Hey guys,

I have been thinking about selling my current truck (86 XtraCab) and buying a pre 84 style toyota truck.

Besides maybe going from a 5spd to a 4spd, and going from a 22RE to a 22R or 20R is there any other cons and or pros you guys could tell me about switching from an 86 to pre 84 trucks?

Any input is helpful

Thanks!

 

You'll lose a lot of cab space. 75mph for a 15min trip longer than that 55mph without over heating. That could just be mine. Easy to lift, love the sa, cheeper in price, extra rust depending on where you are, lack of reman. parts like floorboards. The joy of never seeing a truck like yours: priceless

 

i would love to have a trakker
but my lack of mechanical knowledge would turn me away
but if you know what your doing
go for it

 

'81-83 could also be had with the 5 speed.
Take a good look under the carpeting, 1st Gen trucks have a nasty habit of rusting out the floor pans. 1st Gen trannies are not the strongest toyota made...
Cab space is limited, but if you convert to a set of buckets (I have Acura integra's), you gain a little bit of room behind the seat. I have heard of taller people finding the cab cramped.

I like mine

If you are in AZ, you should be able to find a nice rust free truck down there

 

Really cramped. I am actually looking into selling my 82 to get an extra cab 2nd gen. Or a 4runner.

 

for first gens, parts are gonne be getting scarce, and the trucks ride stiff. it is pretty cramped,( but i dont care coz i'm 5'8 and all i ever need to keep in the cab is my phone, knife, ipod and backpack, so EH...)

but i'll tell you this... when you own and drive your own first gen yota, it'll open up your eyes to the rest of the road. if youre like me, you'll see how few first gens there are, and how lucky you are to be driving one.

when i drive my friend's 05 taco, or my other friend's f-150, it is a much smoother ride, and much more comfortable, but there is no pride in it. i see myriads (that means "many" ) of tacomas and f-150s and frontiers and new trucks that are nice... but when it comes down to it, and you have your own piece of work that you put your heart and soul into (face it. unless you find a mint 1st gen, youre gonna end up putting your heart, soul, blood, sweat, tears, and $$$ into it. i mean, look at the other build up threads) anyway...

a first gen to me is more about pride and uniqueness rather than comfort and technology.

besides. these thing's will take you anywhere. i'd like to see a new f-150 climb something with out losings some of its chrome package.


holy cow... i think i was a bit over dramatic. but i love my truck =]

 

I love my first gen, It looks cool, I fit it in it great at 6'1", Huge wheel wells, light, decent on gas, tons of mods available. Enough room in the cab, mine has factory buckets and a center console, I have all of my recovery gear(ropes, gloves, tiny come-along), tool box, large jug of antifreeze, ATF, 2x Oil, WD-40, 5 ratchet straps, a tarp, backroads map book, haynes manual and bungee cords behind the passenger seat with it all the way back. Nothing behind the drivers seat usually but I can fit a tent, sleeping bag(barely!), backpack, small tackle box, fishing rod and a 12 pack behind it without moving it forward at all too, still more room for other stuff. You can really cram stuff behind the seats and still have room in front of the passenger seat for more or buy a storage box for behind the cab and have a ton more dry space.

Things I dont like are rust issues, box, floors, battery tray, and of course the frame. Stock carb on a 20R or 22R usually are pretty worn(the carb body itself) by now so a replacement is usually in order. Stock steering is not to my liking, high steer is much recommended. Rides rough but that depends on the truck and its something to expect with a solid axle up front, mines pretty harsh with bias ply tires and lift springs but I love it. The locks and ignition aren't cool either if you live somewhere where vehicle theft is a problem.

 

If it's a DD the availability, or lack there of, of parts may be an issue.

Frame and floors like to rust out, 22R is fairly gutless.

I'd love to DD a 1st gen but that's just because I'm weird like that.

 

Is there a reason you'd prefer a pre 84 truck over a 84 or 85? I'm just curious.

 

Just some food for thought.
The cabs are small, and the lack of room has lead me to buy a 4Runner to get more "inside" space.
The 22R engine not known for its power. No fuel injection, on excessive angles the carberated engines can/do stall out.
Its getting harder and harder to find stock parts for them and they are not getting any less rustly as the years go by.

That said, I love mine and its a good trail rig,the only reason im going to change up to the 4Runner is the lack of room in the cab. Everything else about them can be overcome by a persons "I like/want it" and throwing money at them.

 

Its a decent DD. i mean, in comparison to my corolla, i'd take the corolla for the MPG and speed factor (i just go to school, starbucks, work, and home), but when i move off to college, my 81 is gonna be my only vehicle for two reasons...


1. i havent paid off the corolla yet (its an 03, too. wth?) and i dont need more payments to pay.

2. i want to be able to scare the crap out of yuppie college kids in their priuses and geo's.

 

I like the way you think

I drove up to UC Santa Cruz in my 84 with open exhaust. Blasted rock and hopped out wearing nothing but cowboy boots, levis, and a straw hat. Here's a little something for you urban folk!

 

I have an 82 that i drive daily to school. I like it, the only downside is that its kinda tight on the inside. But it gets 20 mpg with 35s and stock gears so that makes up for the inside being small. The ride isn't too smooth but thats what you get with a straight axle. I love my truck, there isn't many of them around and people are always trying to buy it from me. I go to Georgia Southern and there is a lot of big fords and chevys and believe that I get more looks in mine than anybody else does.

 

i drive my 81 every where i go, even on 300mi trips. its loud as hell, im in the process of spray painting it OD green so its part blue, green, black and some yellow. its a beater but it runs strong and its reliable and it gets 20mpg and i am the only one around that has a first gen. im a college student and believe it or not chics dig it.

 

uniqueness matters! and chicks do dig it.

unfortunatly for me, they cant fit in the cab... nor do they want to when they see the interior.

 

got to love them redneck chics that dig rhino liner floor boards!

 

i find 20 mpg with stock gearing and 35s is a little hard to belive, i dont think i get 20 mpg with stock gearing and 30 inch tires.

 

I wish there were redneck chicks at my school. maybe they'd be able work on my truck with me

and yeaaaah. back to the subject.

getting a first gen will turn your technilogical world upside down. everything is pretty simple when you think about it...

yes, in the age we live in now, the odds of you finding a perfect first gen is slim, but think about this

"it's easier to maintain something than it is to wait til something really needs to be fixed."

if you fix everything up from the day you get it, its gonna be hard and its gonna take time end effort, but once that is all done, you have to do is maintain it, and you'll never have to work that hard on it again.

 

I just assume that because i when to metter and back which is 80 miles round trip, I burnt a 1/4 tank which i have a 16 gallon take and 1/4 of that is 4 gallons, 80 miles/ 4 gallons= 20mpg... that's just estimated... and for stock gears that what i assume because the guy i bought it from said nothing of new gears... but it does have the stock 4.11s and a 5 speed

 

I can't say anything but good things about my old 82 with the 5 speed and 22R. It got my ass around for 3 years and I did about 70000miles in those 3 years with it and it never faultered once. Even when I put it through hell it brought me home. Took it swimming and caused it to die, comealonged it out and fired it up and it got me home. I was not easy on it and I did get 25mpg out of it. 235s and 4.10 gears at 58mph. Longest trip I did with it was about 3000 miles and it had no problem. When it needed to go 75mph it went 75. The only reason I don't drive it anymore is I kept on growning and got cramped and I got the diesel bug and built a 92 xtra cab diesel. But whenever I drive my old 82 I feel really bad cause it was and is such a great truck. Only thing I had problems with was the tranny. I rebuilt it. But that was due to the swimming incident. Overall great trucks.