit high to me like $1500 too high.

roguewave

hmm, figured it could be had for 2500 bucks and didn't think that was a bad price?....but what do I know.

highonpottery

iTrader: (1)

I would look at all toyota 4x4s that are pre-1995. This is before the tacoma came out and should keep the price down. One big reason for stopping at this year is they didn't have much of the electronic BS, like airbags and OBDII to deal with. Can't go wrong with an older toyota - how many older toyotas do you still see on road vs a domestic vehicle of same year?

j2the-e

I paid $1500 for my 89 4runner in much better condition than that truck. For $2500 I'd look for something newer with efi and ifs since it will be a daily with limited off-road use

81 Toyo

iTrader: (1)

If that was up here in New England it would sell at that price all day long......

SCToy

To me, almost the entire value of a first gen is in the body. The motor is easy to replace/fix, the steering is garbage anyways, the seats are garbage etc.. The only thing I particularly cared about was finding a clean body to start with. Everything else is pretty easy to fix yourself and really not that expensive. Just my .02. I paid 2800 for a truck in similar condition with similar miles on it. The bay area is always a bit over priced though. I'd offer him 2500 if its in good running condition. Also check out the frame rails, especially on the inside under the bed and under the carpet in the 4 corners of the cab. Any rust/rot is going to bring the price down.

As far as a best year. Unless he really likes first gens, then it's really not a good choice. It's smaller than the other years and the solid axle really doesn't ride as nicely as the IFS yotas. There is usually a lot of little issues that go along with such an old truck. Deteriorating plastic bits, old dried out seals around the windows etc.. Unless he really wants a project that will take time and some money to make a nice daily driver, he'd be better off in a newer truck. Like others have said, anything from 86-95 is usually a bit cheaper and the extra cab is nice. That's the one gripe I have with my 81, the cab is just a bit cramped for someone over 6'.

jeffe

If it's a daily driver in Houston get him a 2nd gen Camry. Cheaper than a 4x4, better gas mileage, etc, etc. But you still can get some grease under your nails on a Toyota motor. The money you save on gas you could buy a 4x4 in a year.....

93Xtra-Cab

If you want to stay below $4000, then I'd say no newer than 1995. All the Tacomas and 4Runners newer than 1995, at least around where I live, are upwards of $7000.

infinityisfive

If I were you/your son I'd get an 89-95 xtra cab with a 22re 4cyl and a 5 speed standard, with around 150k miles and pay around 3k to 3500 for it if there's little rust, it's been taken care of, doesn't leak oil, and the tires have around 85% tread. See if you can find one with 31" tires! (stock is 225x75x15)

Reason being:
- 22re returns around 18-22 mpg, compared to the V6's 15 mpg.
- 89-95 (3rd gen) xtra cabs have the most space in the cab and a rear seat... though it's tiny, it's still there
- Anything 1986 and after has the toyota IFS, which is more expensive to lift, but is more stable on the road and can be just as capable off road with calculated and decisive driving.
- If you're set on a solid axle truck, get an 84 or 85 because the front axle on those years is better reinforced

And: the auto tranny on these trucks is pretty bulletproof. I was surprised to see an A340E in my friend's 2009 tundra double cab, which is pretty close to my A340H, the difference being the transfer case. If you end up with an automatic, it's not the end of the world.. just flush it every 30-40k miles

highonpottery

iTrader: (1)

keep in mind this is probably one of, if not the most desirable combination of drivetrain/body style in an older toyota pickup....IMO it will not be that easy to find one for sale in this price range with that low mileage unless there are issues factoring into that price. these trucks almost ALWAYS sell well above blue book value. every time i see a good one in CA, it's being sold for at least $4-5k. when i bought mine i had to have this combo and searched classifieds almost daily for over 6 months and didn't find one until I posted a wanted ad. i'd pay a little more for one since you could potentially own it for life - good luck!

redbayredneck

I daily drive my '85 x-tra cab, Don't let everyone run you off of a straight axle. It drives fine on the highway, its just a little rough if you hit a bump. I love my Solid-axle truck and wouldn't trade it for 10 ifs trucks. It might have a slightly harsher ride, but its manageable and its less complicated to fix and has less parts to break.

Note: I run down washed out roads running 44-50 mph during hunting season, and it does fine, just a little rougher than IFS.

I'd go '85 or before if it was me.

infinityisfive

That's true, I should have mentioned how rare and ideal one like that is. I had a friend who found a black 22re/5spd extra cab up in Ukiah with a 2"BJ lift and 2" body lift on 35" mud terrains for $3200.. though it had around 200k miles and you could start it with a popsicle stick. But it ran well!

snobdds

This is about the best I've seen for sale in a while. It's in cali, but it's a solid truck...and the guy who owns it knows what he's doing and took good care of it.

http://forum.ih8mud.com/other-vehicl...eat-shape.html

MaK92-4RnR

you'll be hard pressed to find an 89-95 ext cab 22re 5 speed 4x4. Most have been SAS'd, as its one of the most desired rigs of those years. the 85-88s aren't too bad, but you lose the seats in the rear. not really a big deal if you're looking for a rig for your son. ( less distractions )

that 81 is clean as hell. i'd love to have me a clean 1st gen, but again, its an old, desired truck

roguewave

Thank you all for the great info and advise

83

The 79-83 Toyotas are awesome, but aren't for everyone. They're downright dangerous if you like to take turns at a fast speed, or go fast on bumpy roads. The suspension is so stiff they'll bounce you right over onto your side. They sit tall, and lean in turns. Hit a bump with that lean going on, and a high speed, and you'll be rolling.

I love my 83, but my 86 was my favorite truck ever. 4 cylinder, fuel injected, comfortable seats and more roomy cab, and believe me IFS is a really nice thing. The only reason a solid front axle is nice is if you're going to do serious rock crawling. Otherwise it just makes the ride really bouncy and stiff.

For a person using a truck as a daily driver, and only doing your usual, run of the mill offroading, independant front suspension (IFS), some 30x9.50 tires with good tread, and knowledge of how to drive offroad will get you more places than you ever want to go.

But, the 79-83 Toyotas are really cool. They get old when they're a daily driver like mine is, but they're fun.