ssoooooo looking at buying a 86-92 Toyota pickup and I was just looking for some tips on what to look for when checking leads out.
all input helps, thanks

 

You have 2 motor options for those years, 4/6 cylinder. There are different things to look at depending on which motor your going for. Have you thought about what you want under the hood? The 6 has a bit more muscle to it along with beefier parts but is typically less dependable/shorter life span and a little less gas mileage. Also, what are your plans for the truck? Are you thinking daily driver, trail rig, or just something to haul stuff in?

 

im not really set on an engine size yet, it would be a daily with some off road on the side. my buddies go out on trails every couple weekends so id want to come with them.

 

Just like buying a horse!!

Start at the feet and work your way up.

Looking for things that just don`t look right.

Then if that passes your inspection take it for a test ride making sure every thing works good with no major faults.

Knowing more then likely despite your best efforts you will miss something for whatever reason.

 

For Pete's sake drive it longer than a couple minutes. When I test drove mine I was like "I'll be back in twenty, the 2002 Tacoma we came in should be enough collateral", get it in 5th and drop that bad boy in 4th and stomp it. You are getting manual, of course. It's YOUR MONEY. Remember that. Basically don't listen to anything they say. They might not even know they're lying about something!


Check the master cylinder and slave for leaks. Check the oil. Etc.

First thing I did was say whats up and fell to the ground and rolled under it with a light. Good luck dude. Don't buy anything but a Toyota!

 

I'm a big fan of the 22re myself. It's a hardy motor with parts and knowledge everywhere. You'll want to stick with OEM parts in some cases but in a pinch every parts store will have a good inventory for this motor. It gets decent gas mileage and with a few upgrades it's easy to achieve mid 20's. Fairly gutless but geared well enough to keep the tires turning.

 

Thanks guys! Helps a lot!

 

i think the 2.7L 4cyl in the 95+ tacomas is a good motor and you'll be glad you had the extra power (150hp IIRC). there are so many threads here where people try to get a bit more power out of their 22re. you'll spend a bit more on the purchase, but won't need headers, etc. just leave it stock.

that said, i have a 22re and love it. but mine's not stock!

 

Well I like the body styles of those years and I'm 17 so the price range was good on those specific years so I figured that it was my best shot

 

i previously owned an 88 and loved it. kept it IFS with a great camping setup in the bed -- raised platform, gear underneath. i really loved that truck! when i had kids, i picked up a 4-door 4runner, also with a 22re.

the most important thing is you find one with a good drivetrain. check all 5 gears (my friend bought a truck and the test drive was fine -- paid the cash, then got on the freeway only to find 5th gear wined and soon needed to be replaced; he paid $2k for that mistake). test drive with the windows down, radio off, and listen for noises. check for leaks too, but the seller might have wiped the motor down before you got there, but bring a flashlight and a rag just in case.

here's a biggie: always do a compression test. it will give you a good indication of the life left on the motor. rebuilding a motor isn't cheap. you can buy a simple test kit and do it yourself -- you basically remove one spark plug, test the cylinder and get a reading of the pressure, then repeat on the following cylinders. you want good compression levels on all four cylinders. avoid any truck where one cylinder has low compression, or if the levels on all are too low. i don't recall offhand, but the FSM lists the acceptable range, so you'll know what's low vs high (or maybe someone can chime in here).

alternatively, you can take the truck to a shop and have them do it.

** a compression test will cost you a little time and money now, but it'll save you many times over in the long run.**

final suggestion: take your time and find a good one. my buddy had two bad purchases in a row because he was in a hurry. they both cost a lot of time/money in repair. finally my bro-in-law sold him his 4runner, and it's still going strong at 240k and he hasn't put a dime into repairs in 5 years.

good luck!

 

pull the radiator overflow reservoir cap, and look for mayonnaise anywhere in the reservoir... the mayo is caused when water and oil mix... typically the best place to find it is under the radiator cap; when the motor is cold the radiator isn't usually under pressure.

look for uneven tire wear; cupping, or one edge of the tread more worn down than the other, etc.

see if all of the fluid levels are where they should be, if something is low, there could be a leak, or poor maintenance by the owner.