rangefinder84

Greetings,

Really considering a Toyota pickup!

I'm stuck between a 1985 4x4 22re w56 vs a 1st Generation Tacoma 3rz (both regular cab).

I'd like to use the vehicle as a daily driver and trips to my uncles cottage that requires some dirt fire roads.
Won't be towing, but need to get to highway speeds.
Edit* - also, parts availability could be issue, but I'm seeing websites/vendors that carry a lot of parts.


I really love the look of the 1985 year model but I wouldn't drive it in the winter where I am because of salt/snow (rust).

Sorry for the newbie question, but just wanted some opinions from people who know what they are talking about .... I don't have any friends with toyota pickup trucks.

Thanks so much!
Have a great rest of your week!

Cheers,
Kevin

SomedayJ

I'm looking for a 1985-1987 xtra cab with 22re, grey interior and red body , the problem's I only find the diesel version around here
I'd get the 1985, why? because I like the look, that's the main reason.

rangefinder84

Hello SomedayJ,

Thanks for your reply!!

Wow, that's very specific! How long have you been looking and where have you been looking?

I agree, the 1985 looks sooo much better, but I wonder about trail/off road ability (comparing stock configurations).

Have a good week!
Cheers,
Kevin

SomedayJ

I'm in the sweet waiting for years, I got the 4Runner first gen recently because they were imported with the 22RE in Europe, but the truck (called Hilux here), are mostly diesels.
The 1985 with the stock configuration's a very capable off road vehicle.
Is the1985 solid front axle? I bet it is. Don't waste time, go for it!

thefishguy77

iTrader: (1)

If you're planning on it being a DD then I would look at a Taco. Very comfortable and good power with the 3.4. If your looking to build a wheeler then the 85 might be better depending on what kind of wheeling you want to do.

Both rigs are capable in stock form off-road with I believe the Taco having the options of a factory rear E-Locker, big off road upgrade.

The Newer the rig the less abuse on it is a basic rule of thumb. I about got my 85 4runner dialed in but it took over a year to get all the bugs worked out and I am still fighting with the tailgate wiring. 30+ year old wire gets brittle and snaps.

If you are a wrench and somewhat skilled at diagnostic work then I don't think it matters what rig you get. If you are going to pay someone to fix it when needed then I would highly recommend the Taco. Not many shops anymore can or want to work on 30+ year old cars.

Good luck hope this helps.

rangefinder84

Oh, kewl! 4runners look awesome. Congrats!
I hear diesels are loosing sales in the EU lol
Hope you get a hilux soon!

Cheers,
Kevin

rangefinder84

Hey thefishguy77,

I think I agree with you about the Tacoma. Makes more sense, but I often don't make sense haha

Could you tell me if the 22re engine can get a an 1985 model year up tto 65-70 mph?

To be honest, my dream is a 1985, straight axle, reg cab, normal sized bed, wait for the engine to die and then do an OM617 diesel swap.
I don't have the tools or space and knowledge to do the swap so I would either look for one already done for sale or save up/find a garage near me to do it.

How about parts for teh 1985? Do you know what the hardest parts to find are?

Thanks for your comments and help!
Cheers,
Kevin

jakey poo

3RZ swap into the '85 best of both worlds!

rangefinder84

Hey jakey poo,

Hahha oh man, that would be awesome!
I looked around and found some places that do it but at around 7500-8500 I think I would have more fun with a diesel swap at those prices.
My friend said I could do it with some straps and a tree

Thanks for the comment sir!

Cheers,
Kevin

jakey poo

If you're even marginally mechanically inclined the swap isn't that hard. You can buy a conversion harness for the wiring, you can buy bolt in motor mounts designed for the swap. $7500 seems like a ridiculous price I agree. I'm currently doing a 3rz in my '83.

thefishguy77

iTrader: (1)

They do 65-70 fine just not up steep hills, mountain passes. If you put bigger tires on them then you going to need gears and the extra weight of the tires will hurt you on hills.

The hardest thing to find is a good shop to work on your older rig that has actual knowledge of the old Toyota rigs. A Tacoma will be easier to find a shop to work on it. That should be you biggest determination is if your doing the work yourself or paying someone to do it.
Hardest parts to find are mostly interior parts. You can still find most all the engine and transmission/drive train parts. And once you replace them with new parts you should be good for many miles. Most body parts will swap with other 2nd gen pickup parts. 84-85 have a different frame geometry than 86 and newer. So people that fo SAS with an IFS truck tend to have trucks that sit higher with stock springs than those that have stock SA trucks.

If your looking a doing a SAS then look at a 2wd frame also. Cheaper and they are close to the design as the 84-85. But since it doesn't sound like

Co_94_PU

iTrader: (-1)

Check the job time for just a same engine r&r.. 16-21 hours multiply by the local shop rate, you will be hard pressed to find one as low as 100$/hr, its close to 150$/hr.. 2400-3100~ just in labor for a simple R&R.

Sunwest automotive has the 3rz listed at 3250.

(Upto 5650-6350$)

Now you need ECU, wiring etc...

Bottom line this is why people buy whole vehicles and try to do it at home, that price isn't to far off base.

jakey poo

Completely agree, that's why I would never take my rig to a shop for a motor swap. As of right now I've got just under $2k into my swap, not much else to purchase.

rangefinder84

Hey jakey poo, Oh thank you for the information/tip. Sadly, I don't have the space, tools, knowledge in doing the swap.... maybe one day when I'm rich and have time to learn hahah

Hey thefishguy77 , great, thank you for your post/reply. Highway speeds are key, but time to get to those speeds is not as important hahah
Hmm...thanks for the warning and thoughts to keep in mind when deciding. I'm in Toronto Canada, maybe I can post later looking for advice on finding a competent/specialized mechanic in the area.
Do you think it's okay if I post a craigslist ad and see if you guys think it's a good buy? I feel the guy is asking too much (compared to other ads I've seen).

Thank you Co_94_PU , for breaking down the costs

RAD4Runner

2 cents from a classicist / minimalist...
It would definitely take some work to restore a classic but to me it is worth it. The simplicity, the ease of troubleshooting and spotting trouble before it happens (hence reliability) and ease of customizing more than make up for lesser performance.
AND DON'T FORGET THE LOWER BALL-JOINT ISSUE of the first-gen Tacoma / 3rd-Gen 4Runner.

But you would drive the newer Taco?

On flat highway? Heck yeah. I drove my1986 MoreFunner fro So Cal to Dallas, often running 85 on I-40 etc. Final destination was Houston then to New Orleans but transmission started sounding bad so I left it in Dallas to get rebuild, and I drove a loaner to Houston.
Uphill? No, but so what? We'll catch up when the road ends.

Oh and IF you are considering camping in the truck, one with built-in top like the 4Runner is better because you can stop where you wanna camp and crawl into the back to sleep, and in the morning you simply crawl back to the driver seat and drive off. In bad weather with a Tacoma, you would have to get out there in order to enter the camper, then get out in order to drive away.

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

Since it would be your Tacoma nothing wrong with connecting a cap to the cab .

Then of course you need to make sure your bed is just like the body sealed to the exhaust

I liked my 86 4x4 better then my Tacoma at first now I am spoiled by the OBII system and the 3.4 .

While having a 85 as a project is fun if your paying to get every thing done it will be very expensive !!!

gsp4life

I've got a stock 85 4runner and love it. It'll go almost anywhere, I can fix anything that breaks and it looks awesome.

The downsides are that things do break more often than a newer vehicle and it has a crude ride-quality due to the axles, leaf springs and push-pull steering. I think it makes it more fun, but most other passengers have less positive things to say about it.

Like others said, it'll take lots of time and more money than you thought to fix all the little problems and eventually you'll run into a big problem, probably engine or electrical. I used to take it to mechanics but got tired of being ripped-off with cheap parts thrown at it. Eventually the engine gave up, I got the $4000 quote for a reman swap so I did it myself instead. I saved at least a grand, and fixed a whole bunch of other stuff at the same time that would've kept me returning to the shops indefinitely. These trucks are old enough that they really benefit from an attentive, mechanically-inclined owner.

Have fun with your search and buy something you truly like, but keep everyone's points in mind. Otherwise you'll be selling a project vehicle to one of us at a loss in a year or two ;-)

Co_94_PU

iTrader: (-1)

Nothing wrong with down shifting ya know, there are plenty of these running around on 285 up in Bailey Colorado, Crow hill is one mile as very steep climb. Plenty more travel from the Loveland area and there is a two mile climb there, typical i70 speeds exceed 75mph.

Both of mine will hold the climb out of there at 70+.

gixxsta04

Older toyotas are getting hard to find without rust.