seanscandalous

Hey guys,

I've been driving a Subaru for years, but got more into dirt biking and am looking for something to haul my dirt bike around with.

I found a 1985 Toyota pickup 4x4 on Craigslist for $4300.

The good: New(ish) set of all terrain tires (plus a spare underneath), 4 inch lift by Rancho, motor recently swapped with a brand new 22re crate motor, straight axle, 4x4, automatic, new paint, new stereo...

The bad: AC/Heater doesn't work, 4x4 took a bit of finesse to try and shift it into gear, only one windshield wiper, and the cover part for the wipers is broken off, 270,000 miles on the odometer (but it's got a new motor in it), brakes were pretty soft and felt like they needed to be bled.

But I drove around, it shifted smooth, had it on the freeway at 65 for 10 minutes or so and it didn't overheat or anything.

Other than that, it looked pretty good aside from it being dirty (but to be expect for an almost 30 year old truck).


Is it worth it? Should I offer him $3800 and see what happens? I just don't know much about trucks since this would be my first, so I wanted to see what the people of Yotatech had to say.



Let me know, thanks!!

Roark

If he has documentation stating the age/mileage of the "new" engine, and it is in fact a new Crate engine with xxx many miles, I wouldn't go over $3500. Rancho lift=garbage aka, replace in 3-4 years. The automatic/22re/lift "power"(lack of) will get old quick, and the other various maintenance issues of a 30 year old, 200k+ vehicle will begin to show more and more. Take your time.. Unless this truck is special to you in some way, I'd search elsewhere.

seanscandalous

Awesome, I don't know much about cars so this is exactly the response I was looking for.



Thanks so much!


Here's two others I was planning on checking out later today.
Either of them sound better than the other?

Roark

These trucks you're looking at are VASTLY different, so far.. Try singling out what you're looking for and the search will be easier. The last, red truck is a Prerunner, so it's 2wd. The green one looks to be someone else's project, with their modifications and their personality. If you're looking for "your" truck, find a nice stock pickup with little to no modifications so you can have a clean slate to do as you please. Other questions are: do you want 5spd/auto, 4wd/2wd, single/double cab, more power/less? There's a lot of variables, all of which are being intermingled with the three trucks you've shown so far. Figure out what you want (at least a general idea) and we can point you what to look for, instead of using with the point and shoot method like you are now.

seanscandalous

Great points.

I'm pretty flexible in what I'm looking for! I live in Los Angeles, so I don't care about having a ton of power (I'll never get it up to speed limit anyways), so gas mileage would trump power.
I don't mind having a totally stock truck, but this is what I've been using as a rough guide for myself:

Necessary:
-Toyota truck
-Automatic transmission
-As low mileage as possible
-Under $8,000
-No short beds (has to haul a 400cc dirt bike)

Preferred (but not necessary):
-Tacoma
-4wd
-2-door

Bonus (but not necessary):
-TRD
-Small (under 4in) lift
-All terrain tires


As long as it'll be reliable and can haul me and my dirt bike, I'm an open book!

Roark

You may not care about a ton of power, but the power of an older pre 95 pickup's 22re may disappoint you when loaded with the dirt bike and going through any hilly areas. This ties into one of your requests: Tacoma. Pre 95 trucks are NOT Tacomas. They share a lot of similarities, but specifically, they are two different vehicles. Then, (following the Tacoma model) you're narrowed down to 95-04 for 1st gen Tacomas and 05-present for 2nd gen. For your price range, we'll focus on the 1st gen, as most 2nd gens likely won't be found under 8k. Engine options were the 2.4 4cyl, the 2.7 4cyl, and the 3.4 v6. All of these are adequate for power, but with you wanting to haul a dirtbike, as well as requiring an automatic, you should search for the 3.4, as it's plentifully powered for most applications. As for the long bed requirement, I'll tell you you'll be surprised what the short bed will fit. Unless you buy a double cab with the smallest bed, the regular bed will be 75ish inches(I believe) and will more than carry your dirt bike. I haul a 400ex ATV consistently in the back of my regular bed pickup and have had no problems.

I'd look for a stock pickup, or one that at least retains stock qualities, like a clean interior, original engine/transmission (unless properly documented), etc. What you can find for cheaper than 8k leaves you room for upgrades and mods that we all like!

Keep posting questions and concerns, and you're sure to be pointed in the right direction.

Roark

To round up your points.. The lift/tires are just bolt on mods. A lot of times, guys will boost their price to accommodate the expense of said mods, improperly representing the true "value" of the vehicle. Stay vigilant and constantly search through your resources, and I'm sure you'll find the truck for you!

seanscandalous

You're the man!! All the advice you've given is greatly appreciated.
The search continues!!!

Roark

No problem! That's what this forum is here for.. For more technical questions and things concerning specific engines/models/etc, be sure to search first. Most, if not every question has been asked and answered numerous times. It slows down the time consumed in asking/responding and streamlines the forum. Instead of the VERY crappy search function on the forum, go to google/yahoo/whatever your search bar is, and type in your question with yotatech in the line i.e. "Ball joint spacers yotatech".

All of your results will come back to yotatech and will likely provide ample information for you.

Good luck!

dropzone

iTrader: (6)

What makes the 85 a TRD? An auto in a 12 year old taco is a lot better than a 30 year old truck.
Officially a TRD package didn't come out until around 98.
You say you don't want a short bed but the two ex cabs you pictured are both short beds.
Having the extra room of on extended cab is nice to secure stuff
You can still get a bike in back of them though..
Just have the tail gate down
I feel you would be better off with the taco.