Which engine? And other questions.
 

Hi Guys. Very first post. Great info on this site. Gotta love the net!

Anyway, I am looking to get a 1st Gen and don't know what engine to target. The 22re, turbo or v6. Really leaning to the 22re as I know of their reputation. I guess the only way I would choose the v6 was if it had gobs more power. Does it? What about its reliability? Not sure I want the complications of the turbo. I don't need tons of power as this will be mostly a beach truck. Definitely going with manual trans and IFS model. I know everyone has their opinions, but what is the general consensus of the best engine for these trucks? Thanks so much in advance.

Edit: sorry I just realized this was the wrong forum as I am looking for an 86 or later. Moderators please move it to the appropriate place. Thanks.

Please see below for my additional questions.

I would go with the 22re. Very dependable, easy to work on and it's 2.4 liters and the v6 is 3.0 liters, not that much bigger.

Thanks. I am in Wilmington. Where r u in nc?

whiteville

Not far at all!

Go with the 22re. They are very dependable and last forever. I have an 89 and wouldn't trade it for anything

I have an 84 22r and an 89 with a 3.0 so I will give you my opinion. Since you want IFS, the 22r is not an option, but I will say that I like the simplicity of it. I have so much room under the hood and I can trace every line that is still left on the engine. Now, the V6 is a cluster F*%k under the hood. It scares me when I look at it, but I am one of the few people that does not hate their V6. When I drive it, I am pleased with the power and mileage. Its got just under 180K and I bought it with 135K on it. Its had its share of oil leaks, but they are gone for now, and it runs like a champ.
If it came down to a 22re and a V6 for the same price, take the 22re, but if you found a V6 in good shape, frame good, no rust, drive it before you decide on it. You might be surprised.
On a side note, the 22r I have is lifted, regeared and has performance mods. The 3.0 is bone stock with 31's. The 3.0 is much smoother than the 22r, and I get compliments on how good the 22r sounds and drives, so its running good at this time.
Final point. If I were looking for a 1st gen, I would do a massive search on craigslist, ebay, cars.com, and these boards. you can search craigslist nationally by dowloading some software...just google "craigslist national search". For whatever reason, it seems that the steel blue color ones are always in better shape than the others. That's not always the case, but when I was shopping I found about 3 mint steel blue ones, but they wanted $$ for them. I had to go with what I could afford.

Hope this helps.

To add to this discussion. IFS or solid axle?

I found a guy that has a great running 85 22re with a crap body, and an 87 perfect body with no interior or drive train. Would it make more sense to put the body on the 85 frame, or gut the 85 and put the drive train and interior in the 87? I know this is a loaded question with a ton of variables, but I am sure someone has done this before. Thanks. Obviously this choice determines the out come of the above question should I decide to take on this project.

Here is the skinny on the deal: The 85 has a superlift 4" lift, 4.88 gears, 22re with LC engineering header and custom exhaust, Centerforce clutch, 32" bridgestone Duellar AT's, Wet Okole interior, and a ton more stuff. Runs great, head gasket and valves done 10k miles ago. Has 204k miles total. Also includes the 87 with a perfect body, a very low mileage 22re shortblock, a very high mileage 5MGE longblock that needs cams, a full red SR5 interior from 4 runner, a new hood, a new fender, and a Detroit Softlocker.

He is asking $2500 for all of it. What cha think? Of course I have no where to store it a the moment!

I would say you have yourself a great Winter project on your hands. The guy I bought back my truck from did an IFS body to a SA frame swap on one of his trucks. I think it was an 86 or 87 body on an 85 frame. After the swap, he bobbed it and went crazy.
If you have the resources to do the job, go for it. sounds like fun.

the 22r is available into the 90's but I'd say go with the 22re for more efficiency. I have no experience with the 3.0 and would never buy a vehicle with that engine.

IMHO the only advantage of a 3.0L is that a 4.3 swap is a tad easier in tha the motor mounts are in the right spot.

So from how I have described it does this seem to be a far price? From the shopping I have done it seems likes the 85 by itself is worth close to that anyway.

Yeah, I think I saw the trucks on another site, and that looks like a good deal, but as always, you might be able to negotiate a lower price. You can always ask.

I believe I can personally help you with this one. The ideal swap would be a simple body swap. I have done this on my truck, and so long as you are careful, it can be completed with 100 percent success.

I would recommend this, as it is simple (just need to keep track of wiring harness) and all you need is a few buddies to help you lift the shell off. (It only took myself and two friends to hike an entire toyota body through the junkyard, but THAT was living Hell walking a half mile with this body lol).

Anyway, I'll gladly answer any questions, walk you through steps, or anything if you want to do put a 1987 body on a 1985 frame.